Christ Church

The Divine Service

of the Lord Jesus Christ
Twenty-fourth Sunday After Trinity
November 14, 2010

Salutation
The Lord be with you! 2 Timothy 4.22
And also with you!
Welcome & Announcements
Preparation for Worship (silently pray the following collect to prepare for worship)
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of Your faithful people so that we, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of
good works, may by You be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
<STAND when the pianist stops playing>

I. The Lord Gathers Us for Worship

Invocation & Entrance

<STAND>
We are gathered in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Amen! Matthew 18.20; 28.19

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?
Our help comes from the Lord,
The Maker of heaven and earth! Psalm 121.1-2

Hymn of Procession (on following page)

Note: The congregation says all bold words and sings all printed songs.
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 II. The Lord Cleanses Us from Sin
Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Scriptures teach us that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1.9

Kyrie Eleison ~ Lord Have Mercy Psalm 51.1; 123.3; Matthew 17.15; 20.30-31

Confession of Sin
Come, let us worship and bow down. Psalm 95.6
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker! <KNEEL>
Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean, and that we have
sinned against you in thought, word, and deed; not only in outward transgressions, but also in
secret thoughts and desires that we are not able to understand, but which are all known to you. For
this reason, we flee for refuge to your infinite mercy, seeking and imploring your grace, through
our Lord Jesus Christ. <REMAIN KNEELING>

Absolution ~ Pronouncement of Pardon <STAND>

By virtue of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, you are fully and freely forgiven of all
your sins. Believe this and know that you are at peace with God!
Thanks be to God!
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 III. The Lord Raises Us Up to Heaven and Seats Us With Christ
Sursum Corda ~ Lift Up Your Hearts Ephesians 2.6; Colossians 3.1

Lift up your hearts!

We lift them up to the Lord!
Prayer of Ascent to Heaven Traditionally called the Preface (to the Sanctus).
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God!
It is good and right to do so!
It is very good and right that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to you, O Holy Lord,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one and one in three. Therefore, with the angels and archangels,
and with all the company of heaven, we magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and
singing:
Sanctus ~ Holy

O Lord, open our lips,

and our mouths will declare your praise! Psalm 51.15

Hymn of Ascent (on following page)

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Prayer of Illumination
Lord, your Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Give us grace to receive your
truth in faith, hope, and love, and the strength to follow on the path you set before us, through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Amen. <BE SEATED>
Lesson from the Prophets Isaiah 51.9-16 (text printed on back page)
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to you, God Most High.
Lesson from the Epistles Colossians 1.9-14 (text printed on back page)
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. <STAND>
Lesson from the Psalms Psalm 126
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When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, Restore our fortunes, O LORD,
we were like those who dream. like streams in the Negeb!
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Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and Those who sow in tears
our tongue with shouts of joy; shall reap with shouts of joy!
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then they said among the nations, "The He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for
LORD has done great things for them." sowing,
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The LORD has done great things for us; shall come home with shouts of joy,
we are glad. bringing his sheaves with him.
Alleluia ~ Praise the Lord Psalms 146-150

Gospel Lesson Matthew 7.13-29 (text printed on back page)

This is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Praise be to you, O Christ!
Profession of Faith Nicene Creed
Christian, in whom do you trust?
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things
visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
before all worlds:
God of God,
Light of Light,
very God of very God;
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by Whom all things were made;
Who, for us men and for our salvation,
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man,
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried;
and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sits on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;
Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life,
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified,
Who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen!
Gloria Patri ~ Glory to the Father

Pre-sermon Prayer
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, Lord Jesus
Christ, our Rock, and our Kinsman Redeemer. Psalm 19.14
Amen. <BE SEATED>
Sermon Pastor Jeremy Sexton

Post-sermon Blessing
May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen. Philippians 4.7

Offertory Hymn (on following page)

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Offertory Response & Prayer
What gifts have you brought for your Lord?
We give only what the Lord has first given to us. We offer ourselves in Christ through
confession, praise, and thanksgiving; we give our prayers and alms for the sake of the world;
and we participate in the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen!
Blessed are you, O Lord God our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the victory and the majesty; indeed all that is in the heavens and the earth is yours.
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord Jesus Christ, and you are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor
come from you, and you reign over all, and in your hand is power and might, and it lies in your hand to
make great and to strengthen all. Now therefore, our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name,
for all things come from you and of your own gifts we have given to you. 1 Chronicles 29.10-14
Amen! <STAND>
Kingdom Prayer
God, our Father in heaven, look with mercy on us, your needy children on earth, and grant us grace that
your holy Name be hallowed by us and all the world through the pure and true teaching of your Word
and the fervent love shown in our lives. Graciously turn from us all false doctrine and evil living
whereby your holy Name is borne by us in an empty and profane way. Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
May your kingdom come to us and expand. Bring all transgressors, and those who are blinded and
bound in the devil’s kingdom, to know Jesus Christ, your Son, by faith, that the number of Christians
may be increased. Lord in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
Strengthen us by your Spirit according to your will, both in life and in death, in the midst of both good
and evil things, that our own wills may be crucified daily and sacrificed to your good and gracious will.
Into your merciful hands we commend our family and friends, indeed, all who are in need, praying for
them at all times that your will be done. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
Grant us our daily bread, preserve us from greed and selfish cares, and help us to trust in you to provide
for all our needs. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
Forgive us our sins as we also forgive those who sin against us so that our hearts may be at peace and
may rejoice in good conscience before you, and that no sin may ever frighten or alarm us. Lord, in your
mercy,
hear our prayer!
Lead us not into temptation, O Lord, but help us by your Spirit to subdue our flesh, to turn from the
world and its ways, and to overcome the devil with all his crafty schemes. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
And lastly, O heavenly Father, deliver us from the evil one, from all evil of both body and soul, now and
forever. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer!
We trust, O Lord, in your great mercy to hear and answer us; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Now, O God, hear the very words Jesus taught us to pray:
<RAISE HANDS> 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
debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,
for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Matthew 6.9-13
 IV. The LORD Feeds Us Holy Food at His Royal Table
Trinitarian Blessing 2 Corinthians 13.14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with
you all.
Holy things for holy people!
The gifts of God for the people of God!
Pax Domini ~ The Peace of the Lord John 20.19

