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 SpiritMarch 25, 2012

The Lord’s Day

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

God of Wonders ByrdLord of all creation of water, earth and sky;

The heavens are Your tabernacle. Glory to the Lord on high!

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.

Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth.Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth.Hallelujah to the Lord of Heaven and earth.

You are holy, holy.

God of wonders beyond our galaxy, You are holy, holy.Precious Lord, reveal Your heart to me. Father, hold me, hold me.The universe declares Your Majesty. You are holy, holy, holy, holy!

Welcome and Preparation for WorshipI could never myself believe in God if it were not for the cross.... In the real world of pain, how could one worship a Godwho was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully beforethe statute of Buddha — his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remotelook on his face, detached from the agony of the world. But each time, after awhile, I have had to turn away. And inimagination, I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross — nails through his hands and feet,back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged inGod-forsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh andblood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of his. There is still a questionmark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross, which symbolizes divine suffering. Thecross of Christ is God’s only self justification in such a world as ours. ~John Stott

1 All songs used by permission or covered under CCLI license # 391165.

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But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witnessto it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all havesinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in ChristJesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness,because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, sothat he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. ~The Apostle Paul

God Opens His Gates & Calls His People InResponsive Call to Worship2 Revelation 15:3-4Pastor: Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!People: Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy!All: All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.

Prayer of Adoration & Praise Based on Psalm 51

Hymn of Praise

Holy, Holy, Holy DykesHoly, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty,

God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee,Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee.Who wert, and art, and evermore shall be.

Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth, and sky and sea,

Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty,God in three persons, blessed Trinity.

Reading of the Word: The Ancient of Days & The Son of Man from Daniel 7As I looked,thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of hishead like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out frombefore him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat injudgment, and the books were opened.... and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and hecame to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not passaway, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

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.2

God Forgives His People Their SinsWe Confess Our Need and Our SinO Lord of grace: left to ourselves, we are weak, fearful, and unworthy of your Name. Support and help us, O God!Forgive us and be merciful to us in Jesus Christ. We have sinned against you, but we come to you and pray: Accepthis worthiness for our unworthiness, his sinlessness for our transgressions, his purity for our uncleanness, hismeekness for our pride, his obedience for our lawlessness, his glory for our shame, his holy life for our unchasteways, his death for our lives. Do this, we pray, because of your great love, and because of the merits of the cross ofChrist, in whose name we pray. ...Silent & Personalized Confession of Sin... Amen!

In Christ God Has Forgiven Our Sin and Met Our Need Hebrews 4:14-16Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast ourconfession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respecthas been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we mayreceive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Worship with Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Sing to the King FooteSing to the King Who is coming to reign; Glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain

Life and salvation His empire shall bring and joy to the nations when Jesus is King.

Come, let us sing a song, a song declaring we belong to Jesus, He is all we need.Lift up a heart of praise, sing now with voices raised to Jesus, sing to the King.

For His returning we watch and we pray, we will be ready the dawn of that dayWe’ll join in singing with all the redeemed ’cause Satan is vanquished and Jesus is King!

At the Cross Morgan/ZschechOh Lord You’ve searched me, You know my ways

Even when I fail You, I know You love me

Your holy presence, surrounding meIn every season, I know You love me, I know You love me

At the cross I bow my knee, where Your blood was shed for meThere’s no greater love than this, You have overcome the grave

Glory fills the highest place, what can separate me now?

You go before me, You shield my wayYour hand upholds me, I know You love me

You tore the veil, You made a wayWhen You said that it is done

And when the earth fades, falls from my eyesYou stand before me, I know You love me, I know You love me

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Near the Cross CrosbyIn the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever;

Till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.

Jesus, keep me near the cross, there a precious fountainFree to all, a healing stream flows from Calvary’s mountain.

In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever;Till my raptured soul shall find rest beyond the river.

Prayers of Thanksgiving & Petition Elder Stuart Smith

His Tithes & Our Offerings

Anthem I Need Thee Every Hour Worship Choir

God Speaks to His People Through His WordSermon3 Pastor Tommy Lee

Series: “My Time is at Hand.” (Matt. 26:18)

VIII. Who is the Hero of This Story?Matthew 26:57-75

We Respond The Heidelberg Catechism, Question 1What is your only comfort in life and in death?That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He hasfully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watchesover me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all thingsmust work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal lifeand makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

God Adds to His ChurchWe Receive the Ladner Family into Membership Jacob & ErikaTo read more about the Ladner family, see page 6.

