Exalting Christ through Worship, Renewal, Community, and Partnership ! CHRIST CHURCH VENTURA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN AMERICA

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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) 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)! CHRIST CHURCH VENTURA 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. Order for the Celebration & Worship of God Palm Sunday: April 9, 2017, 4:00pm * Congregation standing PRELUDE Pianist Tilford Jackson 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) WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS SILENT PREPARATION CHORAL INTROIT (Music on page 2) Lift High the Cross 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) Sun. at 3:00pm (see Michele Sveiven) CCV MEN S GROUP Sun. at 3:00pm in TLC Library (see Skip Chapin) CONGREGATIONAL STUDY Ligonier Ministries on The English Reformation Wed. at 6:30-8:00pm in church library (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# CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 118:19-29 (ESV) INVITIATORY Bless the Lord who forgives all our sins. People: His mercy endures forever! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! People: Hosanna in the Highest! * HYMN OF PRAISE (Music on page 3) Rejoice the Lord Is King * PRAYER OF ADORATION Almighty God, in your tender love for the human race you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon himself our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross, giving us the example of his great humility. Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering and also share in his resurrection, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. TRIUMPHAL ENTRY TO JERUSALEM John 12:12-15 (ESV) The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey s colt!

4 ! LIFT HIGH THE CROSS HOLY WEEK 2 The idea of observing the week before Easter, as a special time for worship, dates from the middle of the third century although it did not develop fully for another hundred years. Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and then Maundy Thursday made their appearance as the events of Christ s last days were linked with certain days of the week. The events of Holy Week find a chronology as early as the Gospel of Mark, where the scheme is as follows: Palm Sunday: The entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11) Holy Monday: Fig tree cursed & temple cleansed (Mark 11:12-19) Holy Tuesday: Jesus teaches in the temple (Mk 11:20-13:37) Holy Wednesday: Jesus anointed & betrayed (Mark 14:1-11) Maundy Thursday: Last supper, arrest, & trial (Mark 14:12-72) Good Friday: Trial, crucifixion, & burial (Mark 15:1-47) Holy Saturday: Jesus in the tomb (no text) Easter Sunday: The resurrection (Mark 16:1-8) The name Passion/Palm Sunday derives from two ideas in tension with each other: the triumphal entry with shouts of Hosanna, and the solemn realization that our Lord was to face suffering and death. Our worship on this day is a reliving of the end of Jesus earthly ministry a day of irony and contrast. On Maundy Thursday evening we relive, with the disciples, the institution of the sacrament of Holy Communion. The term Maundy derives from a Latin word, mandatum, which means command. The command which our Lord left with His disciples, and us, is to love one another. Communion is our gathering at the table of the Lord as one body to feed upon Him who is our life. Then on Good Friday, we encounter the reality of Christ s death and the anguish of our own sin. It is a time of penitential reflection, yet it is also a celebration of the good news of the cross. Easter Sunday is a burst of praise and resurrection joy, as we proclaim Christ crucified, dead, buried, risen, and exalted. May we, by our participation in the liturgy of Holy week and Easter, encounter our risen and reigning Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. 19

5 CHRIST SUFFERING OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS (Heidelberg Catechism #37, 41-44) REJOICE THE LORD IS KING People: People: People: People: People: What do you understand by the word suffered? That during his whole life on earth, but especially at the end, Christ sustained in body and soul the anger of God against the sin of the whole human race. This he did in order that, by his suffering as the only atoning sacrifice, he might set us free, body and soul, from eternal condemnation, and gain for us God s grace, righteousness, and eternal life. Why did Christ have to go all the way to death? Because God s justice and truth demand it: only the death of God s Son could pay for our sin. Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die? Our death does not pay the debt of our sins. Rather, it puts an end to our sinning and is our entrance into eternal life. What further advantage do we receive from Christ s sacrifice and death on the cross? Through Christ s death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us, but that instead we may dedicate ourselves as an offering of gratitude to him. Why does the creed add, He descended into hell? To assure me in times of personal crisis and temptation that Christ my Lord, by suffering unspeakable anguish, pain, and terror of soul, especially on the cross but also earlier, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell. 18 3

