A Gathered Service of Worship

Transcription

1 A Gathered Service of Worship

2 WELCOME TO NEW CITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH We re delighted that you ve joined us this morning for our gathered service of worship. Our community is a collection of people of all ages and professions, from a wide variety of spiritual and social backgrounds. We embrace Jesus claims to be true and transformational and the central message of the Bible to be the good news, or gospel, of a God who created us for himself and desires us to live fully as we enjoy relationship with him and with each other. The Bible s radical message of grace centers on Jesus and creates a new city comprised of renewed individuals living not for themselves but for the God who redeems. For this reason, New City Presbyterian Church exists to be a community rooted in truth, real in conversation, and committed to renewing our lives and our city. As the Senior Pastor at New City, it is my privilege to extend to you an invitation to come be part of the New City Church community and to be astonished, together with us, by the splendor and the grace of God. RYAN MCVICAR To all who are spiritually weary and seek rest; to all who mourn and long for comfort; to all who struggle and desire victory; to all who sin and need forgiveness; to all who are strangers and want fellowship; to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness; to whoever will come - this church opens wide her doors and welcomes you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1

3 Order for the Public Worship of God January 6, 2018 Let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. Psalm 32:6, NRSV SILENT REFLECTION As Christians, we believe that prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. We also believe that God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking for God for these gifts and thanking him for them. Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 116 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 When you pray, rather let your heart be without words, than your words be without heart. John Bunyan 2

4 PRELUDE Sweet Hour Of Prayer Walford, 1849 Public Domain CALL TO WORSHIP ALL GATHERING HYMN Father Long Before Creation Francis Johnson, 1953 Public Domain Father, long before creation, Thou hadst chosen us in love, And that love so deep, so moving, Draws us close to Christ above. Still it keeps us, still it keeps us, Firmly fixed in Christ alone. Though the world may change its fashion, Yet our God is ever the same; His compassion and His covenant, Through all ages will remain. God s own children, God s own children, Must forever praise His name. God s compassion is my story, Is my boasting all the day; Mercy free and never failing, Moves my will, directs my way. God so loved us, God so loved us, That His only Son He gave. Loving Father now before Thee, We will ever praise Thy love, And our songs will sound unceasing, Till we reach our home above, Giving glory, giving glory, To our God and to the Lamb. READER READING FROM THE EPISTLES John 14:15-17, If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 26 [...] the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. PRAYER OF INVOCATION 3 Please Rise

5 ALL HYMN OF FAITH Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus Kirkpatrick/Stead, 1880 Public Domain Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus Just to take him at his word Just to rest upon his promise Just to know, Thus saith the Lord. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him! How I ve proved him o er and o er! Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! O for grace to trust him more! O how sweet to trust in Jesus, Just to trust his cleansing blood And in simple faith to plunge me neath the healing, cleansing flood! Yes, tis sweet to trust in Jesus Just from sin and self to cease Just from Jesus simply taking Life and rest, and joy and peace ALL PASTORAL PRAYER & THE LORD S PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. GOD S TITHES & OUR OFFERINGS Sweet Hour Of Prayer Walford, 1849 Public Domain * Three-year-olds through 1st graders are welcome to attend Kids Bible Time during the sermon. A parent from each family will be directed to pick up their child(ren) from KBT following the sermon. 4 Please Rise

6 PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION THE PROCLAMATION OF GOD S WORD Mark 9:14-29 (ESV) 14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15 And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16 And he asked them, What are you arguing about with them? 17 And someone from the crowd answered him, Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able. 19 And he answered them, O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me. 20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21 And Jesus asked his father, How long has this been happening to him? And he said, From childhood. 22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. 23 And Jesus said to him, If you can! All things are possible for one who believes. 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, I believe; help my unbelief! 25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. 26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, He is dead. 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could we not cast it out? 29 And he said to them, This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer. MINISTER PEOPLE ALL All people are like grass, and all their beauty is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the Word of our God stands forever. 5 Please Rise

7 Sermon Series: Prayer Is A Journey Prayer Is A Journey Part II (Notes & Thoughts) Matt Luchenbill Prayer is a Journey that s! 1. We expect results 2. We to believe 3. We we can do it on our. Our Response:! Gospel : Follow the trail of prayer. Friends don t let friends. in your prayers. Sermon Discussion Questions 1. What could happen in your life, your relationship with Jesus, and in the lives of those around you if you spent time praying throughout the week? 2. What next step do you need to take? How can you start small? 6 Please Rise

