The Lord’s Day, December 31, 2017

“…taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…”














ORDER OF WORSHIP



Thank you for joining us this morning! At Christ the King, our
worship is a divine-human dialogue, in accordance with Scriptural
example and precedent, alternatively hearing God’s Word
and responding in prayer, song, or meditation. The gray boxes
throughout the bulletin were written to aid each worshipper in
thoughtful and meaningful participation in this dialogue. Please
prepare your heart by reading through the bulletin, praying for
those leading and worshipping around you, and silencing all
communication devices.

We encourage parents to involve children as soon as possible
in the worship service. In consideration of other worshippers,
we request parents with children not yet ready for unobtrusive
participation in worship to utilize the nursery or, if necessary, the
cry room. A nursery is available for children ages 3 months to 3
years during all Sunday morning activities.

* Indicates congregational standing



W e A pproAch the L ord

Prelude

Call to Worship


This psalm joins the praise to which it calls us today to a fear of
God which results in delight in His commandments (Word), which
in turn results in blessing.

Psalm 112:1-3 ESV
1 Praise the LORD!

Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,

who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;

the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,

and his righteousness endures forever.

Prayer of Adoration and Invocation

* Hymn of Praise

We celebrate the immutability, reliability, and ultimate triumph of
God’s Word in this great hymn of praise.

“Forever Settled in the Heavens” (Trinity Hymnal #59)



W e A c k n o W L e d g e o ur S in

* Reading from the Law

This central passage of Scripture, known to the Israelites as “the
Shema,” highlights the importance of loving God by internalizing,
meditating upon, talking about, and teaching God’s commands as
we encounter every situation of life.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love

the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be
on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and
shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by
the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind
them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between
your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house
and on your gates.

Silent Confession of Sin

Corporate Confession of Sin

We focus in our confession today on those elements of our sin
which relate to our relationship to the truth of God’s Word: our
tendency to follow our own hearts rather than consult and heed
God’s truth, our failure to keep God’s commandments, and the
expression of this in sins of commission and omission.



Corporate Confession:Almighty and most merciful Father,we have
erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep.We have followed
too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.We have
offended against Your holy laws.We have left undone those things
which we ought to have done; we have done those things which we
ought not to have done and there is no health in us. O Lord, have
mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare those, O God, who confess
their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to Your
promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant,
O merciful Father, for His sake, that we may hereafter live a godly,
righteous, and sober life to the glory of Your holy name.Amen.


We rejoice in the ASSurAnce of forgiveneSS

Assurance of Pardoning Grace

It is only through faith in and union with God the Word that we
are enabled to relate properly to the written Word.

John 1:9-14 ESV
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the
world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him,
yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own
people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the
will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from
the Father, full of grace and truth.



* Hymn of Assurance

We stand complete in the One who is our peace, our
righteousness, and everything else we need, the Word of God.

Jesus, the Lord, My Savior

1. Jesus, the Lord, my Savior is,
My Shepherd, and my God;
My light, my strength, my joy, my bliss;
And I His grace record.

2. Whate’er I need in Jesus dwells,
And there it dwells for me;
’Tis Christ my earthen vessel fills
With treasures rich and free.

CH: Mercy and truth and righteousness,
And peace, most richly meet
In Jesus Christ, the King of grace,
In Whom I stand complete.

3. As through the wilderness I roam,
His mercies I’ll proclaim;
And when I safely reach my home,
I’ll still adore His name.

4. “Worthy the Lamb,” shall be my song,
“For He for me was slain;”
And me with all the heavenly throng
Shall join, and say, “Amen.”

© 2001 Same Old Dress Music (ASCAP). CCL #2223976.



We prAy for eAch other

Prayers of Intercession

(The minister will lead us in prayer, taking requests from individuals.)












We heAr inStruction from the Lord

Sermon
“The Main Thing” (Rev. Mike Biggs)
* II Timothy 4:1-8 ESV
1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to
judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove,

rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the
time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but
having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to
suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the
truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-
minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and
the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid
up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to
all who have loved his appearing.

