Order of Worship:
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EASTER Saturday, April 5 (7 p.m.) & Sunday, April 6 (8:30 & 10:30 a.m.)
For Pre-Service Reading: Psalm 116, Page 148 In Front Of Hymnal
(10:30) Choir:“O Glorious Morn” (Accompanist: Amy Tester)
1. O glorious morn, O radiant day of gladness, Rejoice and sing, for Jesus lives again. O glorious morn, O radiant day of gladness, The rising sun dispelling former gloom, Lift up your heart, O soul once filled with gladness, For Christ the Lord is risen. Lift up your voice in joyful alleluias; Rejoice & sing, for Jesus lives again.
2. O day of joy, my Savior has arisen, The Easter joy dispelling former gloom. The King of kings hath broken death’s dark prison, Jesus our Lord is risen today. The Lord of lords hath conquered death’s prison; Rejoice & sing, for Jesus lives again.
3. O risen Lord, the bonds of death are broken, Rejoice and sing, for Jesus reigns again. O risen Lord, the bonds of death are broken; The empty tomb proclaims a vict’ry won; Therefore rejoice and sing with alleluias, for Christ the Lord is risen today. Therefore rejoice with joyful alleluias, rejoice & sing, for Jesus reigns again.
Hymn: “Easter Praise” (Written By Day School 7-8th Graders)
1. Praise the Lord Who sent His Son! His redeeming work is done.
Praise the Lord Who died for men! Who from death then rose again.
2. Christ did what we couldn’t have done, He for us the good fight won.
Song and praise to Him shall be, From sin’s curse we now are free,
3. Jesus died our souls to save - God’s own Son rose from the grave.
We shall rise again someday Just as Jesus did that Day.
4. Jesus, our great Lord is ris’n; He has freed us from death pris’n.
All our enemies now slain us eternal life to gain.
5. Jesus lives and reigns on high, Now our heav’nly home is nigh;
Gone forever death and hell, Loud our Savior’s praises swell.
The Invocation and Liturgy
P: O Lord, open Thou my lips.
C: And my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.
P: Make haste, O God, to deliver me
C: Make haste to help me, O Lord. 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. Hallelujah!
The Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15: 12 - 22
The importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the Christian faith could not be greater as the Apostle Paul spells out in his powerful “If not… then not” section. Yet he reaffirms that to which our God has testified throughout Scripture and of which the apostles were eyewitnesses: “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of all who sleep!”
(10:30) The Baptismal Hymn 750 (Supplement)
“See This Wonder In The Making”
The Baptism Of Olivia Rose Olmanson
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord – Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary,suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; The third day He rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty; From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
Hymn 208 (V 4-8) – “That Night The Apostles Met In Fear…”The Sermon……………………………………………………. John 20: 19 - 31
THE RISEN CHRIST CONVEYS EASTER POWER
1. The Power To Forgive Sins (V 19-23)
Then the same day at evening, when the doors were locked for fear of the Jews, and as the disciples were gathered, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And He showed them His hands and His side. They were glad when they saw the Lord. And Jesus said to them, “Peace to you. As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And He breathed on them and said: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; If you do not forgive, they are not forgiven.”
2. The Power To Believe (V 24-29)
But Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails and touch them and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days His disciples were again inside with Thomas. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you!” Then He said to Thomas, “ Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; And reach your hand here and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen me you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.”
3. The Power To Live Forever (V 30-31)
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book: But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His Name.
Our Gifts For The Proclamation Of The Easter Gospel
The Confession Of Sins And Absolution
The Consecration And Distribution of Holy Communion
Hymn 192 (V 1-3, 6 & 8)(Since Scripture presents the reception of this Sacrament as a most intimate expression of our unity of faith and confession of God’s Word, we ask that only those who have publicly professed such unity with us by membership at Berea or another CLC congregation come forward. Please speak with Pastor if you have questions or would like information on becoming a member.)
The Lord’s Prayer And Benediction
The Closing Hymn 207 (V 6) – “For The Joy…..”Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
