City Reformed PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

City Reformed PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Morning Service April 16, 2017

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: www.cityreformed.org. 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). www.pcanet.org. 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) - Building a Christian World View (Adult) - Creation, Fall, Redemption: Who is God? Who Am I? and Where Are We Headed? (Adult) 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 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 email: 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.

City Reformed Presbyterian Church Sunday Morning Worship April 16, 2017 Nature s first green is gold, Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf s a flower; But only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay. - Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost He has risen; he is not here. - The Gospel According to Mark (16:6) 1

Worship Service Presider: Elder David Snoke Please stand for the call to worship if you are able. Traditional Easter Greeting Leader: He is Risen! People: He is Risen, Indeed! Call to Worship: 1 Peter 1:17-21 Leader: And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, People: Not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. Leader: He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, Christ The Lord Is Risen Today Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia! Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, ye heav ns, and earth, reply, Alleluia! Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia! Christ has burst the gates of hell, Alleluia! Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia! Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia! Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia! Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia! Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia! Love s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia! Lo! the Sun s eclipse is o er, Alleluia! Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia! Hail, the Lord of earth and Heaven, Alleluia! Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia! Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia! Hail, the resurrection, thou, Alleluia! People: He raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Prayer of Invocation Easter Reading: Job 19:25-27 and 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 2

I Know That My Redeemer Lives - Glory Hallelujah I know that my redeemer lives, What comfort this sweet sentence gives, Shout on, pray on, we re gaining ground, The dead s alive and the lost is found, He lives, he lives, who once was dead, He lives, my everlasting Head, He lives to bless me with his love, He lives to plead for me above, He lives, all glory to his name, He lives my Jesus, still the same, Christ Is Risen Let no one caught in sin Remain inside the lie of inward shame But fix our eyes upon the cross And run to Him who showed great love And bled for us Freely You ve bled for us Christ is risen from the dead Trampling over death by death Come awake come awake Come and rise up from the grave Christ is risen from the dead We are one with Him again Come awake come awake Come and rise up from the grave Beneath the weight of all our sin You bowed to none but heaven s will No scheme of hell no scoffer s crown No burden great can hold You down In strength You reign Forever let Your church proclaim O death where is your sting O hell where is your victory O church come stand in the light The glory of God has defeated the night Singing O death where is your sting O hell where is your victory O church come stand in the light Our God is not dead He s alive He s alive 2x 3

Call to Confession: Colossians 3:1-2 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Prayer of Confession Merciful God, you have come to us with tenderness and compassion, but we have turned our backs on your kindness. You offer us peace in your presence and fellowship in your Spirit, but we hastily pursue every other distraction. We fail to believe that you really intend the best for us and grow weary manipulating the details of our lives. Forgive us for our sins and meet us in our weakness. Cause us to see the wonderful plans that you have in store for us. Renew our hearts with a desire for holiness and divine fellowship. Strengthen us that we may trust you in the decisions of our daily lives, and cause your glory to be reflected in our actions. Amen. Silent Confession Assurance of Pardon: Colossians 3:3-4 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 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. O Come To The Altar Are you hurting and broken within Overwhelmed by the weight of your sin Jesus is calling Have you come to the end of yourself Do you thirst for a drink from the well Jesus is calling O come to the altar The Father s arms are open wide Forgiveness was bought with The precious blood of Jesus Christ Leave behind your regrets and mistakes Come today there s no reason to wait Jesus is calling Bring your sorrows and trade them for joy From the ashes a new life is born Jesus is calling Oh what a Savior Isn t he wonderful Sing alleluia Christ is risen Bow down before him For he is Lord of all Sing alleluia Christ is risen Bear your cross as you wait for the crown Tell the world of the treasure you ve found 4 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: Great is Thy Faithfulness

Sermon The Gospel of Mark 9-16: The Servant and the Cross Mark 15:39-16:8 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God! 40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. 42 And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. 46 And Joseph bought a linen shroud, and taking him down, wrapped him in the linen shroud and laid him in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. And he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid. 16:1 When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 And they were saying to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? 4 And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you. 8 And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. The Empty Tomb and the Glory of Christ -Reverend Matthew Koerber 5

Additional Scripture Isaiah 40:5-8 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. A voice says, Cry! And I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. 2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel... Hebrews 2:9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. Creedal Response: Apostle s Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,* the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Christ suffered God s wrath on the cross * Universal church Please stand for the final songs if you are able. Songs of Thanksgiving: O Praise The Name - Anástasis I cast my mind to Calvary Where Jesus bled and died for me I see His wounds His hands His feet My Saviour on that cursed tree His body bound and drenched in tears They laid Him down in Joseph s tomb The entrance sealed by heavy stone Messiah still and all alone O praise the Name of the Lord our God O praise His Name forevermore For endless days we will sing Your praise Oh Lord oh Lord our God Then on the third at break of dawn The Son of heaven rose again O trampled death where is your sting The angels roar for Christ the King He shall return in robes of white The blazing sun shall pierce the night And I will rise among the saints My gaze transfixed on Jesus face 6

I Know That My Redeemer Lives I know that my Redeemer lives; What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my everlasting Head. He lives to silence all my fears, He lives to wipe away my tears He lives to calm my troubled heart, He lives all blessings to impart. He lives to bless me with His love, He lives to lead for me above. He lives to raise me from the grave, And me eternally to save. He lives to grant me daily breath, He lives and I shall conquer death. He lives, all glory to His name, Jesus unchangeably the same. Prayer Announcements *At the beginning of announcements parents are dismissed to get their children from nursery. Benediction Tonight s Evening Service is cancelled, but will resume next Sunday. 7