5 DECEMBER 2021
Sunday Program
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(PJ’s note) What is meant by “Advent”? It simply means “coming” or “arrival” – from Latin “advenire” or “adventus”. For Christians, the “advent” points to all of past, present and future. Past, because Christ came as promised. Present, because we yearn His nearness now. Future, because He is returning in glory! (Rowan Williams, A Ray of Darkness) “The Advent tension is a way of learning again that God is God: that between even our deepest and holiest longing and the reality of God is a gap which only grace can cross; otherwise we are alone again, incommunicado, our signals and symbols bounced back to us off the glassy walls of the universe.’” (Bernard of Cliarvaux) “What is more deplorable, what more hateful, what more grievously punishable than that, after seeing the God of heaven become a Little One, man should any longer endeavor to glorify himself upon earth? It is an intolerable insolence that when Majesty has annihilated itself, a worm of earth should inflate and puff itself up.” (Alphonsus Liguori) “If our Redeemer had come to be feared and respected by men, He would have come as a full-grown man and with royal dignity; but because He came to gain our love, He chose to come and to show Himself as an infant, and the poorest of infants, born in a cold stable between two animals, laid in a manger on straw, without clothing or fire to warm his shivering little limbs.”
Presider: Sijin Yang Preacher: P. Jim Jung CALL TO WORSHIP Psalm 24:1-6 1 The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 5 He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah SILENT CONFESSION Let us prepare our hearts by privately confessing our sins to our loving Heavenly Father. Be honest before God, and bear your heart and soul to Him. Thank Him and Praise Him for the good things; and confess those sins you knowingly and unknowingly commit, even the sin of omitting the good that you ought to have done. (Silent Private Prayer) ASSURANCE OF PARDON (In Christ, our sins are covered!) Hear the good news of the forgiveness of your sins! 1 Peter 2:24 “24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” PRAYER OF ADORATION AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The New City Catechism – Q&A #50 Q. What does Christ’s resurrection mean to us? A. Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected, so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Just as we will one day be resurrected, so this world will one day be restored. But those who do not trust in Christ will be raised to everlasting death. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 “13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” SONGS OF PRAISE The Creed Good and Gracious King OFFERING Living Hope To help you think about your level of giving, here is the financial snapshot of HCC for this month: Last week’s Giving: $3,265.00 Total Giving for November: $18,799.00 Monthly Budget: $15,500 Sydney Space: $34,330.50 GENERAL TITHES & OFFERINGS vs. SYDNEY SPACE OFFERING These are two separate HCC accounts (BSB: 082 057). For General Tithes and Offerings (16 207 4037); and specifically for Sydney Space (32 844 5724). At the end of each month, 10% of all general tithes and offerings will go towards SS account as “seed money”. Please DO NOT reroute your general giving towards SS account. SS is specifically to give above and beyond your general commitment. PRAYER FOR CHRIST'S CHURCH & THE WORLD (Ellis) SCRIPTURE READING Isaiah 7:14 (Ellis) SERMON “The Coming of Our Saviour” (Luke 2:1-7) The Coming of Our Saviour The Humility of Our Saviour Room for Our Saviour ANNOUNCEMENTS RESPONSIVE SONG I Want to Know You BENEDICTION 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 “23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”
THE ADVENT OF OUR GOD
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WELCOME TO HCC! We are a gospel centered church seeking the renewal of our city by the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the glory of God! We are so glad to have you join us for our worship service today. If you’re with us for the first time, please let us know who you are by filling out our please fill out the 'Newcomers Form' here and we’ll get in touch! Sunday Worship 10:30 AM Worship Service We'd love for you to join us for our weekly Sunday services. You can join us in person at Next Gen or online via our church Facebook Page. Past sermons can be found here. Church Office Suite 3.17, 32 Delhi Rd, North Ryde NSW 2113 OFFERING Offering is part of our worship to God. The Bible gives us an enduring principle of tithing of our gross income as the baseline for the Christian’s worship through giving (2 Cor 9:7; Malachi 3:8-10). If every church member gave 10%, we would have enough financial resources for all the gospel ministry God is calling our church to do. Let the Spirit guide you in all final matters. You may give electronically to the account details below:
