The Lord’s Day Worship Service January 6, 2011 ~ New City Church | Calgary Welcome We are glad you ha ve joined us today . Whethe r you are a Christian seekin g to grow in yourrelationsh ip with Jesus Christ, or a skeptic looking for answers, or someone who is struggling to make sense of life and are looking for a caring community, you are warmly welcome here. We’re glad you came. After the Service Please stay aro und for some refresh ments afte r the service and mee t someone ne w. If we haven’t met you before, please come say “Hello.” We’d like to make that connection. Pastors John Ferguson & Mike Ivancic Reflections & Preparation for WorshipO God, by Your power may we, together with all the saints, comprehend the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filledwith Your fullness. Amen. ~ based on Ephesians 3:18-19 “The biblical story encompasses all of reality – north, south, east, west, past, present, future. It begins with the creation of all things and ends with the renewal of all things. In between it offers an interpretation of the meaning of cosmic history. It, therefore, makes a comprehensive claim; our stories, our reality must find a place in this story.” ~ Michael Goheen, “Reading the Bible as One Story” “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.” ~ The Apostle John in Revelation 21:3 “In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” ~ The Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:11-12 “For in Christ Jesus neithercircumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” ~ The (Jewish) Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:6 “…neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a n ew creation is everything!” ~ The (Jewish) Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:15 1
The Lord’s Day Worship ServiceJanuary 6, 2011 ~ New City Church | Calgary
Welcome
We are glad you have joined us today. Whether you are a Christian seeking to grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ, or a skeptic looking for answers, or someone who is struggling tomake sense of life and are looking for a caring community, you are warmly welcome here.We’re glad you came.
After the ServicePlease stay around for some refreshments after the service and meet someone new. If wehaven’t met you before, please come say “Hello.” We’d like to make that connection.
Pastors John Ferguson & Mike Ivancic
Reflections & Preparation for Worship
O God, by Your power may we, together with all the saints, comprehend the breadth and length
and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that we may be filled
with Your fullness. Amen. ~ based on Ephesians 3:18-19
“The biblical story encompasses all of reality – north, south, east, west, past, present, future. Itbegins with the creation of all things and ends with the renewal of all things. In between it offersan interpretation of the meaning of cosmic history. It, therefore, makes a comprehensive claim;
our stories, our reality must find a place in this story.”~ Michael Goheen, “Reading the Bible as One Story”
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be Hispeople, and God Himself will be with them as their God.”
~ The Apostle John in Revelation 21:3
“In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off thebody of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, inwhich you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raisedHim from the dead.”
~ The Apostle Paul in Colossians 2:11-12
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faithworking through love.”
~ The (Jewish) Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:6
“…neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!”~ The (Jewish) Apostle Paul in Galatians 6:15
God Calls Us To Worship Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6
The Call to Worship ~ based on Isaiah 40:25-26; 28
Leader: “To whom then will you compare me that I should be like him?” says the HolyOne. “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings outtheir host by number, calling them all by name? By the greatness of His might,and because He is strong in power not one is missing….
Unison: Have you not known? Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
Hymns of Praise & Worship
“Crown Him with Many Crowns”
1. Crown Him with many crownsThe Lamb upon His throne
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drownsAll music but its own
Awake, my soul and sing Of HimWho died for thee
And hail Him as thy matchless KingThrough all eternity
2. Crown Him the Lord of loveBehold His hands and side
Rich wounds, yet visible aboveIn beauty glorified
No angel in the skyCan fully bear that sight
But downward bends His wond'ring eyeAt mysteries so bright
3. Crown Him the Lord of lifeWho triumphed o'er the grave
Who rose victorious to the strifeFor those He came to save
His glories now we singWho died, and rose on highWho died eternal life to bringAnd lives that death may die
4. Crown Him the Lord of heav'nOne with the Father known
One with the Spirit through Him giv'nFrom yonder glorious throneTo Thee be endless praise
1. From the depths of woe I raise to TheeThe voice of lamentation;
Lord, turn a gracious ear to meAnd hear my supplication;
If Thou iniquities dost mark,
Our secret sins and misdeeds dark,O who shall stand before Thee?(Who shall stand before Thee?)O who shall stand before Thee?(Who shall stand before Thee?)
2. To wash away the crimson stain,Grace, grace alone availeth;
Our works, alas! Are all in vain;In much the best life faileth;
No man can glory in Thy sight,
All must alike confess Thy might,And live alone by mercy(Live alone by mercy)
And live alone by mercy(Live alone by mercy)
The Words of the Gospel ~ based on Romans 5:8; 8:1; Acts 10:43
Leader: God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christdied for us. There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus because, as all the prophets testify about Christ, everyone who believes inHim receives the forgiveness of sins through His name.
