Fairlawn Christian Reformed Church

Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 18, 2007        10:15 A.M.

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Preparation And Praise

      Upon entering the sanctuary please maintain silence for the sake of the congregation’s preparation for worship.

    Prelude: “My Jesus, I Love Thee/I Love You, Lord”                                arr. Callaway

                    “There Is a Redeemer”                                                        Green/arr. Taylor

    Welcome and Announcements:  Silent Prayer and Preparation

*  Call to Worship:                                                                                                 Psalm 30

I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.  O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.

Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name.  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor is for a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

*  Hymn:  PH 504            “Holy God, We Praise Your Name                        Grosser Gott

*  God’s Greeting:

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

    Amen.

The Lord be with you.

    And also with you.

Our help is in the name of the Lord,

    Who made heaven and earth.

Blessed be God,

And blessed is his kingdom, now and forever.  Amen.

*  Prayer of the Day: 

Almighty God, you alone can bring order to the unruly will and unrestrained affections of our sinful hearts. Grant us grace to love what you command and desire what you promise, that among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may be fixed where true joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

*  Response:  PH 249           “Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”                       Nicea

Holy, holy, holy!  Lord God Almighty!

All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea;

holy, holy, holy!  merciful and mighty,

God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

 Confession and Prayer

    Unison Reading of the Law:  Insert                                            Deuteronomy 5:6-21

    Prayer of Confession:                      adapted from John Calvin’s Genevan Service Book

Lord God!  Eternal and Almighty Father, we acknowledge and confess before your holy majesty that we are sinners, conceived and born in guilt and in corruption, prone to do evil, unable of ourselves to do any good, and who, by reason of our depravity, transgress your holy commandments.  Therefore, we have drawn upon ourselves, by your just sentence, condemnation and death.  But with heartfelt sorrow we repent and deplore our offenses.  Be pleased to have compassion upon us, most gracious God, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  And in removing our guilt and our pollution, give us the daily increase of the grace of your Holy Spirit, that acknowledging from our inmost hearts our own unrighteousness, we may be touched with sorrow that shall work true repentance, and that your Spirit, putting to death the sin within us, may produce the fruits of holiness and of righteousness that are well-pleasing in your sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Silent Prayer and Confession

Minister: Amen.

    Assurance of Pardon:                                                                                     Romans 8

    Response:  PH 490, stanzas 1, 3       “Blessed Assurance: Jesus Is Mine”          

                                                                                                                                     Assurance

[Children age 3 - grade Pre-K may leave during the Response.]

    Congregational Prayer

The Service Of The Word

*  Hymn:  PH 373, stanzas 1-4              “Lift High the Cross”                              Crucifer

    Reading from the New Testament:                                                  Romans 3:21-26

    Sermon:  The Centrality of the Cross, Part IV

                      The Atoning Death of Jesus Christ

    Prayer

*  Hymn:  PH 373, stanzas 5-7            “Lift High the Cross”                                Crucifer

The Offering  of Tribute

*  Offertory Prayer

    Offering:  Fairlawn General Fund

          Offertory:  “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”                       Mason/arr. Ham

 Blessing and Dismissal

*  Blessing:

May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.  May the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace.  Amen.

*  Response:  PH 477     “You Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim”          Hanover

Then let us adore and give him his right:

all glory and power, all wisdom and might,

all honor and blessing—with angels above—

and thanks never ceasing for infinite love.

    Postlude

*Indicates congregation stands

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