Evening Worship Service

Prelude: Incline Thine Ear Ernest Charles

Luke Norvell, tenor

Call to Worship

Invocation

Hymn 302: Come, Christians, Join to Sing Madrid
text: Christian Bateman (1843)

Come, Christians, join to sing Alleluia! Amen!
loud praise to Christ our King; Alleluia! Amen!
let all, with heart and voice, before his throne rejoice;
praise is his gracious choice. Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high, Alleluia! Amen!
let praises fill the sky; Alleluia! Amen!
he is our Guide and Friend; to us he’ll condescend;
his love shall never end. Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again, Alleluia! Amen!
life shall not end the strain; Alleluia! Amen!
on heaven’s blissful shore, his goodness we’ll adore,
singing forevermore, “Alleluia! Amen!”

Prayer of Confession

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we have from time to time committed by thought, word, and deed against your divine majesty, provoking most justly your wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry for our misdoings; they are grievous unto us. Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father for your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake; forgive us all that is past, and grant that hereafter we may serve and please you in newness of life, to the honor and glory of your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

The Gospel’s Assurance of Pardon: Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are 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: Romans 3:1–20

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. 9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Hymn 461: Not What My Hands Have Done Leominster Text: Horatius Bonar (1861)

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;
not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;
thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord to thee,
can rid me of this dark unrest, and set my spirit free.

Thy grace alone, O God, to me can pardon speak;
thy pow’r alone, O Son of God, can this sore bondage break.
No other work, save thine, no other blood will do;
no strength, save that which is divine, can bear me safely through.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;
and with unfalt’ring lip and heart, I call this Savior mine.
This cross dispels each doubt; I bury in his tomb
each thought of unbelief and fear, each ling’ring shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust his truth and might;
he calls me his, I call him mine, my God, my joy, my light.
‘Tis he who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;
I love because he loveth me, I live because he lives.

Confession of Faith: Westminster Shorter Catechism, question 2

Question: What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
Answer: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Offering Prayer

(For online giving go to tenth.org/give or mail checks to: 1701 Delancey Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103)

Offertory: If with All Your Hearts Felix Mendelssohn

Luke Norvell, tenor

Sermon: Held Accountable Colin Howland

Hymn: His Mercy Is More Foundation

Text: Matt Papa and Matt Boswell, 2016

Benediction

Postlude

Serving this evening:
Rev. Carroll Wynne, platform
Aaron Patterson, organist