Loving God and loving neighbor here in central Vermont
and to the ends of the earth—all to the glory of God.

Prelude
Rebekah Barnes

Welcome and Announcements
σ Listen for upcoming events and ways you can get involved.
Pastor Josh

Lighting the Candles
σ Jesus is the light of the world.
Acolytes

Statement of Faith—Belgic Confession Article 25
σ Confess what you believe about the Christian faith.
Pastor Josh

L: What do you believe about the fulfillment of the Old Covenant Law?

C: We believe that the ceremonies and symbols of the law have ended with the coming of Christ, and that all foreshadowings have come to an end, so that the use of them ought to be abolished among Christians.

Yet the truth and substance of these things remain for us in Jesus Christ, in whom they have been fulfilled.

Nevertheless, we continue to use the witnesses drawn from the law and prophets to confirm us in the gospel and to regulate our lives with full integrity for the glory of God, according to the will of God.

Greeting Your Neighbors
σ Greet your neighbors in the name of the Lord.
Congregation

Call to Worship—Based on Isaiah 55 and John 6
σ Hear God call you to worship through his word.
Charlie Stabolepszy

L: God calls us to worship and we respond. Come, everyone who thirsts, come without money and without price. Incline your ear, and come to Me, Hear that your soul may live.

C: For His flesh is true food and His blood is true drink. For on the last day of the great feast, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’

Communion Sunday
Pastor Josh

Opening Prayer
σ Invite God to work in you as you worship today.
Pastor Josh

Worship Songs
σ Join with the congregation in praise to God.
The Puopolos

The Well

Intro

Leave it all behind
Leave it all behind
Leave it all behind
Leave it all behind

Verse 1

I have what you need
But you keep on searching
I’ve done all the work
But you keep on working
When you’re running on empty
And you can’t find the remedy
Just come to the well

Verse 2

You can spend your whole life
Chasing what’s missing
But that empty inside
It just ain’t gonna listen
When nothing can satisfy
And the world leaves you high and dry
Just come to the well

Chorus

And all who thirst will thirst no more
And all who search will find
What their souls long for
The world will try but it can never fill
(So) leave it all behind
And come to the well

Verse 3

So bring Me your heart
No matter how broken
Just come as you are
When your last prayer is spoken
Just rest in My arms a while
You’ll feel the change My child
When you come to the well

Interlude

The world will try but it can never fill
So leave it all behind

Verse 4

And now that you’re full
Of love beyond measure
Your joy’s gonna flow
Like a stream in the desert
Soon all the world will see
That living water is found in Me
‘Cause you’ve come to the well

Ending

Leave it all behind leave it all behind
(REPEAT)
Leave it all behind and come to the well

Like Incense

Verse 1

May my prayer like incense rise before You
The lifting of my hands a sacrifice
Oh Lord Jesus turn Your eyes upon me
For I know there is mercy in Your sight
Your statutes are my heritage forever
My heart is set on keeping Your decrees
Please still my anxious urge toward rebellion
Let love keep my will upon its knees

Chorus

Oh God You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God You are my God
And I will ever praise You

Verse 2

To all creation I can see a limit
But Your commands are boundless and have none
So Your word is my joy and meditation
From the rising to the setting of the sun
All Your ways are loving and are faithful
Your road is narrow but Your burden light
Because You gladly lean to lead the humble
I shall gladly kneel to leave my pride

Ending

I will seek You in the morning
I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You’ll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Here I Am To Worship

Verse 1

Light of the world
You stepped down into darkness
Opened my eyes let me see
Beauty that made
This heart adore You
Hope of a life spent with You

Chorus

So here I am to worship
Here I am to bow down
Here I am to say that You’re my God
And You’re altogether lovely
Altogether worthy
Altogether wonderful to me

Verse 2

King of all days
Oh so highly exalted
Glorious in heaven above
Humbly You came
To the earth You created
All for love’s sake became poor

Bridge

And I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
And I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross

Scripture Meditation—Acts 16:6-24 (p. 1099 in Pew Bible)
σ Hear a reading from the Gospel that relates to the sermon text.
Tim Miller

⁶ And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

¹¹ So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. ¹³ And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. ¹⁴ One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ¹⁵ And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.