Leader:
This is the Word of the Lord.

Congregation:
Thanks be to God!



W e commune With o ur L ord

Communion Meditation

Words of Institution

Prayer of Consecration

Confession of Faith

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, and 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. (*or universal)

Distribution of Elements

Because we believe that wine was used in the Last Supper and
is thus more in accord with the fullness of symbolism intended by
God in the Lord’s Supper, we offer wine and encourage those who
take part in Communion to take this. For those with conscientious
convictions against the use of wine, however, we offer the option
of grape juice, which is contained in the inner circle of the
communion trays. The cups containing wine are in the outer circles
of the trays.



“Father of Mercies in Thy Word”

1. Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.

2. Here, the fair tree of knowledge grows
And yields a free repast
Sublimer sweets than nature knows
Invite the longing taste.

CH: Father of mercies
Father of mercies
Father of mercies
In Thy Word
Father of mercies
Father of mercies
Father of mercies
In Thy Word

3. Here the Redeemer’s welcome voice
Spreads heavenly peace around
And life and everlasting joys
Attend the blissful sound.

4. Oh may these heavenly pages be
My ever dear delight,
And still new beauties may I see,
And still increasing light. (Chorus)

5. Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Be Thou forever near;
Teach me to love Thy sacred Word,
And view my Savior there. (Chorus)

© 2001 Steve Dale Music. Words: Anne Steele. Music: Steve Dale. CCL #2223976.



“Give To The Winds Thy Fears”

1. Give to the winds thy fears,
Hope and be undismayed.
God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,
God will lift up,
God will lift up
God will lift up thy head

2. Leave to His sovereign sway
To choose and to command;
Then shalt thou, wandering, own His way,
How wise, how strong,
how wise, how strong
How wise, how strong His hand.


© 2001 Indelible Grace Words: Paul Gerhardt, John Wesley (translator). Music: John Caudill. CCL #2223976.


We reSpond to the grAce of the Lord

Offering Meditation

Trusting God to take care of our material needs enables us to give
freely to the ministry of His Church in order to build His kingdom.

Matthew 6:31-33 ESV
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What
shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after
all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them
all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all
these things will be added to you.

Presentation of Offerings

See Communion



* Doxology (Trinity Hymnal #731)

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

We reSpond to the Word


We leave today with both praise and prayer on our lips: praise for
the Word incarnate and the Word written, and prayer that God
will use us His Church to make both known in a dark world.

“O Word of God Incarnate” (Trinity Hymnal #140)

Presentation of Mercy Ministry Offerings
(during hymn)

Benediction


VISION


Purpose (our reason for existence): to reverse the effects of rebellion
against God (sin)

Mission (what we are called to do): to build the Kingdom of God, by…

• adding people (incorporation)

• building people (edification)

Core Values (our fundamental commitments):

1. Knowing truth from God (Scripture)

2. Being right with God (Justification)

3. Living life for God (Sanctification)

Goals (what we seek to accomplish):

1. Worship—People experiencing and being attracted to and trained
in the enjoyment of God

2. Fellowship—People displaying and enjoying genuinely loving and
giving relationships/Christian community

3. Christian Education—People being confronted with and oriented to
the whole truth of God

4. Outreach—People being drawn to the Church and trained to draw
others

5. Mercy—People caring about and meeting the material needs of
both non-Christians and other Christians

How can you be a part of all this?



SERMON NOTES
December 31, 2017


“The Main Thing” (Rev. Mike Biggs)
II Timothy 4:1-8



Introduction:






How should we approach the task of ministry in the Church?

I. We must focus upon the essence of the Church’s ministry, vv. 1, 2.
A. What the Word is.











B. What the Word does.



II. We must prepare for the challenge to the Church’s ministry, vv. 3-5.
A. An inevitable resistance.















B. A fourfold response.



III. We must aspire to the reward for the Church’s ministry, vv. 6-8.
A. An example of faithfulness.














B. A perspective of accountability.




For Your Personal Devotions



Points of Application:














Memorable Illustrations:














Evaluation:






Questions for Further Study: