The Lord’s Day Worship Service

April 3, 2011 ~ The Fourth Sunday in the Season of Lent

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.
We’re glad you came.

After the Service

Please stay around for some refreshments after the service and meet someone new. 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 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

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in
these last days he has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things,
through who also He created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact
imprint of His nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of His power…For to which of
the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’?”
~ Hebrews 1:1-3a, 5

“And we bring you good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us
their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my son, today I
have begotten you.’
~ The Apostle Paul in Acts 13:32-33

“In spite of earth’s malignant rage, God manifests His King. He called His Son to be the heir of
all things. Upon His shoulder supreme government is laid. His hand receives the septre of
universal reign. He announces, ‘All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.’ Who can
resist? Who can withstand? Our Jesus is God’s King—by choice, appointment, will, and
sovereign decree.…But the day quickly comes when Jesus’ throne shall be universally
conspicuous. The wicked cannot hinder. Their rage can interpose no barrier. God hath
spoken. It must be. It must soon be.”
~ Henry Law, Daily Prayer and Praise

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and
those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’”
~ CS Lewis

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  God Calls Us To Worship 
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. ~ Psalm 150:6

The Call to Worship ~ from Psalm 91:2; Revelation 5:12; Romans 10:9, 13

Leader: We have gathered to worship the true and living God

as He has revealed Himself most fully in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unison: He is our refuge and our fortress, our God in whom we trust.

Leader: Let us confess with our mouths, “Jesus is Lord,”

and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead,
for, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Unison: With all the saints throughout history we say,

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth
and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.”

Leader: Let us call upon our one true Lord and God, believing Him in our hearts,
confessing Him with our mouths, and worshiping Him in spirit and in truth.

Hymns of Praise & Worship

“O Worship the King”

O worship the King all glorious above

And gratefully sing His wonderful love
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace

Whose robe is the light, Whose canopy space
His chariots of wrath the deep thunder clouds form
And dark is His path on the winds of the storm

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air, it shines in the light
It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain
And sweetly distills in the dew and the rain

Frail children of dust and feeble as frail

In Thee do we trust, nor find the to fail
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end
Our Make, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend

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 “Our Great God”

Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious and unknown

Your boundless love unfailing, in grace and mercy shown
Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone

chorus:
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our great God!

Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm

Surround us with Your angels, hold us in Your arms
Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm
Rise up, O Lord, and he will flee before our sovereign God

(repeat chorus)

Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird

Let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth
Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe
Sing praises to the living God, who rules them by His word

(repeat chorus)

 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: Our Lord Jesus instructs us with these words, “You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great
and first commandment.” As the Lord has instructed us as to what our deepest
loyalty should be, and because we have not lived fully in light of this
commandment, let us confess our sins to God, trusting in Christ as our Saviour
and Lord.

Prayer of Confession

Leader: God of grace and mercy, forgive us for the ways in which we elevate the things of
the world above You. There are times when we think we love You well, but upon
hearing Your call to love You with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our
strength, we confess that our love for You is at best a diluted love, made insipid
and flat by a divided heart. Our love seems pure only for brief moments, if at all.
Soon, our affections are drawn away by lesser loyalties. How easily our devotion
dies.


Seraphim are angels. Cf. Isaiah 6:2, “Above [the Lord] stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he
covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.”
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 ~ Silent confession and reflection.

Unison: Forgive us, O Lord; in deep mercy spare us, despite our fleeting love for
You. In Your mighty grace, rekindle in us a growing love for You in seeing
anew Your love which You have lavished upon us in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Words of the Gospel ~ based on Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24-25; 3:18

Leader: The proof of God’s amazing love is this: while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us. Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He
might bring us to God. He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that
we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been
healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the
Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Songs of Response

“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 God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace

chorus
Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

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)

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 “Revelation Song”

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat
(repeat)

chorus
Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing
Praise to the King of Kings
You are my everything
And 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 Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery

(repeat chorus)

 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 John Ferguson, Lead Pastor

“Redemption: God is Committed to Crowning His Son King (Part 3)”

2:1 Why do the nations rage saying,

and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.

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5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your
heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
Unison: Thanks be to God!
(notes)
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9 You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
  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 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, who
are connected to a church that proclaims His Gospel, and who are at peace with their
fellow believers, 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 thirst…for my
Father’s 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 Lord’s 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 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 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 Lord’s 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.

