Evening Worship Service

Prelude: O Divine Redeemer Charles Gounod

Peter Cunningham, tenor

Call to Worship

Invocation

Hymn 97: We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer, Creator Kremser

Text: Julia Cory (1902)

We praise you, O God, our Redeemer, Creator,
in grateful devotion our tribute we bring.
We lay it before you, we kneel and adore you;
we bless your holy name, glad praises we sing.

We worship you, God of our fathers, we bless you;
through life’s storm and tempest our Guide you have been.
When perils o’ertake us, escape you will make us,
and with your help, O Lord, our battles we win.

With voices united our praises we offer,
to you, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Your strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
to you, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.

Prayer of Confession

Gracious heavenly Father, we thank you for your tender mercies which are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness, O God! We confess our continual need of you; we sin every day in thought, word, and deed. We seek to build our own kingdoms rather than seeking your kingdom. Our pride keeps us from being merciful as you are merciful; we want your forgiveness, but are reluctant to forgive others. O Lord, grant us the mind of Christ, who counted others more significant than himself. By your Holy Spirit put to death all that is sinful in us, so we might serve and enjoy you forever. Amen.

The Gospel’s Assurance of Pardon: Ephesians 2:4–6

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

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: Colossians 1:24–2:5

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known,
26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Hymn 605: All the Way My Savior Leads Me All The Way

Text: Fanny Crosby (1875)

All the way my Savior leads me; what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt his tender mercy, who through life has been my guide?
Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in him to dwell;
for I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well;
for I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me, cheers each winding path I tread,
gives me grace for ev’ry trial, feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter, and my soul a-thirst may be,
gushing from the rock before me, lo, a spring of joy I see;
gushing from the rock before me, lo, a spring of joy I see!

All the way my Savior leads me—O the fullness of his love!
perfect rest to me is promised in my Father’s house above:
when my spirit, clothed, immortal, wings its flight to realms of day,
this my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way;
this my song through endless ages: Jesus led me all the way!

Confession of Faith: Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 100

Question: What does the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?
Answer: The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, Our Father who art in heaven, teaches us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.

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: He that Keepeth Israel Adolphe Schlösser

Peter Cunningham, tenor

He that keepeth Israel, slumbers not, nor sleeps. He will give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. Put thy trust in him and call upon him, for his ears are open unto thy prayers.

Sermon: Christ, the Hope of Glory Rudy Heuer

Hymn 478: I Love to Tell the Story I Love To Tell The Story

Text: Katherine Hankey (1866)

I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know ‘tis true;
it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.

Refrain
I love to tell the story, ‘twill be my theme in glory
to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems
than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams.
I love to tell the story, it did so much for me;
and that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. (Refrain)

I love to tell the story; ‘tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
the message of salvation from God’s own holy Word. (Refrain)

I love to tell the story; for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting to hear it, like the rest,
And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song,
‘twill be the old, old story, that I have loved so long. (Refrain)

Benediction

Postlude: Fanfare Antonio Soler

Serving this evening:
Rev. Carroll Wynne, platform
Colin Howland, organist