The Lords Day Worship Service

September 11, 2011 ~ New City Church

Welcome We are glad you have joined us today. Whether you are a Christian seeking to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ, or a skeptic looking for answers, or someone who is struggling to make sense of life and are looking for a caring community, you are warmly welcome here. Were glad you came. After the Service Please stay around for some refreshments after the service and meet someone new. If we havent met you before, please come say Hello. Wed like to make that connection. Pastors John Ferguson & Mike Ivancic

Reflections & Preparation for Worship O God, by Your power may we, together with all the saints, comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled with Your fullness. Amen. ~ based on Ephesians 3:18-19 we never get beyond the gospel in our Christian life to something more advanced. The gospel is not the first step in a stairway of truths, rather, it is more like the hub in a wheel of truth. The gospel is not just the A-B-Cs but the A to Z of Christianity. The gospel is not just the minimum required doctrine necessary to enter the kingdom, but the way we make all progress in the kingdom. ~ Tim Keller Q. How are you made right with God? A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God's commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined to all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart. ~ Heidelberg Catechism #Q&A #60 To see the Law by Christ fulfilled To hear His pardoning voice Changes a slave into a child And duty into choice ~ William Cowper, Love Constraining to Obedience 1

 God Calls Us To Worship Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6
The Call to Worship Leader: ~ from Revelation 15:3-4; Psalm 9:1-2

Great and marvelous are Your deeds, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You! We will give thanks to You, O Lord, with our whole heart; We will tell of all Your wonderful deeds. We will be glad and exult in You. We will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Unison:

Hymns of Praise & Worship Forever Give thanks to the Lord, Our God and King His love endures forever For He is good, He is above all things His love endures forever Sing praise, sing praise With a mighty hand and outstretched arm His love endures forever For the life that's been reborn His love endures forever Sing praise, sing praise Sing praise, sing praise
chorus

Forever God is faithful Forever God is strong Forever God is with us Forever and ever, forever (2X) From the rising to the setting sun His love endures forever By the grace of God we will carry on His love endures forever Sing praise, sing praise Sing praise, sing praise
(repeat chorus)

O Worship the King O worship the King all glorious above And gratefully sing His wonderful love Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise O tell of His might, O sing of His grace Whose robe is the light, Whose canopy space His chariots of wrath the deep thunder clouds form And dark is His path on the winds of the storm Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain Frail children of dust and feeble as frail In Thee do we trust, nor find the to fail Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end Our Make, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend Name Above All Names Great Creator of the heavens and the earth You know every star by name Awesome power is revealed in all Your works And forever You will reign Righteous Sovereign over history and time Wholly God yet fully man What a mystery that You left Your throne on high To return with nail-scarred hands And one day every knee will humbly bow And every tongue confess aloud that chorus Jesus is the name above all names He is worthy of all praise Jesus is the name above all names King of kings for endless days Perfect wisdom in the mercy of the Cross Still Ill never understand Why a rebel so unworthy of such cost Would be ransomed by Your hand (repeat chorus)

 God Graciously Renews Us in Christ Have mercy on me, O God, in Your faithful love, in Your great tenderness wipe away my offenses; wash me thoroughly from my guilt, purify me from my sin. ~ Psalm 51:1-2
Call to Confession Leader: ~ from the Prophet Isaiah 55:6-7

The Prophet Isaiah declared, Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will freely pardon (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Prayer of Confession Leader: Most holy and gracious Father, we acknowledge and confess before You that our sinful natures are prone to evil and slow to do good. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from Your ways, in wasting Your gifts, and in forgetting Your love. We are ashamed and sorry of all the ways in which we have displeased You. ~ Silent confession & reflection Unison: Merciful Lord, teach us to hate our errors. Cleanse us from our wandering ways and forgive our sins through Jesus Christ our Savior. Grant us Your power that we might live in Your light and walk in Your ways, according to the commandments of Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen. The Words of the Gospel Leader: I declare this sure promise: The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:8, 12).

Song of Response Jesus, I Come (Out of My Bondage) Out of my bondage, sorrow and night Jesus, I come; Jesus I come Into Thy freedom, gladness and light Jesus, I come to Thee Out of my sickness into Thy health Out of my wanting and into Thy wealth Out of my sin and into Thyself Jesus, I come to Thee Out of my shameful failure and loss

Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come Into the glorious gain of Thy cross Jesus, I come to Thee Out of earths sorrows into Thy balm Out of lifes storms and into Thy calm Out of distress into jubilant psalm Jesus, I come to Thee Out of unrest and arrogant pride Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come Into Thy blessed will to abide Jesus, I come to Thee Out of myself to dwell in Thy love Out of despair into raptures above Upward forever on wings like a dove Jesus, I come to Thee Out of the fear and dread of the tomb Jesus, I come; Jesus, I come Into the joy and light of Thy home Jesus, I come to Thee Out of the depths of ruin untold Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold Ever Thy glorious face to behold Jesus, I come to Thee King of Grace We have come to a throne of grace Where our mighty Saviour perfects our praise Where wrath and judgment have been put away Where not a trace of all our sins remains Youre the King of grace unending To Your open arms we run Youre the King of grace unending And we rest in Your unfailing love And we rest in Your unfailing love We have come to a throne of grace Where our Prince of Peace ever lives to pray For those His sacrifice has bought and saved Where saints and angels sing eternal praise Youre the King of grace unending To Your open arms we run Youre the King of grace unending And we rest in Your unfailing love And we rest in Your unfailing love

 God Gives Us His Words of Eternal Life Lord Jesus, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! Let Your word dwell in us richly, that whatever we do, in word or deed, we may do everything in Your name, giving thanks to the Father through You. ~ based on John 6:68, Colossians 3:16-17

Todays Scripture Lesson: Galatians 1:1-2

The God-given Gospel

John Ferguson, Lead Pastor

1 Paul, an apostle not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead 2 and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia.
Leader: Unison: This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
(notes)

 God Feeds Us His Covenant Meal From the east and the west, from the north and the south, people will come and take their places at the banquet in the Kingdom of God. ~ based on Luke 13:29
A Word About Participating in The Sacrament of The Lords Supper The Lords Supper is a special family meal that Christ gave to His Bride, the Church. For Christians, this meal is a time to receive these signs and seals of the New Covenant which Christ has established with them. Believers come to this Table to meet with their Lord and Saviour by faith, to be renewed by Him and strengthened in their callings and mission as they eat the bread and drink the wine. Therefore, all baptized Christians who trust in Christ alone as their Lord and Saviour, who are connected to a church that proclaims His Gospel, and who are at peace with their fellow believers, are invited to come to the Table. If you are not yet a Christian, or if for whatever reason you are not prepared to share in this meal, we would encourage you to spend this time in prayer (perhaps using one of the prayers listed below). Consider the invitation of Jesus, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirstfor my Fathers will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:35, 40). We would ask that children who have not yet professed belief in the Lord Jesus also refrain from partaking until doing so. The pastor would be delighted to speak to families about what it means to participate in the Lords Supper. The Words of Institution

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes. ~ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The Sacrament of The Lords Supper Please come forward by rows to the center isle and form a semi-circle in front of the Table to receive the bread and the wine. When finished, place your cup at the side tables and proceed to your seat via the outer isles. If you are unable to come forward, we would be delighted to serve you at your seat. New City Church uses wine in serving the Lords Supper. We would encourage you to take of the wine since it is a symbol of joy and celebration in Scripture. However, juice is also provided if you cannot drink wine due to health reasons or issues of conscience.

Prayers for Those Not Communing A Prayer Searching for the Truth: Jesus, You claim to be the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except by You. If what you claim is true, please guide me and teach me. Open to me the reality of who You are. Grant that I might be undaunted in following You as I consider the reasons for doing so. Give me an understanding of You that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the eternal life that You promise. Amen. A Prayer of Trust in the Lord Jesus: Jesus, I confess that I am more broken, flawed, and sinful than I had ever before dared to admit. Yet You tell me that I am more loved than I ever dared to hope, and that You accept all who turn to You in simple faith. I am doing that right now. I thank You for taking the justice that my sins deserved when You died on the Cross. I eagerly trust You for the forgiveness for my sins, and I receive from You now the eternal life that You promise to all who come to You. Amen. A Prayer for Those Struggling with Sin: Lord Jesus, You know the battle that rages within my heart. Grant that in my battles with sin, I may see in You the fulfillment of all my needs. Give me strength to turn from every false satisfaction to find my ultimate joy in You. Enable me to lay aside the sin that clings so closely to me, and fill me with your Spirit to run with perseverance the race you have set before me, looking to You, the pioneer and champion of my faith. Amen. A Prayer for Children (who have yet to profess faith): Jesus, the Bible tells me that You blessed kids like me. Help me to know who You are and to understand what You have done for me. Amen. Communion Hymns A Debtor to Mercy Alone 1. A debtor to mercy alone Of covenant mercy I sing Nor fear, with your righteousness on My person and offering to bring The terrors of law and of God With me can have nothing to do My Saviours obedience and blood Hide all my transgressions from view 2. The work which His goodness began The arm of His strength will complete His promise is yea and amen And never was forfeited yet Things future nor things that are now Nor all things below or above Can make Him His purpose forgo Or sever my soul from His love 3. My name from the palms of His hands Eternity will not erase Impressed on His heart it remains In marks of indelible grace Yes, I to the end shall endure As sure as the earnest is given More happy but not more secure The glorified spirits in heaven

I Will Rise There's a peace I've come to know Though my heart and flesh may fail There's an anchor for my soul

