REDEEMER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

ELDERS: Stewart Jordan, Mark Hundscheid ELDERS, Keel Mountain: Dan Brown, Joey Shelton DEACONS: Steve Bowman, Sydney Bush, Stacy Steward We welcome all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We invite you to join us in responding to our holy and gracious God through corporate worship. You can prepare for worship by reading and considering the call to worship and response, and other parts of the worship as you have time. Note that in our worship the participants confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you do not, we would ask you to refrain from the Lords Supper, as this is a family meal; we pray that God will use our worship to show you your need for him. We would love to talk with you further. We rejoice to have children even the youngest ones in our worship1. We do have a nursery available for children of ages three or younger. You can find it halfway down the front hall. Please refer to the endnotes, found in a separate document on the front table, for information about our worship. You will find there a description of our commitments2.

LORDS DAY COVENANT RENEWAL3 December 16th, 2012 GOD CALLS US4
*Call to Worship Isaiah 11:1-2 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. (With enthusiasm5, and with hands lifted in praise6) Gods people say7: We rejoice in the coming forth of Jesus, the Rod from the stem of Jesse *Invocation8 *Scripture Reading Isaiah 11:3-16 *Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, Trinity 196 *Greeting The LORD be with you! And also with you! Jesus has set up a banner for the nations, And he is assembling the outcasts of Israel. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.
Ruth 2:4

Congregation: Amen!

*Prayer (in unison) We rejoice to join other congregations in our community and around the world who worship You, Father, Son, and Spirit. We were outcasts, exiled to darkness because of our idolatrous ways. But you gathered us to the banner of the Lord Jesus, the one born in Bethlehem, the one exiled in judgment at the cross, the one who was raised and who now rules. He was born a child and is yet a king! May he rule in our minds and hearts, establishing us as his holy people and equipping to fight holy warfare. Amen.

GOD CLEANSES US
*Confession of sins We most certainly have idolatrous ways. Please kneel9 with me as you are able so that we might confess our sin. We want the approval of men more than your approval, leading to anxiety, compromise, muddled thinking, and bad decisions. We want comfort more than holiness, leading to a complaining spirit when things are hard. We want relaxation more than warfare, leading to large amounts of wasted time, flabby spiritual muscles, and a view of the Christian life that too easily makes friends with the world. We want pleasure rather than your glory, leading to every form of physical and spiritual adultery. SILENT CONFESSION Give us clean hands and a pure heart. Amen. (Rise and stand) *Assurance of Salvation Lift up your heads and hear the good news! In the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit, God gathers you from exile and empowers you to worship him and to happily and effectively fight for him and his great cause. Look away from your self and look to the Lord! And Gods people say: Amen! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, Luke 1:46-55 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever." *O Come, All Ye Faithful, Trinity #208 Amen!

GOD TEACHES US
*Gods Call to hear His word "You came down also on Mount Sinai, And spoke with them from heaven, And gave them just ordinances and true laws, Good statutes and commandments
Nehemiah 9:13

(With hands raised10in submission to honor to God and his word) Gods people say: Train us in the whole of Scripture so that we might walk in the whole of the Lord Jesus and be faithful to the whole of our calling in Him. Old Testament Reading11 - Daniel 9:16-27 This is the Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God! Prayer New Testament Reading Matthew 24:1-35 This is the Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God! Prayer

