Please use this link for the

Zoom Worship Service March 26, 2023 at 8:30 AM

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81188368778?p30wd=QzZNMlFNNWVRVFIyUXZieWtNWkV0UT09

March 26, 2023

Acton Community Presbyterian Church

P.O. Box 177, 32142 Crown Valley Road, Acton, CA 93510

Message: 661-208-8032 w www.actonpc.org

1888 – 2023 Celebrating Heritage and Sharing Hope

“Lent … should never be morose—an annual ordeal during which we begrudgingly forgo a handful of pleasures. Instead, it ought to be approached as an opportunity. After all, it is meant to be the church’s springtime, when out of the darkness of sin’s winter, a repentant, empowered people emerges.” —Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter

WELCOME, ANNOUNCMENTS, GUESTS AND SPECIAL DAYS

CALL TO WORSHIP

Leader: Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
People: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
Leader: It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
People: Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Leader: Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

OPENING HYMN #310 Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee

1 Jesus, the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills my breast;
But sweeter far Thy face to see, And in Thy presence rest.

2 Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame, Nor can the mind recall
A sweeter sound than Thy blest name, O Savior of us all.

3 O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek,
To those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek!

4 But what to those who find? Ah, this Nor tongue nor pen can show;
The love of Jesus, what it is, None but His loved ones know.

5 Jesus, our only joy be Thou, As Thou our prize will be;
Jesus, be Thou our glory now, And through eternity.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

O Lord, forgive us for our failure to keep your commandments. We confess that we often try to make ourselves look good on the outside, yet do nothing about the sin that dwells within us. Outside we look righteous, moral and upright, yet inside we are filled with anger, lust, greed, lies and idolatry. In spite of our church attendance, scripture reading, and financial contributions, we have disregarded your call to justice, purity, love, encouraging speech and mercy. Lord, we should have done the latter without neglecting the others. We have thrust ourselves into the best positions, because we thought we deserved them, yet the truth is we are unworthy of any blessing. Have mercy on us for being Pharisaical. May you cleanse us—all of us and all of who we are—from the inside out.

SILENT CONFESSION PRAYERS FOR GOD’S PEOPLE

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3 things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us.4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. In the sight of their ancestors he worked marvels in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea and let them pass through it, and made the waters stand like a heap. 14 In the daytime he led them with a cloud, and all night long with a fiery light. 15 He split rocks open in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as from the deep. 16 He made streams come out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down like rivers.

The Word of the Lord, Thanks be to God

NEW TESTAMENT READING: Matthew 21:23-32

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?’ And they argued with one another, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” But if we say, “Of human origin”, we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.’ So they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And he said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ‘What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not”; but later he changed his mind and went. The father^[e] went to the second and said the same; and he answered, “I go, sir”; but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?’ They said, ‘The first.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.

The Gospel of the Lord, Praise to You Lord Christ

SERMON : Dr. Randy Working “Authority from God”

CALL FOR OFFERING–Congregation sings

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

AFFIRMATION OF FAITH The Heidelberg Catechism, #27 & 28
Pastor: What do you understand by the providence of God?
All: Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty—all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand.
Pastor: How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?
All: We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from his love. All creatures are so completely in his hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

HYMN #376 Love Devine, All Loves Excelling

1 Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling, All Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation, Enter every trembling heart.

2 Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit, Let us find that second rest;
Take away the love of sinning; Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.

3 Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never, Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray, and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.

4 Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory, Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

HOLY COMMUNION

CLOSING HYMN #423 Jesus Shall Reign Where’s the Sun

1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun Does its successive journeys run,
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 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.

3 People and realms of every tongue Dwell on His love with sweetest song,
And infant voices shall proclaim Their early blessings on His name.

4 Blessings abound where'er He reigns; The prisoners leap to lose their chains,
The weary find eternal rest, And all who suffer want are blessed.

5 Let every creature rise and bring Peculiar honors to our King;
Angels descend with songs again, And earth repeat the loud amen!

BENEDICTION – The Lord Be With You

Congregation sings

God Be With You God be with you till we meet again, By his counsels guide, uphold you, With his sheep securely fold you God be with you till we meet again.

**Offerings

1. May be deposited in the Offering Box in the Narthex.

2. Processed through “E-Give” online at actonpc.org

3. Send a check to Acton Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 177 Acton, Ca. 93510

UPCOMING EVENTS – MARK YOUR CALENDARS

.

March 30 – 6 p.m. Seder Service

April 2 – Palm Sunday

April 7 – 12 p.m Good Friday Service

.

                                                        Santa Clarita Valley Concert Band

Saturday 05/13/23 7:00PM at Canyon Theatre Guild

Monday 05/29/23 9:30AM at Eternal Valley

Saturday 06/24/23 7:00PM at Friendly Valley