August 30, 2020 – West Bridgewater Community Church

Here is the worship guide for Sunday, August 30, 2020.

PDF version of the worship guide to download or print.

The livestream will begin at 10:30 a.m. on our Facebook page.

Welcome and Announcements

Opening Prayer

Hymn: “Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery”

Words and music by Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, and Michael Bleecker

Come behold the wondrous mystery, in the dawning of the King;
He the theme of heaven’s praises, robed in frail humanity.
In our longing, in our darkness, now the light of life has come;
look to Christ, who condescended, took on flesh to ransom us.

Come behold the wondrous mystery, He the perfect Son of Man;
in His living, in His suffering never trace nor stain of sin.
See the true and better Adam, come to save the hell-bound man;
Christ, the great and sure fulfillment of the law; in Him we stand.

Come behold the wondrous mystery, Christ the Lord upon the tree,
in the stead of ruined sinners, hangs the Lamb in victory.
See the price of our redemption, see the Father’s plan unfold;
bringing many sons to glory, grace unmeasured, love untold.

Come behold the wondrous mystery, slain by death the God of life;
but no grave could e’er restrain Him, praise the Lord, He is alive!
What a foretaste of deliverance, how unwavering our hope;
Christ in power resurrected, as we will be when he comes.

Hymn: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”

Words by Joseph Scriven, music by Charles C. Converse

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!

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.

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.

Scripture Reading and Prayer:

Psalm 148 (ESV)

¹Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
² Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!

³ Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
⁶ And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
⁸ fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!

⁹ Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
¹⁰ Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹ Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
¹² Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.

¹⁴ He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!

Sermon: “A Friend”

We will look at several Proverbs, and other passages, including some of the following:

Proverbs 17:17 (ESV)

A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 18:24 (ESV)

A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 27:5–6 (ESV)

⁵ Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.
⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

Proverbs 27:9–10 (ESV)

⁹ Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.
¹⁰ Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend,
and do not go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity.
Better is a neighbor who is near
than a brother who is far away.

Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)

Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 25:20 (ESV)

Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.

Proverbs 25:17–18 (ESV)

¹⁷ Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you.
¹⁸ A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.

Proverbs 25:20 (ESV)

Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.

John 15:12–17 (ESV)

¹²“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. ¹⁷These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Hymn: “Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners”

Words by J. Wilbur Chapman, music by Rowland H. Prichard

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners! Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole.