City Reformed PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Transcription

1 City Reformed PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Morning Service May 28, 2017

2 Welcome to City Reformed Presbyterian Church We are glad to have you join us for worship today. We expect that many people who are with us may not be familiar with the way our worship service is structured. We have attempted to explain as much as possible in the bulletin. More information is available on our website: What kind of Church is City Reformed? - We believe that the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God. Its message centers on the good news ( gospel ) of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel compels us to engage the city around us, it calls us to renew our minds, it draws us together to be the family of God, and it directs our worship to the living God. - We are linked to the historic Protestant church ( Evangelical ) & to other Christians throughout the world. - We are a part of a denomination called the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). What happens on Sundays? May - August: Oakland location: (Lord s Supper on the 1st Sunday of the Month) 10:15 AM Worship Service (Children s Church for kids 4-7) 11:45 AM Food & fellowship September - April: Oakland location: (Lord s Supper on the 1st Sunday of the Month) 9:15 AM Worship Service 10:00 AM Christian Education (all ages) 10:45 AM Coffee & Fellowship 11:15 AM Worship Service (Children s Church for kids 4-7) 12:45 PM Food & Fellowship All year: Squirrel Hill location: (Lord s Supper on the 3rd Sunday of the Month) 6:30 PM Worship Service (Nusery for children months) 8:00 PM Grill the Preacher Q&A, food and fellowship Are there programs for my children? May- August: Nursery for children infant- 4 is offered during the service. During the service children 4-7 have the option to be dismissed to attend Children s Church. September- April: Nursery for children infant-4 is offered during both services and Christian Education. We have a full Christian Education Program for children of all ages at 10:00 am. Families that go to the 9:15am service have the option to dismiss their children to attend Christian Education during the sermon. During the 11:15 service children 4-7 have the option to be dismissed to attend Children s Church. Please talk to an usher or greeter if you have any questions about the nursery. Where can I park my car? On Sunday mornings, the metered parking is free and there are usually many open spots on the street. How do I connect? We would love to get to know you! Please join us for a time of fellowship and refreshments after the worship services. If you would like to contact a pastor please rob@cityreformed.org. The best way to meet other members of our congregation is to visit one of our community groups (listed on page 9). The groups are always open for visitors, and brand new groups form throughout the year. Finally, be sure to stop by the welcome table for more information.

3 City Reformed Presbyterian Church Sunday Morning Worship May 28, 2017 When through fiery trials your pathway shall lie, my grace all-sufficient shall be your supply; the flame shall not hurt you; I only design your dross to consume and your gold to refine. The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; that soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I ll never, no, never, no never forsake. - From the hymn: How Firm A Foundation 1

4 Presider: Elder Jim Partridge Please stand for the call to worship if you are able. Worship Service Call to Worship: Psalm 95:1-7a Leader: Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! People: Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! Leader: For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. People: In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Leader: Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! People: For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Prayer of Invocation 10,000 Reasons Bless the Lord O my soul O my soul Worship His holy name Sing like never before O my soul I ll worship His holy name The sun comes up it s a new day dawning It s time to sing Your song again Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me Let me be singing when the evening comes You re rich in love and You re slow to anger Your name is great and Your heart is kind For all Your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find And on that day when my strength is failing The end draws near and my time has come Still my soul will sing Your praise unending Ten thousand years and then forevermore I ll worship His holy name 2

5 How Firm A Foundation 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, To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? In every condition, in sickness, in health; In poverty s vale, or abounding in wealth; At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, As thy days may demand, shall My strength ever be. Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God I will still give thee aid; I ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress. 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 soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I will not desert to its foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to break, I will never, no never, no never forsake. Call to Confession: Hebrews 12:4-6 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. Prayer of Confession: From Psalm 42 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for you, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before you? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, Where is your God? Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise you, my salvation and my God. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day you, O Lord, command your steadfast love, and at night your song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life... Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise you, my salvation and my God. Silent Confession Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 46:1-5 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. 3

6 Song of Renewal During this song we will pass offering bags through the congregation. We ask that our members and regular attendees will thoughtfully consider their contribution as an act of worship - a response to God s grace in our lives. Those who are not a regular part of our church are not expected to participate in the offering. Heal Us Emmanuel Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are We long to feel Thy touch Deep wounded souls to Thee we fly O Savior hear our cry Our faith is feeble, we confess We faintly trust Thy word But will You pity us the less? Be that far from You Lord! Remember him who once applied With trembling for relief Lord, I believe, with tears he cried O help my unbelief! She, too, who touched you in the press And healing virtue stole Was answered, Daughter, go in peace Thy faith has made thee whole. Like her, with hopes and fears we come To touch You if we may O send us not despairing home Send none unhealed away Corporate & Pastoral Prayer *At this time, children ages 4-7 may be dismissed for children s church. The leaders will take the children to children s church and then back to the worship service after the sermon. Children s Song of the Month: How Deep the Father s Love For Us 4 Additional Scripture John 6:66-69 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, Do you want to go away as well? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God. John 14:1-4 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going. Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (continued on page 6)

7 Sermon 1 Peter 1: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Cause for Joy: Faith, Hope, and Love -Reverend Robert Gray 5

8 Additional Scripture (continued) 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Communion City Reformed Church invites all baptized Christians who are willing to forsake their sins and trust Christ alone for salvation, and who are members of congregations which proclaim the gospel, to receive Holy Communion with us. Parents with non-communing children are encouraged to bring their children forward during communion. The elders will lay a hand on their head and briefly pray for them as they serve you. Please stand for the final songs if you are able. Songs of Thanksgiving: The Solid Rock My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus Name. When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand. Communion will be served by elders to several people at a time at the front of the Church. When you are ready, please proceed up using the left aisle. At the ushers guidance, you may move forward to receive the elements as a group. Please return to your seat using the right aisle. Communion is served with wine and with grape juice. The wine is placed in the two outer circles of the communion tray, and the grape juice is placed in the inner circle. Because Jesus used wine during the first communion service, we believe using real wine is beneficial. However, participants are welcome to choose. There is also gluten-free bread available on each plate. Please join us in song as we celebrate Christ dwelling with his church in the sacrament of communion. 6 His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay. When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. 2x Psalm 24 - We Long to See You Almighty God, we long to see you. Open our hearts and make them pure. Spirit, we wash our hands in mercy. Come teach our souls to love your truth.

9 For All the Saints For all the saints, Who from their labors rest, Who Thee by faith Before the world confessed, Thy Name, O Jesus, Be forever blessed. Thou wast their rock, Their fortress and their might; Thou, Lord, their captain In the well fought fight; Thou, in the darkness Drear, their one true Light. O may Thy soldiers, Faithful, true and bold, Fight as the saints Who nobly fought of old, And win with them The victor s crown of gold. The golden evening Brightens in the west; Soon, soon to faithful Warriors comes their rest; Sweet is the calm Of paradise the blessed. But lo! There breaks A yet more glorious day; The saints triumphant Rise in bright array; The King of glory Passes on his way, From earth s wide bounds, From ocean s farthest coast, Through gates of pearl Streams in the countless host, Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia, Alleluia! Doxology Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (Repeat song) Amen! Prayer Announcements *At the beginning of announcements parents are dismissed to get their children from nursery. Benediction Tonight s Evening Service: Reverend Matthew Koerber will preach A Church That Sends on Acts 13:1-3, 14: a special service to send off the Gray family. Nusery is available for children ages months. 7