Guiding Scripture

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. -Deuteronomy 6:5

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. -Romans 12:1

Explanation

When we worship, we are doing what God created us to do. Scripture, as well as the catechisms of the church, tell us that worshiping God is the greatest commandment and should be the highest priority of our lives. The God of the Bible is the one and only true God and exists as three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of all things. He alone is worthy of our worship, which is the process of ascribing, or declaring, his worth.

Westminster Shorter Catechism

Question 1: What is the chief end of man? Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Each week at FPC Beaver, we worship the Trinity by employing a liturgy that normally follows a pattern of: call to worship, praise, and adoration, singing, confession, assurance of God’s grace, the response of the forgiven, the reading and preaching of God’s Word, response to the preaching of God’s Word, offerings, prayers of the people, and a benediction. We also practice the two sacraments of the Reformed Tradition: The Lord's Supper and Baptism. On the first Sunday of the month and on special occasions all believers in Christ are invited to share in the Lord’s Supper; we celebrate baptism at times that our pastors deem appropriate.

Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. -Psalm 95:6-7

The triune God calls us by His Word to worship Him with reverence and awe. It is good to have this reminder at the beginning of our worship because we are sinful people and as such are weak, prideful, and forgetful of God's worthiness. The call to worship prepares our hearts and minds to enter God’s presence. We hear from God in His own words because it grounds our worship in an authority greater than ourselves. In our pride we forget who God is; we can think that God needs our worship.

The truth is that although none of us merit being in God’s presence (Psalm 24:3-4), because of His great mercy, He calls us to come into His presence. He pursues us even when we are not seeking Him (Romans 3:23). He knows we are like sheep who wander away. So the call to worship has a theological function: we see who God is and what He has done. He changed us and called us to Himself. By His grace, He enables us to come to Him. He calls us to worship to show that He has not left us dead in our sins, but has given us life through His Word.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord almighty, the whole earth is full of his glory…at the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. -Isaiah 6:3-4

After the call to worship, we begin a time focused on praise and adoration for who God is. This is usually accomplished through the singing of songs and hymns of praise as well as through prayers of adoration. These songs and prayers of praise remind us of many of God's attributes including his holiness, power, wisdom, sovereignty, and lordship over all creation.

Come! Let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout aloud to the rock of our salvation, Let us come before Him with thanksgiving, And extol Him with music and song. -Psalm 95: 1-2

God created the heavens and the earth. He created man in His image to glorify Himself and God created music as one means to this end. God has created us with the ability to sing and calls us to use this ability to sing His praises (Ephesians 5:19, Psalm 150). When we join as one in congregational singing it gives us the opportunity to rejoice as God's people, declare His praise together and share the joy in our hearts with one another.

Jesus told His disciples "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20). When we gather together for worship and join in singing praise to the Lord from our hearts as Christians we have assurance from God's Word that Christ is present with us.

God has given us music that speaks to many facets of His character and the life of the believer: power and majesty, love, praise, joy, comfort, encouragement, commitment, obedience, the communion of saints, faith, hope, prayer, peace, salvation, the reality of heaven, and there are many more. Singing is a holy privilege that impacts our hearts and minds, reminds us of God's Truth in all areas of our lives, and inspires us to become a joyful witness to the world.

Section 2-7 from the EPC Book of Worship states: "Singing of psalms with grace in the heart is a necessary and indispensable part of the common worship of the people of God. The whole congregation is the true choir singing praises and giving glory to God. "

"Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined. For I am a man of unclean lips and I have lived among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said "See, this has touched your lips [a metaphor indicating forgiveness and cleansing from sin]; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” -Isaiah 6:5-7

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgression - it is by grace you have been saved. -Ephesians 2:4-5

Our time of praise and adoration helps us to recognize the holiness of God, but also convicts us of our own sinfulness, which leads us into a time of confession. We confess our sins through a corporate prayer as well as individual silent prayer, and then respond together to the good news of our forgiveness in Christ by God's grace. The assurance of God's grace reminds us that we are reconciled to God apart from any effort of our own, through the work of Jesus Christ.

IMake every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. -Ephesians 4:3

Being assured of our forgiveness and peace with God leads us to a time in the service when we extend forgiveness - or peace - to one another. This is a powerful reminder of our identity as God's people. We are people who have been given peace and who are called to be peacemakers. When we extend peace to those around us we are declaring the peace that Christ has secured for us and declaring peace between ourselves and those with whom we have had disagreements. It helps us to remember our duty as Christ's followers to live peacefully with one another and to promote peace in our community.

