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ORDER OF WORSHIP:
Welcome
Opening Hymn - "Christ The Lord Is Risen Today" - words and MIDI music
Invocation
The Lord's Prayer - with MP3 audio
The Six Certainties Of The Christian Faith
Worship Poem - "Holy, Holy, Holy!"
Scriptures and Teachings - "The Resurrection Of Jesus"
Prayer For You - "To Those Who Have Their Doubts"
Holy Communion
Closing Hymn - "In The Garden" - words and MIDI music
Benediction
* * *
Welcome
Welcome to Easter Worship Service At Internet Church Of Christ - 2011 .
Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Opening Hymn
Christ The Lord Is Risen Today
MIDI music file at http://www.patriot.net/users/bmcgin/ctl.mid Words by
John Wesley, music from Lyra Davidica, London, 1708. MIDI file by
anonymous. All are Public Domain.
CHRIST, THE LORD, IS RISEN TODAY - by Charles Wesley, 1707-1788 -
Public Domain
"CHRIST, the Lord, is risen to-day,"
Sons of men and angels say!
Raise your joys and triumphs high:
Sing, ye heavens; thou earth, reply.
Love's redeeming work is done;
Fought the fight, the battle won:
Lo! the sun's eclipse is o'er,
Lo! he sets in blood no more!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal,
Christ hath burst the gates of hell:
Death in vain forbids his rise,
Christ hath opened Paradise.
Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save;
Where's thy victory, boasting grave
Soar we now where Christ hath led,
Following our exalted Head:
Made like him, like him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
King of glory! Soul of bliss!
Everlasting life is this,
Thee to know, thy power to prove,
Thus to sing, and thus to love.
More songs like this at http://www.Christmusic.ws
Invocation
O Lord, we come together in Your name,
And as You promised, we know You are here.
AND SO WE WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS,
AND PRAY THAT YOU FIND PLEASURE HERE WITH US,
AS WE, YOUR LOVING CHILDREN WORSHIP YOU.
We now invite You to reveal Yourself,
And share with us Your presence, openly,
FOR YOU ARE EVERYTHING THAT WE DESIRE,
AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE, WE GIVE TO YOU.
In Jesus' holy name we pray, Amen.
The Lord's Prayer
MP3 digial audio file available at
http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/lordsprayer.mp3
FREE. Public Domain.
The Lord, Himself, taught us to pray like this . . .
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
Source: Book Of Common Prayer, based on
Matthew 6:9-13
* * *
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
(Matthew 6:14-15 KJV)
* * *
The Six Certainties Of The Christian Faith
1. There is one God, Creator of all things.
2. The Bible is the inspired written Word of God, sufficient to guide all
human action.
3. Jesus Christ is the only-begotten Son of God.
The words "only-begotten" mean "only-fathered," that
is, Jesus is the only human ever directly
fathered by God (not by physical contact, but by spiritual
alteration of the mother's egg, described as being "overcome by the
Holy Spirit.")
4. Jesus was crucified, dead and buried, then rose from the dead, by the
power of God, and lives today in Heaven and in the hearts of those who
believe in Him.
5. If we believe in Him, we will not perish, but will have eternal life,
forever with Him.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life." (John 3:16 KJV)
"Believing in Him" means: that we accept the fact that He is Son of God,
risen from the dead; that we accept Him as our own personal Lord; that we
try to follow His commandments as best we know how; that we are always
willing to declare our faith in Him, openly and without hesitation. This
fifth certainty leads easily into "The Gospel Of Jesus Christ,
Simplified," which is . . .
"You give yourself totally to Him, and
He takes good care of you forever."
6. The most important thing He wants us to do is to love: to love God
first of all, then to love all other people the same as we love ourselves,
using His love for us as our example. We do this best by following the
Golden Rule, which summarizes and encompasses all of God's Law for
mankind. Jesus said that the Golden Rule IS "the law and the prophets."
The Golden Rule
"Treat others as you would like to be treated."
_____________________________________________________________
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to
you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
(Matthew 7:12 KJV)
_____________________________________________________________
Note that He says, "for this IS the law and the prophets,"
not "for this is required by the law and the prophets."
<><
Blessings to you in Jesus Christ our Lord.
I have accepted Jesus as my Lord;
I know that God has raised Him from the dead,
And now He dwells within me, in my heart.
I love the Lord, and only Him I serve;
I have no fear, for I am in His hands.
wem
Worship Poem
Holy, Holy, Holy!