6 OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 52:13 53:12 (ESV) 13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand. 53 Who has believed what they heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors. * HYMN OF TRUST (Music on page 5) O Sacred Head, Now Wounded * PRAYER OF COMMITMENT Gracious God, you have made us one with all your people in heaven and on earth. We have recalled your mighty acts in holy history. We have seen your power in sending light to conquer darkness, water to give us life, and the bread of heaven to nourish us in love. Send us with your salvation and joy to all the world, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. *BENEDICTION Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV) 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. Amen. * DISMISSAL HYMN Be Thou My Vision People: POSTLUDE Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art, thou my best thought by day or by night, waking or sleeping thy presence my light. High king of heaven, my victory won. May I reach heaven s joys, O Bright heaven s Son. Heart of my own heart, whatever befall. Still, be my vision, O ruler of all. Go in peace to love and serve the risen Lord Jesus. Thanks be to God! * Congregation standing 17 Pianist Tilford Jackson

7 ! JESUS LIVES, AND SO SHALL I O SACRED HEAD, NOW WOUNDED 16 5

8 SOLEMN REPROACHES FROM THE CROSS O my people, O my church, what have I done to you, or in what have I offended you? Testify against me. I led you forth from the land of Egypt and delivered you by the waters of baptism, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior. I led you through the desert forty years, and fed you with manna: I brought you through tribulation and penitence, and gave you my body, the bread of heaven, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior. What more could I have done for you that I have not done? I planted you, my chosen and fairest vineyard, I made you the branches of my vine; but when I was thirsty, you gave me vinegar to drink and pierced with a spear the side of your Lord, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior. I went before you in a pillar of cloud, and you have led me to the judgment hall of Pilate. I scourged your enemies and brought you to a land of freedom, but you have scourged, mocked, and beaten me. I gave you the water of salvation from the rock, but you have given me gall and left me to thirst, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior. 6 I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE $ 15

9 AGNUS DEI John 1:29 Christopher Walker 1987 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. I gave you a royal scepter, and the keys to the kingdom, but you have given me a crown of thorns. I raised you on high with great power, but you have prepared a cross for your Savior. My peace I gave, which the world cannot give, and washed your feet as a sign of my love, but you draw the sword to strike in my name and seek high places in my kingdom. I offered you my body and blood, but you scatter and deny and abandon me, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior. I sent the Spirit of truth to guide you, and you close your hearts to the Counselor. I pray that all may be one in the Father and me, but you continue to quarrel and divide. I call you to go and bring forth fruit, but you cast lots for my clothing, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior. I came to you as the least of your brothers and sisters; I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me, and you have prepared a cross for your Savior. 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. 14 * HYMN OF CONTEMPLATION (Music on page 8) Were You There

10 ! WERE YOU THERE PRAYER OF CONSECRATION WORDS OF INSTITUTION 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Therefore, we proclaim the faith! Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again. PRAYER OF APPROACH 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. AGNUS DEI (Music on page 14) John 1:29 Christopher Walker 1987 THE LORD'S SUPPER Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. People: Therefore, let us keep the feast! The gifts of God for the people of God. People: Thanks be to the Lord! SONGS OF THE SUPPER (Music on page 15) I Am the Bread of Life Suzanne Toolan 1970 (Music on page 16) Jesus Lives, and So Shall I Christian F, Gellert

11 SANCTUS Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 118:26 Christopher Walker 1987 NEW TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Peter 3:13-17 (ESV) 3 :13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God s will, than for doing evil. The Word of the Lord! Thanks be to God! * PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION SERMON Pastor Roy R. Bennett Living Fearlessly in the Face of Trouble PASTORAL PRAYER OFFERTORY "This Man of Sorrows Robert Sterling 1994 *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. Amen. * PRAYER OF DEDICATION 12 9

12 SERMON NOTES WORD OF EXHORTATION Matthew 10:28 (ESV) And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." CONFESSION OF SIN Dear heavenly Father, we have heard the dreaded curse of the law as it would condemn us. It has revealed our sin, exposed our unrighteousness and rightly judged us guilty. From that burden of guilt we seek relief. We humbly ask you to forgive our sins, remove the curse, and restore us to fellowship through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless us, as only you may do, and grant that we may abide in your love forever. ASSURANCE OF PARDON Psalm 32:1-2, 6-7, 11 "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered! Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit! Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; Surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble; you surround me with songs of deliverance. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad! 10 THE GREAT THANKSGIVING The Lord be with you! People: And also with you! Lift up your hearts! People: We lift them up to the Lord! Let us give thanks to the Lord! People: It is good and right so to do. It is truly right to thank and praise you, great God. We thank you for Jesus, who was punished for our sins and suffered a shameful death to rescue us. We praise you for the trust we have in him, for a mercy undeserved, and for the love you pour out on us all. We lift our voices to sing of his glory, 11