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?

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

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 yourselves to the government and discipline of the Church, and promise to study its purity and peace?

Prayer for the Ladner Family Elder George Godwin

God Invites His People to His TableThe 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.

Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted KellyStricken, smitten, and afflicted, see him dying on the tree!

’Tis the Christ by man rejected; yes, my soul, ’tis he, ’tis he.’Tis the long-expected Prophet, David’s Son, yet David’s Lord;

By his Son God now has spoken: ’tis the true and faithful Word.

Tell me, ye who hear him groaning, was there ever grief like his?Friends thro’ fear his cause disowning, foes insulting his distress;

Many hands were raised to wound him, none would interpose to save;But the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that Justice gave.

Ye who think of sin but lightly nor suppose the evil greatHere may view its nature rightly, here its guilt may estimate.Mark the Sacrifice appointed, see who bears the awful load;

’Tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed, Son of Man and Son of God.

Here we have a firm foundation, here the refuge of the lost;Christ’s the Rock of our salvation, his the name of which we boast.

Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, Sacrifice to cancel guilt!None shall ever be confounded who on him their hope have built.

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God Sends His People Out with Great BlessingBenediction4 Zephaniah 3:16,17On that day it shall be said to [the people of God]: “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your Godis in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he willexult over you with loud singing.”

Jesus Messiah TomlinHis body the bread His blood the wine

Broken and poured out all for loveThe whole earth trembled and the veil was torn

Love so amazing love so amazing

Jesus Messiah Name above all namesBlessed Redeemer Emmanuel

The Rescue for sinnersThe Ransom from heavenJesus Messiah Lord of allJesus Messiah Lord of all

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.

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Jacob & Erika Ladner have been attending DPC together for about a year. Erika is originally fromTuscumbia, and graduated from Covenant Christian School. Jacob is from Athens, and graduated fromDecatur Heritage Christian Academy. They met while attending the University of North Alabama (GoLions!) where they both graduated. They were married on August 6, 2011. Erika is the Shoals BureauReporter for WAAY 31 News, while Jacob works in Sales at Interstate Billing Service. They are alsoexpecting their first child in August. Jacob and Erika are very excited about getting involved in theministries of DPC.

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Series: “My Time is at Hand.” (Matt. 26:18)

VIII. Who is the Hero of This Story?Matthew 26:57-75Pastor Tommy Lee

I. The Courtroom: Humanity’s Shame, Christ’s Glory

� Jesus on Trial

� Jesus under Oath

� Jesus Condemned to Death

II. The Courtyard: Humanity’s Shame, Christ’s Glory

� Denial #1: Playing Dumb

� Denial #2: Adding the Oath, for Good Measure

� Denial #3: Mix in some Cursing & Swearing

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

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2:00pm Kick Off Spring KICK-BALL Extravaganza 7:00pm YBR @ the Schmidts’

TODAY

April 1 Palm Sunday April 4 Joel & Judy Linton Missionary Visit! April 6 Good Friday Service April 8 Easter Sunday April 15 Dads’ Prayer Meeting April 15 Guest Speaker Roy Hubbard May 3 National Day of Prayer May 6 Graduation Sunday May 6 Newcomers’ Lunch May 9 Kids Choir End of Year Parties May 13 DPC Mother’s Day Breakfast May 13 Ever After: Building Stronger Marriages May 16 Worship Choir & Band Music Appreciation June 18-22 The Edge June 25-29 VBS July 9-14 RYM

FOR YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday, 9:30am Women’s Bible Study @ DPC (nursery provided) 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

Medical MissionTrip to DR

PLEASE PRAY!Dr. Jay Suggs (medical)& Dr. Dale Hambright(dental) are leading amedical mission trip to

the Dominican Republic April 20 - 27.They are working with DPC supportedmissionary, Dr. Silvia Martinez. Pray forphysical needs to be met in order toopen the door to meet spiritual needs.More info to come.

WorldMissions Team/Committee

Meeting today following worship in theparlor. Anyone interested in world missions iswelcome and encouraged to attend. ContactDavid Mulligan at dcminala@gmail.com

for more info.

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DPC ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Walraven/Sasser Care Group will have aPot Luck Lunch at the church following worshipon today. Visitors welcome!

