First Church of Merrimack, NH A Member Congregation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Founded 1771

June 14, 2020 10:45 am Worship Service

7 Baboosic Lake Road / P.O. Box 507 Merrimack, New Hampshire 03054

603-424-3947 / 603-424-3133 www.firstchurchofmerrimack.org

Rev. Dr. Allen C. Tomlinson, Pastor pastorallen@firstchurchofmerrimack.org

THE ORDER OF MORNING WORSHIP As we enter the Sanctuary, let us be thoughtful of others

who are preparing for Worship by prayer and meditation.

NOW TO GOD THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT BE ASCRIBED EXALTED PRAISES. AMEN

Apostolic Greeting Pastor Allen Tomlinson

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Romans 16:24)

Heart Preparation

Call to Worship (Below) Hebrews 10:19-23

“19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

†*Hymn #211 (Page 6) “We All Believe in One True God”

*Invocation & the Lord’s Prayer Elder Chris Jennings

*Gloria Patri

* Please stand, if able * -2-

Confessional Reading (Below) Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1

Question 1: What is thy only comfort in life and death? Answer: That I with body and soul,1 both in life and death, am not my own,2 but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ;3 who, with His precious blood,4 hath fully satisfied for all my sins,5 and delivered me from all the power of the devil;6 and so preserves me7 that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head;8 yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation,9 and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life,10 and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him.11

1I Corinthians 6:19-20; 2Romans 14:7-9; 3I Corinthians 3:23; 4I Peter 1:18-19; 5I John 1:7; 6 I John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14-15; 7John 6:39; 10:28-29; 8Luke 21:18; Matthew 10:30; 9Romans 8:28; 102 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; 11Romans 8:14; 7:22

Prayer of Confession of Sin (Below)

Heavenly Father, we come seeking Your mercy and grace in Jesus Christ again, once more putting all our hope and trust in Him as our only Redeemer and Mediator with You. We have acknowledged that we are not our own, but belong body and soul, in life and in death, to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. But we know that we have failed to live up to that reality, for we have sinned both in body and in soul, against Your holy Law, against Your righteousness and infinite holiness. We confess our many sins. So we come to You only because we do believe that Jesus Christ has fully paid for all our sins with His precious blood. That He does deliver those who call upon Him from the tyranny of the devil. That He does watch over us, so that not a hair cam fall from our heads apart from Your perfect will for us. That it is indeed true that all things must work together for the salvation of those who belong to Jesus Christ. We bless You for the assurance that the Holy Spirit gives us, that we have eternal life in our Savior. And we pray that He will continue to make us wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for the Lord Jesus. Amen.

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Assurance of Pardon (Below) I John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

*Hymn #189 (Page 7) “Lord Jesus Christ, Our Lord Most Dear”

Baptism Margaret Sorrel Dopson Pastoral Prayer

Old Testament Reading (Below) Ezekiel 36:25-26

25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

New Testament Reading (Below) Mark 7:1-9

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” 6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with

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their lips, but their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

Congregational “Amen!”

Sermon “Sprinkled Clean! Sprinkling: The Biblical Mode of Baptism” Pastor Allen Tomlinson, Preaching

Prayer of Application

*Hymn #194 (pg 13) “Gracious Savior, Gentle Shepherd”

*Benediction

*Hymn of Departure (Below) “Now Blessed Be the Lord Our God”

Now blessed be the Lord our God, the God of Israel, For He alone doth wondrous works in glory that excel.

And blessed be His glorious Name to all eternity: The whole earth let His glory fill. Amen, so let it be. Amen.

Organ Postlude

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SPRINKLED CLEAN! SPRINKLING:

THE BIBLICAL MODE OF BAPTISM {A fuller version of this study is available in the church office!}

I. THE OLD TESTAMENT SPRINKLING CEREMONIES

UNDER THE CEREMONIAL LAW ARE CALLED “BAPTISMS”

BY THE NEW TESTAMENT.

Hebrews 9:10, 19-22 “… concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. . . 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.’ 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.”

The word translated “washings”, referring to the Old Testament

ceremonial sprinklings, is literally the word for “baptisms” in the original

language.

II. THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF AND LANGUAGE USED IN

NEW TESTAMENT BAPTISMS SUGGEST SPRINKLING

INSTEAD OF IMMERSION.

1. The scarcity of water in the geographical regions in which

baptisms took place (and sometimes several thousand baptisms at

once). For example: John 3:23; Acts 2:41; Acts 16:33.

2. The language describing baptism fits with sprinkling instead of

immersion: Acts 10:47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

The way to express immersing someone in Greek and English is not “can

anyone forbid water” but “can anyone forbid the person going to the water.”