I can say "It is well" Jesus has overcome And the grave is overwhelmed The victory is won He is risen from the dead chorus: And I will rise when He calls my name No more sorrow, no more pain I will rise on eagles' wings Before my God fall on my knees And rise, I will rise There's a day that's drawing near When this darkness breaks to light And the shadows disappear And my faith shall be my eyes Jesus has overcome And the grave is overwhelmed The victory is won He is risen from the dead (repeat chorus) And I hear the voice of many angels sing, "Worthy is the Lamb" And I hear the cry of every longing heart, "Worthy is the Lamb" (repeat)

God Receives Our Offerings lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
~ Jesus, in Matthew 6:20-21

The Prayers of the People Leader: Unison: Let us pray

(The leader prays for specific requests as the assembly prays along with him).

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts As we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, Now and forever. Amen.

The Presentation of our Tithes and Offerings This collection of our tithes and offerings is for those who consider New City Church their church family and regularly benefit from her ministry. If you are visiting with us, please feel no obligation to give. Hymn of Praise & Worship Rock of Ages 1. Rock of Ages, cleft for me Let me hide myself in Thee Let the water and the blood From Thy riven side which flowed Be of sin the double cure Cleanse me from its guilt and power 2. Not the labors of my hands Can fulfill Thy laws demands Could my zeal no respite know Could my tears forever flow All for sin could not atone Thou must save, and Thou alone 3. Nothing in my hand I bring Simply to Thy cross I cling Naked, come to Thee for dress Helpless, look to Thee for grace Foul, I to the Fountain fly Wash me, Saviour, or I die 4. While I draw this fleeting breath When mine eyelids close in death When I soar to worlds unknown See Thee on Thy judgment throne Rock of Ages cleft for me Let me hide myself in Thee

Our Confession of Faith Leader: Unison: Let us confess our faith together

~ Philippians 2:5-11

We believe in our hearts and confess with our lips that Christ Jesus, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to deatheven death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

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 God Sends Us Out Into The World With His Blessing God has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. ~ from Micah 6:8

Leader:

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever (Hebrews 13:20-21). Amen!

People:

Community Life
Kids Club Calling all kids ages 3-11 to join us for our first New City Church Kids Club on Sept 17 from 4:00-6:00p.m. at the Confederation Park Activity Center. This is an opportunity to get to know Jesus through worship songs, puppet stories, sharing, memory verses, crafts and games. This will be a monthly event so invite your friends to share in the fun. For any adults or youth interested in planning or helping, please contact Lori or Lana ASAP. "The Excellent Wife" Book Study We will be continuing our study covering the second half of the book starting Saturday, September 17 at Catherine Gordon's home (3508 Varal Road NW). We will be meeting every second Saturday from 1-2: 30 for a total of seven Saturdays finishing December 10. This book is directed to women who want information about God's plan, pattern and purpose for marriage and is open to women of all ages regardless of marital status. Contact Joan Schmitt (403.935.4188/ gardeningjoan@yahoo.com) more information. Downtown Study Group: Grace on the Bow Grace on the Bow will be continue to held at the Shell Center at 400 4th Ave S.W., room 1147. Tom Dekker (403-807-6687) will meet folks in the lobby at 12:00 to secure passes and take folks to the meeting room. For more info on the small group, call Mike Ivancic at (403.515.6931). We will begin a new Series entitled a Life Shaped by Grace based on the Beatitudes from the greatest sermon ever preached. Prayer for the Service Do you have a heart for prayer? We inviting people to come together on Sunday mornings before the service from 10-10:15 to pray for the service, for the message, for those in attendance, for our visitors, etc. Would you consider joining us in the conference room at 10am next week? Mens Discipleship: BASIC TRAINING Information Meeting The mens ministry will be kicking off with an orientation / information meeting on Thursday, September 8 from 7-9pm in Classroom #1 here at the Confederation Park Activity Centre. This is a great opportunity to invest in your spiritual growth as a man. For more information,

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pick up a brochure at the back table. All songs used by permission CCLI license # 273300. Parts of the worship service are adapted from or reprinted by permission from The Worship Sourcebook, c. 2004, CRC Publications. Mens Discipleship: BASIC TRAINING Information Meeting Next meeting will be on September 22 from 7-9pm in Classroom #1 here at the Confederation Park Activity Centre. This is a great opportunity to invest in your spiritual growth as a man. For more information, pick up a brochure at the back table and speak to pastor John. Weekly Servants

Giving Report

*Non-NCC indicates funds that have been raised outside of New City Church to establish this church planting project.

Happy Anniversary New City Church!!! One year ago on September 12th, 2010, New City Church launched its first worship service. We praise God for what he has done, for his faithfulness and goodness, and for your place here. May God continue to add his rich blessings to this church!

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