First Presbyterian Church of Villa Rica

Order for the Worship of God
SUNDAY, September 20th, 2020

At Church and Online

9am Outside service (Cancelled if inclement weather), 10:45am Live Stream and Church Worship Service

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.)

Sermon:  “God’s Counsel to His People”

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

“Our God, Our Help in Ages Past” (#30)

Worship Through Psalter Reading

Psalm 29, Verses 1,2,3,7 (pp794)

Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of his
holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace.

Worship Through Scripture Songs of Thanksgiving:

Forever

Verse 1
Give thanks to the Lord Our God and King
His love endures forever
For He is good He is above all things His love endures forever
Sing praise sing praise

Verse 2
With a mighty hand And an outstretched arm His love endures forever
For the life that’s been reborn His love endures forever Sing praise sing praise
Pre-Chorus
Sing praise sing praise
Chorus
Forever God is faithful Forever God is strong Forever God is with us Forever forever

Verse 3
From the rising to the setting sun His love endures forever
And by the grace of God We will carry on
His love endures forever Sing praise sing praise
(Pre-Chorus) (Chorus-2x) (Pre-Chorus 2x)
Sing praise sing praise
Chorus-2x
Forever God is faithful Forever God is strong Forever God is with us
Forever forever

How Great Is Our God

Verse 1
The splendor of the King
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice
He wraps Himself in light
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
And trembles at His voice
Chorus
How great is our God
Sing with me
How great is our God
And all will see how great
How great is our God
Verse 2
And age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the End
Beginning and the End
The Godhead three in one
Father Spirit Son
The Lion and the Lamb
The Lion and the Lamb
(Chorus)
Bridge 2x
Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God
(Chorus 2x)

Worship through Exposition of God’s Word: Dr. Wilson Smith

Sermon: “God’s Counsel To His People”

Worship through Hymn of Commitment:

“A Wonderful Savior Is Jesus My Lord” (#175)

Benediction

(Please Stand as Able)

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

SMALL GROUPS TODAY:

Whittle/Dickinson Group will be meeting at 4:00 at the Dickinson’s Home. Bring a snack to share..

Mitchell/Forlaw Group will be meeting at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Bring a dish to share for dinner.

Postlude
(Please Stand As Able)

This Week in Our Church Life

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.

HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS
Meeting online through zoom on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Be on the lookout for the email with the link.

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Wednesdays at 10am, the women s’ Bible study will be meeting in the fellowship hall.

Pray for Pastor Tom and Beth as they take a much needed time of rest from 9/7-9/21.

Other Resources

Kingdom Outreach:  See our Missions and Outreach Page

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

Today’s Additional Resources

Special Announcement

Dear Believers of First Pres. Villa Rica,
After almost six months of suspending in-person Sunday morning activities with the exception of Worship, we are excited to announce the resumption of both infant and toddler nurseries beginning September 20th (both services), and the resumption of all Sunday morning activities beginning October 4th. Both morning Worship services will be maintained, with a shift in start time of both services to accommodate Sunday School (for all ages) and fellowship time. Children’s Church will also be offered during both services.
We make this decision following our nation’s efforts to return to normalcy but not with disregard to the continued threat COVID-19 is to us. Please know that procedures will be in place to ensure the safety and health of all.

New schedule as of Sunday, October 4th:

0830-0930 Worship 1 (Parking lot)
0930-1000 Break / Fellowship
1000-1045 Sunday School
1045-1100 Break
1100-1200 Worship 2 (Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall)

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. Special thanks to Jeannie Forlaw for her work in her new role as Children’s Ministry Director and for the coordination of both the Children’s Education and Worship Committees in putting together our resumption plan.

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

---

As we approach our kick off date of October 4th for Sunday School and Children’s Church, I would like to
announce the following needs.