Literal translation, “Surely no one is able to forbid the water in order that these

who have received the Holy Spirit, as we also have, should be baptized?” I

cannot make this text fit immersion, but it fits sprinkling perfectly!

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III. OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES SPOKE OF THE

CLEANSING FROM SIN WHICH COMES BY THE BLOOD OF

JESUS CHRIST IN “SPRINKLING” TERMS.

1. Ezekiel 36:25-27 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and

you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and

from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit

within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give

you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you

to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do

them.” This is a prophesy of NT salvation in Christ!

2. Isaiah 52:14-15 “Just as many were astonished at you, So His

visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the

sons of men; 15 So shall He sprinkle many nations.” Chapters 52-53

are dealing with the same theme, New Covenant cleansing by the death

of Jesus Christ!

3. Joel 2:28 “"And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour

out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall

prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall

see visions.” This salvation in Christ is also called a baptism by the

Spirit in the NT, and here that baptism is described, not in immersion

terms, but in terms of pouring upon.

But not only does the OT prophesy of New Covenant cleansing from

sin by Christ’s blood as a sprinkling or pouring, but …

IV. THE NEW TESTAMENT REFERS TO THIS CLEANSING

FROM SIN BY CHRIST’S BLOOD AS A SPRINKLING OF THAT

BLOOD, SO THAT BAPTISM BY SPRINKLING IS A VERY

APPROPRIATE PICTURE OF THAT SALVATION!

1. I Peter 1:1-2 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of

the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in

sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood

of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.” God the

Father has chosen us and God the Holy Spirit has set us apart for this

salvation by God the Son. This salvation is justification (sprinkling by

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the blood of Jesus Christ) and sanctification (obedience). OR, the

obedience is a reference to trusting in Christ’s sprinkled blood as an

obedience to the call of the Gospel, as we find elsewhere in the NT.

2. Hebrews 10:22 “let us draw near with a true heart in full

assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil

conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Because we

have this High Priest, Jesus Christ God’s eternal Son, and because He

has shed His blood and opened the way of salvation for those for whom

He died, let us come having our guilty consciences sprinkled clean by

that blood and our sinful practices washed away by His cleansing Word.

3. Hebrews 12:22-24 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the

city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable

company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the

firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to

the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the

new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better

things than that of Abel.” Coming to Jesus Christ for salvation from

the guilt and consequences of our sin, which the Law could not deliver

us from, we come to His blood that sprinkles us clean from such guilt

and consequences, even as pictured in the OT sprinkling ceremonies!

Both the OT and the NT refer to the salvation which is

signified and sealed in Christian baptism as a sprinkling

with Christ’s blood and Word!

CONCLUSION: Have you trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your

only Savior from sin? If so, you have been cleansed from the guilt of

your sin by means of His atoning blood, shed for sinners on the

Cross. If not, why not trust Him today? We are all sinners, but

there is cleansing from our sin and its guilt by faith in Jesus Christ,

God’s eternal Son!

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The Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension

Home Missions Today This is Al Tricarico reporting the June 10, 2020, edition of Home Missions Today. God is

using your prayers to develop the ministries of Orthodox Presbyterian mission works across

North America.

WEST PLAINS, MISSOURI — Paul and Sarah Mourreale We are pleased to welcome to denominational support the Rev. Paul Mourreale,

organizing pastor of Covenant Reformed Church in West Plains, Missouri. Paul is

married to Sarah and they have four children: Abigail (12), Silas (10), Matthias (8),

and Grace (6). The groundwork for the mission work began roughly four years ago

when Dr. Curtis Horstman, a ruling elder at Sovereign Grace Reformed Church

(mother church in Doniphan 70 miles to the east) had the idea of starting a Bible

study in hopes that it might become a mission work. When that fell through, Dr.

Horstman then had the idea of recruiting an OPC minister to teach at the local

Christian school with hopes of developing a work in West Plains. After about two

years of conversations, Paul came to West Plains in July 2018 and began teaching at

the school that fall. In March 2019, they began a monthly Bible study and began to

form a core group. They began meeting for Lord’s Day worship on September 22.

Right now, Covenant is looking to get her feet back under her (like everyone) after

dealing with Covid-19. You can pray that they would be diligent to learn and grow

together, that God’s pleasure would be upon their work, and that Covenant

Reformed Church might make a strong impression for the Gospel on their

community.

KEY WEST, FLORIDA — Bill Welzien Pastor Bill Welzien reports that the work of Keys Presbyterian Church (KPC)

continues despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 Virus. KPC is blessed never

to have missed gathering for worship. What the session proposed and implemented

was splitting the congregation into two groups. One group was appointed to attend

the morning service and the other to attend the evening service. The services were

mirror images. The only difference was that the evening service was live on

Facebook for those who chose to sequester. This worked very well. It meant that the

celebration of the Lord’s Supper was never missed. As time went on and the threat

seemed less threatening more and more of the saints began to attend both services.

