Friedens Reformed Church 

P.O. Box J, Tripp, South Dakota 57376

Church: 605-935-6758

Affiliated with: The Evangelical Association of Reformed & Congregational Christian Churches

April 26, 2020

 

Opening Prayer: Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of our minds, we beseech Thee, by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that, being delivered from every unholy motion of the flesh and spirit, we may perfectly love Thee, with a pure heart and sanctified lips worship Thee, and worthily magnify Thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

**Opening Hymn: Jesus Shall Reign 231 Red

Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does its successive journeys run,

His kingdom spread from shore to shore, till moons shall wax and wane no more.

 

To Him shall endless prayer be made, and endless praises crown His head.

His name like sweet perfume shall rise with every morning sacrifice.

 

People and realms of every tongue dwell on his love with sweetest song,

and infant voices shall proclaim their early blessings on His name.

 

Let every creature rise and bring His grateful honors to our King;

angels descend with songs again, and earth repeat the loud “Amen!”

 

 

** Invocation: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.

 

**Call to Worship: Responsive reading of Psalm 135:1-14

M: Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; Praise Him, O you servants of the Lord! You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, 

C: Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure. 

M: For I know that the Lord is great, and our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases He does, in heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places. 

C: He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries. 

M: He destroyed the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast. 

C: He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants. 

M: He defeated many nations and slew mighty kings—Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—

C: And gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people. Your name, O Lord, endures forever, Your fame, O Lord, throughout all generations.

Unison: For the Lord will judge His people, and He will have compassion on His servants.

 

Reading of the Law: And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

 

**Prayer of Confession: Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; An d there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous and sober life. To the Glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

 

Assurance of Absolution: Hearken now unto the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the Gospel to all that repent and believe: As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Unto as many of you, therefore, beloved brethren, as truly repent of your sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, with full purpose of new obedience, I announce and declare, by the authority and in the name of Christ, that your sins are forgiven in heaven, according to His promise in the Gospel, through the perfect merit of Jesus Christ our Lord

 

Hymn: The Lord’s My Shepherd #50 Red

The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want; He makes me down to lie

in pastures green; He leadeth me the quiet waters by.

 

My soul He doth restore again, and me to walk doth make

within the paths of righteousness, e'en for His own name's sake.

 

Yea, though I walk through death's dark vale, yet will I fear no ill,

for Thou art with me; and Thy rod and staff me comfort still.

 

My table Thou hast furnished in presence of my foes;

my head Thou dost with oil anoint, and my cup overflows.

 

Goodness and mercy all my life shall surely follow me;

and in God's house forevermore my dwelling place shall be.

 

**New Testament Reading: Revelation 19:6-16

And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

**The Apostles’ Creed

**The Gloria Patri 

 

Reading of Sermon Text: Lamentations 3:37-38

Children’s Sermon

Sermon: The Word of His Power

 

Pastoral Prayer

Lord’s Prayer

 

The Offertory Hymn: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah #51 Red

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but Thou art mighty; hold me with Thy powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me till I want no more, feed me till I want no more.

 

Open now the crystal fountain, whence the healing stream doth flow.

Let the fire and cloudy pillar lead me all my journey through;

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer, be Thou still my strength and shield, be Thou still my strength and shield.

 

When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside.

Bear me thro’ the swelling current, land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever give to Thee, I will ever give to Thee.

 

**Doxology

**Prayer of Dedication

 

**Closing Hymn: All People That on Earth do Dwell #20 Red

All people that on earth do dwell,

Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.

Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell;

Come ye before Him and rejoice.

 

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed;

Without our aid He did us make;

We are His folk, He doth us feed,

And for His sheep He doth us take.

 

O enter then His gates with praise;

Approach with joy His courts unto;

Praise, laud, and bless His name always,

For it is seemly so to do.

 

For why? The Lord our God is good;

His mercy is forever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood,

And shall from age to age endure.

 

To Father, Son and Holy Ghost,

The God whom heaven and earth adore,

From earth and from the angel host

Be praise and glory evermore.

  

**Benediction

Postlude