September 13, 2020 - Rejoice! - Dead or Alive!
“Tested by families, for families (and others too). Church at Home is an interactive, weekly worship service to be held from the safety of your own home. Each service will be centered around one theme and will have 3 songs, readings, and prayers, a short (4-5 min) message for children, and a longer (10 min) message for the whole family.”
Thank you for joining us for our Church at Home service!
Directly below in English and here in Spanish is an at-home worship service to be held with the family or as an individual or small group. Included are links to songs and pastoral messages (English, Spanish, Bilingual, and children's message) which will be made available every Saturday on Youtube. The head of the household can lead (L) and others can respond (C) or everyone can take turns. Use the links for the songs and messages at the appropriate time. Please do not feel pressured to go through the whole thing in one sitting. Rather, use each element of this service so that it serves as a blessing to you and your family.
If you have any prayer requests, or if you worship in this way this weekend, please use or fill out our online connect card, or linked below in the service. Comment to let us know how it went and any suggestions you may have!
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Finally, for this week’s news update or more information about our church, click here.
May God bless your Church at Home worship service this week.
Pastor William Dunn
Rejoice!
Week 2 - Dead or Alive!
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” - Philippians 4:4. Really? Always rejoice? Always have joy? Don’t you know what I’m going through? Sometimes it’s hard to imagine being able to rejoice when the stresses, pains, and anxieties of life start to pile up. Yet Paul writes this beautiful, joy-filled letter to the Philippians, and he writes it from a jail cell! He writes it to a church that is suffering, poor, and persecuted. God gives this letter to us too. Rejoice!
Today we see that no matter what is going on, life, death, and everything in between, Christ gives us a positive perspective. It’s all good.
Opening Song - O Church, Arise
Invocation
L. In the name of the Father and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C. Amen.
Confession and Absolution
We begin the service by recognizing how we have fallen short of God’s will and desire for our lives, and we receive the good news that we are forgiven in Jesus Christ.
L. Let us approach God with a true heart and confess our sins, asking him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to forgive us.
C. Lord of life, I confess that I am by nature dead in sin. For faithless worrying and selfish pride, for sins of habit and sins of choice, for the evil I have done and the good I have failed to do, you should cast me away from your presence forever. O Lord, I am sorry for my sins. Forgive me, for Jesus’ sake.
L. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. In his great mercy, God made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our sins. Hear the word of Christ just as he proclaimed to the paralytic: "Take heart, your sins are forgiven.” Let us take this forgiveness to heart and proclaim it to each other in the name of the Father, and of the ☩ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
L. O Lord Jesus Christ, preserve the congregation of believers with your never-failing mercy. Help us avoid whatever is wicked and harmful, and guide us in the way that leads to our salvation; for you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C. Amen.
First Lesson - Jeremiah 15:15-21
The pensive prophet Jeremiah suffered from a strong internal struggle: on the one hand, the words of the Lord were his joy and the gladness of his heart, but on the other hand, he suffered greatly when proclaiming law and condemnation to his beloved people. In the midst of this struggle, the prophet accuses God saying he is a deceptive stream of unreliable waters. But God in his mercy calls him to repentance and promises him that Jeremiah will be God's spokesman and an invincible bronze wall.
15 O LORD, you understand. Remember me and care for me. Take vengeance for me on those who persecute me. You are slow to anger. Do not take me away. Keep in mind that for your sake I bear disgrace. 16 Your words came to me, and I devoured them. Your words became my joy, the delight of my heart, because I bear your name, O LORD God of Armies. 17 I did not sit with the band of partygoers, nor did I celebrate with them. I sat alone, because your hand was upon me. You filled me with indignation. 18 Why is my pain unending? Why is my wound incurable, refusing to heal? Will you be as deceptive as an intermittent stream to me, like a source of water that a person can’t depend on?
19 Therefore this is what the LORD says. If you repent, I will take you back, so that you may stand before me. If what you say is worthwhile and not worthless, you will be my spokesman. They must turn to you, but you must not turn to them. 20 I will make you like a bronze wall to this people. They will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, because I am with you to save you and to rescue you, declares the LORD. 21 I will rescue you from the hand of the wicked, and I will deliver you from the grasp of the ruthless.
REFLECTION ON THE WORD
Why is it so easy to accuse God of messing up? Consider how Jeremiah responds to these conflicting feelings by bringing them to God in prayer.
Second Lesson - Philippians 1:18b-30
Paul shows us his incredible perspective, he recognizes the truth that is true for every Christian, to live is Christ to die is gain!
18b Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 because I know that this will turn out for my deliverance, through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 20 This matches my earnest expectation and hope that I will in no way be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, so even now, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 Yes, for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to go on living in the flesh, that will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet which should I prefer? I do not know. 23 I am pulled in two directions, because I have the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far. 24 But, it is more necessary for your sake that I remain in the flesh. 25 And since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and will continue with all of you, for your progress and joy in the faith. 26 And so by my coming to you again, my goal is to give you even more reason to boast in Christ Jesus.
27 Just conduct yourselves in a way that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come to see you or am absent, I may hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, contending together with one soul for the faith of the gospel, 28 not frightened in any way by the adversaries. This is a sign for them of their destruction and of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been graciously granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 having the same kind of struggle that you saw I was in, and that you now hear I am still experiencing.
REFLECTION ON THE WORD
How is it possible for one’s suffering for Christ to be an act of grace? How could this change my attitude when I suffer?
Gospel - Matthew 16:21-26
In this reading, the devil through Peter tempts Jesus Christ to abandon his way to the cross. But salvation without the cross is an impossibility both for Christ and for the disciples. It is necessary for the one who walks with Christ to deny himself and take up his cross, that is, to be willing to leave everything, even his own life, to follow Christ.
21 From that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised again.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “May you receive mercy, Lord! This will never happen to you.”
23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a snare to me because you are not thinking the things of God, but the things of men.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 25 In fact whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 After all, what will it benefit a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what can a person give in exchange for his soul?
REFLECTION ON THE WORD
In what ways have I denied myself in following Jesus? In what ways should I?
Children's Message
Song - Make Me a Light
English Sermon -or- Bilingual Sermon
Confession of Faith - The Apostles' Creed
We speak the truths of the faith that have united the church for thousands of years.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering - Facebook or PayPal
Out of thanksgiving for God’s message of grace and forgiveness, if you would like to support our ministry with a financial gift you may do so with zero fees through our Facebook page or with a small fee included through Paypal. We thank you for your gracious support.
Online Connection Card
Please use the link to connect with us online! Let us know that you worshiped with us or submit a prayer request.
General Prayer
Use this time to pray to God about anything that is on your heart and mind. Remember who God is and how he describes himself in the Bible. Focus on his eternal perspective. Consider not only your own life, but also the lives of others. Finally, pray with confidence knowing that God hears you, and pray in the name of your savior, Jesus Christ.
The Lord's Prayer
Pray the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread; forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
The Blessing
Just as God told Aaron to bless his people in this way, we ask God’s blessing on us as we go forth in our lives.
L. The Lord bless us and keep us.
The Lord make his face shine on us and be gracious to us.
The Lord look on us with favor and ☩ give us peace.
C. Amen