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TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
October 13, 2024
GATHERING AND PREPARING TO WORSHIP GOD
WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed!
PRELUDE: “Largo” G.F Handel
Readying Our Hearts (A time of silent prayer and reflection in preparation for worshiping God together.)
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: Come near to God.
People: And He will come near to you.
Leader: Listen and hear the Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ.
People: Let us learn and obey His good and holy ways.
Leader: Open your hearts and minds to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
People: Help us seek and know His righteous truth to the glory of Almighty God.
INVOCATION
*OPENING SONG: “Everlasting God” Brenton Brown
Acoustic Worship Team
Verse:
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.
We will wait upon the Lord; we will wait upon the Lord. (repeat)
Pre-chorus:
Our God, You reign forever;
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer.
Chorus:
You are the everlasting God,
The everlasting God.
You do not faint, You won’t grow weary.
You’re the defender of the weak,
You comfort those in need,
You lift us up on the wings like eagles.
SCRIPTURE READING: Jude 1-9 (Pew Bible p. 1909)
Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James.
To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home – these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.
In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
Leader: This is the word of the LORD.
People: Thanks be to God.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION: (Unison prayer after a time of silent personal confession.)
Merciful God, because of Your great compassion for us, You sent Your Son to die upon a cross — to pay the penalty of our sins and to redeem us from death to life in You. We call out to You, the One who knows the sins of our hearts — those things we thought, said, did, and even failed to do, that brought sorrow to Your heart and hurt to the lives of others. And, with remorseful hearts we ask You to forgive our sins that we might experience release from the burden of our guilt, and that we might walk rightly with You, in the power of Your Spirit, shining forth in our lives the very light of Christ.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON (Rom 5:8; Col 1:13-14; Rom 5:1)
Leader: God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. And so, I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven of the guilt of your sins.
*All: (Gloria Patri)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.
ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH GOD’S WORD
SCRIPTURE READING: Jude 10-16 (Pew Bible p. 1910)
Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals – these are the very things that destroy them.
Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm – shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted – twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
Leader: This is the word of the LORD.
People: Thanks be to God.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
ANTHEM: “Bless His Holy Name” Mark Shepperd
Choir
SCRIPTURE READING: Jude 17-23 (Pew Bible p. 1910)
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy mixed with fear – hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
Leader: This is the word of the LORD.
People: Thanks be to God.
SERMON: “The Ageless Assault on Truth”
RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD THROUGH AFFIRMATION,
OFFERING, AND PRAYER
*SONG OF REFLECTION AND RESPONSE: #667 “God Has Spoken by the Prophets”
God has spoken by the prophets, spoken the unchanging Word,
Each from age to age proclaiming God, the one, the righteous Lord!
`Mid the world’s despair and turmoil one firm anchor holding fast;
God eternal reigns forever, God the first and God the last.
God has spoken by Christ Jesus, Christ, the everlasting Son,
Brightness of the Father’s glory, with the Father ever one;
Spoken by the Word incarnate, God of God, ere time was born;
Light of light, to earth descending, Christ, as God in human form.
God is speaking by the Spirit, speaking to our hearts again;
In the age-long Word declaring God’s own message, now as then.