¹⁶ As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” ¹⁸ And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

¹⁹ But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.²⁰ And when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men are Jews, and they are disturbing our city. ²¹ They advocate customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to accept or practice.” ²² The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and gave orders to beat them with rods. ²³ And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailer to keep them safely. ²⁴ Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Congregational Prayer
Pastor Josh

The Lord’s Prayer
σ In closing, pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray.
Congregation

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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Scripture Reading—Philippians 1:1-2 (p. 1164 in Pew Bible)
σ Read this portion of God’s word.
Scott Puopolo

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

L: The grass withers and the flower fades.
C: But the word of our God will stand forever.

Sermon
σ Hear God’s word proclaimed and explained.
Pastor Josh Moore

Communion Liturgy—From Forms and Prayers
Pastor Josh

L: Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us give full attention to the words of the institution of the Holy Supper of our Lord, as they are delivered by the apostle Paul:

For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (1 Cor. 11:23–29). 

That we may now celebrate the Supper of the Lord to our comfort; it is necessary to examine ourselves fully. As we examine ourselves, consider three things:

First, let everyone carefully consider their sins and ungodliness, that they may hate their sins and humble themselves before God, considering that the wrath of God against sin is so great that He, rather than leaving it unpunished, has punished it in his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, with the bitter and shameful death of the cross.

Second, let everyone examine their heart to see whether they also believe the sure promise of God that all their sins are forgiven only because of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, and that the complete righteousness of Christ is imputed and freely given to them as their own—indeed, so completely as if they had personally satisfied for all their sins and fulfilled all righteousness.

Third, let everyone carefully examine their own conscience to see if they are fully determined to show true thankfulness to God in every area of life and to walk sincerely before His face, and whether they, with full sincerity, strive to lay aside all enmity, hatred, and envy, and earnestly resolve from this day forward to live with their neighbor in true love and unity.

That we may obtain all these blessings, let us humble ourselves before God and with true faith implore Him for His grace:

C: Merciful God and Father, we cherish the blessed memory of the death and sufferings of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ. We ask that in this Supper You will so work in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, that with true confidence we might give ourselves up, more and more, unto Your Son, Jesus Christ. We pray that this might allow our burdened and contrite hearts to be nourished and refreshed with the true body and blood of Him who is true God and true man, the only heavenly bread. Empower us to no longer live in our sins, knowing that He lives in us, and we in Him. May we truly be partakers of the new and everlasting covenant of grace. May we not doubt that You will forever be our gracious Father, who does not impute the guilt of our sins to us, and who provides us with all that we need for body and soul, as your dear children and heirs. Grant us also Your grace, that we may take up our cross cheerfully, deny ourselves, confess our Savior, and in all tribulation—with uplifted head—expect our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven. There He will make our mortal bodies like unto His glorified body, and take us to be with Him in eternity. Answer us, O God and merciful Father, through Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray:

Our Father who is 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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

L: By this Holy Supper, may we also be strengthened in the Christian faith, of which we make profession with heart and mouth, saying:

C: 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, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; 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.

Distribution of the Elements
Pastor Josh and Elders

L: Beloved in the Lord, since the Lord has now nourished our souls at His Table, let us together praise His holy name with thanksgiving, and let everyone say:

C: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy.…

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Ps. 103:1–4, 8–13).

Song of Response—What A Friend We Have In Jesus
σ Respond to the preaching of the word with song.
The Puopolos

Verse 1

What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer

Verse 2

Have we trials and temptations
Is there trouble anywhere
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Verse 3

Are we weak and heavy laden
Cumbered with a load of care
Precious Savior still our refuge
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Do thy friends despise forsake thee
Take it to the Lord in prayer
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee
Thou wilt find a solace there

Verse 4

Blessed Savior Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever Lord be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer
Soon in glory bright unclouded
There will be no need for prayer
Rapture praise and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there

Extinguishing the Candles
σ You are the light of the world.
Acolytes

Benediction
σ Receive a parting blessing.
Pastor Josh

Postlude
Rebekah Barnes