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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

“How Great Thou Art”

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy pow’r thro’out the universe displayed

chorus:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
(repeat)

When thro’ the woods and forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze

(repeat chorus)

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing

Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

(repeat chorus)
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 When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

(repeat chorus)

“Shout to the Lord”

My Jesus, my Savior
Lord there is none like You
All of my days I want to praise
The wonders of your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You

Shout to the Lord all the earth

Let us sing power and majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands

Forever I’ll love You
Forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to the promise
I have in You

 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: “Let us pray…”

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

Unison: “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.”

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 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. 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 sun

Does his successive journeys run
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons shall wax and wane no more

To Him shall endless prayer be made

And praises throng to crown His head
His name, like sweet perfume, shall rise
With every morning sacrifice

People and realms of every tongue

Dwell on His love with sweetest song
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name

Let every creature rise and bring

Peculiar honors to our King
Angels descend with songs again
And earth repeats the loud amen

Our Confession of Faith ~ Philippians 2:5-11

Leader: Let us confess our faith together…

Unison: We believe in our hearts and confess with our lips that
Christ Jesus, “being in very nature God
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself

and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place

and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
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 in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. 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 grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of
Jesus our Lord.”

People: Amen!

 Community Life 

Tonight - The Easter Experience

At New City Church, we’re marking the season of Lent (leading up to Easter) with a 6-week
DVD study called, “The Easter Experience.” Tonight is week #4, “My Life Has a Plan,” so
make plans now to carve out the upcoming Sunday evenings to come together as a
community of faith to reflect more deeply upon the necessity of the death of Jesus of
Nazareth and its meaning for our own spiritual lives. (Dates: April 3, 10, & 17. Easter is on
Sunday, April 24th). Coffee, tea & desserts will be provided.

Downtown Study Group

The Downtown Study Group will resume their meetings this Thursday, April 7 th. Location:
The offices of New North Resources: Ste 885, 700 4th Ave SW (McFarlane Tower @ the
NW corner of 6th St & 4th Ave). Ring the bell for entrance. If you have any trouble
accessing the office, call Brad Osborne at 403.803.3916. For more info about the study
group, contact pastor Mike at 403.828.2241.

Tuesday Women’s Bible Study

You are invited to come and study the book of Ephesians with us. We are meeting every
Tuesday morning from 9:30 to 11:30. Come prepared to learn about God's love, freedom
and empowering strength towards us. Time commitment consists of weekly meetings and
approximately 10 minutes guided homework per day. We are meeting at Heather
Ferguson's home (331 Citadel Drive NW) this Tuesday, April 5. For more information
contact Joan Schmitt (403-935-4188 / gardeningjoan@yahoo.com).

“The Excellent Wife” Book Study

We are reading and studying The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace. This is a book directed
to women who want information about God's plan, pattern and purpose for marriage. We're
meeting every second Saturday from 1-2:30 at Gail Snyder's home. We will have our first
meeting on Saturday, April 16th. Contact Joan Schmitt (403-935-4188 /
gardeningjoan@yahoo.com) for more details.

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Thursday Tuscany Community Group is NOT meeting this week.

The Marriage Course

We have plans to offer “The Marriage Course” in the near future. Previous to that, we need
to form a planning committee to work out the details of this service to New City Church and
outreach to our community. If you are interested, please speak to Pastor John.

Service Opportunity / Mercy Ministry

New City Church takes a team once a month and teams up with The Mustard Seed which
serves the basic needs of our cities needy. Please take the opportunity to prepare & serve
meals on one of the upcoming dates: April 16, May 14 and June 11. For more info, contact
Annie Arguile (403.283.8322 / i_have_2_kids@hotmail.com).

Coffee with a Pastor?

If you have any questions about Christianity, or would simply like to get together and talk
about the issues of life, pastors John and Mike are available to you. Coffee is on them!
You can contact John at john@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.991.5555. If you work in the
downtown area, touch base with asst. pastor Mike Ivancic who also works in downtown.
You can contact Mike at mike@newcitychurch.ca or call 403.828.2241.

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.

Weekly Servants

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