*Response (to the tune of Jesus Shall Reign) Almighty Father, bless the Word, Which through Thy grace we now have heard. O may the precious seed take root, Spring up, and bear abundant fruit. Pastoral Applications and prayer *We Confess our Faith (using the Apostles Creed12): Christian, in whom do you believe? I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker 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 arose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic13 church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. We offer ourselves through tithes and offerings *Prayer of Dedication Accept these gifts, O Provider, as a token of our thankfulness Receive them as an expression of the offering of our whole selves. Amen. *Prayers We are the people delivered from sin and for service through Jesus, our Savior. Fill us with the Spirit who conforms us to Him, and who teaches us to pray. We are now lifting up prayers to you; Give us strength to pray for the church around the world. We especially pray for Your church in the United States,14 Bless the church so that the nation will be blessed. We thank You for the brave men and women who founded this nation, many whose hearts were committed to You and Your Kingdom. Help us honor their faithfulness through a renewed faithfulness in our lives. We rejoice in the unusual way You had your hand in establishing this nations institutions and structure; You are a God of order and wisdom. We, Your church, has lost much of our saltiness and are slowly getting trampled, Help us clearly see our responsibility and our failure so we can properly repent. Pour out Your Holy Spirit on the church to help us rejoice, repent, believe, and act. We must have Your Spirit to help us be effective. We affirm that You are the Lord of the United States, May the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. We pray for those in authority15: We pray for leaders who are God-fearing and have a heart to serve. We pray for peace, justice, and order, Bring arrogant men down, and raise up the wise and humble. We now pray as our Lord Jesus taught us to pray:16 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 sins as we forgive those who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Jesus tells us that we, who have been forgiven much must forgive those who have sinned against us17. So we now stop and forgive those who have wronged us [Silent prayer]. Amen.

And with hands lifted in honor to God, we sing: *Gloria Patri 18 (Glory be to the Father) 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.

GOD FEEDS US
*Sursum Corda19 The Lord be with you! And also with you! Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the Lord Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is proper and right to do so. *Doxology (hands raised) Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen *Gods Invitation and our Confession O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay Daniel 9:19 for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name. Gods people say: You have acted in the Lord Jesus! We are your people, gathered on Zion, called and strengthened in your name. Words of Institution and Giving of Thanks20 Distribution of the Bread and the Cup21 We ask all to come forward to the table much in the same way the crowds sought after Jesus. It is not necessary to be quiet since this is not only a celebration of our communion with Christ, but also with one another. Tear a piece a bread from the loaf (trying to place your hand on the napkin) and then take a cup from the tray. Parents can take the bread for younger children. Wine22 is the element in the cup, but grape juice is provided in the outer ring of each tray. We welcome all to this table who have been baptized23 and who are in good standing with a church that professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Children not partaking can come forward with their parent[s]. See one of our elders if you have questions about this. Sharing and Prayer24

*Pastoral Benediction The body and blood of our Lord strengthen and preserve you steadfast in the true faith to life everlasting. In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And Gods people say: Amen. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. And his mercy endures forever!

GOD SENDS US
*Matthew 28:18-20 And Gods people say: Amen! Look to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. *He is Lord (with hands raised in praise) He is Lord, he is Lord, He is risen from the dead and he is Lord! Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. *Benediction (received with hands open to God): Hebrews 13:20-21
Isaiah 45:22