Account Name: Harbour City Church BSB: 082 057 Account No. : 16 207 4037 Account Name: HCC Sydney Space BSB: 082 057 Account No. : 32 844 5724
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY Sunday worship services at Harbour City Church include our children. Families with babies and toddlers are welcome to use the "open creche" to care for the needs of your children. Children's Bible Story Time for older kids up to Year 6 is currently on hold until further notice due to current space restrictions. If you have any questions about Children's Ministry, please contact Gloria. GROWTH GROUPS GGs are small group support and accountability units, available to all members and regulars. COMMUNITY GROUPS CG’s include mixed fellowship and activities, but will not be meeting during the current “distancing” season. ELDERS
Jim Jung Senior Pastor 0430 423 986 Jason Ju Ruling Elder 0422 647 599 David Choi Ruling Elder 0433 666 991
KEEP IN TOUCH Find us online for regular posts, reflections and to get to know us a little better via our Facebook, Instagram and website. Facebook: @harbourcitychurch Instagram: @hcc_syd www.harbourcitychurch.com
1. Adoration Praise the Father for His attributes and actions 2. Confession Confess and acknowledge your sinfulness 3. Thanksgiving Thank Jesus for His salvation 4. Supplication Ask the Spirit to transform you
HCC CALENDAR View our church calendar for regular and upcoming events via the link above. COMMUNITY BIBLE READING Please join us in daily reading of God's word as a church body. There is an app available for the reading plan 'Community Bible Reading' and a link available here. PRAYING THROUGH YOUR PEN DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Was God ever obligated to save sinners? What is the significance of God’s approach and initiation to come near us? Compare the “King of Kings” and other “earthly kings”. Who is more glorious? How can we see the glory of the true King? How much “room” does the Lord of the universe take up in your heart and life? Is there a room for repentance and transformation? What was the most helpful/challenging/encouraging part of the sermon for you?
WELCOME TO HCC Thank you for joining our HCC worship. If you are new to our church, we want to welcome you and would love to get to know you. Please fill out the 'Newcomers Form' HERE and we’ll get in touch! For any more information about anything or to respond to any announcements, you can always email info@harbourcitychurch.com DOG DAY AFTERNOON Join us next Sunday 12 December, 2PM at Blenheim Park, North Ryde for an HCC Dog Day Afternoon! BYO Dog. Reach out to Events Team for any questions! CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE Invite your friends and family for Christmas Service followed by Lunch. Time: 10am - 2:30 pm Location: North Ryde School of Arts Community Centre COMMUNITY GROUP BOXING DAY Live stream worship together, fellowship and have lunch! Be sure to let your CG leader know you’ll be attending. Contact info@harbourcitychurch.com to get plugged in. CHRISTMAS PICNIC FOR REFUGEE The Sydney Refugee Team is organizing a Christmas picnic for refugee families on Saturday 11th December. The team is in significant need of catering for: Home cooked lamb, salads, and desserts. A sign-up sheet will be available on the HCC FB Group. Contact Cyril or anyone from the M&J team for more information. SAVE THE DATE HCC CAMP IS BACK ON! 14–16 January 2022, Kiah Ridge Conference Centre. Please fill out the re-registration form on our FB event. Reach out to Events Team for any questions! COMMUNITY LIVE WORSHIP Community Live Worship returns (both in person and virtually)! Join your Community Group for morning tea, live stream worship together, and catch up and fellowship afterwards. If you'd like to join a Comm Group, contact us at info@harbourcitychurch.com GROWTH GROUPS HCC growth groups meet every week except for during school holidays. Be sure to get connected in these small group meetings for care, accountability, sermon reflection, prayer, and fellowship. Please remember to follow all necessary safety protocols and to meet virtually during this time. If you’d like to get plugged into a group, contact P. Jim, Elder David, Delaney, Sarah G or email info@harbourcitychurch.com. We strongly encourage you all the more to join a growth group while community groups are on hold. COVID-19 UPDATE Please continue to stay safe and informed of COVID-19 developments. Stay in touch with one another, and please let us know if there's anything the church leadership can help with.
WHAT'S ON AT HCC