1. A Sunday School teacher for our 3-4 year olds. Our new Sunday School time will be 10:00-10:45.
2. Volunteers for Children’s Church for the 8:30 and 11:00 Services. This program is led by a two person team,
   preferably husband and wife. You may sign up for either service for one month. If you sign up to serve during
   the 8:30 service, you are free to attend the 11:00 service, and vice versa.

Please prayerfully consider being a part of these rewarding ministries of our church. Please send an email the church office or to Jeannie to sign up.

Thank you,
Jeannie Forlaw
Children’s Ministry Director

Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 1

Holy Scripture
1. Our natural understanding and the works of creation and providence so clearly show God’s goodness,
wisdom, and power that human beings have no excuse for not believing in him. However, these means alone
cannot provide that knowledge of God and of his will which is necessary for salvation. Therefore it pleased the
Lord at different times and in various ways to reveal himself and to declare that this revelation contains his will
for his church. Afterwards it pleased God to put this entire revelation into writing so that the truth might be
better preserved and transmitted and that the church, confronted with the corruption of the flesh and the evil
purposes of Satan and the world, might be more securely established and comforted. Since God no longer
reveals himself to his people in those earlier ways, Holy Scripture is absolutely essential.

4. The Bible speaks authoritatively and so deserves to be believed and obeyed. This authority does not depend
on the testimony of any man or church but completely on God, its author, who is himself truth. The Bible
therefore is to be accepted as true, because it is the word of God.

5. We may be influenced by the testimony of the church to value the Bible highly and reverently, and Scripture
itself shows in so many ways that it is God’s word; for example, in its spiritual subject matter, in the
effectiveness of its teaching, the majesty of its style, the agreement of all its parts, its unified aim from
beginning to end (to give all glory to God), the full revelation it makes of the only way of man’s salvation, its
many other incomparably outstanding features, and its complete perfection. However, we are completely
persuaded and assured of the infallible truth and divine authority of the Bible only by the inward working of the
Holy Spirit, who testifies by and with the word in our hearts.

6. The whole purpose of God about everything pertaining to his own glory and to man’s salvation, faith, and life
is either explicitly stated in the Bible or may be deduced as inevitably and logically following from it. Nothing
is at any time to be added to the Bible, either from new revelations of the Spirit or from traditions of men.
Nevertheless we do recognize that the inward illumination of the Spirit of God is necessary for a saving
understanding of the things which are revealed in the word. We also recognize that some provisions for the
worship of God and the government of the church are similar to secular activities and organizations; these are to
be directed according to our natural understanding and our Christian discretion and should conform to the
general rules of the word, which are always to be observed.

7. The meanings of all the passages in the Bible are not equally obvious, nor is any individual passage equally
clear to everyone.15 However, everything which we have to know, believe, and observe in order to be saved is
so clearly presented and revealed somewhere in the Bible that the uneducated as well as the educated can
sufficiently understand it by the proper use of the ordinary means of grace.

9. The infallible standard for the interpretation of the Bible is the Bible itself. And so any question about the
true and complete sense of a passage in the Bible (which is a unified whole) can be answered by referring to
other passages which speak more plainly.

10. The Holy Spirit speaking in the Bible is the supreme judge of all religious controversies, all decisions of
religious councils, all the opinions of ancient writers, all human teachings, and every private opinion. We are to
be satisfied with the judgment of him who is and can be the only judge.

The Westminster Larger Catechism

Q91: What is the duty which God requireth of man?
A: The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will.
Q93: What is the moral law?
A: The moral law is the declaration of the will of God to mankind, directing and binding everyone to personal,
perfect, and perpetual conformity and obedience thereunto, in the frame and disposition of the whole man, soul
and body, and in performance of all those duties of holiness and righteousness which he oweth to God and man:
promising life upon the fulfilling, and threatening death upon the breach of it.
Q94: Is there any use of the moral law to man since the fall?
A: Although no man, since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law; yet there is great use
thereof, as well common to all men, as peculiar either to the unregenerate, or the regenerate.
Q95: Of what use is the moral law to all men?
A: The moral law is of use to all men, to inform them of the holy nature and will of God, and of their duty,
binding them to walk accordingly; to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of
their nature, hearts, and lives; to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a
clearer sight of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.
Q96: What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?
A: The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from wrath to come, and to
drive them to Christ; or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable, and
under the curse thereof.
Q97: What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?
A: Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of
works, so as thereby they are neither justified nor condemned; yet, besides the general uses thereof common to
them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and
enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good; and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness,
and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.
Q98: Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of
God upon mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone; and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of
Exodus. The four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.

