City Reformed PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Morning Service April 2, 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 2, 2017 Or (not often, perhaps, for dimness seems to be more wholesome for us here, but sometimes, because our Lord is very merciful) it is given to us to look up through the blue air and see the love of God. And yet, after all, how little we see! THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO COMPREHEND WHAT IS THE BREADTH AND LENGTH AND DEPTH AND HEIGHT AND TO KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHICH PASSETH KNOWLEDGE the words are too great for us. What do we comprehend, what do we know? Confounded and abased, we enter into the Rock and hide us in the dust before the glory of the Majesty of love the love whose symbol is the Cross. And a question pierces then: What do I know of Calvary love? - If by Amy Carmichael 1
Worship Service Presider: Reverend Joseph Bianco (9:15) Elder David Snoke (11:15) Please stand for the call to worship if you are able. Call to Worship: Isaiah 53:1-7 Leader: Who has believed what they heard from us? Lenten Reading: John 16:5-11 and Revelation 5:11-12 People: And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? Leader: 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. People: 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. Leader: Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. People: 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. Leader: 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. People: 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. Prayer of Invocation The Lion and the Lamb He s coming on the clouds Kings and kingdoms will bow down And every chain will break As broken hearts declare His praise For who can stop the Lord almighty Our God is the Lion The Lion of Judah He s roaring with power And fighting our battles And every knee will bow before Him Our God is the Lamb The Lamb that was slain For the sin of the world His blood breaks the chains And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb So open up the gates Make way before the King of kings Our God who comes to save Is here to set the captives free For who can stop the Lord almighty Who can stop the Lord almighty Who can stop the Lord almighty Repeat 2
Come Thou Fount Come thou fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace. Streams of mercy never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet Sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount, I m fixed upon it, Mount of God s unchanging love. Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by thy help I m come, And I hope by thy good pleasure Safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God. He to rescue me from danger Interposed his precious blood. O to grace how great a debtor Daily I m constrained to be. Let that grace now like a fetter Bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love. Here s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love. Here s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above. Call to Confession: Romans 3:23-24 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus... Prayer of Confession Lord Jesus, I kneel before your cross and see the horror of my sin. Help me to understand the depth of my guilt which caused your hands and feet to be pierced, your body bruised and your head to be crowned with thorns. Truly sin is my enemy. It is a monster that haunts me and intermingles with all my thoughts and actions. And yet, your compassion is greater still. You came to my rescue, your love endured my curse, and in your mercy you stood in my place. Let me walk in humility and confidence in forgiveness. Amen. Silent Confession Assurance of Pardon: 1 Peter 1:18-19 You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, 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. Membership Vows: Moira Ashlynn Donovan, Isaac Koerber (11:15) 3
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. Jesus I Am Resting Resting Jesus I am resting resting In the joy of what Thou art I am finding out the greatness Of Thy loving heart Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee And Thy beauty fills my soul For by Thy transforming power Thou hast made me whole Jesus I am resting resting In the joy of what Thou art I am finding out the greatness Of Thy loving heart Ever lift Thy face upon me As I work and wait for Thee Resting neath Thy smile Lord Jesus Earth s dark shadows flee Brightness of my Father s glory Sunshine of my Father s face Keep me ever trusting resting Fill me with Thy grace 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: Oh God Our Help In Ages Past Oh how great Thy loving kindness Vaster broader than the sea Oh how marvelous Thy goodness Lavished all on me Yes I rest in Thee Beloved Know what wealth of grace is Thine Know Thy certainty of promise And have made it mine Simply trusting Thee Lord Jesus I behold Thee as Thou art And Thy love so pure so changeless Satisfies my heart Satisfies its deepest longings Meets supplies its ev ry need For he wraps me round with blessings Thine is love indeed Additional Scripture 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us- for it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree - 4
Sermon The Gospel of Mark 9-16: The Servant and the Cross Mark 15:21-39 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, The King of the Jews. 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 28 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross! 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe. Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. 33 And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani? which means, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, Behold, he is calling Elijah. 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down. 37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 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! The Crucifixion of the Son of God -Reverend Matthew Koerber 5
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 Communion: 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 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. Bear your cross as you wait for the crown Tell the world of the treasure you ve found My Soul Is At Rest My soul is at rest in God alone My salvation comes from him Repeat 6
We Will Feast In The House Of Zion We will feast in the house of Zion We will sing with our hearts restored He has done great things, we will say together We will feast and weep no more We will not be burned by the fire He is the LORD our God We are not consumed, by the flood Upheld, protected, gathered up In the dark of night, before the dawn My soul, be not afraid For the promised morning, oh how long? Oh God of Jacob, be my strength 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 The Good Shepherd on John 10:1-21. Every vow we ve broken and betrayed You are the Faithful one Starting from the garden to the grave Bind us together, bring shalom. 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! 7