The Lords Day Worship Service

January 13, 2013 ~ 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 to make sense of life and are looking for a caring community, you are warmly welcome here. Were glad you came. There is a nursery available for kids aged 0-2 years. Kids are always welcome in the service with us too. After the Service Please stay around for some refreshments after the service and meet someone new. If we havent met you before, please come say Hello. Wed 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 Creator had woven Himself a robe of virgin flesh.

~ Paraphrased from Pestle on the Incarnation, 1584-1654 (Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth).

I would like to ask him [i.e., Jesus Christ] if he was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me.
~ Larry King, CNN Talk show Host

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see / Hail the Incarnate Deity Pleased as man with man to dwell / Jesus, our Immanuel [God with us].
~ from Hark the Herald Angels See

The God of the universe entered into our situation, taking on all the limitations of our physical existence. He did not save us from a distance but came as close to us as he possibly could, sympathizing with us in our sufferings. God did this because it was necessary for our salvation. It was only by becoming a man that the Son of God could offer his body as the sacrifice for our sins, or be raised bodily from the grave. Jesus had to become one of us to save us.
~ Phillip Ryken, Luke Vol. 1

Never let us forget that through this humiliation Jesus purchased for us a title to glory.
~ JC Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels

 God Calls Us To Worship Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6
The Call to Worship Leader: Unison: ~ based on Psalm 84:1-2, 10-12

Show us Your steadfast love, O God, and grant us Your salvation. How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! Our souls long, yes, faint for the courts of the Lord. Our hearts and our flesh will sing for joy to the living God, for a single day in Your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! For the Lord God is our Light and our Shield; the Lord bestows favor and honour. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord Almighty, blessed are those who trust in You!

Leader:

Unison:

Hymns of Praise & Worship I Give Thanks You have shown me Your favor unending You have given Your life for me And my heart knows of Your goodness Your blood has covered me I will arise and give thanks to You, Lord my God And your name I will bless with my whole heart You have shown mercy, You have shown mercy to me I give thanks to You Lord Lord, You have poured out Your healing upon us You have set the captives free And we know its not what weve done But by Your hand alone I will arise and give thanks to You, Lord my God And your name I will bless with my whole heart You have shown mercy, You have shown mercy to me I give thanks to You Lord

God of Wonders Lord of all creation Of water, earth and sky The heavens are Your tabernacle Glory to the Lord on high chorus God of wonders beyond our galaxy You are holy, holy The universe declares Your majesty You are holy, holy Lord of heaven and earth Lord of heaven and earth Early in the morning I will celebrate the light When I stumble in the darkness I will call Your name by night. (repeat chorus) (men): Hallelujah (women): To the Lord of heaven and earth (repeat 3x)

(repeat chorus) Better is One Day How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty My soul longs and even faints for You For here my heart is satisfied Within Your presence I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings chorus Better is one day in Your courts Better is one day in Your house Better is one day in Your courts Than thousands elsewhere (repeat) One thing I ask and I would seek To see Your beauty To find You in the place Your glory dwells (repeat chorus) My heart and flesh cry out For You, the living God Your Spirits water for my soul Ive tasted and Ive seen Come once again to me I will draw near to You I will draw near to You

God Graciously Renews Us in Christ Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love, in your great tenderness wipe away my offenses; wash me thoroughly from my guilt, purify me from my sin. ~ Psalm 51:1-2

Call to Confession Leader: Listen to the testimony of the psalmist,

~ based on Psalm 32:3-4, NLT

When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, I will confess my rebellion to the LORD. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Prayer of Confession ~ Silent confession and reflection. The Words of the Gospel Leader: Hear the Good News: The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just To forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ~ Psalm 145:14; based on 1 John 1:8-9

Songs of Response Forever Grateful You did not wait for me to draw near to You But You clothed Yourself in frail humanity You did not wait for me to cry out to You But You let me hear Your voice calling me And Im forever grateful to You And Im forever grateful for the Cross And Im forever grateful to You That You came to seek and save the lost Hail the Day Hail the day that Christ arose Through the skies to worlds unknown Glorious there He ever reigns Object of all Heavens praise See Him lift His hands above See the scars of His great love He has conquered death and sin Saving all who hope in Him chorus Hallelujah, hallelujah The King of Love is on His throne Hallelujah, hallelujah His grace will lead us safely home Though He dwells beyond the stars His redeemed are on His heart Even now He intercedes Jesus cares for all our needs