Endnotes

Children in worship The Bible puts great emphasis on the importance of the children of Gods people being included in the worship, or in the assembly (see, for starters, Ex 10:7-9; Deut 29:9-15; 31:12-13; Josh 8:34-35; II Chron 20:13; Ezra 10:1; Joel 2:15-16). This shapes their identity as those saved by grace and saved for worship and service. For further study of the identity of the children of those who profess Christ, see our booklet Catching Gods Design and Heart, located in the church foyer.
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Redeemer Commitments: Christs Lordship (the gospel of the kingdom) The biblical gospel of forgiveness and transformation is announced in Isaiah (40:9, 52:7, 61:1), builds upon all that God reveals in the OT, and is fulfilled in the coming, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus the King. This gospel reveals that God will indeed establish his kingship through his anointed one, his Christ, through the Holy Spirit, and through the church united to Christ. The gospel is not about us leaving but about God coming; it is not primarily about the salvation of individuals (though they are certainly included), but about the salvation of families, communities, and nations. The heart of the biblical gospel is that Jesus is Lord! We want to actively apply the gospel in seeking Christs Lordship in all of life in education, vocation, the arts, sports, economics, politics, and every other aspect of Gods world. We also want to study and absorb the whole Bible so we can be fed and nourished in a whole Christ. The church Beginning with Adam and Eve God created, called, and enabled a people to be his image-bearers. His commitment to establishing a faithful people continued throughout the OT and is fulfilled in the church of Jesus Christ, the people in whom God dwells (the temple). This church takes local, specific forms where those committed to Christ worship, are governed, and seek to carry out, in unity with other bodies, Gods mandate and spread Gods presence in their local areas. We believe this church is central to Gods work and that it is crucial for all believers to be vitally connected and accountable to a local body. Corporate worship and faithful government We try to keep our church life simple, streamlined, and decentralized. God uses all kinds of church programs, but we believe the central programs stressed in Scripture are two: worship and faithful government. Worship on the Lords Day is the holy assembly in which God renews us, expands our minds and hearts to see His greatness, grace, and calling for us, and strengthens us through singing and prayer, confession and assurance, teaching and sacraments. Faithful government is elders who pray, lead, teach, and shepherd and deacons who serve the needs of Gods people and set an example for the community of care and love. Our organizational chart is intentionally limited to these activities and we encourage other ministry to flow from this. The Christian household The modern church often splinters families with programs and activities, neglects to disciple and equip men to lead their homes, and generally dishonors the emphasis that God places on household life and

ministry. We work to buck that trend believing that strong household life is central to Gods intent in ministering in and through churches and building strong communities and nations. We do this through worship that keeps families together, through regular Head of Household training, and through keeping a minimalistic church calendar so families can stay together and minister together. Most of our church ministry will be found on family ministry charts. Christian unity We have specific commitments (see above), are accountable to a specific body (the Federation of Reformed Churches, or FORC), and are related to the Protestant and Reformed heritage. Side by side with these commitments, though, we want to be consciously and aggressively committed to honoring other Christians churches and traditions. We want to learn from them, minister with them, benefit from their strengths, and build a unity with them that will express our oneness in Christ and show the world the unity of Father, Son, and Spirit (see John 17).

Covenant Renewal Worship Our worship is patterned around covenant renewal. This is based on the biblical emphasis of God relating with His people and with His creation by way of covenant. This covenant is Gods merciful stooping down to our level to establish relationship and purpose with us. By way of covenant, He claims us for Himself, cleanses us from sin, and enables us to serve Him so that we might help spread His heavenly glory and rule on earth. This covenant mercy is especially to be seen and grasped when Gods covenant people gather together on the Lords Day to worship Him.
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God calls us - Gods work in creation and salvation is always first about God, then about us. He acts, then we respond; He is the Creator, we are the creatures; He is the King, we are the servants. Our worship reflects this most basic reality: He calls, He cleanses, He teaches, He feeds us, He sends us. This movement reflects biblical worship, biblical salvation, and biblical living, and should help strengthen us for a new week of faith and dependence upon God.
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Enthusiasm God calls us to Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King (Psalm 98:6; see many other places in the psalms). The prophet Zephaniah calls Israel to Shout, O Israel, be glad and rejoice with all your heart! (Zeph 3:14). God calls us to kind of exuberant praise you might offer at a sports contest. This honors him, and stirs our heart to the kind of triumphal spirit that should pervade our lives, that should lead to more vigorous living for God, and should give us energy and confidence through struggle and challenges.
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With hands lifted in praise See Psalm 28:2, 63:4, 134:2, 141:2, I Timothy 2:8. Imagine coming before a powerful person to ask for relief or help. As you spoke to them of your urgent request, you would probably, without thinking, open your hands to them in a gesture of humble petition. Imagine that they grant the request and you desire to bless them; as you said, Thank you you would, again, with open hands naturally reach out your arms to them in gratitude. Or, imagine seeing someone that you gloried in a great statesman, a conquering hero, even a beloved sports figure or performer. You would naturally open your hands and lift your arms in honor (rightly or wrongly!). This is the spirit in which we lift up our hands to God.
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Corporate worship As individuals we can worship the true God anywhere and everywhere; indeed all we do should be to the glory of God. But there is something unique and special about worship with the visible church (those people standing around us, and others worshipping in our community and world in the name of Jesus). So our worship emphasizes that in this hour, once a week on the Lords Day, we are truly worshipping together. So rejoice to respond together, sing together, pray together, hear Gods word together, be strengthened through the sacraments together, and then go out together.
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We invoke, or ask God to come and bless our worship. Without him present, we can produce nothing but mans glory or righteousness. What we need is Gods glory and righteousness.
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Kneel - There is no magic or inherent power in our bodily posture in worship. But God does makes us whole creatures and our body does reflect our inner man and instruct our inner man. Kneeling in

