Occasionally we want to share the what and why of our Sunday worship services here at Trinity Bible Church. Our aim is to better equip us in our knowledge and understanding of why we corporately worship together the way we do.
On Sunday, August 25, our liturgy (order of service) focused on the account from the opening of Matthew 9. The overall theme had us looking at the question in this passage, “What sort of man is this? – The Man that can calm a dreadful storm and command demonic spirits with a mere word, now authoritatively forgives sins.”
Order of Service
After a brief welcome and announcements, we opened with a time of elder-led Scripture reading (Matthew 9:1-8) and corporate prayer.
Call to Worship In Song:
We read Psalm 103:1-5 as a call to worship reminding us of the mercy of our God and of His power to forgive sin and heal our diseases.
Psalm 103:1–5
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (ESV)
Our time of singing led us in the story of “what sort of man is this?” – He is the exact representation of the Father, the eternal God from eternity past. The perfect Holy Son of God, one with the Father who became flesh, dwelt among us and gave His life for us on the cross. His life on earth was given for our sins to reconcile us to God the Father.
“O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing”
An opening song of praise and thanksgiving, for the one who redeems us is here!
*excerpts:
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace.He breaks the power of canceled sin,
He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,
His blood availed for me.He speaks and listening to His voice,
New life the dead receive;
The mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
The humble poor believe.Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,
Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come,
And leap, ye lame, for joy.
We read together Psalm 46:4-7
“The Lord of hosts is with us…”
“Ancient of Days”
Ancient of Days is a name for God found in Daniel 7:9. This song describes the attributes of the eternal God.
(Chorus)
None above Him, none before Him
All of time in His hands
For His throne it shall remain and ever stand
All the power, all the glory
I will trust in His name
For my God is the Ancient of Days
We summarized the our belief of the incarnation by reading a portion of the Nicene Creed together:
We 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 Son of God,
the only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of light;
true God of true God;
begotten, not made;
of one essence with the Father,
by Whom all things were made;Who for us men and for our salvation
came down from Heaven,
and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man.And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried.
And the third day He arose again,
according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into Heaven,
and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory
to judge the living and the dead; Whose Kingdom shall have no end.– Nicene Creed excerpt (325 A.D.)
We then sang “The Power of the Cross” to remind each other why Christ was crucified.
(Chorus)
This the power of the cross.
Christ became sin for us.
Took the blame, bore the wrath.
We stand forgiven at the cross.Oh to see my name written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live
won through Your self-less love!This the power of the cross
Son of God, slain for us.
What a life, what a cost.
We stand forgiven at the cross.
We gave thanks for this wondrous sacrifice, exalting our Savior by singing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”.
*excerpts:
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an offering far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.
Sermon: “The One Who Heals From Sin” | Matthew 9:1-8
Sermon summary:
Crowds that marveled now fear. Opposition has increased. Each of Jesus’ works are marked by greater impossibility. All has escalated. This is the third in a three-set series of miracles and each progressively answers the question, “What sort of Man is this?” The Man that can calm a dreadful storm and command demonic spirits with a mere word, now authoritatively forgives sins—a prerogative universally accepted as being of God alone. In this remarkable scene, Jesus reveals Himself for the first time as the One who heals from sin. The story is as much gripping as it is dripping with irony. The forgiveness of a paralytic occasions healing. But which of the two is the greater miracle? God is blasphemed. But who is committing blasphemy? The all-important focus that offers us hope and healing is found in the answer to the penetrating question, “What sort of Man is this?”
Hymn of Response:
“Before the Throne of God Above”
final verse:
Behold Him there! the risen Lamb,
my perfect, spotless Righteousness,
the great unchangeable I AM,
the King of glory and of grace!
One with Himself, I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood.
My life is hid with Christ on high,
with Christ, my Savior and my God.
Benediction:
Revelation 1:5-6