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

Founded 1771

May 24, 2020 6:00 pm 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

Apostolic Greeting Pastor Allen Tomlinson

Call to Worship Psalm 103:15-22

“As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, 18 to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them. 19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the LORD, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. 21 Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

Prayer of Invocation

*Hymn #281 (Page 9) “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”

*Confessional Reading (Below) Shorter Catechism Q&A 94-95

Question 94: What is baptism? Answer 94: Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,1 doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's.2

1Matthew 28:19; 2Acts 2:38-42; 22:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27; I Peter 3:21

Question 95: To whom is baptism to be administered? Answer 95: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him;1 but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.2

1Acts 2:41; 8:12, 36, 38; 18:8 2Genesis 17:7, 9-11; Acts 2:38-39; 16:32-33; Colossians 2:11-12

*Please stand, if able -2-

*Hymn #191 (Page 8) “Our Children, Lord, in Faith and Prayer”

Prayer of Illumination

New Testament Reading (Below) Acts 2:1-21

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” 13 Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let

-3-

this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.’”

Old Testament Reading (Below) Genesis 9:18—10:32

18 Now the sons of Noah who went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham was the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated. 20 And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard. 21 Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were [a]turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him.

-4-

25 Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.” 26 And he said: “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem, and may Canaan be his servant. 27 May God enlarge Japheth, and may he dwell in the tents of Shem; and may Canaan be his servant.” 28 And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died. 10:1 Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood. 2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 3 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. 5 From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations. 6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. 8 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.” 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. 11 From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, 12 and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city). 13 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim,

-5-

14 Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and Caphtorim). 15 Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth; 16 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girgashite; 17 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; 18 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed. 19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as you go toward Gerar, as far as Gaza; then as you go toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, as far as Lasha. 20 These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations. 21 And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder. 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram. 23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash. 24 Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber. 25 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 26 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba, 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 30 And their dwelling place was from Mesha as you go toward Sephar, the mountain of the east. 31 These were the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands, according to their nations. 32 These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.

-6-

Congregational “Amen!”

Sermon “The Seed of Salvation” Pastor Allen Tomlinson, Preaching

Prayer of Confession of Sin (Below)

Most merciful God, before Whom we cannot stand without shame, until we come to You, not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by that atonement He made on our behalf as He died on the Cross. How full of compassion You have been towards us, in that You chose us before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before You, to the glory of Your grace. You sent forth Your only begotten Son, as our propitiation for sin, so that our iniquities and transgressions are all covered by His blood, to the glory of Your grace. You poured out the Holy Spirit upon us, by Whom You drew us to Yourself, in the preaching of the Gospel, so that having seen the glory of the Savior, and having been brought to confess our sin and darkness, we turned to Him as our only Savior, all to the glory of Your grace. We confess our sins of this last week to You. We have failed to be and to do all that You command. We have done and been what You have forbidden. Continue to receive us only for Christ’s sake. Help us now, by Your grace in Jesus Christ alone, to grow in holy obedience to Your commands. Especially help us to show mercy to others, from our heart and in the power of Your Holy Spirit, because You have shown such infinite mercy to us. In the Name of our only Mediator. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon (Below) I Corinthians 6:11

“ And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

-7-

*Psalm #2 B (Page 12) “Why Do Heathen Nations Rage?”

The Lord’s Prayer

*The Benediction

*The Doxology

-8-

-9-

THE SEED OF SALVATION

Genesis 9:18—10:32

Tying together this text and Genesis 3:15:

This text explains where we all come from: Noah and his 3 sons

I. THE GENEALOGIES OF THE THREE SONS AND THEIR

DESCENDANTS! Chapter 10.

1. The Genealogy of Japheth. (10:2-5) The Indo-European people

Gomer—

Magog—

Madai—

Javan—

Tubal—

Mesheck—

Tiras—

2. The Genealogy of Ham 10:6-20

Cush—

Mizraim—

Put—

Canaan—

i. Through Cush → Nimrod (10:8-12)

ii. Through Canaan—especially sinful people, sexually immoral and

irreligious

3. The Genealogy of Shem 10:21-31

Summarizes: includes “all the children of Eber”

Elam—

Ashur—

Arpachshad—

Lud—

Aram—

Arpachshad → Eber

-10-

Eber→ Peleg (“division”) → Peleg → Israel → Christ

II. THE CHARACTER OF THE THREE SONS! (9:20-23)

1. The opportunity occasioned by Noah’s sin

2. Ham: irreligious, disrespectful and immoral.

3. Japheth and Shem: godly, respectful and pure.

What are WE passing on to OUR children as far as our characters?

III. THE FUTURE OF THESE THREE SONS AND THEIR

DESCENDANTS! (9:24-27)

1. Noah’s prophecy

2. Canaan

3. Shem

4. Japheth

IV. THE PROMISE GIVEN TO SHEM—HOW SALVATION COMES

THROUGH HIS SEED TO PEOPLE OUT OF EVERY NATION AND

TRIBE! (9:25-27)

1. God is the God of Shem

2. Ham and salvation through Shem

3. Japheth and salvation in Shem’s tent

PERSONAL APPLICATION:

-11-

-12-