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

Todays Scripture Lesson: LUKE 2:1-21

Treasuring the Birth of the Son of God John Ferguson, Lead Pastor

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 4

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased! 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Leader: Unison: This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!
(notes)

 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 Lords Supper The Lords 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 New Covenant which Christ has established with them. Believers come to this Table to meet with 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 the Table. If you are not yet a Christian, or if for whatever reason you are not prepared to share in 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 thirstfor my Fathers will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal 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 also refrain from partaking until doing so. The pastor would be delighted to speak to families about what it means to participate in the Lords Supper. The Words of Institution

The Lord Jesus, on the night he 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 new covenant 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 Lords death until he comes. ~ 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The Sacrament of The Lords Supper Please come forward by rows to the center aisle and form a semi-circle in front of the Table to receive the bread and the wine. When finished, place your cup at the side tables and proceed to your seat via the outer isles. If you are unable to come forward we would be delighted to serve you at your seat. New City Church uses wine in serving the Lords Supper. We would encourage you to take of the wine since it is a symbol of joy and celebration in Scripture. However, juice is also provided if you cannot drink wine due to health reasons or issues of conscience. Prayers for Those Not Communing 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 guide me and teach me.

Open to me the reality of who you are. Grant that I might be undaunted in 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, and sinful than I had ever before dared to admit. Yet you tell me that I am more loved than I ever dared to hope, and that you accept all who turn to you in simple faith. I am doing that right now. I thank you for taking the justice that my sins deserved when you died on the Cross. I eagerly trust you for the forgiveness for my sins, and I receive from you now the eternal 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 rages within my heart. Grant that in my battles with sin, I may see in you the fulfillment of all my needs. 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 run with perseverance the race you have set before me, looking to you, the pioneer and champion of my faith. Amen. A Prayer for Children (who have yet to profess faith): Jesus, the Bible tells me that you blessed kids like me. Help me to know who you are and to understand what you have done for me. Amen.

Communion Hymns Ten Thousand Reasons chorus Bless the Lord, O my soul / O my soul Worship His holy name Sing like never before, O my soul I'll worship Your 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 (repeat chorus) 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 Sing like never before, O my soul I'll worship Your holy name Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name I'll worship Your holy name (repeat chorus) 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 (repeat chorus) Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

All I Have Is Christ I once was lost in darkest night Yet thought I knew the way The sin that promised joy and life Had led me to the grave I had no hope that You would own A rebel to Your will And if You had not loved me first I would refuse You still But as I ran my hell-bound race Indifferent to the cost You looked upon my helpless state And led me to the cross And I beheld Gods love displayed

You suffered in my place You bore the wrath reserved for me chorus Hallelujah! All I have is Christ Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now all I know is grace

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone And live so all might see The strength to follow Your commands Could never come from me Oh Father, use my ransomed life In any way You choose. And let my song forever be My only boast is You (repeat chorus) Before the Throne of God Above Before the throne of God above I have a strong, a perfect plea A great High Priest whose name is Love Who ever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on His hands, My name is written on His heart, I know that while in Heavn He stands No tongue can bid me thence depart No tongue can bid me thence depart When Satan tempts me to despair And tells me of the guilt within Upward I look and see Him there Who made an end to all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died My sinful soul is counted free For God, the Just, is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me To look on Him and pardon me Behold Him there! The risen Lamb My perfect, spotless Righteousness The great unchangeable I Am The King of glory and of grace! One with Himself I cannot die My soul is purchased by His blood My life is hid with Christ on high With Christ, my Saviour and my God With Christ my Saviour and my God

God Receives Our Offerings lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
~ Jesus, in Matthew 6:20-21

The Prayers of the People Leader: Unison: Let us pray

(The leader prays for specific requests as the assembly prays along with him).

