The Lord’s Day ~ December 12, 2021
The Preparation for Worship
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)
Prelude and Silent Prayer
Welcome and Announcements
The Adoration of God
Call to Worship – John 1:1, 14
*Psalm of Praise – ARP Psalter 181 (Psalm 73), vv. 1, 3
Speaker: Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
All: Tremble before Him, all the earth. (1 Chronicles 16:29-30)
*The Invocation and Lord’s Prayer
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.
*The Hymn of Exaltation – Hymn 200
(It Came upon the Midnight Clear)
The Responsive Reading – Psalm 144, p. 838
*The Response of Praise (O Come Let Us Adore Him)
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
For You alone are worthy,
For You alone are worthy,
For You alone are worthy,
Christ the Lord.
The Confession of Sin
The Call to Repentance – Romans 13:13-14
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
The Prayer of Confession (a moment of silent confession)
Eternal God and merciful Father, we humble ourselves before your great Majesty, against which we have frequently and grievously sinned. We acknowledge that we deserve nothing less than eternal death. We confess our waywardness and are truly sorry for all our sins. Gracious Father, we come to you through the only Mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us and wash us in the pure fountain of His blood, that we would become white as snow. Deliver us from future rebellion and disobedience. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The Assurance of Pardon – Hebrews 9:14 "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
*The Hymn of Gratitude – Hymn 207
(Good Christian Men, Rejoice)
The Means of Grace
The Pastoral Prayer
The Worship of Giving
*The Doxology 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.
*The Prayer of Dedication
The Scripture – 1 Samuel 17:52-18:5
The Sermon – Godly Friendship
The Response and Blessing
*The Hymn of Consecration – Hymn 359
(Blest Be the Tie That Binds)
*The Benediction
*Congregation Standing
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Announcements
We welcome all who are visiting with us today. The Pastor and elders are available after the service to pray with you, to speak with you about salvation or church membership.
Mr. E.T. Reed will be our guest preacher the next two Sundays, December 19 & 26. Please welcome him warmly.
Prayer Meeting will meet this Wednesday @ 7:00 at the church.
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Saul initially welcomed David into his service with open arms, even loving him, for David’s musical gifts brought the king relief when he was suffering from the torments of “a harmful spirit from God.” Saul did not know that he was also getting a mighty warrior when he hired David. Although his humble origins did not readily suggest David would be a skilled fighter, David took down Goliath when he trusted in the Lord.
Not only Saul but also Saul’s son Jonathan loved David, as we see in today’s passage. First Samuel 18:1–5 describes the deep covenant love and friendship between David and Jonathan, a bond all the more remarkable when we consider that Jonathan had much to lose in this relationship. David was on the rise, and this put Jonathan’s own position as crown prince in jeopardy. Jonathan could expect to inherit the throne from Saul, but his actions in handing over his robe, armor, sword, bow, and belt to David indicate that he was not grasping for the monarchy. No one who wanted the throne would do that because it would suggest to the people that David should take Jonathan’s place as Saul’s heir. Perhaps Jonathan was well aware that the kingship was not to go to Saul’s sons. In any case, the love between Jonathan and David was real.
Here, sadly, we need to deal briefly with a modern misuse of 1 Samuel 18:1–5. Reading of the love between Jonathan and David, some interpreters have suggested that the two men had a homosexual relationship. There is no evidence of that in the text. Furthermore, such a view reflects a horribly impoverished view of human relationships. How small one’s view of friendship must be when love between male friends can be seen only as evidence of homosexuality.
Saul’s initial love for David did not last, as we see in verses 6–16. News of David’s victory in battle resulted in great acclaim for David among the people of Israel, and this angered Saul. His pride made him fearful that he would lose his kingdom, and his love for David turned to hatred. Yet the more Saul pursued David, the greater the success David enjoyed. Ultimately, this was “because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul.” David was rising as Saul descended into madness.
Matthew Henry comments, “Proud men cannot endure to hear any praised but themselves, and think all their honor lost that goes by themselves.” Proud individuals who are unwilling to rejoice in the success of others threaten the peace of the church. Let us search our hearts for any lingering pride and forsake it, asking the Lord to enable us to rejoice in the success of others. (Ligonier.org)
The Preparation for Worship
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)
Prelude and Silent Prayer
Welcome and Announcements
The Adoration of God
Call to Worship – John 1:1, 14
*Psalm of Praise – ARP Psalter 181 (Psalm 73), vv. 1, 3
Speaker: Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
All: Tremble before Him, all the earth. (1 Chronicles 16:29-30)
*The Invocation and Lord’s Prayer
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.