Through the rise and fall of nations one sure faith yet standing fast;
God abides, the Word unchanging, God the first and God the last.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE LORD’S SUPPER AND OFFERING
Invitation
Affirmation of Faith: The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Words of Institution
Partaking of the Elements and the Giving of Our Offering
“Holy Song” Ingram/Ligertwood
Acoustic Worship Team
Verse 1
What joy to know You Lord to walk within Your ways
To live beneath the shadow of Your wing
Faithful You will lead me and I won’t fear a thing
You alone my song will always be
Chorus
Holy holy holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Worthy worthy worthy
All of the earth is full of Your glory
Verse 2
What mercy to me Lord to choose me for Your own
That You would make my heart Your dwelling place
And when I stand in glory and we are face to face
Surely then my song will be the same
Chorus
Holy holy holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Worthy worthy worthy
All of the earth is full of Your glory
All of the earth is full of Your glory
Worthy now to receive
Power and wisdom and majesty
Unto You Christ our King
Splendor and honor eternally
(REPEAT)
Yours forever
Yours forever
Verse 3
What beauty to behold there before the throne
As all of earth and heaven hail the King
The Lion and the Lamb our God the Great I Am
To You alone our song forever be
To You alone our song forever be (Chorus)
(For those joining with us in the Sanctuary this morning, you are invited, as you come forward to receive the Communion Elements, and as you feel so led, to place your offering in one of the plates up front. For those unable to be with us physically, you are encouraged to partake of the elements in your home at this time. Also, as you are able, we invite you to set aside your offering as an act of personal dedication at this time, either to be mailed in, dropped off at the church, or brought in when you are able to join us in worship. Let this time be one of receiving from and offering yourself up to our Lord — to the praise of His holy name.)
Prayer of Commitment
*Sung Response (Doxology)
Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts; Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
SHARING OF JOYS AND CONCERNS
PASTORAL PRAYER
THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
BRINGING OUR WORSHIP INTO OUR WORLD
*CLOSING SONG: #535 “Face to Face”
Face to face with Christ my Savior, face to face what will it be
When with rapture I behold him, Jesus Christ who died for me?
Refrain: Face to face I shall behold him, far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all his glory, I shall see him by and by!
Only faintly now I see him, with the darkening veil between;
But a blessed day is coming when his glory shall be seen. (refrain)
What rejoicing in his presence when are banished grief and pain,
When the crooked ways are straightened and the dark things shall be plain. (refrain)
Face to face! O blissful moment! Face to face to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ who loves me so. (refrain)
BENEDICTION (Jude 24-25)
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever. Amen.
*POSTLUDE: “Yorkshire Recessional” Gordon Young
FOR MEMORIZATION AND REFLECTION: Matthew 7:15
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- If you would like to help support the work of Hope 7 in our local community, we encourage you to drop off non-perishable food items, toiletries and other hygiene items either at Trinity Church, or at Hope 7 directly (M-F 9:30-11:45), or call Sue Laz (518-892-4042) to arrange for a pick-up.
- We are receiving new or gently used clothes for the Capital City Rescue Mission (CCRM). There is a box in the narthex for donations. You may bring your items to the church or call Sue Laz to arrange for a pick-up.
- Adult Bible Study – There will be no Sunday morning Bible study on October 20th. The class will resume on October 27th.
- Wednesday Evening Bible study – There will be no Wednesday Bible study on October 16th. We will resume on October 23rd.
- Note: the church’s new email address is – office@trinitychurchtroy.org (so just replace “third” with “trinity” from the old email address). The new website address is – trinitychurchtroy.org (same simple word swap).
- Church “business-style” cards are available in the narthex. You are encouraged to take some to hand out as you invite others to join us in worship.
- Serving at the Capital City Rescue Mission, Saturday, October 19th. We have the privilege to minister to those in need by helping to serve the evening meal at the Capital City Rescue Mission. We will meet at the church at 5:00 for those wishing to carpool to the mission or you can meet us there around 5:30. Serving involves ensuring the tables are set for dinner, serving the meal, and cleaning up the tables afterwards. If you can help, please speak with Peter Laz.
- Veteran’s Recognition, November 10th, we will be recognizing service personnel who have served or are currently serving. To include someone in this recognition please speak with Sue Laz or call the church office at 518-283-2420 with their name, branch of service and dates of service.
- Operation Christmas Child, through simple shoe boxes filled with toys and other small gifts children receive the assurance that God loves them and what may be their only Christmas gift. Brochures are available in the narthex with instructions on filling a shoe box. Boxes should be returned to the church by November 17th.
- We will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive on Veteran’s Day, Monday, November 11th from noon-5:00pm. Please lift the drive in your prayers and consider donating blood or helping at the refreshment table for a portion of the afternoon. Every pint of blood collected by the Red Cross can save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. If you would like to register to donate, volunteer, or have any questions, please speak with Peter Laz.