For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For,

“All people are like grass,

and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;

the grass withers and the flowers fall,

but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you. -1 Peter:1:23-25

The reading and preaching of God's Word holds a central place in our services of worship. We believe that God's Word is authoritative in the life of His Church and that it is living and active. God uses His Word to call those He saves to Himself and speaks to His Church through the Scriptures by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Faithful preaching of God's Word is a crucial part of the life of the Church and therefore also to our worship together. Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh (John 1:14) and devoted Himself primarily to the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom of God throughout his earthly ministry. The apostles also committed themselves to the preaching of the gospel wherever they were called (Acts 10:42-43, 1 Peter 1:23-25) .

We are thankful and humbled that God has revealed Himself to us through His Word. By the reading of His Word in worship we submit ourselves to His lordship and authority and celebrate that He has graciously given us His Truth for our good and for His glory.

Excerpts from sections 2-5 and 2-6 from the EPC Book of Worship:

2-5: "The ordinary worship of God always includes the reverent and attentive reading of the Scriptures....to know God and His will in a way sufficient for salvation necessitates God's self-revelation made in Holy Scripture."

2-6: "The ordinary worship of God always includes the sound preaching and conscientious hearing of the Word in obedience to God.... While all elements of public worship are important and should not be neglected, no worship is complete without the reading and preaching of the Word."

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. -Matthew 28:19

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." -Luke 22:19-20

In the New Testament, Christ ordained only two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

The EPC Book of Worship states, “Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the Covenant of Grace, representing Christ and all His benefits. They confirm our relationship to Him and represent a visible difference between those who belong to the Church and the rest of the world. There is a spiritual or sacramental relationship in the sacraments between the sign (water and bread and wine) and what is signified. The power revealed in the sacraments does not reside in them or in the one administering them, but is in the work of the Holy Spirit and in the promise of God who gives benefits to those who worthily receive them. Thus, the sacraments are powerful and effective in the life of the recipient because of God’s Word which instituted them. For this reason, the sacraments should not be neglected or omitted” (p. 118).

Baptism “is a sign and a seal of the Covenant of Grace for believers and their children. As a sign it proclaims God’s forgiveness and our redemption in Jesus Christ. As a seal, God marks us as adopted children of our heavenly Father. It indicates our engrafting into Christ, our rebirth, the remission of sins, and our ability by the power of the Spirit to walk in newness of life” (p. 118). Baptism is celebrated as requested by individuals and families who have met with one of FPC’s pastors.

The Lord’s Supper “is a seal of all those benefits of Calvary for believers, and signifies their spiritual growth and nourishment. It is a bond and pledge of the communion of believers with Jesus Christ and with each other as parts of the Church” (p. 122). Normally, First Presbyterian Church celebrates the Lord’s supper on the first Sunday of each month and during special times of the church year, such as on Maundy Thursday. The Lord’s Table is open to all who confess faith in Christ as their Savior, including those who are not members of our congregation.

But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. -1 Chronicles 29:14

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. -1 Peter 4:10

We respond to God's Word with the giving of tithes and offerings which are a reflection of our love for Him and our gratitude for His great love for us.

From Section 2-9 of the EPC Book of Worship:

The acknowledgment that God is the Author of every good gift and that His people are but stewards of His grace should find expression in the offerings of the congregation.

I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. -1 Timothy 2:1-2

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. -Matthew 18:20

We believe one essential component of corporate worship is corporate prayer. God calls all Christians to be intercessors praying on behalf of one another as the body of Christ, for the lost, for those in authority, for the world that God has created and loves, for our own communities and for personal petitions and prayers of thanksgiving. Jesus prays for us and wants us to pray for others asking God to grant our requests according to His will.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. -Numbers 6:24-26

The benediction is a blessing spoken at the end of a worship service. It is designed to send followers on their way with the blessing of God after the service. A benediction invites or asks God for divine blessing, help, guidance and peace.

The following is excerpted and condensed from The Book of Order: Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 2010-2011 edition.

§1-1

Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever . . . . each person as a Christian becomes a part of the larger family of God, a community of faith called the Church. Within this family, all believers are called to share a corporate fellowship of praise, love, commitment, and service. This life together finds visible expression within the family and to the world through worship.

§1-2

. . . it is especially incumbent upon [Christians] to join together in common worship. In such worship, God’s love and power in giving the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ for the remission of sin is to be acknowledged and the dedication of life in service to Him is to be made.

§1-3

The worship of God has, as its natural consequence, the response of commitment and service to Him. This finds expression as God’s people gather to worship, then scatter into the world to serve Him.

§1-4

As the Church gathers in common worship and fellowship and then goes back into the world to live out its faith and commitment before men, it is acting as the Body of Christ.

§2-2B

It is incumbent on all Christians to gather on the Lord’s Day for worship that it might be kept holy unto the Lord.

§2-6

The ordinary worship of God always includes the sound preaching and conscientious hearing of the Word in obedience to God.