CHRIST CHURCH VENTURA

Transcription

1 The Celtic Cross is an ancient Christian symbol. The cross proper recalls the death of Christ for the sins of his people, while the circle is a historic symbol of God s eternal nature. Jesus name is at the center, depicted by the Greek letters Ιης and is surrounded by the vine and branches, representing our relationship to Him. At the bottom, CHRISTUS VICTOR, Christ is Victorious, testifies to his triumph over sin and death on the cross. This Celtic cross is used by permission of Saint Paul s Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Florida. Each of the five panels represents a significant event in Christ s life. Exalting Christ through Worship, Renewal, Community, and Partnership $ HIS REIGN The wounded lamb as Christ reclining on the book of seven seals is a historic symbol of the reigning Christ. The three-rayed nimbus is an ancient symbol of deity. (Revelation 5:9-12) HIS RESURRECTION Lilies traditionally represent the resurrection; the trumpet heralds Christ s certain and triumphal return. (1 Corinthians 15:54; Matthew 24:31; Luke 12:27) $ $ HIS ATONEMENT The crown of thorns and nails testify to Christ s sacrificial death on the cross. (Hebrews 2:17; John 19:2; 20:27)! HIS BAPTISM The dove and tongues of fire symbolically portray the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:10; Acts 2:3) $ CHRIST CHURCH VENTURA HIS INCARNATION The open Bible is the Word of God. The double lighted candlesticks represent the dual nature of Christ his deity and his humanity. (John 1:1-14) PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA To all who are spiritually weary and seek rest; to all who mourn and long for comfort; to all who struggle and desire hope; to all who sin and need a Savior; to all who are strangers and yearn for home; to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness; and to whoever will come; this church offers a genuine welcome in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

2 WHAT IS OUR MESSAGE? The great good news is that God has taken it upon Himself to do something for us that we are powerless to do for ourselves. The Gospel is simply this: sinners are forgiven and accepted by God because of the work of Jesus Christ. Trust in Christ s finished work is not just the beginning of the Christian life, but the means and end as well. The Gospel is what must be applied more and more deeply in order to live as a Christian. The power of the Gospel is not merely about forgiveness and improvement, but renewal and wholeness. A GOSPEL-SHAPED MINISTRY The Gospel changes people Through the continual application of the Gospel we become more like Christ. The Gospel produces joy Grace frees us from both condemnation and self-righteousness to enjoy God fully. The Gospel defines community In union with Christ, we become God s sons and daughters His new people. WHAT DO WE BELIEVE? We embrace the historic Christian faith believing the timeless truths held in common by the church in all ages and places. We wholeheartedly affirm the classic doctrines defined by the Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. The Trinity There is only one God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Incarnation The person Jesus Christ is the only Son of God who is both fully God and fully human. The Atonement Jesus died on a cross and was raised from the dead in order to redeem us from our sins. We also embrace the Reformed Christian faith believing the biblical teachings that were restated during the Protestant Reformation. This great renewal of the church in the 16 th century has given us a common heritage in the classic solas. The Gospel points outward Grace disengages approval seeking, engenders authenticity, and curbs pride. Scripture Alone The Bible is the one source of divine revelation and the only completely reliable guide for faith and life. The Gospel informs attitudes As Christians, we desire the peace and wellbeing of our communities and cities. The Gospel removes barriers Reconciliation humbles us so that we may become agents to reconcile others. Christ Alone Salvation is accomplished by the substitutionary atonement of the historical and sinless Christ alone. Grace Alone We are rescued from God s anger, freed from sin s bondage and lifted to new life by His grace alone. The Gospel renews culture All of life matters to God and we are to pursue all vocations with excellence. Faith Alone Christ s righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God s justice by faith alone. The Gospel builds momentum Church planting is the result of and the means to fulfilling the great commission God Alone The sole purpose of our creation and redemption is to enjoy God s presence and live for His glory.

3 CHRIST CHURCH VENTURA IS A CONGREGATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA Empowered by the Gospel, we aim to experience God s pleasure in fostering true knowledge, holy affection, and faithful obedience through historic worship, gospel renewal, genuine community, and global partnership to the end that God s people are gathered and Christ s Kingdom is extended throughout Ventura County and beyond. CHURCH OFFICERS Teaching Elder Roy R. Bennett (ojairoyb@gmail.com) Ruling Elder David Sveiven (dsevend@yahoo.com) Ruling Elder David Blank (cosmos.psa19@rocketmail.com) Deacon Ernie Rivas (abodigital@mac.com) MINISTRY LEADERS Chief Musician Tilford Jackson Church Treasurer Tom Etchart Children s Director Michele Sveiven CONTACT INFORMATION PO Box 25 Ojai, CA (805) WORSHIP LOCATION Trinity Lutheran Church 196 N. Ashwood Avenue, Ventura at 4:00pm ANNOUNCEMENTS CHILDREN S ED (ages 2-18) Class Dismissed to resume in the Fall (see Michele Sveiven) CCV MEN S StUDY GROUP Class Dismissed to resume in the Fall (see Skip Chapin) CONGREGATIONAL STUDY Class Dismissed to resume in the Fall (see Roy Bennett) VENTURA COUNTY RESCUE MISSION 1 st & 3 rd Thurs. 6:45-7:45pm Meets at 234 E. 6th Street, Oxnard (see John Geb) All Music reproduction is by permission CCLI# Order for the Celebration and Worship of God Eighth Sunday after Pentecost: July 30, :00 pm * Congregation standing PRELUDE WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS SILENT PREPARATION CALL TO WORSHIP Pianist Tilford Jackson Psalm 103:1-5 (ESV) INVITIATORY Bless the Lord, who works righteousness and justice. P e o p l e : B l e s s t h e L o r d, who made his ways known to Moses. Bless the Lord, who is merciful and gracious, P e o p l e : Bless the Lord, who is slow to anger and sure to love. Bless the Lord, O host of his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his command! Bless the Lord, all his servants, who do his will! Bless the Lord, for all of his saving works and benefits. P e o p l e : B l e s s t h e L o r d, O m y s o u l! * HYMN OF PRAISE (Music on page 2) Come Ye Sinners * PRAYER OF ADORATION Unison: O God, you are the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy. Increase and multiply upon us your mercy that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. 1