The Tuesday prayer meeting and Bible study also never skipped a beat. Pastor

Welzien shares that the open-air preaching was halted as the County closed the one road into the Keys and the public places closed. These restrictions are now

rescinded, and the County is beginning to reopen. Please pray for the

Congregational Meeting this Sunday, June 14. A search committee for Pastor

Welzien’s successor will be assembled. Pray that God’s choice to carry on the work

in Key West would be made clear! -14-

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN — Bob and Grace Holda As of May 31, Resurrection Presbyterian Church (RPC) resumed in-person

worship with some modifications and basic safety precautions in place.

Pastor Bob Holda reports that they have enjoyed solid attendance from

members and visitors. RPC is also hoping to continue the live-stream

ministry they began in March as they know it could bolster their evangelism

ministry. A Swahili-speaking couple from the Congo and their children

continue to attend worship on a regular basis. Please pray that RPC would

wisely and compassionately take advantage of this opportunity to care for

this family and, in particular, help them learn English. Preparations for

starting a new Sunday School ministry continue. They hope to officially

begin this September. Pray for qualified teachers to volunteer, for wisdom

about curriculum, and that the congregation would adjust well to a new

Sunday worship schedule. “All in all, our church is enjoying God’s peace and

unity in Christ. Pray that nothing overshadows the love we enjoy from God

in Christ and the common life and purpose we have as his people in these

days of great division.” Also, Pastor Bob and Grace welcomed their third

child, Allen Michael, into their family on May 5! Grace and Allen are both

doing very well. Thank you for your prayers!

HURON/SANDUSKY, OHIO — Larry and Kalynn Oldaker Organizing Pastor Larry Oldaker writes, “Thank you for your continued

prayers. At its spring stated meeting in mid-March the Presbytery of Ohio

approved motions to organize Firelands Grace OPC as a new and separate

congregation of the OPC. Expectations were high and just when we thought

our northern Ohio winter hibernation was nearly over the Covid-19 pandemic

hit. Like everyone we learned how to stay home. A few of us would travel to

the church building and we would conduct a shortened worship which was

live-streamed over the internet. Life froze over again. Everything including

plans for organization went on hold. Things are starting to ‘thaw out’ in Ohio

once again. We started meeting for in-person worship on May 3. About two

thirds of our families are back. Cody, a newly elected elder and the former

independent Pentecostal pastor of the group that joined us, owns his own

roofing business. He has had many conversations about the hope in Christ

with local small business owners affected by the shutdown of the economy.

Our online worship services are being seen by many more than our own

numbers. We have had some extra visitors. We are trying to minister the

gospel where and when we can. Things are different but the gospel is the

same. The need for a Savior is the same. Pray for us that we can share the

gospel here in love and in confidence.”

Look for the next edition of Home Missions Today on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. To receive an

email copy of Home Missions Today, send your request to HomeMissionsToday@opc.org.

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WEEKLY CALENDAR

TODAY: 6/14/20 9:30 A.M. NO Sunday school 10:45 A.M. Morning Worship Service in Sanctuary and streamed online 6:00 P.M. Evening Worship Service in Sanctuary and streamed online

TUESDAY: 6/16/20 7:30 P.M. Annual Meeting in Church Sanctuary WEDNESDAY: 6/17/20 7:00 P.M. Wednesday Evening Bible Fellowship in Fellowship Hall

SATURDAY: 6/20/20 9:00 A.M. Truth Unchanged and Unchanging Radio Ministry on WDER,

AM - 1320, FM - 92.1, on the Web - http://player.tritondigital.com/15101 or on TuneIn.com

NEXT SUNDAY: 6/21/20 9:30 A.M. NO Sunday school 10:45 A.M. Morning Worship Service in Sanctuary and streamed online 6:00 P.M. Evening Worship Service with Communion in Sanctuary and streamed online

ANNOUNCEMENTS – 6/14/20

WEDNESDAY PRAYER AND BIBLE FELLOWSHIP: Wednesday Evening Bible Study begins at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall. Pastor Allen is teaching from the Book of Job.

WORSHIP SERVICES: For those who cannot resume physical worship here at the church you can still access the worship services either from

https://firstchurchofmerrimack.org/live, or you can follow the Facebook page

(https://www.facebook.com/firstchurchofmerrimack) or the YouTube channel

(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTfTRBwJ3vxbxdJU9Io0_nQ) to be notified of when we go live.

PRAYER AGENDA EMAILED SEPARATELY

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