DPC Bulletin - December 4, 2011

Decatur Presbyterian Church, p.c.a.a Community of Grace

For what we proclaim is not ourselves,but Jesus Christ as Lord,

with ourselves as your servantsfor Jesus’ sake.2 Corinthians 4:5

The Worship of Father, Son & Holy SpiritDecember 4, 2011

Second Sunday of Advent

Welcome in the name of the Lord Jesus! If you are a guest with us, please be sure to sign our Registry when it is passedbefore the service. Children are welcome in our worship. We have a nursery available for children 3 and under. Children4 to 6 years of age may be dismissed to Godly Play prior to the sermon. Thank you for joining us today and may the Lordrichly bless you.

Song of Assembly1

Go Tell It On the Mountain Work/TaylorGo, Tell It On The MountainOver the hills and everywhereGo, Tell It On The Mountain

That Jesus is bornGo, Tell It On The MountainOver the hills and everywhereGo, Tell It On The Mountain

That Jesus Christ is born

Welcome and Preparation for WorshipAdvent is a time of waiting. Our whole life, however, is Advent – that is, a time of waiting for the ultimate, for the timewhen there will be a new heaven and a new earth, when all people are brothers and sisters and one rejoices in the words ofthe angels: “On earth peace to those on whom God’s favor rests.” Learn to wait, because he has promised to come. “I standat the door?” We however call to him: “Yes, come soon, Lord Jesus!” Amen. ~ Dietrich Bonheoffer

Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might… ~The Prophet Isaiah (chapter 40)

Reading for the Second Sunday of Advent Brian Schmid Isaiah 40:1-11

The Lord Gives Us His PresenceResponsive Call to Worship2 Psalm 145:8, 9, 1-4, 21Pastor: The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love! The LORD is good to all, and hismercy is over all that he has made!People: I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever!Pastor: Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.People: Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable!Pastor: One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts!All: My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever!

1 All songs used by permission or covered under CCLI license # 391165.2 We believe that God always initiates with sinners, so we begin worship with his invitation and command to us to gather in His name.

1

Prayer of Adoration (based on Psalm 85)

Hymn of Praise

Joy to the World WattsJoy to the world! The Lord is come; let earth receive her king;

Let every heart prepare Him room, and heav’n and nature sing,And heav’n and nature sing, and heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.

No more let sins and sorrows grow; nor thorns infest the ground,He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found, far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations proveThe glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love, and wonders, wonders of His love.

Meditation: We Wait 2 Peter 3:8-15aBut do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as oneday. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that anyshould perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavenswill pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that aredone on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives ofholiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be seton fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for newheavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent tobe found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation.

The Lord Gives Us His GraceWe Confess our SinLord Jesus, we confess our willingness to be loved but also our reluctance to love. We confess our readiness to acceptyour forgiving love but also our refusal to forgive. We confess our eagerness to grasp your offer of redeeming lovebut also our resistance to follow you without question. In this Advent time, forgive us our failure to respond as weshould. Come to us anew, and by your grace, assist us to receive you with joy, as the shepherds; with gratitude, asSimeon; with obedience, as Mary; with love, as you have loved us. Even so: come, Lord Jesus. ...Silent & PersonalizedConfession of Sin... Amen!

Words of Assurance Matthew 1:21She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

2

Worship with Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

O Come All Ye Faithful WadeO come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,

O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;Come and behold Him born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

Come let us adore Him, Come let us adore Him

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above;

Glory to God, all glory in the highest;O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

For He alone is worthy,For He alone is worthy,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.Come let us adore Him, Come let us adore Him

Yea, Lord we bless Thee, born for our salvation:Oh, Jesus forever be Thy name adored.

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,

O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.Come let us adore Him, Come let us adore Him

God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen English CarolGod rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day,

To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray;

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,O tidings of comfort and joy.

From God our heav’nly Father, a blessed angel came;And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same:

How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.

Surrender CottrellNo more running, no more hiding.

No pretending I’m OK.No more struggling, no more fighting.

Come and have Your way.3

I surrender, I bow down.I surrender, here and now.

I am captured, Yours forever.I surrender, I bow down.

You pursue me, You have found me.I fall helpless at Your feet.

Your possession, I am conquered.Love has set me free.

I come and worship, come and worshipWorship Christ, the new born king.