Faith PromiseDPC’s support of our world missionaries isfunded through our Faith Promise budget.Remember —

Faith Promise UpdateAt DPC our support of world missions comes from a sepa-rate fund than that of the general budget. Our global mis-sionaries are supported from the Faith Promise budget. Ifyou’d like to make a gift to Faith Promise, just designate itso on your check. Pledge Total: $66,920 Given YTD: $32,555 Unpledged Given YTD: $29,565

Kick Ball! Kick Ball!Come One, Come All!

“Kick” off spring with this fam-ily affair pitting ‘children’ of all

ages against one another!Care Groups will challenge Care Groups forDPC bragging rights!Children and Adults on every team.

Join us at 2:00 PM on today! Bring yourlawn chairs and your coolers!Come have some inter-genera-tional fun and get to know ourfamily of faith even better!

PRAY FOR YOUR CANDIDATESThe following men were nominated to anoffice in the church (or to return to one ofthe officer boards after a sabbatical): DaleHambright, Wade Littrell, Tim Lovelace,Scott Missildine, Jay Montgomery, DavidMulligan, Allen Schmidt. Please pray forthem as they enter into the officer trainingclasses. “And he gave [leaders] to equip thesaints for the work of ministry, for building upthe body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4)

(K-5) to lead us in worship onPalm Sunday (April 2). Our covenant childrenwill distribute palm branches during the Wor-ship Service. Meet in the Parlor at 10:25 (rightafter Sunday School) to help.

Contact Bill or Cindy with questions!

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Who wants to go to theDR?????

May 28-June 4 and/orJune 4-June 11

College/Career only(must have been out of high school one year)

June 11-18 and/or June 18-June 25Any age

Cost: $1400 one week$400 each additional week

Sign up by April 9thCall or email Carol Godwin

256.227.5614 or carolg@pclnet.netFundraising sample letter upon request

If you plan on going, get that passport immediately!

Baked Chicken BreastHashbrown Casserole / Green Beans

Rolls / Tea & LemonadeKids: Nuggets

Tear here and place in the offering plate

Please e-mail your dinner reservations and/or changesto debbie@decaturpca.org or call the church office @351-6010 ext. 2.

Name: ________________________________________

No. of meals: Adult _________ Kids ________

Name: ________________________________________

Date: _________________________________________

No. of meals: Adult __________ Kids ________

They’re Coming!DPC Supported

MissionariesJoel & Judy

Linton(Taiwan)

They will be here Wednesday,April 4 to give us an update ontheir ministry. Make plans now

to come hear them!

VBS ANNOUNCEMENTMark your calendars!

ForChildren

Rising K - 5th

June 25 - 29

King's Cross: The Study of the World in the Life of Jesus (using the book by TimKeller). Meeting in Room 167a (down the hall from the church office). The Temple/Walraven andThompson/G. Smith Care Groups are encouraged to attend together! And guest are always welcome!

An Introduction to Biblical Ethics (using the book by Robertson McQuilken). Meeting inRoom 158a (right off the sanctuary). The Suggs/Quinn and McMahan/S. Smith Care Groups areencouraged to attend together! And guests are always welcome!

The Sedona Class for Young Adults will be studying The Gospel of John (using the bookinspired by the Holy Spirit!). Meeting in Room 168a (off the back hallway, which can be accessedfrom the hallway across from the church office). The Godwin Care Group is encouraged to enjoy thisclass together! And guests are always welcome!

Church Staff Senior Pastor Tommy Lee tommy@decaturpca.org Assistant Pastor of Youth Steve Coward steve@decaturpca.org Worship Director Stu Schieler stu@decaturpca.org Director of Family Ministries Bill Nelson bill@decaturpca.org Interim Children’s Ministry Director Cindy Johnston cindy@decaturpca.org Office Coordinator Debbie Bell debbie@decaturpca.org

Session DiaconateGeorge GodwinMike McMahanKent QuinnGreg SmithStuart Smith

Jay SuggsBlake TempleSkip ThompsonChip Walraven

David AdamsJames FudgeScott Griess

Chris JohnstonSteve SasserDavid Whitcomb

Service Times 9:30am Sunday School 10:45am Worship

Decatur Presbyterian Church, P.C.A.2306 Modaus Road, Southwest / Decatur, Alabama 35603

Phone 256.351.6010 / Fax 256.351.6099 / www.decaturpca.org