“Worship From Home”

Sunday, April 12, 2020
Easter Sunday

Brothers and Sisters; Grace and Peace to you! I want to wish each of you a Happy Easter! Welcome to worship from home. I am glad you are able to join me this morning as we bring glory, honour and praise to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus. No matter where you are this morning, what you are wearing, how you are feeling, or what you may be dealing with; know that you are welcome here. Let’s prepare our hearts and minds for worship to our risen King.

Call to Worship (Responsively proclaim):

• Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, the Lord has Risen! He has Risen indeed! The Lord has Risen! Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting? Death has been swallowed up in victory. Christ has Risen indeed! Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has Risen! He has Risen indeed! Alleluia!

Opening Prayer:

Living God, on this most joyous day we offer our thanks and praise to you; creator of heaven and earth, creator and lover of all humanity. We praise you for Christ Jesus, the Saviour of the world. Born of a human, He shares our life. Eating with sinners, He welcomes us. Leading His followers, He guides us. Dying on the cross, He rescues us. Risen from the dead, He gives new life. We could never be thankful enough for this incredible gift. Accept our praise as we worship you this most holy day, because we have so much to be thankful for. This we offer in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Worship in Song:

In whatever way, sitting, standing, listening, meditating or singing, I invite you to join me in some songs of praise this morning. Just click the link and it should bring you to our music this morning. Let’s sing to the Lord.

• “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”

• “O Praise the Name” (Anastasis)

• “In Christ Alone”

Prayers of the People

     On this Easter morn we welcome you Jesus into our lives. We welcome your resurrection for it is life changing, life giving and life sustaining. We welcome the hope it brings to our world.  We welcome the joy it brings to our darkness.  We welcome the empty tomb for we know that it means you are not dead, but alive forevermore.

     Lord, may your resurrection give life to those are facing challenges today. Lord, may your resurrection give hope to those who are mired in despair, who feel hopeless, and who have given up all hope. Lord, may your resurrection give joy to those who feel no joy, and to those who have lost their way. This truly is a day to celebrate the glory of the risen Saviour. As we briefly pause, we ask that you would be with those who are still working in our communities who are exposed to the virus. Keep them safe and may you watch over their families. For those who are still working to keep us from going without, I pray that you would bless them with good health and safety. Be with our doctors and nurses and may you also watch over them so they may be able to assist the ill. We give you thanks that you are always with us, because we could never walk this path alone. To you be all glory! Thank you. This we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures:

Matthew 28:1-9:

“Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.”

Philippians 2:9-11:

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Hymn: “Because He Lives”

Devotion: “Jesus is Lord”

     Once again, we come to a very important date on the Christian calendar. This being said, it is more than just a date or holiday. It is Easter, a time of celebration. Easter morning has come just the same, but it feels different this year. With the virus shutting down life as we know it, we find ourselves worshiping at home. This does not mean that Easter is canceled. Jesus is still Lord, and He is risen! The words of our text are a shout of praise. They are a triumphant proclamation of what the Father God has done for Christ the Son as a result of the humiliation involved in His incarnation and shameful death on the cross. The apostle declares that because of this faithfulness of God’s unique and only begotten Son, He has been highly exalted to a position of sovereignty over all created things both in heaven and in earth. He declares that every tongue should proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

     Jesus Christ is Lord. What does that mean? Is that just an admiring title that has been given to Him? What are the implications of His being exalted to a position of lordship? The title lord is not as well known in our modern culture today as it was in biblical times. We are more familiar with terms that have a similar meaning, such as king, emperor, dictator, Prime minister, president, and commander in chief. The term lord is basically a title that carries with it the idea of ownership, authority, sovereignty, and power. This means that Jesus Christ has been given this divine authority from God and that every heart should recognize this, every tongue confess it, and every knee bow in acknowledgment of His lordship.

     (1). First, we need to know that Jesus Christ is Lord because of who He is. Jesus, our Saviour is the unique, sinless Son of God. He is the eternal Son who came and clothed Himself in the garment of human flesh. He lived on earth with the limitations of humanity as the eternal God with a human body. He was tempted in all points as we are, yet did not yield to sin. He has been exalted to lordship because of who He is. We hear a lot about this around Christmas, that God came to earth in the form of a little baby because the world was in need of a Saviour. It is all part of God’s greater plan. Will you acknowledge that Jesus is Lord because of who He is?

     (2). Second, Jesus Christ is Lord because of what He did. The eternal Son of God did not hold on to His being equal with God. He humbled himself and clothed Himself in human flesh, and limited Himself in submitting to God the Father. Philippians 2:6-7 tells us that ‘He did not consider equality with God, but He made Himself nothing. He became a servant of people, as we read in verse 7. Our Lord endured the humiliation, shame, and horror of death by crucifixion; the worst death imaginable. The word ‘excruciating’ comes from the word crucifix. Jesus died an excruciating death for you and me. He lived and died in the faith that God would give Him victory over death and the grave. God did raise Him from the cold chambers of death to live again. Hallelujah! It is proclaimed in scripture by the angel: “HE is not here, HE is Risen!”

     (3). Finally, Jesus Christ is Lord because of what He can do. This is Good News! Because He died for our sins, He can offer to us the gift of forgiveness. Will you call out and ask Him to forgive you? You sins have been taken care of on the cross. You are stamped with ‘paid in full!’ Jesus paid it all! As the hymn says: “Sin has left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.” Because our Lord Jesus conquered death and the grave and came forth alive, He can offer to us the gift of eternal life. God showed His love toward mankind because He loves you. Do you not know how much you mean to Him? “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him will never perish, but will have everlasting life” – John 3:16. Jesus came, lived, labored, died, conquered death, and lives forever to lead us to God. He lives and so is able to lead us into the world as servants of God. We do not serve a dead Saviour who lived a long time ago. An empty grave proves our Saviour lives. He is alive forevermore! 

We should recognize His authority over our time and His right to command our talents. That’s a Saviour worth serving.

            As we close this morning, I pray that you find Joy this Easter season. Even with all that is going on, trust in Jesus our risen Lord to help you through this time. I want you all to know that no matter where you are today or what you are dealing with, He loves you. Take time today to rejoice and give thanks for Jesus’ love; the cross of sacrifice; that He arose and lives; and for the free gift of Salvation. In Matthew 28:8, the women went to tell the disciples about the Risen Lord as they had been told! Friends, let’s do as the women did and spread this glorious news!  He is not here, He is Risen. Amen.

Let’s lift our voices once more this morning! He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! Amen? No matter what we are faced with in our futures, know that we walk hand in hand with a risen Saviour. ‘He walks with me, and talks with me along life’s narrow way.’ I hope you will feel blessed by this song.

Hymn: "He lives"

 Benediction:

“May the Lord bless and protect you; may the Lord’s face radiate with joy because of you; May He be gracious to you, show you His favour, and give you His peace.” Amen.

(Numbers 6:24-26)

***God Bless you! From our home to yours, we wish you a safe and Happy Easter!***