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Petition Elder George Godwin

His Tithes & Our Offerings

Anthem Christmas Hymn Worship Choir

The Lord Gives Us His WordSermon3 Pastor Tommy Lee

Advent: Living in ExpectationActs 1:1-11

The Lord Gives Us One AnotherThe Lord Adds to His Church Weston Stoler

Solemn Vows (PCA Book of Church Order §57-5)Do you acknowledge yourselves to be sinners in the sight of God, justly deserving His displeasure, and without hope exceptthrough His sovereign mercy?

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and Savior of sinners, and do you receive and rest upon Him alonefor salvation as He is offered in the Gospel?

Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomesfollowers of Christ?

Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your abilities?

Do you submit yourself to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

Prayer for Weston Stoler Elder George Godwin

3 4, 5, & 6 year-old children may be dismissed before the sermon to Godly Play in room 173.4

The Lord Gives Us His SacramentThe Sacrament of the Lord’s SupperCommunion, also called The Lord’s Supper or Eucharist, is the family meal of Christians. We invite all committedfollowers of Jesus Christ to share in this sacrament: those who are baptized members of a congregation that proclaims thegospel, who are at peace with God and their neighbor, and who seek strength to live in a deeper communion with Jesus.If you are not a Christian, or you are not prepared to share in this meal, we encourage you to spend this time in prayer.We hope that this time is helpful to you as you consider your relationship with Jesus Christ and with his people, the Church.

Come, Oh Redeemer, Come OrtegaFather enthroned on high,

Holy, holy ancient and eternal LightHear our prayer.

Come, oh Redeemer, come; grant us mercy.Come, oh Redeemer, come, grant us peace.

Lord, save us from the darkOf our striving faithless and troubled hearts

Weighed down.

Look now upon our need;Lord be with us. Heal us and make us free

From our sin.

The Lord Gives Us His BlessingBenediction4 Romans 1:12,13Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.” May theGod 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.

O Come All Ye Faithful WadeCome and behold Him born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him, O come let us adore Him,O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

4 Just as God called us into His presence at the beginning, so now He commands His blessing upon us as we depart. We look up and extend our handsin a posture of thanksgiving as we receive this great gift. Our final response to God’s assurance of His peace and presence upon those who are in Christis a chorus of joyful song.

5

Introduction of a New Member

Weston Stoler was born and raised in Decatur, Alabama. After graduating from Austin HighSchool, he studied at The University of West Alabama. Weston has a passion for learning how toexplain and apply the gospel in a biblical and clear way to children. He has two years of experiencein children’s ministry, including working at a Children’s Bible Camp last summer (SAMBICA inBellevue, Washington). Weston is looking forward to getting involved in the life and ministriesof DPC!

6

7

Advent: Living in ExpectationActs 1:1-11

Pastor Tommy Lee

1. A Word about Advent

2. Living in Expectation because of the Reality of the First Advent

3. Living in Expectation because of the Promise of the Second Advent

Sermons are available at the church web site www.decaturpca.org

8

December 11 The Majesty & Glory of Christmas December 16 Stampede Christmas Party December 18 YBR Christmas Party December 24 Christmas Eve Service January 22, 2012 Newcomers Lunch February 3-4, 2012 Common Ground Marriage Weekend February 17-19, 2012 Winter Youth Retreat March 2-3, 2012 Iron Men Retreat (held right here at DPC)

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

4:00pm Mercy Ministry Meeting 7:00pm YBR @ the Schmidts

TODAY

Wednesday, 11:30am Men’s Bible Study @ ADTRAN 5:30pm Dinner / Guests Welcome 6:00pm Kid's Choirs: 5 Year Olds - 2nd Grade / Kids of the King 3rd Grade - 8th Grade / Dare 2 Declare YBR Small Groups (9th - 12th Grade) 6:15pm Midweek Bible Study Worship Choir Practice 6:30pm 4 Year Olds & Kindergarten / Kid's Quest 1st -2nd Grade / Discovery Club 3rd -5th Grade / Discovery Club Stampede (6th - 8th Grade) 7:45pm Praise Band Practice Thursday, 12:00pm Women’s Bible Study @ Neighborhood Christian Center Friday, 6:30am Men’s Bible Study @ Temple, Inc.

