Prelude Colin Howland, piano

Precious Lord, Take My Hand arr. Ovid Young

Call to Worship

Invocation

Hymn 119: I Sing the Almighty Power of God Forest Green

I sing th’almighty pow’r of God that made the mountains rise,
that spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
the moon shines full at his command and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord that filled the earth with food;
he formed the creatures with his word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how your wonders are displayed where’er I turn mine eye,
if I survey the ground I tread or gaze upon the sky!

There’s not a plant or flow’r below but makes your glories known;
and clouds arise and tempests blow, by order from your throne;
while all that borrows life from you is ever in your care,
and everywhere that man can be, you, God, are present there.

Prayer of Confession

Our great and glorious God, we enter your courts with thanksgiving and praise, but your majesty and holiness remind us of our sin and corruption. You have saved us by grace, yet we often look to our own works to placate our guilty consciences. We excel at appearing righteous before others, but are undone in your presence. Forgive us for wanting to boast in ourselves rather than boasting in you. Help us to rest in Christ’s perfect righteousness alone, and to lean not on our own understanding. Fill us with your Holy Spirit, and make your grace sufficient for us each day. Amen.

The Gospel’s Assurance of Pardon: 1 Peter 2:24

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Doxology Tallis’ Canon

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.

Prayer of Illumination

Scripture Reading: Matthew 8:18–9:8

18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 21 Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” 23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” 28 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30 Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31 And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32 And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33 The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34 And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

9.1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Hymn 254: Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed Martyrdom

Alas! and did my Savior bleed, and did my Sovereign die!
Would he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I!

Was it for crimes that I had done he groaned upon the tree!
Amazing pity! Grace unknown! And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide, and shut his glories in,
when Christ, the mighty Maker, died for man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face while his dear cross appears;
dissolve my heart in thankfulness, and melt mine eyes in tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay the debt of love I owe;
here, Lord, I give myself away, ‘tis all that I can do.

Confession of Faith: Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 12

Question: What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?
Answer: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

Offering Prayer

(In person offerings may be made via the oak boxes. Give online at tenth.org about/giving or mail checks to: 1701 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)

Offertory: I Call to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ Johann Sebastian Bach

Colin Howland, organ

Sermon: Who Are You Following? Rev. Gavin Lymberopoulos

Hymn 457: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Nettleton

Come, thou fount of ev’ry blessing, tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above;
praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, mount of God’s unchanging love.

Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand’ring from the fold of God:
he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be;
let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wand’ring heart to thee.
Prone to wander – Lord, I feel it – prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.

Benediction

Postlude: Praise to the Lord arr. Craig Phillips Colin Howland, organ