Prelude: Alleluia No. 1 Aaron David Miller

Call to Worship

Invocation

Hymn 176: Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus In Babilone

Text: John Bakewell (1757), Augustus Toplady (1776)

Hail, thou once despised Jesus! Hail, thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us: thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, thou agonizing Savior, bearer of our sin and shame!
By thy merits we find favor; life is given through thy name.

Paschal Lamb, by God appointed, all our sins were on thee laid;
by almighty love anointed, thou hast full atonement made.
All thy people are forgiven through the virtue of thy blood;
opened is the gate of heaven, peace is made ‘twixt man and God.

Jesus, hail! enthroned in glory, there forever to abide;
all the heav’nly hosts adore thee, seated at thy Father’s side.
There for sinners thou art pleading; there thou dost our place prepare;
ever for us interceding till in glory we appear.

Worship, honor, pow’r, and blessing thou art worthy to receive:
loudest praises, without ceasing, meet it is for us to give.
Help, ye bright angelic spirits,bring your sweetest, noblest lays;
help to sing our Savior’s merits, help to chant Immanuel’s praise!

Prayer of Confession

O most great, most just and gracious God; you are of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, but you have promised mercy through Jesus Christ to all that repent and believe in him. We confess that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have neglected your holy worship. We have not sought first your kingdom. You have revealed your wonderful love to us in Christ and offered us pardon and salvation in him, but we have turned away. We have run into temptation, and the sin that we should have hated, we have committed. Have mercy on us, most merciful Father! In your Son is our salvation, in your promises our hope. Take us for Your children and give us the Spirit of your Son, through Jesus Christ our only Savior.

The Gospel’s Assurance of Pardon: 1 John 1:8–9

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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 18:21–35

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’
34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Hymn 497: I Need Thee, Precious Jesus Meirionydd

Text: Frederick Whitfield (1855)

I need thee, precious Jesus, for I am full of sin;
my soul is dark and guilty, my heart is dead within.
I need the cleansing fountain where I can always flee,
the blood of Christ most precious, the sinner’s perfect plea.

I need thee, precious Jesus, for I am very poor;
a stranger and a pilgrim, I have no earthly store.
I need the love of Jesus to cheer me on my way,
to guide my doubting footsteps, to be my strength and stay.

I need thee, precious Jesus, and hope to see thee soon,
encircled with the rainbow and seated on thy throne.
There, with thy blood-bought children, my joy shall ever be,
to sing my Jesus’ praises, to gaze, O Lord, on thee.

Confession of Faith: Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 91

Question: How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
Answer: The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.

Offering Prayer

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

Offertory: Sicut Cervus Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

Chamber Choir

Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te Deus.
As a deer longs for springs of water, so my soul longs for you, O God.

Sermon: The Kingdom of Forgiveness Rev. Gavin Lymberopoulos

Hymn: Thy Mercy, My God, Is the Theme of My Song St. Denio

Text: attr. John Stocker (1776)

Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
the joy of my heart and the boast of my tongue;
thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
hath won my affections and bound my soul fast.

Without thy free mercy I could not live here:
sin soon would reduce me to utter despair;
but, through thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
and he that first made me, still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy surpasses the sin of my heart
which wonders to feel its own hardness depart,
dissolved by thy goodness, I fall to the ground
and weep to the praise of the mercy I found.

Great Father of mercies, thy goodness I own,
and covenant love of thy crucified son:
all praise to the Spirit, whose action divine
seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.

Benediction

Postlude: Toccata on Llanfair Rebecca Groom Te Velde

Serving this evening:
Rev. Greg Hobaugh, platform
Colin Howland, organist

Scripture quotations are from the ESV®Bible, copyright©2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Hymn lyrics used by permission: CCLI# 2486853