Westminster Confession of Faith in Modern English

Chapter 11: Justification

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.

Chapter 16: Good Works

1. Good works are only those works identified as good by God and commanded by him in his holy word. They
do not include other works, no matter how well-intentioned in design or zealously promoted by men.
2. These good works, done in obedience to God’s commandments, are the fruit and evidence of a true and living
faith. By them believers show their thankfulness, strengthen their assurance of salvation, edify their brothers in
the Lord, and become ornaments of all those who profess the gospel. Good works in believers silence the
criticism of the enemies of the gospel. They also glorify God by showing that believers are the workmanship
and creation of Jesus Christ, because their aim is that holiness of living which leads to eternal life.
3. Believers get the ability to do good works entirely from the Spirit of Christ. In addition to the other particular
effects of God’s grace already received, believers must be directed by the Holy Spirit in order to will and to do
what pleases God. However, they are not therefore to grow spiritually lazy, waiting for some special guidance
from the Spirit before doing anything commanded by God. Rather, they should diligently attempt to identify
what good works God has commanded in his word and then try their best to do all of them, praying earnestly
and daily for the empowering and enabling of the Holy Spirit, who lives in them.

Canons of Dort
Article 12: The Assurance of Election

Assurance of their eternal and unchangeable election to salvation is given to the chosen in due time, though by
various stages and in differing measure. Such assurance comes not by inquisitive searching into the hidden and
deep things of God, but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual joy and holy delight, the unmistakable
fruits of election pointed out in God’s Word—such as a true faith in Christ, a childlike fear of God, a godly
sorrow for their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on.

Passages for Further Study

Deuteronomy 5:17
“‘You shall not murder.'”

Deuteronomy 21:1-9 ​
1 “If in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him, 2 then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. 3 And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke. 4 And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled. 6 And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley, 7 and they shall testify, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it shed. 8 Accept atonement, O Lord, for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, and do not set the guilt of innocent blood in the midst of your people Israel, so that their blood guilt be atoned for.’ 9 So you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord.

1 Kings 21 ​
1 Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 And after this Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house, and I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” 4 And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.
5 But Jezebel his wife came to him and said to him, “Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food?” 6 And he said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money, or else, if it please you, I will give you another vineyard for it.’ And he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 And Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city. 9 And she wrote in the letters, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth at the head of the people. 10 And set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, You have cursed God and the king.’ Then take him out and stone him to death.” 11 And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them. As it was written in the letters that she had sent to them, 12 they proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people. 13 And the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him. And the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king.” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. 14 Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned; he is dead.”
15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

The Lord Condemns Ahab

17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 18 “Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria; behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19 And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ And you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood.”’”
20 Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. 21 Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel. 22 And I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. 23 And of Jezebel the Lord also said, The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ 24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat.”
Ahab’s Repentance
25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.)
27 And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”
Hos. 4:1–3

Hosea 4:1-11
Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel,
for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land.
There is no faithfulness or steadfast love,
and no knowledge of God in the land;
2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery;
they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land mourns,
and all who dwell in it languish,
and also the beasts of the field
and the birds of the heavens,
and even the fish of the sea are taken away.

James 4:1-10
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

2 Peter 3-11

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of
him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very
great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from
the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to
supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and
self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection,
and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from
being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these
qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these
qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the
eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

James 2:14-17

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save
him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go
in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So
also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Romans 2:1-11

God’s Righteous Judgment
​1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.