To all who humbly seek the mercy of God,I say to you, that in Christ Jesus your sins are forgiven!
Unison: May Christ alone be praised!
Song of Response
3. Therefore my trust is in the Lord,
And not in mine own merit;On Him my soul shall rest, His word
Upholds my fainting spirit;His promised mercy is my fort,
My comfort and my sweet support;I wait for it with patience(Wait for it with patience)I wait for it with patience(Wait for it with patience)
4. What though I wait the live-long night,And ’til the dawn appeareth,
My heart still trusteth in His might;It doubteth not nor feareth;
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed,Ye of the Spirit born indeed;And wait ’til God appeareth
(Wait ’til God appeareth)And wait ’til God appeareth
5. Though great our sins and sore our woesHis grace much more aboundeth;His helping love no limit knows,Our upmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He,Who will at last His Israel freeFrom all their sin and sorrow
(All their sin and sorrow)From all their sin and sorrow
(All their sin and sorrow )
God Gives Us His Words of Eternal Life
Lord Jesus, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! Let Your word dwell in
us richly, that whatever we do, in word or deed, we may do everything in Your name, giving thanks to the Father through You. ~ based on John 6:68, Colossians 3:16-17
Today’s Scripture Lesson: “Redemption: Blessing Every Nation on the Planet (Part 3)”John Ferguson, Lead Pastor
Genesis 17
17:1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God
Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and
may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant
is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be calledAbram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will
make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7 And I
will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generationsfor an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and
to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting
possession, and I will be their God.”
17:9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after
you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and
your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the
flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight
days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your
house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born
in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant
be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the fleshof his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
17:15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, butSarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her,
and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham fell on his face
and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah,
who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before
you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will
establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael,I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He
shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant
with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
17:22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took
Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of
Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him.24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And
Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very
day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the
house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.Unison: Thanks be to God!
God Feeds Us His Covenant Meal From the east and the west, from the north and the south, people will come
and take their places at the banquet in the Kingdom of God. ~ based on Luke 13:29
A Word About Participating in The Sacrament of The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is a special family meal that Christ gave to His Bride, the Church.For Christians, this meal is a time to receive these signs and seals of the NewCovenant which Christ has established with them. Believers come to this Table to meetwith their Lord and Saviour by faith, to be renewed by Him and strengthened in their callings and mission as they eat the bread and drink the wine.
Therefore, all baptized Christians who trust in Christ alone as their Lord and Saviour and who are connected to a church that proclaims his Gospel are invited to come to theTable.
If you are not yet a Christian, or if for whatever reason you are not prepared to sharein this meal, we would encourage you to spend this time in prayer (perhaps using one of the prayers listed below). Consider the invitation of Jesus, “I am the bread of life;whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…for my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall haveeternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:35, 40).
We would ask that children who have not yet professed belief in the Lord Jesus alsorefrain from partaking until doing so. The pastor would be delighted to speak to familiesabout what it means to participate in the Lord’s Supper.
The Words of Institution
“The Lord Jesus, on the night we was betrayed took bread, and when he had given
thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance
of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the newcovenant in my blood, do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as
often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he
comes.~ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The Sacrament of The Lord’s Supper
Please come forward by rows to the center isle and form a semi-circle in front of the Tableto receive the bread and the wine. When finished, place your cup at the side tables andproceed to your seat via the outer isles. If you are unable to come forward we would bedelighted to serve you at your seat.
New City Church uses wine in serving the Lord’s Supper . We would encourage you totake of the wine since it is a symbol of joy and celebration in Scripture. However, juice isalso provided if you cannot drink wine due to health reasons or issues of conscience.
A Prayer Searching for the Truth: Jesus, You claim to be the way, the truth, and the life,and that no one comes to the Father except by You. If what You claim is true, please guideme and teach me. Open to me the reality of who You are. Grant that I might be undauntedin following You as I consider the reasons for doing so. Give me an understanding of You
that is coherent, convincing, and leads to the eternal life that You promise. Amen.
A Prayer of Trust in the Lord Jesus: Jesus, I confess that I am more broken, flawed, andsinful than I had ever before dared to admit. Yet You tell me that I am more loved than Iever dared to hope, and that You accept all who turn to you in simple faith. I am doing thatright now. I thank You for taking the justice that my sins deserved when You died on theCross. I eagerly trust You for the forgiveness for my sins, and I receive from You now theeternal life that You promise to all who come to You. Amen.