confession reminds us that it is right to humble ourselves before God in our failings. It is also prepares us to rejoice when he makes us rise and stand through his mercies in Christ. 10 Neh 8:5-6 - And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands.
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Listening to Scripture The hearing of the word of God and authoritative instruction is part of the assembly of Gods people (see Deut 31:10-12; Joshua 8:30-35; 2 Chron 34:30; Nehemiah 8:2-3; Colossians 4:16; I Thess 5:27). To best hear this word, we would encourage you to not follow along in your Bible (you can go back and read later), but to lift your heads and eyes and focus your ears, minds, and hearts on the word being read by the authorized reader. (See the Scriptures noted above for examples of such hearing.) This helps us recognize the uniqueness of assembled worship and hearing, it underlines our submission to the leadership of the church, it brings the word to us through our ears, a sensory component we often neglect, and it trains us in patient listening, a skill we all need to grow in. Expect Gods Spirit to work in our midst as his word is read.
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The Apostles Creed This creed was developed in the early centuries after Christs death and resurrection. It was used as a confession for candidates for baptism into the church. It was called apostles because it was initially understood as something that came from straight from Jesus apostles. More likely, it was based on truth and confessions that date back to the earliest church, but it was actually formulated in later centuries. We say this creed as a way to affirm basic truths that the church has believed are basic and foundational. It also connects us in our worship with the saints in the past. Note that these basic truths revolve around events creation, the life of Jesus, and resulting benefits. Christian confession is connected to history and Gods working in history.
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Catholic This denotes the church united throughout the world and through history. We are confessing that God will purify and unify His one church, and we are agreeing with Jesus prayer in yearning for this (see John 17:20-23).

We use Operation World as a guide for specific prayer for the church. See pray today at http://www.gmi.org/ow/
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See 1 Timothy 2:1-2

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The Lords Prayer That is the traditional name for the prayer Jesus taught his disciples (see in Matthew 6:9-13). These are not, by any means, magic words. They are to be spoken with consciousness of their meaning and never as some kind of rote appeal to God (see Jesus teaching in Matthew 6:7-8). We use them regularly in our worship because, said with thoughtfulness and openness, they renew us in the fundamentals of Gods priorities and passions. They train us how to pray and how to live.
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Forgive others . . . Jesus actually says that if we dont forgive those who have sinned against us the Father will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15; also see Matthew 18:35). These are jolting words. When we compare them with other Scripture, it becomes clear that it is not the case that us forgiving others earns Gods forgiveness (nothing we ever do earns Gods forgiveness!) or that our lack removes the salvation that we previously had. But, at the same time, Jesus said what He said in the way He said it, and He means for this to be an encouragement to serious and persistent forgiveness, and a serious warning if we harbor unforgiveness. When we put this call to forgiveness in the broader history of Gods amazing mercy and abundant forgiveness to redeem a holy nation (a history that Jesus had in mind when giving these words), we all the more see the appropriateness of this emphasis upon forgiveness and upon the strong encouragement / warning here, and we should be careful of any interpretation that takes the sharp edge from these words. So, Christian, forgive those who have wronged you knowing that God has forgiven you much more (read all of Matthew 18:21-35; also see Eph 4:32) . . . and do it now, or at least cry out to God for the right thinking and heart to quickly begin moving that way.