*The Hymn of Exaltation – Hymn 200
(It Came upon the Midnight Clear)
The Responsive Reading – Psalm 144, p. 838
*The Response of Praise (O Come Let Us Adore Him)
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
For You alone are worthy,
For You alone are worthy,
For You alone are worthy,
Christ the Lord.
The Confession of Sin
The Call to Repentance – Romans 13:13-14
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
The Prayer of Confession (a moment of silent confession)
Eternal God and merciful Father, we humble ourselves before your great Majesty, against which we have frequently and grievously sinned. We acknowledge that we deserve nothing less than eternal death. We confess our waywardness and are truly sorry for all our sins. Gracious Father, we come to you through the only Mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us and wash us in the pure fountain of His blood, that we would become white as snow. Deliver us from future rebellion and disobedience. In Jesus' name. Amen.
The Assurance of Pardon – Hebrews 9:14 "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
*The Hymn of Gratitude – Hymn 207
(Good Christian Men, Rejoice)
The Means of Grace
The Pastoral Prayer
The Worship of Giving
*The Doxology 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.
*The Prayer of Dedication
The Scripture – 1 Samuel 17:52-18:5
The Sermon – Godly Friendship
The Response and Blessing
*The Hymn of Consecration – Hymn 359
(Blest Be the Tie That Binds)
*The Benediction
*Congregation Standing
-----------------------
Announcements
We welcome all who are visiting with us today. The Pastor and elders are available after the service to pray with you, to speak with you about salvation or church membership.
Mr. E.T. Reed will be our guest preacher the next two Sundays, December 19 & 26. Please welcome him warmly.
Prayer Meeting will meet this Wednesday @ 7:00 at the church.
-------------
Saul initially welcomed David into his service with open arms, even loving him, for David’s musical gifts brought the king relief when he was suffering from the torments of “a harmful spirit from God.” Saul did not know that he was also getting a mighty warrior when he hired David. Although his humble origins did not readily suggest David would be a skilled fighter, David took down Goliath when he trusted in the Lord.
Not only Saul but also Saul’s son Jonathan loved David, as we see in today’s passage. First Samuel 18:1–5 describes the deep covenant love and friendship between David and Jonathan, a bond all the more remarkable when we consider that Jonathan had much to lose in this relationship. David was on the rise, and this put Jonathan’s own position as crown prince in jeopardy. Jonathan could expect to inherit the throne from Saul, but his actions in handing over his robe, armor, sword, bow, and belt to David indicate that he was not grasping for the monarchy. No one who wanted the throne would do that because it would suggest to the people that David should take Jonathan’s place as Saul’s heir. Perhaps Jonathan was well aware that the kingship was not to go to Saul’s sons. In any case, the love between Jonathan and David was real.
Here, sadly, we need to deal briefly with a modern misuse of 1 Samuel 18:1–5. Reading of the love between Jonathan and David, some interpreters have suggested that the two men had a homosexual relationship. There is no evidence of that in the text. Furthermore, such a view reflects a horribly impoverished view of human relationships. How small one’s view of friendship must be when love between male friends can be seen only as evidence of homosexuality.
Saul’s initial love for David did not last, as we see in verses 6–16. News of David’s victory in battle resulted in great acclaim for David among the people of Israel, and this angered Saul. His pride made him fearful that he would lose his kingdom, and his love for David turned to hatred. Yet the more Saul pursued David, the greater the success David enjoyed. Ultimately, this was “because the Lord was with David but had departed from Saul.” David was rising as Saul descended into madness.
Matthew Henry comments, “Proud men cannot endure to hear any praised but themselves, and think all their honor lost that goes by themselves.” Proud individuals who are unwilling to rejoice in the success of others threaten the peace of the church. Let us search our hearts for any lingering pride and forsake it, asking the Lord to enable us to rejoice in the success of others. (Ligonier.org)
The ARP Church has published a Psalter in conjunction with Crown and Covenant Publications. Read here about the Preface and History of Psalm singing in the ARPC.