A Prayer for Those Struggling with Sin: Lord Jesus, You know the battle that rageswithin my heart. Grant that in my battles with sin, I may see in You the fulfillment of all myneeds. Give me strength to turn from every false satisfaction to find my ultimate joy in You.
Enable me to lay aside the sin that clings so closely to me, and fill me with Your Spirit to runwith perseverance the race You have set before me, looking to You, the pioneer andchampion of my faith. Amen.
A Prayer for Children (who have yet to profess faith): Jesus, the Bible tells me that Youblessed kids like me. Help me to know who You are and to understand what You have donefor me. Amen.
Communion Hymns
“Name Above All Names”
Great Creator of the heavens and the earthYou know every star by name
Awesome power is revealed in all Your worksAnd forever You will reign
Righteous Sovereign over history and timeWholly God yet fully man
What mystery that You left Your throne on highTo return with nail-scarred hands
And one day every knee will humbly bowAnd every tongue confess aloud that
chorusJesus is the name above all names
He is worthy of all praiseJesus is the name above all names
Perfect wisdom in the mercy of the CrossStill I’ll never understand
Why a rebel so unworthy of such costWould be ransomed by Your hand
(repeat chorus)
“Revelation Song”
Worthy is the Lamb who was slainHoly, Holy, is He
Sing a new song to Him who sits onHeaven's Mercy Seat
(repeat)
chorus
Holy, Holy, HolyIs the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to comeWith all creation I sing
Praise to the King of KingsYou are my everythingAnd I will adore You
Clothed in rainbows of living color Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King
(repeat chorus)
Filled with wonder, awestruck wonder At the mention of Your NameJesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water Such a marvelous mystery
(repeat chorus)
God Receives Our Offerings
“…lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and wherethieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
This collection of our tithes and offerings is for those who consider New City Church their church family and regularly benefit from her ministry and want to invest in her mission. If you are visiting with us, please feel no obligation to give.
Hymn of Praise & Worship
“Jesus Shall Reign”
Jesus shall reign where’er the sunDoes his successive journeys run
His kingdom stretch from shore to shoreTill moons shall wax and wane no more
To Him shall endless prayer be made
And praises throng to crown His headHis name, like sweet perfume, shall rise
With every morning sacrifice
People and realms of every tongueDwell on His love with sweetest song
And infant voices shall proclaimTheir early blessings on His name
Blessings abound where’er He reignsThe pris’ner leaps to lose his chains
The weary find eternal rest
And all the sons of want are blest
Let every creature rise and bringPeculiar honors to our King
Angels descend with songs againAnd earth repeats the loud amen
God Sends Us Out Into The World With His Blessing
“God has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” ~ from Micah 6:8
Leader: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:18) .
Today after the service: We will continue our Newcomer’s class where you can learn moreabout New City Church. This class will introduce you to the vision and distinctives of New CityChurch, our hopes and dreams, and your part to play in it all. There will also be an opportunityto explore what membership at New City Church means with its privileges and responsibilities.All are invited to attend this classes that will be held for 45 minutes immediately after theworship service. Nursery will be provided.
Next Sunday Evening: Potluck dinner at the Confederation Park Activity Centre. All areencouraged to come back out. If you are able, please bring enough food for yourself/ familyplus 5 others. Feb. 13th, 6-7:30.
Engaging the Culture with the Gospel: Woodgreen Presbyterian Church is sponsoring aweekend with apologist Andy Bannister of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Session #1:“Ideas & Their Consequences: The Christian Worldview and Why It Matters” (Saturday, Feb.12, 7-9pm. Session #2: “In the World but not of the World: Understanding and Engaging Our Culture” (Sunday, Feb. 13, 5-6pm). No cost.
David Fitch will be speaking at Ambrose University, Feb. 16 & 17 at 7pm, on “The Future of Evangelicalism.” His website is www.reclaimingthemission.com. No cost.
New City Church Online. Visit us NCC online at www.NewCityChurch.ca. Here, you can findour sermons & sermon notes posted. You can also subscribe to our sermons via iTunes. Justsearch for “New City Church Calgary” and you can find us on iTunes. We’re also on Facebook& have a blog for those who are not on Facebook as well. All is accessible viawww.NewCityChurch.ca.* NCC-giving indicates funds raised outside of New City Church
All songs used by permission. CCLI license # 273300. Parts of the worship service are adapted from or
