Preparing for the Lord's Day
What does it mean to trust? It can be easy to believe that you trust in something or someone until that trust is tested by times of trouble. Pastor Ron shared of a situation in which he was sailing off the coast of Maine when dense fog rolled in. He could barely see ten feet in front of the bow of the vessel. Numerous times he had trusted his navigational equipment but now more than ever that trust was tested. Would the GPS guide him safely ashore or would it run him up on a rock? To get home he had to but his trust to the test. Thankfully, the GPS did lead Pastor Ron home safely. In our Psalm for this week we come to the question of trusting the Lord in times of trouble. It can be easy to proclaim that you trust the Lord when you are healthy, have enough money, and are relationally at peace. However, when the day of trouble comes and your trust is tested do you continue to rely upon the Lord? What we will see in our text is that to trust in the Lord in times of trouble we must seek His presence, we must plead for His protection, and finally we must wait for his salvation. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Psalm 27, Genesis 22:1-19, Joshua 1:9, Psalm 28:7; 62:8, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 26:4, Hebrews 11:1 and Westminster Confession of Faith 14.3.
As we gather to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Lord’s day, we will join our hearts in song, singing the Hymn of Praise “Our God, Our Help in Ages Past”, the Acclamation of Praise “And Can It Be That I Should Gain” and the Hymn of Response “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” Let us come to worship this Sunday prepared to hear God’s Word, to receive it in faith, to love and treasure it in our hearts, and to practice it in our lives that we may continue to glorify and enjoy Him!
Sermon Information:
Text: Psalm 27
Title: Trust in Times of Trouble
Outline:
- We Must Seek the Lord’s Presence in Times of Trouble (verses 1-6)
- We Must Plead the Lord’s Protection in Times of Trouble (verses 7-12)
- We Must Wait for the Lord’s Salvation in Times of Trouble (verses 13-14)
The Session has called a Congregational Meeting live in the Sanctuary and via Zoom for Sunday, August 30, 2020 to follow the 8:00 service (9:05am) for the following purposes:
- To adjust the three year terms of service for ruling elders and deacons to correspond with the ministry year, September 1-August 31.
- For Session to assign an elder or deacon to serve as a mentor for each respective elder or deacon nominee for a period of up to one year.
- For Officer Nominees to attend training classes and meetings per pastoral directive and to receive guidance from the pastors and mentors for opportunities to prepare the nominee for service.
- To approve revisions to the congregational approved documents entitled, “The Nomination and Election of Church Officers” and related “Elders and Deacons” (vows and qualifications for church officers) to reflect the previous motions.