8 * For parents who have children in Kids Bible Time, please use this time to pick up your child(ren) from their class. ALL HYMN OF RESPONSE Lord I Need You Maher, 2011 Sixsteps Music Lord I come I confess, bowing here I find my rest And without You I fall apart, you re the one that guides my heart Lord I need You oh I need You Every hour I need You My one defense my righteousness Oh God how I need You Where sin runs deep Your grace is more. Where grace is found is where You are And where You are Lord I am free; holiness is Christ in me Teach my song to rise to You When temptation comes my way And when I cannot stand I ll fall on You Jesus You re my hope and stay CELEBRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION PRAYER OF CONSECRATION INVITATION TO THE LORD S TABLE Communion also known as the Lord s Supper has always been a common, shared, joyous family meal. This meal is for those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ; for those Baptized Christians who trust in His once-for-all sacrificial death upon the cross for their salvation. When we celebrate this feast, we commune with the risen Lord Jesus who stands as our host to offer spiritual nourishment, renewal and life. We also commune with one another, participating together in the reconciling grace of God. We warmly welcome to the table all who trust in Jesus and who have publicly professed their faith as members of a Christian congregation. At New City, we ask our children not to take communion until they have met with the elders to share of their faith in Christ, although all children are invited to come forward to receive a word of encouragement. If you are not a Christian, we encourage you to spend this time reflecting on the prayers printed on the following page in the hopes that a relationship with Jesus and membership in His Church may be considered. Jesus is truly and spiritually present and stands ready to feed you. Come hungry. Come thirsty. Come ready to be filled. 7 Please Rise

9 ALL PRAYER OF CONFESSION OF SINS Almighty God, we humble ourselves and come before you to confess our sin. Despite knowing you, and knowing of our salvation in Christ, we admit to having a place among the faithless generation that lives apart from you. We often fail to acknowledge your providence, we fail to call on you when fighting temptation, and we ignore the countless reasons and opportunities we have to praise your name. We believe, Lord, but help our unbelief and teach us to trust in you not only for our salvation, but also for continual growth and fruitfulness that drives out darkness, and declares your glory. Amen. MINISTER DECLARATION OF FORGIVENESS From Acts 26:18 Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has opened our eyes, so that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that we may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in him. WORDS OF INSTITUTION AND BREAKING OF BREAD INDIVIDUAL PRAYERS YOU CAN PRAY DURING COMMUNION PRAYER FOR THOSE SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH Lord Jesus, you claim to be the way, the truth and the life. If what you claim is true, please guide me, teach me, and open to me the reality of who you are. Grant that I might be undaunted by the cost of following you as I consider the reasons for doing so. Give me an understanding of you that is coherent, convincing, and that leads to the life that you promise. Amen. PRAYER OF BELIEF Lord Jesus, I admit that I am weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed, but through you, I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared to hope. I thank you for paying my debt, bearing my punishment on the cross and offering forgiveness and new life. Knowing that you have been raised from the dead, I turn from my sins and receive you as my Savior. Amen. PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS I do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in my own goodness, but only in your righteousness credited to me. I am not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table. But you are the same Lord whose manner is always to show mercy. Grant me, therefore, O Lord, the grace to commune now with Christ by faith, that I may evermore live in him and he in me. Amen. 8 Please Rise

10 ALL HYMN AT THE TABLE Jesus Paid It All Hall, 1865 Public Domain I hear the Savior say, Thy strength indeed is small Child of weakness watch and pray Find in Me thine all in all Jesus paid it all; all to Him I owe Sin had left a crimson stain He washed it white as snow Lord now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone Can change the leper s spots And melt the heart of stone And when before the throne I stand in Him complete Jesus died my soul to save My lips shall still repeat Oh, praise the One Who paid my debt And raised this life up from the dead 9 Please Rise

11 ALL SENDING HYMN How Firm A Foundation Anonymous, 1787 Public Domain How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word! What more can He say than to you He hath said, Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled? Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, For I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand. When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine. THE BENEDICTION & CHILDREN S GATHERING The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I ll never, no never, no never forsake! 10 Please Rise

12 WORSHIP LEADERS Ryan McVicar Matt Luchenbill Javier Contesse WORSHIP MUSICIANS Mark Reitenga Taylor Garrick Melanie Holladay SCRIPTURE READER Gareth Crawford 11

13 COMMUNITY LIFE AT NEW CITY FINANCIAL PEACE SEMINAR The financial peace seminar is a course on biblical principles for managing personal and household finances, getting out of debt, and more. Classes begin January 27th from 9:30-10:15, for 9 weeks. For more information please contact sundayschool@newcitypc.org KIDS CLUB Registrations are open for this month s Kids Club. Children in Kindergarten through 4th Grade are invited to register and attend Friday, January 18 th from 6-8 PM at the Royal Oak Middle School s Gathering Place. Activities include a Bible lesson, crafts, games, and a pizza dinner! Please scan QR Code to register, or go to ONLINE COMMUNITIES In an effort to engage more people with the truths of the gospel, to edify both New City members and their networks with encouraging and challenging thoughts, to display the beauty of Christian community life, and through all this invite people to join us in the worship of our Lord, we ve been developing new social media strategies to increase our presence with quality content that will surely be a blessing to you and to those you wish to share it with. This is an invitation to Like and Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, hoping that these online communities will reflect our spiritual community and become an avenue to reach people that we would not be able to reach otherwise. Connect with us! facebook.com/newcitypc instagram.com/newcitypc 12