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts As we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, Now and forever. Amen. The Presentation of our Tithes and Offerings 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 Come Praise and Glorify Come praise and glorify our God / The Father of our Lord In Christ He has in heavenly realms / His blessings on us poured For pure and blameless in His sight / He destined us to be And now weve been adopted through / His Son eternally chorus To the praise of Your glory To the praise of Your mercy and grace To the praise of Your glory You are the God who saves Come praise and glorify our God / Who gives His grace in Christ In Him our sins are washed away / Redeemed through sacrifice In Him God has made known to us / The mystry of His will That Christ should be the head of all / His purpose to fulfill (repeat chorus) Come praise and glorify our God / For weve believed the Word And through our faith we have a seal / The Spirit of the Lord The Spirit guarantees our hope / Until redemptions done Until we join in endless praise / To God, the Three in One (repeat chorus) Our Confession of Faith Leader: Unison: ~ Heidelberg Catechism #1

Christian, what is your only comfort in life and in death? That I belongbody and soul, in life and in deathnot to myself but to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the

The language of debt/debtor is not to be understood primarily in a financial sense but in the moral/ theological sense of our indebtedness due to our sins against God and others, or the sins others may have committed against us.

devil that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven, not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him!

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: People:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13) . Amen.

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Community Life

Thanks for visiting New City Church! Were delighted to have had you with us today. If you are looking for a place to explore Christianity and its life-changing relevance, we hope that you will find New City Church a safe place to ask questions and to grow in your understanding of the person and mission of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have any questions about New City Church, Christianity, or the uniqueness of Jesus of Nazareth, please dont hesitate to ask us. You can contact Pastor John at john@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.991.5555. If you work in the downtown area, touch base with Pastor Mike Ivancic who also works in downtown. You can contact Mike at mike@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.828.2241. Sunday School Info There will be a short meeting after the service today in the boardroom for all the teachers. Classes will resume Sunday, Jan. 18th. If you are interested in helping or being a part of this ministry, please contact Lana Bottomley (the-bottomleys@shaw.ca). New Ministry Coordinator: Gayle Eng! With new growth at NCC comes new challenges, not the least of which is organization and coordination. Gayle Eng has volunteered to act as a ministry coordinator. This role will no doubt evolve, but basically it will be designed to ensure all aspects of our church are coordinated to work effectively. Servant Team Leaders can go to Gayle with ideas, questions, or concerns. Gayle will keep a calendar to coordinate the various happenings in our community of faith Gayles oversight on the board of elders is Don Kitchener Gayles contact info: gayle.eng@live.ca / 587.215.7257 New City Catechism Question #3: How many persons are there in God? Answer: There are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power and glory. Designed to be used by individuals, families, & churches to learn the basic beliefs of Christianity. Check it out: http://www.newcitycatechism.com or http://newcitychurch.ca resources Be Ready: Reasonable Faith in an Uncertain World March 8 & 9, 2013 As ambassadors for Christ, Christians are called not only to communicate the Gospel to others, but also to be ready to answer questions that others may ask us about the hope that we have. This conference is an excellent opportunity to become better equipped for just such a task. New City Church is teaming up with Faith Beyond Belief, Centre Street Church, and Biola University to sponsor a conference bringing in some of the top Christian thinkers of our era to help equip you to articulate and defend the faith. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, JP Moreland, Clay Jones and Craig Hazen will all be speaking at this first of its kind conference in Calgary. Our own Pete de Jong is chairing the Faith Beyond Belief committee organizing this conference, and Pastor John Ferguson will be teaching a break-out session.

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For more details or to register, go to www.BeReadyCalgary.ca. Upcoming Conference: The Dungeon Flamd With Light Pastor Clint Humfrey and our friends at Calvary Grace Church are sponsoring a conference with guest speaker Michael Haykin (Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky). The subtitle of the conference is: Revival in 18th Century England & Its Lesson for Today. January 25-27, 2o13 @ St. John Lutheran Church. Visit Calvarygrace.ca for more info or to register. Weekly Servants Schedule

All songs used by permission. CCLI license # 273300. Parts of the worship service are adapted from or reprinted by permission from The Worship Sourcebook, c. 2004, CRC Publications.

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