Recovering Our Biblical Heritage [2024.09.07 Pastoral Letter and Hopewell Herald]

Hopewell Herald – September 7, 2024

Dear Congregation,

How have our nation and its families declined so drastically over the past several generations? Simply put, apart from the knowledge of God, our Creator, as our Redeemer, there can be no spiritual life, and we can expect no morality or wisdom. (cf. Eph 2:11–12)

The fault very much lies with the church, which ought to be the household of God. There, He ought to be known, and His Word ought to be known and—by the life of Christ in His people—followed. (cf. Eph 2:19–20)

Our Biblical Reformation Conference, September 19–20, identifies and addresses six areas in which much of the visible church in our day has departed from the Lord, calling us back to biblical faithfulness.

Recovering Biblical Families, Thu, 6:30–7:15p
Recovering Biblical Fatherhood, Thu, 7:30–8:15p
Recovering Biblical Fasting, Fri, 10–10:45a
Recovering Biblical Fear of God, Fri, 11–11:45a
Recovering Biblical Faith and Fellowship, Fri, 7p

More than that, the conference itself consists of the preaching of the Word—a means by which God has appointed to give faith, to save our souls, to sanctify us, and to equip us for every good work. Thus, the conference is not only instruction for the church, but a seeking of God's grace by the means of that grace. We hope it will be a blessing to all.

If you are interested in making flyers, or doing other promotion, for the conference, please let me know.

I hope that you will invite others who are concerned, and who seek reformation in their own heart, their own home, or their own congregation. And I hope that you will make use of these sessions, as they hold before us the family life, worship life, and church life to which the Lord calls us, and which the Lord uses to form us.

I hope that you will make use of these sessions, as they hold before us the family life, worship life, and church life to which the Lord calls us, and which the Lord uses to form us.

Central to that life, of course, is the Lord’s Day, the worship assembly of the church on that day, and God Himself, in His Son, by the ministry of His Spirit, through Word, sacrament, and prayer.

Looking forward to drawing near to Him together,

Pastor

 

Audio lessons to help you prepare for the Lord’s Day:

▪Theology Simply Explained — CC109, Prayer that Follows the Lord 
▪Theology Simply Explained — WSC48, Living Before God's Face and Learning from the Words 'Before Me' 
▪Psalm 119:121–128, “God's Love, by God's Word, for God's Servants” 
▪Isaiah 66:1–4, “Getting Worship Right by Getting God and Ourselves Right” 
▪3John v5–8, “Love and Labor from Christ for God” 
▪Matthew 11:16–24, “Childish Arrogance and Wicked Resistance of Unbelief” 
▪Numbers 21:4–9, “Grace Overcoming Grumbling”
 

LORD'S DAY – September 8, 2024 

9:50 a.m. Breakfast Line Opens

10 a.m. Sabbath School
We are preparing our minds and hearts for public worship by studying our Confession of Faith from Scripture, affirming that Scripture is our only ultimate authority, but also discovering that what we confess is thoroughly Scriptural.

11 a.m. Public Worship

▫Children’s Catechism for September 8. Q109 How many petitions are there in the Lord's Prayer? Six. [CC 109 Simply Explained: “Prayer that Fully Follows the Lord”]

▫Shorter Catechism for September 8. Q48 What are we specially taught by these words before Me in the first commandment? These words before Me in the first commandment teach us that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other god. [WSC 48 Simply Explained: “Living Before God's Face” and “Learning from the Words ‘Before Me’”]

Songs for September 8 morning service: 
▫ARP119Q “I’ve Judged Rightly” [mp3]
▫ARP59B “I Wait for You” [mp3]
▫ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage” [mp3]

Scripture Text for first portion of worship service
Psalm 119:121–128

Scripture Readings and basis for confession of sin and petition for help
Isaiah 66:1–4 
3John v5–8

Sermon Scripture text and topic
We will be hearing the sermon from Matthew 11:16–24 about “Diagnosing Unbelief”

Lord’s Supper! (Please see the section at the end of the Worship Booklet on how rightly to prepare for and take it).

1 p.m. Coffee Fellowship and Catechism Class

1:30 p.m. Fellowship Lunch
▫Memory Verse for September 8, Matthew 11:24, But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.

3:00 p.m Evening Praise and Preaching
We will be singing at least ten Psalm selections and hearing the sermon from Numbers 21:4–9 about “Grace Greater than Our Grumbling”

Hopewell this Month

Hopewell’s Presbytery Prayer Focus for September
the Fall Presbytery Meeting

September Psalm of the Month
ARP59B I Wait for You

Upcoming Events

• Wednesday, September 11, Midweek Prayer Meeting. 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel. We will hear a sermon from Proverbs 2:10–22 then pray until 8:15 p.m.
• Saturday, September 14, Church Workday
• Saturday, September 14, 10a.m. Annual Congregational Meeting
• Thursday–Saturday, September 19–21, Reformation Conference and Presbytery Meeting
• Saturday, September 28, Men’s (and future men) breakfast, 7a in the Fellowship Hall
• Thursday, October 10, Session Meeting, 6p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.