New Life Presbyterian Church of La Mesa
Pastor M. Connor Underseth
Sermon Title: True Religion
Sermon Text: James 1:26-27

Worship Guide: https://bit.ly/24Sep23_AM_Worship

Welcome and Announcements
Choral Introit – “Clap Your Hands and Sing!” [Music and arr. by Allen Pote]

Sing a new song to the Lord, sing a new song of joy.
Sing to the Lord with shouts of gladness, sing a new song of joy.
O praise him with song, with trumpet and horn, make a joyful noise to the Lord,
And clap your hands you rivers, sing together all you hills,
O clap your hands and sing for joy.
For God has done wonderful works among the people. 
He has remembered Israel.
Ruling in majesty, in mighty power and strength,
God is the Ruler of the world.
Clap your hands you rivers, sing together all you hills, 
O clap your hands and sing for joy.

Call to Worship - Psalm 36:5, 7, 9

Leader: Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
People: How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
Leader: For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.

Prayer of Adoration, Assistance, & Blessing
Trinity Hymnal #14 “New Songs of Celebration Render”

New songs of celebration render
to him who has great wonders done;
love sits enthroned in ageless splendor;
come and adore the mighty One.
He has made known his great salvation,
which all his friends with joy confess.
He has revealed to ev'ry nation
his everlasting righteousness.

Joyfully, heartily resounding,
let ev'ry instrument and voice
peal out the praise of grace abounding,
calling the whole world to rejoice.
Trumpets and organs, set in motion
such sounds as make the heavens ring;
all things that live in earth and ocean,
make music for your mighty King.

Rivers and seas and torrents roaring,
honor the Lord with wild acclaim;
mountains and stones look up adoring,
and find a voice to praise his name.
Righteous, commanding, ever glorious,
praises be his that never cease:
just is our God, whose truth victorious
establishes the world in peace.
Reflection on the Law

Leader: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind.
People: This is the great and first commandment. (Matt 22: 37-38)

Leader: God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other
gods before me.”
People: For although there may be so-called “gods” in heaven or on earth… yet for us there is one God. (1Cor 8:5-6)

Leader: You shall not make for yourself an idol.
People: What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the
living God. (2Cor 6:16)

Leader: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
People: Let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under
condemnation. (Jam 5:12)

Leader: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
People: There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s
rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. (Heb 4:9-10)

Confession of Sin
Assurance of Pardon- Ephesians 1:7-8

Trinity Hymnal #676 “Day by Day, and with Each Passing Moment”

Day by day and with each passing moment,
strength I find to meet my trials here;
trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
gives unto each day what he deems best–
lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord himself is near me
with a special mercy for each hour;
all my cares he fain would bear, and cheer me,
he whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of his child and treasure
is a charge that on himself he laid:
“As your days, your strength shall be in measure,”
this the pledge to me he made.

Help me then in every tribulation
so to trust your promises, O Lord,
that I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
offered me within your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
e'er to take, as from a father’s hand,
one by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
till I reach the promised land.

Prayer of the Church- Elder Bill Wood
Trinity Hymnal #1 “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”

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.

God’s Word Read - James 1:26-27
God’s Word Preached - “True Religion” by Pastor M. Connor Underseth
Prayer of Application and the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. 

Trinity Hymnal #257 “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted”

Stricken, smitten, and afflicted,
see him dying on the tree!
'Tis the Christ by man rejected;
yes, my soul, 'tis he, 'tis he!
'Tis the long-expected Prophet,
David's Son, yet David's Lord;
by his Son God now has spoken:
'tis the true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear him groaning,
was there ever grief like his?
Friends thro' fear his cause disowning,
foes insulting his distress;
many hands were raised to wound him,
none would interpose to save;
but the deepest stroke that pierced him
was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly
nor suppose the evil great
here may view its nature rightly,
here its guilt may estimate.
Mark the sacrifice appointed,
see who bears the awful load;
'tis the Word, the Lord's Anointed,
Son of Man and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation,
here the refuge of the lost;
Christ's the Rock of our salvation,
his the name of which we boast.
Lamb of God, for sinners wounded,
sacrifice to cancel guilt!
None shall ever be confounded
who on him their hope have built.

Trinity Hymnal p. 845 – “Apostles Creed”

Minister: Christian, what do you believe? 
All:  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.

Words of Institution and Warning
Communion Prayer
Serving of the Supper
Prayer of Thanksgiving

Song of Praise - “Jesus, Name above All Names”

Jesus name above all names
Beautiful Savior glorious Lord
Emmanuel God is with us
Blessed Redeemer living Word

Trinity Hymnal #731 “Doxology”

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.

Benediction
Postlude