The Lords Day Worship Service

September 25, 2011 ~ New City Church Calgary

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

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. ~ Hebrews 2:1 Repentance and faith involve not only turning from sin and trusting in Jesus to save us from our unrighteousness, but also turning from our goodness and trusting Jesus to save us from our selfrighteousness. ~ Brian Hedges, Christ Formed in You Any other so-called gospel requires the sinner to work for his salvation in one way or another, and this means the rejection of grace.To add the keeping of the law to the gospel of God's free grace is to nullify grace. Both cannot be true. If salvation comes by God's free grace then it is not earned by keeping the law. If it comes by keeping the law it is not of God's free grace. ~ Leon Morris, Galatians: Pauls Charter of Christian Freedom The gospel tells us that we are clean and accepted by God, not because of any law-keeping, but because of what Christ has done for us. Therefore, the false teachers were saying that Jesus Plus Something was necessary to be acceptable to God, while Paul had taught that Jesus Plus Nothing brought us into his presence. ~ Tim Keller, Gospel & Life Curriculum I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. ~ Jude 3 1

 God Calls Us To Worship Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6
The Call to Worship Leader: People: Leader: People: Leader: Unison: This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord be praised! The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! ~ from Psalm 118:24; 113:1-4

Hymns of Praise & Worship Holy, Holy, Holy Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Which wert and art and evermore shalt be. Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee, Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see; Only Thou art holy, There is none beside Thee, Perfect in powr in love & purity. Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea; Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! He Is Exalted He is exalted The King is exalted on high I will praise Him He is exalted forever exalted And I will praise His name

He is the Lord Forever His truth shall reign Heaven and earth Rejoice in His holy name He is exalted The King is exalted on high

Our Great God Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious and unknown Your boundless love unfailing, in grace and mercy shown Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around your glorious throne They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm Surround us with Your angels, hold us in Your arms Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm Rise up, O Lord, and he will flee before our sovereign God Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird Let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe Sing praises to the living God, who rules them by His word Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God! Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!

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 Psalm 33:13-14

The Psalmist tells us, The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. ~ based on Psalm 51:1-12

Prayer of Confession

Seraphim are angels. Cf. Isaiah 6:2, Above [the Lord] stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

Leader:

Merciful and holy God You pardon all who truly turn from their sins and look to you in faith. We humbly confess our sins and ask for Your mercy: we have not loved you with a pure heart, nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves. We have not done justice, loved kindness, or walked humbly with You, our God. ~ Silent confession & reflection Have mercy on us, O God. In Your loving-kindness and great compassion, Cleanse us from all our sins in thought, word, and deed. Create in us clean hearts, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. Do not cast us from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from us. Restore to us the joy of Your salvation and sustain us with a willing spirit, Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen. ~ from 1 Timothy 1:15

Unison: Leader:

The Words of the Gospel Leader:

Here are words that you may fully trust, words that deserve full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. To all who confess their sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, He says, Your sins are forgiven. He also says, Follow me.

Song of Response Completely Done What reason have I to doubt Why would I dwell in fear When all I have known is grace My future in Christ is clear My sins have been paid in full There's no condemnation here I live in the good of this My Father has brought me near I'm leaving my fears behind me now chorus The old is gone, the new has come What You complete is completely done We're heirs with Christ, the victory won What You complete is completely done I don't know what lies ahead What if I fail again You are my confidence You'll keep me to the end I'm leaving my fears behind me now Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come, thou fount of evry blessing, tune my heart to sing Thy grace Streams of mercy, never ceasing, call for songs of loudest praise Teach me some melodious sonnet, sung by flaming tongues above Praise the mount! Im fixed upon it, mount of Gods unchanging love Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by Thy help Im come And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandring from the fold of God He to rescue me from danger, interposed His precious blood O to grace how great a debtor daily Im constrained to be Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandring heart to Thee Prone to wanderLord I feel itprone to leave the God I love Heres my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above

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: Stake Your Life On The Only Gospel There Is
John Ferguson, Lead Pastor

Galatians 1:1-10

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: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Leader: Unison: This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!

