This is not live-streamed worship, happening in real time as you are at home, but it is a way we can bind together through worship. Everything posted here in Home Worship has been compiled by Highland Park laity and staff, with the hope of helping you feel closer to one another, and helping you draw closer to Almighty God, who is always with us.
May God bless you and keep you.
Now, let’s worship together.
June 28, 2020
Call To Worship A Psalm of David 1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I bear pain[a] in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 and my enemy will say, “I have prevailed”; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.5 But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Opening Hymn He Will Hold Me Fast
Children's Moments with Mrs. Katie
Sunday Devotion with Steve Mount
An excerpt from Explaining the Book Psalm 13 How does it feel to lose? Do you like that feeling? Of losing a game or a match or a contest? If you’re a husband – how do you like losing a game to your wife? Well, you’re probably more mature than I am and so you probably don’t struggle with the reality of crushing defeat delivered to you from the hands of your dear sweet wife. Lori and I used to play ping pong. USED TO, I say! She is an excellent ping pong player. And at least when we were dating I kind of got sick of playing her because she ALWAYS won! It was humiliating to this young man who wanted to impress his date – and she just keeps BEATING me! I’d like to say that I got over it. And, that was intended to be sort of a humorous illustration of the feelings that we can tend to have when we’re losing. But what about when you’re losing – not to a friend or someone you love and care for – but when you’re losing to an enemy? Someone who hates you. Someone who you know will actually rejoice when you fail – when he finally beats you.
You might experience opposition at work or from your neighbors. Christianity in general has many enemies. And they’d all be happy to see the light put out. How do you feel about these enemies – especially when they seem to be winning? Are you wondering if you have the right attitude about them and about your situation? The Lord Jesus tells us to love our enemies. We ought to do good to them. We must pray for them. And yet, how do you deal with the emotions involved in appearing to lose to an enemy? How should you deal with your inner man regarding the troubling thoughts that come when your enemy is winning?
This is where Psalm 13 can be instructive and helpful for us. In Psalm 13, David is wrestling with this very issue of his enemy winning. Look at the last line of Psalm 13:2. He says, “How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” He begs God to help him so that – Psalm 13:4 – these things don’t happen to him – that his “enemy [might] say, I have prevailed against him” or this other concerning possibility that “those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.”
So, do you have an enemy who’s winning at your expense? Take this sermon on Psalm 13 with you and pray it to the Lord. Ask for his encouragement. Express your confidence in Him. Give Him reasons to answer you. And believe He will do it. May the Lord help all of us to deal with the situations we might face.
Closing Hymn Victory In Jesus
Benediction God of peace and mercy, send us into your world with confident joy. Help us to reach out to others and care for them as you always care for us. AMEN.