THIS WEEK

9

DPC ANNOUNCEMENTSIron Men moment:“The Old Testament promises a rescuing King withall the perfected talents of many rulers. He would bea spirit-filled judge, a truthful prophet, an eternalpriest, a humble King, a sacrificial servant, a glorifiedSon of Man—and God himself. This Christ (theword simply means messiah or chosen one) is serious-ly heroic.I was reading recently an account of the death of StaffSergeant Olaf Schmid, a bomb-disposal expert work-ing with the British army in Helmand Province,Afghanistan. This man defused countless lethal IEDs— Improvised Explosive Devices. He cleared manyroads for his comrades before finally being killed inOctober 2009. An officer spoke of his admiration forSchmid in these moving words:‘Staff-Sergeant Oz Schmid was simply the bravestand most courageous man I have ever met. Underrelentless IED and small–arms attacks he stood tallerthan the tallest. He opened the road for the battlegroup to use and 24 hours later found and disarmed31 IEDs on another route... Everyone adored work-ing with him. I adored working with him... He savedour lives time after time and he will retain a veryspecial place in the heart of every Rifleman in ourextraordinary battle group. Superlatives do not dothis man justice. Better than the best of the best.’This is how a Christian man feels about Jesus ourKing. He is the man who laid down his life, taking theblast that we deserve, to clear the road to heaven forus. And the man driven by this gospel will admire andfollow Jesus as his commander and captain throughspiritual battles of every kind.” ~Richard Coekin

Iron Men of DPCForged by God; Sharpened by BrothersIron sharpens Iron, and one man sharpens another. ~ Proverbs 27:17

Christmas Eve ServiceDecember 24, 6:30pm

“Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! Howtouching to have the meaning of Christmasbrought to us by cola, fast food, and beer....Who’d have ever guessed that product con-sumption, popular entertainment, and spirituali-ty would mix so harmoniously?” ~ Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news ofgreat joy that will be for all the people. For untoyou is born this day in the city of David a Savior,who is Christ the Lord.” ... “Let us go over toBethlehem and see this thing that has happened,which the Lord has made known to us.” ~Luke 2

Youth Winter

February 17th-19th@ Camp McDowell

Cost: $95Registration & Payment Due By December 18th

NEWCOMERS TO DPC!

Please put this on your calendar: New-comers Lunch at the Lees’ home on Sun-day, January 22 (not the 15th, as

originally announced in the calendar).

10

MIDWEEK BIBLE STUDYDavid: Anointed King / Desperate Outlaw

Meal: 5:30pm Study: 6:15pmDavid has defeated the giant Goliath. Now hemust deal with the giant Saul. It's time to choosebetween what is easy and what is right. Again andagain and again.

Country Fried Steak w/White GravyMacaroni & Cheese/Baby Limas

Rolls/Tea & LemonadeKids: Nuggets

Tear here and place in the offering plate

Please e-mail your dinner reservations and/or changesto [email protected] or call the church office @351-6010 ext. 2.

Name: ________________________________________

No. of meals: Adult _________ Kids ________

Name: ________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________

No. of meals: Adult __________ Kids ________

All ladies over the age of 18 are invited toparticipate in Secret Sisters. What is SecretSisters? It is a fun way of providing encourage-ment to another sister in Christ. More informa-tion on what it is and what is required of you ison the desk in the Gathering Room. Sign up isgoing on now through the end of the year. Wewill begin in January and end in May. SeeElizabeth Lee if you have questions.

DPC 101If you're interested in exploring

membership at DPC, please see Tommy.

Gifts for the Nursery Workers

If you would like to contribute to gift bagsfor the nursery workers, please see AdrianeCoward. There are 7 workers this year soplease bring 7 of an item (stationary, bathproducts, gift cards etc.) to help fill thebags. Please have the items to Adriane byDec. 11th.

The celebration of the season of Advent (which begins on the 4th Sunday beforeChristmas day) dates back to the fourth century. It is a time that focuses our atten-tion on Christ’s first coming as well as his Second coming when he will return toredeem all of creation and rule with all power and authority. Since we know not theday or the hour of Christ’s return we are filled with both a sense of joyful expectationand humble reverence, with our spiritual focus being on lives of prayer and prepara-tion. The church has used the season of Advent (which means “coming” or “arrival”)to focus and reflect on the particular themes of the final judgment of the world, Johnthe Baptist’s preparation for the ministry of Christ, Christ’s entry into Jerusalem andthe annunciation to Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior of the world.Historically, the primary sanctuary color of Advent is purple, the color of royalty towelcome the Advent of the King. This points to the important connection betweenJesus’ birth and death. The nativity and the Incarnation cannot be separated fromthe crucifixion and the Atonement....A reformation Advent prayer summarizes this season. “Almighty God, give us graceto cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the timeof this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility;that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge boththe living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives andreigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”— from Redeemer Presbyterian Church: Explanations of the Church Year & LiturgicalElements