Words by Reginald Heber; music - "Nicaea," by John B. Dykes. MIDI
sequence, anonymous. All are Public Domain.
MIDI music file at http://www.patriot.net/users/bmcgin/nicaea.mid
HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! - by Bishop Reginald Heber, 1827 - Public Domain
Holy, 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 shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy!
Though the darkness hide Thee!
Though the eye of sinful man
Thy glory may not see;
Only Thou art holy!
There is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow'r in
Love, and purity.
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!
Amen.
Scriptures And teachings
The Resurrection Of Jesus
JOHN 20 (RSV)
The Resurrection Of Jesus
_____________________________________________________________
1
Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to
the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the
stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2
So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other
disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them,
"They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not
know where they have laid him."
3
Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went
toward the tomb.
4
They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and
reached the tomb first;
5
and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying
there, but he did not go in.
6
Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the
tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying,
7
and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with
the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
8
Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also
went in, and he saw and believed;
9
for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must
rise from the dead.
10
Then the disciples went back to their homes.
11
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept
she stooped to look into the tomb;
12
and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of
Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
13
They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said
to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do
not know where they have laid him."
14
Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but
she did not know that it was Jesus.
15
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do
you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to
him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you
have laid him, and I will take him away."
16
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in
Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher).
17
Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet
ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to
them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my
God and your God."
18
Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have
seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these
things to her.
19
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the
doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the
Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them,
"Peace be with you."
20
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his
side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the
Father has sent me, even so I send you."
22
And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said
to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.
23
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you
retain the sins of any, they are retained."
24
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not
with them when Jesus came.
25
So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the print
of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the
nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe."
26
Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house,
and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus
came and stood among them, and said, "Peace be with you."
27
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my
hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do
not be faithless, but believing."
28
Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!"
29
Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have
seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet
believe."
30
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the
disciples, which are not written in this book;
31
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.
_____________________________________________________________
Scripture With Commentary
The Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday)
From: John 20:1-9
The Empty Tomb
--------------
[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken
away from the tomb. [2] So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the
other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have
taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid
Him." [3 ]Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went
toward the tomb. [4] They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter
and reached the tomb first; [5] and stooping to look in, he saw the
linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. [6] Then Simon Peter
came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths
lying, [7] and the napkin, which had been on His head, not lying with
the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. [8] Then the other
disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and
believed; [9] for as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must
rise from the dead.
***********************************************************************
Commentary:
1-2. All four Gospels report the first testimonies of the holy women and
the disciples regarding Christ's glorious resurrection, beginning with
the fact of the empty tomb (cf. Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1ff; Luke
24:1-12) and then telling of the various appearances of the risen
Jesus.
Mary Magdalene was one of the women who provided for our Lord during
His journeys (Luke 8:1-3); along with the Virgin Mary she bravely
stayed with Him right up to His final moments (John 19:25), and she saw
where His body was laid (Luke 23:55). Now, after the obligatory
Sabbath rest, she goes to visit the tomb. The Gospel points out that
she went "early, when it was still dark": her love and veneration led
her to go without delay, to be with our Lord's body.
4. The Fourth Gospel makes it clear that, although the women, and
specifically Mary Magdalene, were the first to reach the tomb, the
Apostles were the first to enter it and see the evidence that Christ
had risen (the empty tomb, the linen clothes "lying" and the napkin in
a place by itself). Bearing witness to this will be an essential
factor in the mission which Christ will entrust to them: "You shall be
My witnesses in Jerusalem...and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8; cf.
Acts 2:32).
John, who reached the tomb first (perhaps because he was the younger),
did not go in, out of deference to Peter. This is an indication that
Peter was already regarded as leader of the Apostles.
5-7. The words the Evangelist uses to describe what Peter and he saw in
the empty tomb convey with vivid realism the impression it made on
them, etching on their memory details which at first sight seem
irrelevant. The whole scene inside the tomb in some way caused them to
intuit that the Lord had risen. Some of the words contained in the
account need further explanation, so terse is the translation.
"The linen clothes lying there": the Greek participle translated as
"lying there" seems to indicate that the clothes were flattened,
deflated, as if they were emptied when the body of Jesus rose and
disappeared--as if it had come out of the clothes and bandages without
their being unrolled, passing right through them (just as later He
entered the Cenacle when the doors were shut). This would explain the
clothes being "fallen", "flat" "lying", which is how the Greek
literally translates, after Jesus' body--which had filled them--left
them. One can readily understand how this would amaze a witness, how
unforgettable the scene would be.
