First Presbyterian Church of Villa Rica

Order for the Worship of God
SUNDAY, February 21st, 2021

At Church and Online
(Live Stream and Online Bulletin)

All Sunday morning services suspended until further notice due to COVID, except 11 AM Service

8:30 AM Worship Services (In Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall (Masks Required); and via Live Stream Online)
9:30 AM Gathering Grounds (In Fellowship Hall —coffee, donuts)
10 AM Sunday School for all ages
11 AM Worship Services (In Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, and via Live Stream Online)

GATHERING OF GOD’S PEOPLE
“Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.” – Deuteronomy 4:10

PRELUDE
(As we prepare our hearts for worship let us quiet our hearts and our cell phones.)

Online Bulletin

Sermon:  “Reasons We As Christians Can Rejoice With Great Joy
And Be Filled With Hope” Part 3

Bulletin/Order of Worship

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALL TO WORSHIP
INVOCATION

(All Scripture references are from the English Standard Version, ESV, unless otherwise noted.)

Worship through Hymn of Thanksgiving

441. Jesus Shall Reign

Verse 1
Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
does his successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.
Verse 2
To him shall endless prayer be made,
and praises throng to crown his head;
his name, like sweet perfume, shall rise
with every morning sacrifice.
Verse 3
People and realms of every tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song;
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his name.
Verse 4
Blessings abound where’er he reigns;
the pris’ner leaps to lose his chains,
the weary find eternal rest,
and all the sons of want are blest.
Verse 5
Let every creature rise and bring
peculiar honors to our King,
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud amen!

Worship Through Songs of Praise:

Christ Our Hope In Life And Death

Verse 1
What is our hope in life and death
Christ alone Christ alone
What is our only confidence
That our souls to Him belong
Who holds our days within His hand
What comes apart from His command
And what will keep us to the end
The love of Christ in which we stand
Chorus
O sing hallelujah
Our hope springs eternal
O sing hallelujah
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death
Verse 2
What truth can calm the troubled soul
God is good God is good
Where is His grace and goodness known
In our great Redeemer’s blood
Who holds our faith when fears arise
Who stands above the stormy trial
Who sends the waves that bring us nigh
Unto the shore the rock of Christ
(Chorus)
Verse 3
Unto the grave what will we sing
Christ He lives Christ He lives
And what reward will heaven bring
Everlasting life with Him
There we will rise to meet the Lord
Then sin and death will be destroyed
And we will feast in endless joy
When Christ is ours forevermore
(Chorus – 2x)

I Love You Lord

Verse (3x)
I love You Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O my soul rejoice
Take joy my King
In what You hear
May it be a sweet sweet sound
In Your ear

Children’s Church Suspended due to COVID

Pastoral Prayer

Worship through Exposition of God’s Word: Rev. Thomas Myers

Sermon: “Reasons We As Christians Can Rejoice With Great Joy
And Be Filled With Hope” Part 3

648.  My Jesus, I Love Thee

Verse 1
My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘ tis now.
Verse 2
I love thee because thou hast first loved me,
and purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘ tis now.
Verse 3
I’ll love thee in life, I will love thee in death;
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath;
and say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow:
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘ tis now.
Verse 4
In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, ‘ tis now.

Benediction

Doxology: Hymn #731

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heav’ly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Worship Through Tithes and Offerings

Click or Scan Me To Give, or place tithe in box at back table in sanctuary.

THIS WEEK AND UPCOMING EVENTS

GATHERING GROUNDS (Cancelled UFA)

Please join us in the fellowship hall Sunday mornings from 9:30-10:00 am for coffee and donuts.

SMALL GROUPS TODAY:

Whittle/Dickinson Group will meet Sunday at 5 PM via Zoom. Email churchoffice@firstpresbyterianvr.org or Josh Whittle for the link.

Mitchell/Forlaw Group meeting at 5:30 pm at the church in the Fellowship Hall.

HYMN SINGING / CAROLING AFTER CHURCH

Join us after the 11:00 am service to sing hymns for Loretta Linville (702 Magnolia Street).

Postlude
(Please Stand As Able)

This Week in Our Church Life

LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Join us via Zoom on Sunday at 3:00 pm for Leadership training taught by Pastor Tom. Look for the Zoom link in your emails.

HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS

Meeting online through zoom on Wednesdays at 7 pm.
Be on the lookout for the email with the link.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Wednesdays at 10am, PRECEPT BIBLE STUDY
A 16 week Precept Bible study on the book of Acts
began Wednesday, Feb 3 at 10 am.
Anyone interested may call Debby Morgan at
678-463-7368 for details on how to order a study book.

Other Resources

Kingdom Outreach:  See our Missions and Outreach Page

 What is Happening this Week, this Month?  Visit our This Week page.

A YEAR IN TABLETALK
You are invited to join us in reading through Tabletalk devotions for the year of 2021. January’s edition will be available by the offering box in the Sanctuary. You
can purchase a subscription by calling 1-800-435-4343 or by visiting the Table Talk website. You can also begin a free subscription through the website.

Continue to pray and encourage one another.1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Today’s Additional Resources

Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter 13 Sanctification
1. Those who are effectually called and regenerated have a new heart and a new spirit created in them. They are additionally sanctified, actually and personally, by the power of Christ’s death and resurrection and by his word and Spirit dwelling in them. The power of sin ruling over the whole body is destroyed, and the desires of the old self are more and more weakened and killed. At the same time the ability to practice true holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, is brought to life and strengthened by all the saving graces.
2. This sanctification works in the whole person, but not completely or perfectly in this life. The old sinful nature retains some of its control in body, mind, and spirit. And so a continual and irreconcilable war goes on in every believer. The old nature tries to get its way in opposition to the Spirit, and the Spirit fights to assert its authority over the flesh.
3. Although the old nature temporarily wins battles in this warfare, the continual strengthening of the sanctifying Spirit of Christ enables the regenerate nature in each believer to overcome. And so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Special Announcement

Dear Believers of First Pres. Villa Rica,
Except for the 11AM service, all services are once again cancelled until further advised due to COVID.  Masks are required at the 11 AM service until seated.

