Introduction
The third chapter of The Baptist Confession of Faith focuses on God’s Decree. The sermon text is Isaiah 46:8-11 which displays the fact that in eternity past, God decreed all things that come to pass.
The hymns selected for this service remind us that God rules over his creation with sovereign authority.
PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP
Prelude
Call to Worship: Psalm 113:1-3
Invocation
PROCLAMATION
Hymn 63 Come, Thou Almighty King
Notes: We begin with an anthem that invokes the presence of the Triune God to help us worship as we ought. It acknowledges his sovereign majesty and expresses our desire for Him to rule over us through the Word and by the Spirit.
Worship through Giving
Hymn 42 Praise Ye the Lord!
Note: The Lord we serve is the “King of creation.” Nothing lies outside his sovereign rule. We respond, “O let all that is in me adore Him!” We call to each other, “Praise Him in glad adoration.”
Scripture Reading Ephesians 1:3-14
Note: Ephesians 1 lists the blessings that God the Father has given to his people. This long single sentence (in Greek) has three striking emphases: 1) the Triune God accomplished our salvation, 2) God planned it in eternity past, and 3) God did this solely for his own glory.
Pastoral Prayer
Hymn 55 God Moves in a Mysterious Way
Notes: A biographer of William Cowper said that his life seemed to be “one long accumulation of pain.” Yet Cowper penned this famous hymn expressing the Christian’s trust in God’s goodness, sovereignty, and wisdom. He left us the memorable line: “Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.”
Message: The Eternal God and His Decree
Isaiah 46:8-11
Pastor Steven Thomas
RESPONSE
Hymn (Insert) Lord, ‘Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee
Note: Josiah Conder’s hymn attributes our salvation to God’s gracious initiative. He speaks of the doctrine of regeneration when he says that God’s grace “taught my darkened heart and mind.” The third verse calls us to praise the “Spirit of salvation, Him by whom our spirits live.”
Prayer Response: John Miles
Benediction: John Miles