Sunday, October 25 Reformation Sunday
SOLA CHRISTUS “Christ Alone”
Prayer of Confession (In Unison) Ulrich Zwingli 1529
Lord, we cry to you to heal our wounds. We call to you in distress and plead for your salvation. We have sinned against your law and failed to do your will; we confess that we’ve disobeyed your holy Word. We pray, purge our lives of selfishness and our hearts of bitterness. Lead us back to righteousness; save us through Jesus Christ. Amen.
SOLA GRATIA “Grace Alone”
Assurance of Forgiveness Ephesians 2:4-5
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.
Responding in Praise 735 Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. world without end. Amen, amen.
Psalm 46:1-11
Hymn of Praise 92 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
our helper he amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and pow'r are great; and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
were not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he,
Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same, and he must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.
That Word above all earthly pow'rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever.
Children’s Catechism Question 125
Q. What does it mean to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil?”
A. We are asking God to keep us from being tempted and to make us strong enough to resist when we
are tempted.
SOLA SCRIPTURA “Scripture Alone”
Prayer for Illumination
New Testament Reading 1 Peter 1:17-19
Old Testament Reading Exodus 12:1-32
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. 18 In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24 You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25 And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
28 Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
29 At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. 31 Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”
The Word Preached “Passover” Dr. Josh Cole
Discussion Questions
- At the time of our passage, the Lord had sent nine plagues on Egypt. How had things changed for God's people?
- How have you witnessed God at work in or around your life in the past six months?
- How did the Israelites respond to Moses's instructions? Why?
- Why did the Lord not make a distinction between Israel and Egypt in the tenth plague?
- How is Jesus the Lamb of God?
- How does baptism relate to Passover?
- How could recalling your baptism aid you in times of struggles or trials?
SOLA FIDE “Faith Alone”
Hymn 400 O Bless Our God With One Accord
O bless our God with one accord, ye faithful servants of the Lord,
who in his house do stand by night; and praise him there with all your might.
Lift up your hands, in prayer draw nigh unto his sanctuary high;
bless ye the Lord, kneel at his feet, and worship him with reverence meet.
Jehovah bless thee from above, from Zion in his boundless love,
our God, who heav'n and earth did frame; blest be his great and holy name.
Affirmation of Faith (In Unison) The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of Intercession and the Lord’s Prayer
Pray that the Holy Spirit would move mightily around the world,
opening eyes to Jesus Christ.
Pray for the Church around the world.
For Christians in Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Mauritania, and Mali.
For joy in their witness.
For fruit in evangelism.
For provision.
Pray for the Church in Jackson.
For a bold witness for the Lord.
For the Spirit to transform the city through the Church.
Pray for the work of missionaries around the world.
For perseverance and joy in the work of the kingdom.
For Kevin, Jena, and their families as they prepare to move to the Middle East to begin their ministry.
Pray for Covenant.
For joy in celebrating the sacraments this Sunday and the next.
For continued faithfulness in stewardship.
For comfort for families who have recently lost loved ones.
Pray for our country.
For wisdom during a divisive national election.
For peace and restraint.
Pray for our national leaders.
For legislators in the House of Representatives.
For Michael Guest and his family.
Pray for our state.
For continued economic recovery.
Pray for our city.
For our schools and teachers.
For parents juggling work and their children’s education.
For the increased rate of crime.
For police officers serving and protecting.
For wisdom for Mayor Lumumba.
Pray that the Lord would stop the spread of COVID-19
Pray for those who are weary,
burdened,
struggling,
weak,
stressed,
anxious.
For the ill.
Pray through our high priest and mediator, Jesus Christ.
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.
When you have specific Prayer Request call the church (601-981-7236) or send your prayer request to the pastors here: www.covenantpresjackson.org/ministries/prayer-request/
Minute for Stewardship
Collection of Tithes and Gifts
With gladness, let us present the offerings of our life and labor to the Lord as a sign of our trust in Him.
You can give financially to the church in one of the following ways:
1) Mail a check to: Covenant Presbyterian Church, 4000 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, Mississippi 39211.
2) text an amount to 601-202-4203;
3) Click here to give online by credit card or directly from your bank account; (Click here for tutorial on how to give online)
Musical Offering In The Shadow of Your Wings by John Leavitt
Sing the Doxology 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.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
SOLA DEO GLORIA “Glory to God Alone”
Read God’s Blessing Numbers 6:24-26
the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