 Sunday Schedule:  ALL CANCELLED EXCEPT 11 AM SERVICE UFA DUE TO COVID

0830-0930 Worship 1 (Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall, Masks Required, plus online live-stream)
0930-1000 Break / Fellowship
1000-1045 Sunday School
1045-1100 Break
1100-1200 Worship 2 (Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall, Mask Required until seated, plus online live-stream)

We thank the Lord for His faithfulness to us and for His hand of protection. Thank you for your support, encouragement and love for each other during these challenging times.

May we continue to labor together in love for the sake of the gospel and God’s kingdom,
The Session

COVID PROTOCOLS:  In an effort to anticipate the needs as to the activities of the church in these times of uncertainty regarding COVID and the weather, there will be some changes upcoming in Worship location and virus protocols.  We have cooler weather approaching that will necessitate moving the Parking Lot Worship Service indoors, and we have some additional information for sanitation procedures for Worship Services, Sunday Schools, Nursery, and Children’s Church.  The Parking Lot Worship Service will move indoors to the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall starting on Sunday, October 25^th.  This service will utilize strict COVID protocols to protect those with high concerns respecting the virus.  Masks and social distancing will be required at all times for this 8:30 worship.  See below for additional requirements and procedures. The updated schedule is, as follows, cancelled services in light grey:

8:30-9:30            Worship One (Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall – Masks Required, also Live-streamed)

Nursery Provided

9:30-10:00          Gathering Grounds: Break/Fellowship

10:00-10:45       Sunday School (Adult and Children)

10:45-11:00       Break

11:00-12:00       Worship Two (Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall, plus live-stream, Mask Required until seated)

Children’s Church (Large Classroom)

  Nursery Provided

COVID Protocols for Worship One (8:30-9:30):

–Masks are mandatory until seated.  This applies to the Sanctuary and the Fellowship Hall.  Pastor Tom will not wear a mask while preaching at the pulpit.

–Social distancing will be maintained at all times.

–A sanitizing station with masks will be provided at the lower entrance, at the front door entrance, and the entrance into the Fellowship Hall.  There will also be spray sanitizer and hand sanitizer available at these locations.

–Anyone that does not have a mask will be given one.

–At the conclusion of this service the pews and cushions will be sprayed with sanitizer.  The Fellowship Hall will also be sanitized.

–The CDC recommends masks for children above the age of two years.

COVID Protocols for Break/Fellowship (9:30-10:00):

–Masks are optional and social distance is recommended.  For those that are wearing a mask, know that they are wearing it for a reason, and give them extra respect in regards to distance protocols.

COVID Protocols for Adult Sunday School (10:00-10:45):

-The adult SS will meet in the Fellowship Hall.

-Masks are optional.  Social distancing for seating is mandatory.

-Immediately following SS the tables and chairs will be sanitized.

COVID Protocols for Children’s Sunday School and Children’s Church:

-Masks are optional.

-Children’s masks and hand sanitizers will be available and use encouraged.

-Each child will have their own labeled supply box containing crayons, etc., that will be sanitized after each use.

-Tables and chairs will be cleaned between uses.

COVID Protocols for the Nursery:

-Nursery toys and surfaces will be sanitized with antibacterial wipes and spray and allowed to dry between services.

-At the end of the second service toys will be immersed in food-grade sanitizer and surfaces wiped and sprayed.

 COVID Protocols for Worship Two (11:00-12:00)

-Masks are required until seated.

-Social distancing is required for seating

-Give respect to those choosing to wear a mask.

-Ushers will not be required for seating or exit.

We pray for an end to this virus, but until then, we must make the best of a difficult situation.  We understand that all these different rules may be hard to keep up with, but we endeavor to provide as many options as possible so that most can attend a Worship Service.  The safety of the congregation is paramount, and the ability to have a choice on the level of protocols is necessary.  Those at the upper end of risk from this virus are encouraged to utilize the live stream option in the safety of your homes.  If you or your child have flu-like symptoms or a fever, please stay home.

We thank you for your prayers, for the willingness you have shown to be diligent in worship, and for your support of FPCVR during this unprecedented pandemic.

Prayerfully, The Session

Westminster Confession of Faith in Modern English Chapter 11 – Justification

1. Those whom God effectually calls he also freely justifies. He does not pour righteousness into them but
pardons their sins and looks on them and accepts them as if they were righteous—not because of anything
worked in them or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone. He does not consider their faith itself, the act of
believing, as their righteousness or any other obedient response to the gospel on their part. Rather, he imputes to
them the obedience and judicial satisfaction earned by Christ. For their part, they receive and rest on Christ and
his righteousness by faith (and this faith is not their own but is itself a gift of God).
2. Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and his righteousness, is the only means of justification. In the
person justified, however, it is always accompanied by all the other saving graces and is not a dead faith, but
works by love.
3. By his obedience and death Christ completely discharged the debt of all those who are so justified, and he
made the correct, real, and full satisfaction to his Father’s justice on their behalf. Since Christ was voluntarily
given by the Father for them, and since his obedience and satisfaction were accepted in their place and not for
anything in them, their justification is the result only of his free grace—so that both the perfect justice and the
rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.
6. The justification of believers under the Old Testament was in all these respects identical with the justification
of believers under the New Testament.
Shorter Catechism Q&A 33
Q: What is justification?
A: Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in
his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.