"The napkin...rolled up in a place by itself": the first point to note
is that the napkin, which had been wrapped round the head, was not on
top of the clothes, but placed on one side. The second, even more
surprising thing is that, like the clothes, it was still rolled up but,
unlike the clothes, it still had a certain volume, like a container,
possibly due to the stiffness given it by the ointments: this is what
the Greek participle, here translated as "rolled", seems to indicate.
>From these details concerning the empty tomb one deduces that Jesus'
body must have risen in a heavenly manner, that is, in a way which
transcended the laws of nature. It was not only a matter of the body
being reanimated as happened, for example, in the case of Lazarus, who
had to be unbound before he could walk (cf. John 11:44).
8-10. As Mary Magdalene had told them, the Lord was not in the tomb;
but the two Apostles realized that there was no question of any
robbery, which was what she thought had happened, because they saw the
special way the clothes and napkin were; they know began to understand
what the Master had so often told them about His death and resurrection
(cf. Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22; etc....)
The empty tomb and the other facts were perceptible to the senses; but
the resurrection, even though it had effects that could be tested by
experience, requires faith if it is to be accepted. Christ's
resurrection is a real, historic fact: His body and soul were
re-united. But since His was a glorious resurrection unlike Lazarus',
far beyond our capacity in this life to understand what happened, and
outside the scope of sense experience, a special gift of God is
required--the gift of faith--to know and accept as a certainty this
fact which, while it is historical, is also supernatural. Therefore,
St. Thomas Aquinas can say that "the individual arguments taken alone
are not sufficient proof of Christ's resurrection, but taken together,
in a cumulative way, they manifest it perfectly. Particularly
important in this regard are the spiritual proofs (cf. specially Luke
24:25-27), the angelic testimony (cf. Luke 24:4-7) and Christ's own
post-resurrection word confirmed by miracles (cf. John 3:13; Matthew
16:21; 17:22; 20:18)" (St. Thomas Aquinas, "Summa Theologiae", III, q.
55, a. 6 ad 1).
In addition to Christ's predictions about His passion, death and
resurrection (cf. John 2:19; Matthew 16:21; Mark 9:31; Luke 9:22), the
Old Testament also foretells the glorious victory of the Messiah and,
in some way, His resurrection (cf. Psalm 16:9; Isaiah 52:13; Hosea
6:2). The Apostles begin to grasp the true meaning of Sacred Scripture
after the resurrection, particularly once they receive the Holy Spirit,
who fully enlightens their minds to understand the content of the Word
of God. It is easy to imagine the surprise and elation they all feel
when Peter and John tell them what they have seen in the tomb.
***********************************************************************
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland. Printed in Hungary.
Reprinted with permission from the U.S. publisher, Scepter Publishers,
PO Box 1270, Princeton, NJ 08542. The toll-free number is
1-800-322-8773; the fax number is 609-683-8780.
Prayer For You
"To Those Who Have Their Doubts"
To those who have their doubts about the Lord,
Who read the Word, but cannot hear its voice,
Who view the world, but cannot see Design,
For you I have have a special prayer today:
I pray the Lord will open up your eyes,
And let you see His glory all around.
In Jesus' name I pray for you, Amen.
Holy Communion
A ceremony for Holy Communion is available to you HERE! -
http://patriot.net/~bmcgin/pearl-holycommunion.html
If you are alone, you will needed to be both "Leader" and "Assembly," as
described in the ceremony.
Closing Hymn
In The Garden
Words and music by C. Austin Miles, Public Domain. MIDI file by anonymous,
Public Domain.
MIDI music file at http://www.patriot.net/users/bmcgin/grdn3.mid
IN THE GARDEN - by C. Austin Miles (1912) - Public Domain
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear,
falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody
that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
I'd stay in the garden with Him
Though the night around me be falling;
But He bids me go
through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.
And He walks with me,
And he talk with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share
as we tarry there
None other has ever known.
Amen.
Benediction
As we complete our worship service today, I leave you with this blessing .
. .
EPHESIANS 3:14-21 (KJV)
14
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ,
15
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his
glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the
inner man;
17
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye,
being rooted and grounded in love,
18
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,
that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that
worketh in us,
21
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout
all ages, world without end. Amen.
<><
This worship service is now completed. Go in peace.
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