The peace of the Lord be with you always.

And with your spirit.
Eucharistic Prayer ~ Prayer of Thanksgiving
We thank you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, for making us fearfully and wonderfully in your image.
When we followed the way of the evil one in the Garden of Eden, you did not leave us to perish in our
sins, but instead you rescued us from sin and death. In the fullness of time you provided a new and
living way through the flesh and blood of Jesus, our great high priest over the house of God. And now
we can draw near in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled by Jesus’ blood and our bodies
washed with pure water. We thank you, Father, that when we celebrate this memorial meal, you
remember the holy life of your Son lived for us, his death offered for us, his resurrection that gives life to
us, and his ascension in glory at your right hand, where, as our Great High Priest, he intercedes for us.
United in Christ's priesthood, we celebrate this meal of the covenant, offering ourselves to you as living
sacrifices, holy and acceptable to you in Christ. In your mercy, remember your covenant by pouring out
your Holy Spirit upon us, that the bread we break and the cup we bless may be for us a communion in
the body and blood of Christ, that we may become one in him.
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, and in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory are
yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34.8

Christ our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us.

Therefore, let us keep the feast! 1 Corinthians 5.8

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Agnus Dei ~ Lamb of God John 1.29

<BE SEATED>

In the name of Christ Jesus our Lord,

we at Christ Church welcome to the Lord’s Table
all who are spiritually weak and seek rest;
all who mourn and long for comfort;
all who struggle and desire victory;
all who sin and need the Savior;
all who are strangers and want fellowship;
all who hunger and thirst for righteousness;
all who are poor in spirit and desire the riches of the gospel;
all who come to Jesus Christ in living faith and repentance,
looking to him as both Liberator and Lord.

Communion: Bread <Sing the first stanza on the following page as the bread is passed>
Communion: Wine <Sing the second stanza on the following page as the wine is passed>

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May the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and preserve you steadfast in true faith unto
life everlasting. Amen!
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, 1 Chronicles 16.34; Psalm 106.1; 107.1; 118.1; 118.29; 136.1
for his love endures forever! <STAND>

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 V. The LORD Sends Us Back Into the World
Pre-Commission Prayer Adapted from the post-Communion prayer in Martin Bucer’s reformed Strasbourg Liturgy
Let us continue in prayer together:
Almighty and gracious heavenly Father, we give You praise and thanks that, through Your holy
Gospel and Sacrament, You have again offered and presented to us Your most precious treasure:
the true Bread of Heaven and Food of eternal life, Our Lord Jesus Christ. And we heartily ask You
to grant that we may receive Him and partake of Him in true faith, now and forever, and be so
nourished by His Flesh and Blood that we may be set free from all evil, and increase daily in all
goodness, to Your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!
Great Commission Matthew 28.18-20
Jesus declares, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and disciple all the nations
by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, by teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Amen!
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered!
Let those who hate Him flee before Him! Psalm 68.1

Nunc Dimittis ~ Now Dismiss [Your Servant] Luke 2.29-32

“Song of Simeon”

Benediction ~ Blessing Numbers 6.24-26

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace;
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

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Isaiah 51.9-16
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Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not
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you who cut Rahab in pieces, that pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great
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deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? And the ransomed of the LORD shall
return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy,
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and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. "I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who
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dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the
heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the
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oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? He who is bowed down shall
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speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking. I am the LORD your
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God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar- the LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in your
mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth,
and saying to Zion, 'You are my people.'"

Colossians 1.9-14
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And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge
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of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to
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him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all
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power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has
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qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and
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transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Matthew 7.13-29
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"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by
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it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. "Beware of
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false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by
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their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but
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the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
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Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their
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fruits. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of
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my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and
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cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never
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knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does
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them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds
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blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears
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these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain
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fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." And
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when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one
who had authority, and not as their scribes.

If you are a visitor of Christ Church, we are grateful that you have joined us in our highest privilege, worshipping the Triune God. We hope
you stay and eat with us after the service so that we can get to know you better. If you would like to talk with Pastor Sexton throughout the
week, feel free to call him at 770.696.7521 or email him at sexton555@gmail.com. You can visit our website at ChristChurch-Atl.com.
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