Can I Get a Witness - 4/18/2021
Call to worship:
L: Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Christ, our Redeemer -
P: Who was anointed by the Spirit of God to bring good news to the poor.
L: Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Christ, our Redeemer -
P: Who was crucified by the keepers of order for heeding the summons of God.
L: Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Christ, our Redeemer -
P: Who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit for bringing the reign of God to earth.
A: Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before Christ, our Redeemer!
Opening Hymn: Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain #315
1. Come, ye faithful, raise the strain
of triumphant gladness;
God hath brought forth Israel
into joy from sadness;
loosed from Pharaoh's bitter yoke
Jacob's sons and daughters,
led them with unmoistened foot
through the Red Sea waters.
2. 'Tis the spring of souls today;
Christ hath burst his prison,
and from three days' sleep in death
as a sun hath risen;
all the winter of our sins,
long and dark, is flying
from his light, to whom we give
laud and praise undying.
3. Now the queen of seasons, bright
with the day of splendor,
with the royal feast of feasts,
comes its joy to render;
comes to glad Jerusalem,
who with true affection
welcomes in unwearied strains
Jesus' resurrection.
4. Neither might the gates of death,
nor the tomb's dark portal,
nor the watchers, nor the seal
hold thee as a mortal;
but today amidst the twelve
thou didst stand, bestowing
that thy peace which evermore
passeth human knowing.
5. "Alleluia!" now we cry
to our King immortal,
who, triumphant, burst the bars
of the tomb's dark portal;
"Alleluia!" with the Son,
God the Father praising,
"Alleluia!" yet again
to the Spirit raising.
Opening Prayer:
O God, who chased the gloom of the disciples with the gospel of Easter and drowned their desert of despair in a sea of grace, surprise us this day. Take from us the presumption that leans on our strength instead of yours. Assure us once again that our Lord’s promise to be with us always still holds good. And be present with us now, as in the days of Jesus, to make us whole and to make us holy. Amen
Epistle Reading: 1 John 3: 1-7
1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
Hymn: Christ is Alive #318
1 Christ is alive! Let Christians sing.
His cross stands empty to the sky.
Let streets and homes with praises ring.
His love in death shall never die.
2 Christ is alive! No longer bound
to distant years in Palestine,
he comes to claim the here and now
and dwell in every place and time.
3 Not throned afar, remotely high,
untouched, unmoved by human pains,
but daily, in the midst of life,
our Savior in the Godhead reigns.
4 In every insult, rift, and war,
where color, scorn, or wealth divide,
he suffers still, yet loves the more,
and lives, though ever crucified.
5 Christ is alive, and comes to bring
good news to this and every age,
till earth and all creation ring
with joy, with justice, love, and praise.
Prayer of Dedication:
O God, who in Jesus revealed the love that endows life with significance, the purpose that gives direction to humanity, and the power that spells death for evil, you are our Lord and a great God above all gods. We worship you, for your revelation in Jesus will not permit us to offer you anything less than our worship.
For this manifestation of your grace, we thank you, dear Lord. O Lord, as you have made disciples of us, now you send us into the world to make disciples of others. Amen.
Gospel Reading: Luke 24: 36b-48
36 While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate in their presence.
44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46 and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
Sermon Title: Can I get a witness?
So we again find the disciples of the now “departed” Jesus Christ and they had been excitedly talking about the resurrection of their friend, Jesus. Of course they were excited, the roller coaster of Holy Week (as we know it) is over and they have seen Jesus; they have seen the holes in his hands and side, and they are elated. Admittedly, they are still a little confused, but they are finally aware that what Jesus had been talking about has actually happened. He died, he was buried, and He rose!
Jesus appeared to the disciples, not just to say hello or even just to announce that he had in fact risen from the grave, but more importantly, he came to them to let them know that the ball was now in their court.
Everything that Jesus had been doing in the world was now going to be a job for the disciples and not only for the regions they had been serving, but now they were to spread this message and heal people in the entire world.This had been the plan all along; for the love of God to be known throughout the world and that all people would have the opportunity to ask Jesus into their hearts.
But let’s go back to the visit from Jesus once more. I find it slightly ironic that Jesus pops in (as if from nowhere) and makes the statement, “Peace be with you.” And while this greeting is gentle and meant to calm them, his sudden appearance startles them, and they are afraid and with fear comes doubts. And Jesus addresses these issues right away. He invites his friends to touch and see him, up close and personal, so they can understand that he is not some sort of ghost or apparition. He really is alive, even though he had been dead. And furthermore, he asked for food as he was hungry. This is mentioned because ghosts don’t eat food, they don’t get hungry. This was another proof point that who and what they were seeing was real.
Still, they were anxious about what was going on because it was so fantastic. Again, Jesus reassured them by telling them that everything that had happened was supposed to happen and God was in control; they need not be afraid.
And then, their eyes were opened and they understood everything that Jesus had been saying all along.
It was finally time for them to go out into the world and do exactly what they had been trained for. Jesus then gives them the ultimate send off saying that they will be sharing in God's promise of not being sent out until they are prepared by the Holy Spirit to go out.
Today, we wonder what God is asking of us and if we are able to do it. We should consider the disciples at this point. None of them were great speakers, writers, leaders,and certainly not theologians; but they were willing and they responded readily when Jesus called them. He only had today, “Follow me,” and they went with him. They left everything they knew and went with Jesus to spread the Gospel; and they did so for the rest of their lives.
Have you felt the urge to do God’s work, but you feel like you don’t have the confidence or the ability to do it? Know this: God does not call those who are perfect, but He does perfect those who are called. He is with us every minute of every day and we can depend on His strength and His wisdom, thankfully, instead of ours.
You don’t have to know it all in order to do God’s work; you just have to know Him.
Amen.
Closing Hymn: Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life #427
1. Where cross the crowded ways of life,
where sound the cries of race and clan,
above the noise of selfish strife,
we hear your voice, O Son of man.
2. In haunts of wretchedness and need,
on shadowed thresholds dark with fears,
from paths where hide the lures of greed,
we catch the vision of your tears.
3. From tender childhood's helplessness,
from woman's grief, man's burdened toil,
from famished souls, from sorrow's stress,
your heart has never known recoil.
4. The cup of water given for you still
holds the freshness of your grace;
yet long these multitudes to view
the sweet compassion of your face.
5. O Master, from the mountainside
make haste to heal these hearts of pain;
among these restless throngs abide;
O tread the city's streets again.
6. Till all the world shall learn your love
and follow where your feet have trod,
till, glorious from your heaven above,
shall come the city of our God!