14 NEW CITY CONTACTS To learn more about volunteering opportunities, ways to get plugged into community life, or if you have any questions please contact the following department heads: PASTORAL NEEDS Ryan McVicar FAMILY & YOUTH MINISTRY Matt Luchenbill CHILDREN S MINISTRY Megan McVicar megan.mcvicar@newcitypc.org Meredith Sanislo meredith.sanislo@newcitypc.org NURSERY & TODDLERS Maris Bakker maris.bakker@newcitypc.org Angela Wood angela.wood@newcitypc.org WORSHIP, MEDIA, & COMMUNICATIONS Javier Contesse javier.contesse@newcitypc.org SUNDAY OPERATIONS Amanda Sternberg amanda.sternberg@newcitypc.org Cameron Francis cameron.francis@newcitypc.org ADMINISTRATIVE NEEDS & EVENTS Liz Chisholm liz.chisholm@newcitypc.org FINANCIAL & OFFICE NEEDS Tracy Reynolds tracy.reynolds@newcitypc.org 13

15 Visit our website at: NEWCITYPC.ORG Thank you for being part of our service today. New City Royal Oak seeks to be a catalyst for a churchplanting movement throughout the Detroit region comprised of churches working together to establish worshipping communities who are biblically-faithful, gospelcentric, outward-facing and community-driven. Our vision is to see renewal take place at every level personally, spiritualy, socially and culturally renewal that is rooted in the truth of God s Word. CONTACT US AT: OFFICE 301 W. 4th Street, Ste. LL 75 WORSHIP 709 N. Washington Ave. Royal Oak, MI (248) INFO@NEWCITYPC.ORG CCLI LICENSE # WORSHIPPING WITH CHILDREN What a joy and privilege to worship with children! Worship is a communal activity in which we participate together as a church family and is one of the best ways to welcome children into the life of the church. Yet, children are in the process of learning the significance of worship and how to worship. During our nursery and Kids Bible Times, teachers emphasize why we worship and help children learn prayers and songs that are typically part of our services. However, there are ways parents and congregants alike can train our children in the joys of worship. For Parents: Parents have the responsibility and blessing to lead and train children in worship. Living in a culture where children are constantly entertained can make this responsibility difficult. However, consider the tips below to help the process go a bit more smoothly: Tips for Sunday Worship: Worship with rather than beside children. Help your child who can t read by singing the words of the chorus in their ears so they can sing along. Help them follow along in the Bible. Point out words for young or non-readers that are repetitive. Allow children to participate in offering by sharing their allowance.whisper instructions or comments such as, Now is the time when we tell God how great He is. Use a worship notebook where children can draw pictures of what they hear in the scripture passage and sermon or write down thoughts that are meaningful to them. For the Rest of Us: Church is not for adults only. Supporting the children of New City as they grow as worshippers of the Lord is the responsibility of us all. Remember the commitment you made as a church when children were baptized, a commitment to encourage them to become disciples of Christ. Introduce yourself to the child sitting beside you. Make him or her feel welcomed and important. Teaching children how to worship the Lord with reverence and awe is something we can all be excited about doing. What a blessing and privilege is this special endeavor!

16 VISITOR INFORMATION We are very glad to have you as our guest today! Please give us your information so we can contact you and let you know about the ways you can take steps to deepen your involvement in our church community, find encouragement in your walk with Christ, pursue membership or service opportunities, and more! Hand this tear-off to one of the Greeters in the Lobby to receive a Welcome Bag with helpful information about New City. NAME PHONE Alternatively, Scan this QR code with your smartphone s camera and tap on the pop-up notification to fill out a contact form and request more information about New City. Visit our website at: NEWCITYPC.ORG I WOULD LIKE PRAYER FOR: SMALL GROUPS New City is committed to deep, transformational community life. The backbone of this is found in our New City Groups. These groups of 8-12 adults serve as our primary vehicle for Christian formation, study, prayer, discipleship and mission. Ammons Grosse Pointe 1st and 3rd 6:30 pm meredithammons@hotmail.com Bailey Royal Oak 2nd & 4th 6:00 pm brigbailey@me.com Boor Royal Oak 1st & 3rd 7:00 pm wdbo82@gmail.com Brinks & Park Southfield/Beverly Hills 2nd (men), 3rd (all), & 4th (women) 6:30 pm juliebrinks@hotmail.com Chisholm & Maxwell Royal Oak 1st (All), 2nd (Women), and 4th (Men) 6:30 pm mill2030@gmail.com Clapp & Tosan Clawson 8:00 pm travis.jc623@gmail.com DeLaurelle & Schoon Warren/Harrison Twp. 2nd and 4th 5:00 pm mmdelaruelle@gmail.com Flower Royal Oak Every Other 6:30 pm (except Kids Night) dean.flower@gmail.com Holladay Detroit 1st, 2nd, & 3rd 7:00 pm meganmholladay@gmail.com Lantrip Royal Oak 1st, 2nd, & 4th 7:00 pm juston.lantrip@gmail.com McVicar & Snider Royal Oak Every Other pm james.a.snider@gmail.com Ng Troy 1st, 2nd, and 4th 9:00 am ngstevenm@gmail.com Smith Royal Oak Every Other 6:30 pm smith.dick@gmail.com