The word Ebenezer means stone of help and comes from a story found in 1 Samuel 7, where the prophet Samuel erected a stone memorial to commemorate the Lords protection & blessing in the life of Gods people.

(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 Behold the Lamb Behold the Lamb who bears our sins away, slain for us, and we remember The promise made that all who come in faith find forgiveness at the cross So we share in this bread of life, and we drink of His sacrifice As a sign of our bonds of peace, around the table of the King

The body of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, torn for you: eat and remember The wounds that heal, the death that brings us life Paid the price to make us one So we share in this bread of life and we drink of His sacrifice As a sign of our bonds of love around the table of the king The blood that cleanses every stain of sin, shed for you: drink and remember He drank deaths cup that all may enter in to receive the life of God So we share in this bread of life and we drank of His sacrifice As a sign of our bonds of grace around the table of the king And so with thankfulness and faith we rise to respond and to remember Our call to follow in the steps of Christ as His body here on earth As we share in His suffering, we proclaim: Christ will come again! And well join in the feast of heaven around the table of the King. Praise the Father, Praise the Son O sovreign God, O matchless King The saints adore, the angels sing And fall before the throne of grace To You belongs the highest praise These sufferings, this passing tide Under Your wings I will abide And every enemy shall flee You are my hope and victory chorus: Praise the Father, praise the Son Praise the Spirit, Three in One Clothed in power and in grace The name above all other names To the valley, for my soul Thy great descent has made me whole Your word my heart has welcomed home Now peace like water ever flows (repeat chorus) Yours is the kingdom, Yours is the power, Yours is the glory forever! (repeat) (repeat chorus)

 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 Great is Thy Faithfulness Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. (chorus) Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. (repeat chorus) Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

The language of debt/debtor is not to be understood primarily in a financial sense but in the moral/ theological sense of our indebtedness due to our sins against God and others, or the sins others may have committed against us.

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! (repeat chorus)

Our Confession of Faith Leader: Unison:

~ Psalm 23

Let us confess our trust and confidence in our Christ, our God our Good Shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His names sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Your are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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: People:

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all (2 Thessalonians 3:16). Amen!

10

 Community Life

Potluck / 1 Year Anniversary Celebration Coming in 2 Weeks On the first Sunday of every month, we celebrate a meal together after the service. Well also mark the One Year Anniversary of New City Church. Its potluck style so please bring enough food for your family plus a few others so we can invite our guests to stay. Also, plan on bringing board games and/or outdoor games. Well have our usual game of soccer, so bring a change of clothes if you want to jump in. Food Collection for The Mustard Seed On the first Sunday over every month (coinciding with our potluck meals), we are collecting food to help stock the food pantry at the Mustard Seed. Please bring non-perishable foods to help feed those in need in our city. Musicians Need for our Music Team We are in need of more singers and musicians as we are planning to grow the number of music teams we have at NCC. We are looking for extras in all areas; voice (male & female), lead guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums. Other instruments are always welcome too but you would need to know how to improvise. Contact Mark Bottomley (mbottomley@mac.com / 403.208.9345) 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. "The Excellent Wife" Book Study We will be continuing our study covering the second half of the book starting Saturday, October 8th at Catherine Gordon's home (3508 Varal Road NW). We will be meeting every second Saturday from 1-2:30 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. 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 Next meeting will be on Thursday, October 6th, 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 on the welcome table and speak to pastor John or Mike. 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.

11

Coffee with a Pastor? If you have any questions about Christianity, or would simply like to get together and talk about the issues of life, pastors John and Mike are available to you. Coffee is on them! You can contact John at john@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.991.5555. If you work in the downtown area, touch base with asst. pastor Mike Ivancic who also works in downtown. You can contact Mike at mike@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.828.2241. 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. Weekly Servants Schedule

Giving Report

12