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The Gloria Patri this is an ancient hymn that is used in many church traditions across the world. Its use in our worship helps us express the eternal being and consistency of the Trinity, which is the grounds of our being, salvation, and worship. It also connects us with the church of various traditions that have worshipped throughout history and that are worshipping throughout the world today.
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Sursum Corda This is an ancient piece of worship, dating back to the third century and used by Christian churches all over the world. Sursum Corda means Lift up your hearts! This is especially appropriate as we move into the Lords Supper since, through the Holy Spirit, we will be communing with, and feeding upon, the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ. 20 See I Corinthians 11:23-26; Matthew 26:26-30; Luke 22:19-20. Note the giving of thanks after the setting apart of both the bread and the cup.
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We partake of the Lords Supper weekly. The Scripture teaches a high view of the Lords supper as an important means for growth and strength in Christ. There is also good evidence that the church in Acts practiced it at least weekly (see Acts 20:7; also see 2:42); there is certainly more evidence for weekly practice than for less frequent practice. G.I. Williamson captures the blessings of frequent celebration in these comments: The Lords Supper is to be frequently observed, because it represents a work of God that continues throughout the life of the believer. Again and again the believer is to eat, drink, and remember, because the Lord's Supper is a sign and seal of that work of Gods grace where by a believer continually derive spiritual nourishment and strength, forgiveness, cleansing and sanctification from the benefits of Christs one sacrifice and his present mediation of those benefits to believers.
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Wine in the Lords Supper - Drunkenness is a serious sin and must always be avoided (Deut 21:20; Prov 20:1; Romans 13:13). At the same time, the Psalmist says that God gave man wine to gladden his heart (Psalm 104:15). Jesus made wine (John 2:1-11) and drank it himself (Matthew 11:19). Jesus drank wine at the institution of the Lords Supper (Matthew 26:27) and said that He would drink wine with the redeemed in His Fathers kingdom (Matthew 26:29). So wine in moderation, and used in consideration of your brother (see Romans 14-15) is a God-approved expression of joy and is especially appropriate to express the joy of our salvation and fellowship with Christ. We do provide grape juice for those who believe themselves to have been called by God to not drink alcohol (Numbers 6:3).
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The leaders of this church believe in, and practice, paedocommunion, which is the belief that all who are baptized in the name of Christ, and who are in good standing with a church that professes Christ, are to be brought to the Lords table. This includes young children who are baptized and who are of the age that they could eat at their family table. We believe Scripture testifies throughout that such covenant children are to be baptized and are invited to Gods feast (starting with Passover, but including all the other feasts of Israel), and are to brought up nourished by the grace that Gods brings through Jesus, and the supper he ordained for his people. We recognize that this is a new understanding for many people, so dont feel awkward about not having your children partake if you are not comfortable with this, and please dont hesitate to bring your reservations or questions to one of our elders.
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Our desire is to have biblical body life (prayer, sharing, confessing, encouraging, elders praying and laying on of hands) as a key part of our corporate worship together (some references on body life: Proverbs 27:17; Romans 15:14; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 1:9, 3:16; I Thess 5:11, 2 Thess 1:11; 14; Hebrews 10:24-25; James 5:13-16.) Sometimes formal, structured worship is thought to be at odds with more open body life. But we believe that formal worship should actually prepare for, fuel, and provide an orderly context for biblical body life. From this body life we pray that we will find and develop other ways to minister to one another throughout the week prayer for each other, hospitality, loving accountability, phone calls, people meeting for prayer and ministry, elders meeting with people to do further shepherding, etc. As we learn to love each other and know Gods power with and for one another, this should equip us to minister to others outside our body.

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