Hopewell Herald – October 5, 2024
When we worship together, are you offering yourself unto the Lord, body and soul? If you have children, would they know by experience that this is what you are doing, and are they thus learning from you that this is what they should be doing?
I have intended that, at some point, I would do a little series in these pastoral letters on “how to get the most out of biblical worship.” Many are not accustomed to offering themselves, body and soul, unto God in every part of the worship.
So much of the “worship” in the churches is consumed as a spectator or participated in primarily outwardly through ritualistic forms. So, there’s a learning curve when it comes to offering oneself body and soul in those worship actions that God Himself has commanded, and which Christ Himself leads from glory.
Perhaps we will begin that series next week, but yesterday Reformation Scotland posted a selection from a Hugh Binning sermon that will help you begin thinking in that stream. Mr. Binning was a faithful covenanter preacher who died young. His preaching was full of the greatness of God’s love to us and how we ought to be full of love to Him Who has so loved us. This was what animated his views on worship, following the Lord Himself, Who defines man-devised worship as hating Him and God-devised worship as loving Him (Ex 20:5–6).
The entire excerpt is worth your consideration. But, here’s a shorter excerpt to whet your appetite and stir you up unto the Lord in our worship tomorrow:
“O consider, my beloved, what a one you have to do
with! It is not other people, but the Father of spirits, who will not be
pleased with what pleases others of your own flesh, but who must have a spirit
to serve Him!
Alas! what are we doing with such empty names and
shows in religion? Busied in the outside of worship only, as if we had no one
to do with but others who have eyes of flesh, all that we do in this way is
lost labour, and will never be reckoned as true worship!”
Looking forward to offering ourselves wholeheartedly to Him together, soul and body,
Pastor
Audio lessons to help you prepare for the
Lord’s Day:
▪Theology
Simply Explained — CC113, How the
Kingdom Comes
▪Theology
Simply Explained — WSC52, Loving
God—His Way and The
Reasons Annexed to the Second Commandment
▪Psalm 119:153–160, “Reasoning with God in Prayer”
▪Amos 1:1–2, “God's Gracious Roaring”
▪Jude v5–7, “Examples That Warn Against Backsliding”
▪Numbers 22:13-40, “God Opens Mouths and Eyes, and Looks at Hearts”
▪Matthew 12:1–8, “True Sabbath and Its True Lord”
LORD'S DAY – October
6, 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 October 6.
Q113 What do
we pray for in the second petition? That the gospel may be
preached in all the world, and believed and obeyed by us and all men [CC
113 Simply Explained: “How the Kingdom Comes”]
▫Shorter Catechism for October 6. Q52 What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment? The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, His propriety in us, and the zeal He hath to His own worship. [WSC 52 Simply Explained: “Loving God—His Way” and “The Reasons Annexed to the Second Commandment”]
Songs for October 6 morning service:
▫ARP119U “My Grief Regard” [mp3]
▫ARP33A “With Gladness in the Lord” [mp3]
▫TPH153 “O Day of Rest and Gladness” [mp3]
Scripture Text for first portion of worship service
Psalm 119:153–160
Scripture Readings and basis for confession of sin
and petition for help
Amos 1:1–2
Jude v5–7
Sermon Scripture text and topic
We will be hearing the sermon from Matthew 12:1–8 about “Jesus,
the Lord of Rest”
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
October 6, Matthew 12:6–8, “Yet I say to you that in this
place there is One greater than the temple. But if you had known what this
means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the
guiltless. For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”
3:00 p.m Evening Praise and Preaching
We will be singing at least ten Psalm
selections and hearing the sermon from Numbers 22:13–35
about “Lord of the Mouth, Eyes, and Heart”
Hopewell this Month
Hopewell’s
Presbytery Prayer Focus for October
White Oak ARP in Senoia, GA
October
Psalm of the Month
ARP33A
With Gladness in the Lord
• Wednesday, October 9, Midweek Prayer Meeting.
6:30 p.m. in the Chapel. We will hear a sermon from Proverbs 4:1–13 then
pray until 8:15 p.m.
• Thursday, October 10, Session Meeting,
6p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
• Friday–Saturday, October 18–19, School
Campout/Fall Family Fellowship.
• Saturday, October 26, Men’s (and future men) breakfast,
7a in the Fellowship Hall
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