4 ! COME YE SINNERS * DISMISSAL HYMN How Can I Keep from Singing Robert Lowry 1861 POSTLUDE Go in peace to love and serve the risen Lord Jesus. Thanks be to God! Pianist Tilford Jackson 2 15

5 LAMB OF GOD Twila Paris 1985 Verse 1 Your only son no sin to hide, but You have sent Him from Your side, To walk upon this guilty sod and to become the Lamb of God. Verse 2 Your gift of love they crucified. They laughed and scorned Him as He died. The humble King they named a fraud and sacrificed the Lamb of God. Chorus: O Lamb of God, sweet Lamb of God, I love the Holy Lamb of God. O wash me in His precious blood, My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Verse 3 I was so lost I should have died, but You have brought me to Your side, To be led by Your staff and rod and to become a lamb of God Chorus: * PRAYER OF COMMITMENT Unison: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the sacrament of his body and blood. We give you thanks and rejoice in the gospel of our salvation. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. * BENEDICTION 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV) Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. 14 * AFFIRMATION OF FAITH Westminster Larger Catechism #194 What do we pray for in the fifth petition? In the fifth petition (which is, Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors), acknowledging, that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin, and thereby become debtors to the justice of God; and that neither we, nor any other creature, can make the least satisfaction for that debt: we pray for ourselves and others, that God of his free grace would, through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ, apprehended and applied by faith, acquit us both from the guilt and punishment of sin, accept us in his Beloved; continue his favor and grace to us, pardon our daily failings, and fill us with peace and joy, in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness; which we are the rather emboldened to ask, and encouraged to expect, when we have this testimony in ourselves, that we from the heart forgive others their offenses. NEW TESTAMENT LESSON Colossians 2:11-15 (ESV) 2 :11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. The Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God! 3

6 ! PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE (The congregation is encouraged to participate both verbally and in silence.) Unison: Almighty and Everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our being: we, your beloved children, humbly ask you to accept our common supplications. Fulfill now, O Lord, as it pleases you, and in accordance with your holy will, our prayers for the sake of Him who lay down in the grave and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. ONE BREAD, ONE BODY We pray for the men who have spiritual oversight of this congregation for the pastor, elders, and deacon; and for the success of the Gospel throughout the world. We pray for the Church of Jesus Christ that we may be diligent in prayer and worship, active in forgiveness and mercy, and faithful to commend the faith that is in us. We pray for our children to be open to receive the word of life, so that in believing, they may learn to love the Lord Jesus and that through them the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth. We pray for those who have suffered injury and loss, who mourn for departed loved ones, or who are simply worn down by life with need, care, or trouble. We pray for our soldiers and their families, that they may know your peace, provision, protection, and providence over their lives at all times and in all places. We pray that you will increase in our hearts true faith and grant us grace to be ever mindful of God s mercy, that we may live in conscious thanks for our salvation in Christ. 13

7 AGNUS DEI * HYMN OF TRUST $ THE LORD'S SUPPER Christ our Passover, sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast! The gifts of God for the people of God. Thanks be to the Lord! Believers who have publicly professed faith in Jesus Christ, have been baptized, and are members in good standing of an Evangelical church, are welcome to celebrate in the Lord s Supper with us. If these particular facts do not describe you, we respectfully ask you to refrain from participating in the sacrament. Please come forward to receive the sacrament; to repent, rest and rejoice as the Lord s Supper is observed. The wafer is to be dipped into the wine. Please leave room at the right hand rail for our musicians to receive the Lord s Supper first, before they return to lead our congregational communion songs. 12 The Lord's Prayer"

8 $ * GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 18:21-35 (ESV) 18 :21 Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? 22 Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventyseven times. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything. 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, Pay what you owe. 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, Have patience with me, and I will pay you. 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart. The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! Thanks be to the Lord! * PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION SERMON Reverend Roy R. Bennett Cancel all our Debts 6 PRAYER OF CONSECRATION THE SANCTUS WORDS OF INSTITUTION 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Therefore, we proclaim the faith! Unison: Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. PRAYER OF APPROACH Unison: We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in your great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord, whose nature is always to have mercy; grant us therefore, gracious Lord, that we may so partake of this bread and wine that our sinful bodies may be made clean by Christ s body, and our souls washed through his most precious blood, and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

9 ASSURANCE OF PARDON Psalm 32:1-7 (ESV) "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. 7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. SERMON NOTES THE GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you! And also with you! Lift up your hearts! We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord! It is good and right so to do. It is right, and a good and joyful thing, that we should always give you thanks, O Lord; therefore, with the angels, we exalt and magnify your glorious name, evermore praising you and singing. THE SANCTUS (Music on page 11) Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 118:

10 PASTORAL PRAYER CONFESSION OF SIN Psalm 51:1-17 (ESV) OFFERTORY DOXOLOGY * PRAYER OF DEDICATION * Minister reads the light print Congregation reads the dark print Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; According to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, So that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, Sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; Let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation And grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, And sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, And my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 8 9