Third Sunday of Easter Worship Service

St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

3RD SUNDAY OF EASTER  –  Coronavirus

05-01-2022      10:00AM Zoom Worship

INTRODUCTION TO OUR WORSHIP:       

Just like he did with Peter… just like he did with Paul… the Risen Christ meets us in unexpected places in our lives. He meets us in our failure and our fear. He meets us in our sin and our suffering. He meets us in spoken Word and shared Meal. He meets us and offers us the peace, power, and promise of his love. But it is not enough to simply encounter and receive Christ’s resurrection as a personal “pick me up”. Jesus is calling you to follow, that is, to show your friendship and love for him by becoming humble, vulnerable, and willing to give true and faithful witness to the difference that his life, death, and resurrection make to our lives and this world.

+   WE ANNOUNCE THE VICTORY   +

OPENING SONG:        “Oh, How I Love Jesus”                              Brown #250

OPENING RITE FOR EASTER 3 AND THE EASTER PEACE:

L   Alleluia, Jesus is risen, Jesus is Lord!

C    Death could not hold him, and this world cannot stop him! 

L   My sister, my brother, is it true what the song says, do you love Jesus?

C    Yes, I love you, Lord, with all my heart and soul and mind and strength! You know that I do!

L   My brother, my sister, are you sure of this, do you love Jesus?

C    Yes, Lord, you know I love you! I’ll do anything you want me to – anytime, anyplace, anywhere, any way! 

L   My sisters and brothers, do you really love Jesus?

C    Yes, Lord, you know that nothing and nobody can come between me and you! O how I love Jesus! 

L   Brothers and sisters, if you really love Jesus, then seek to grow in the life of faith that does not waver and of servant love that does not end. Oh, may the peace and power of the Risen Christ embrace, convince, and empower you this morning! Today I proclaim to you that Jesus loves you (+) and frees you from your sins by his blood. Forgiven and reconciled to God through Christ, we are called to feed his lambs, to tend his sheep, to show and tell that Jesus is alive and real. Let’s start here and now by making the sign of the cross on the forehead and by saying the words to one another or to our self of what God has done for each of us through Jesus Christ:

SONG OF PRAISE:    

“Lord, I lift your name on high, Lord, I love to sing your praises.

I’m so glad you’re in my life, I’m so glad you came to save us.

You came from heaven to earth to show the way;

from the earth to the cross, my debt to pay;

from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky; Lord, I lift your name on high!”

THE PRAYER OF THE DAY:             

      O God of love and life, worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, to receive honor and glory and praise for ever and ever. We rejoice that your Son Jesus is alive and victorious and has defeated death, despair, and the devil. And we pray that we might dare to live faithfully and to love fervently in a suffering, sin-sick world.  Amen.

+   WE PROCLAIM GOD’S SAVING WORD   +

FIRST READINGACTS 9:1-20  [The account of the dramatic, humbling conversion of a self-righteous persecutor.]

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

9:3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

9:5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

9:6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.”

9:7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one.

9:8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9:9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”

9:11 The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying,

9:12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”

9:13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;

9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.”

9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel;

9:16 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

9:17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

9:18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized,

9:19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,

9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

SONG SELECTION          

SECOND READING:  REVELATION 5:11-14  [A vision of the heavenly worship to spark earthly hope.]

5:11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

5:12 singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, singing, “To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

5:14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

GOSPEL VERSE

“Oh, how He loves you and me. Oh, how He loves you and me.

                        He gave His life, what more can He give?

                  OH, HOW HE LOVES YOU; OH, HOW HE LOVES ME;

                                     OH, HOW HE LOVES YOU AND ME!

      Jesus to Calv’ry did go, His love for this world to show.

                                What He did there brought hope from despair…”

GOSPEL READING:   JOHN 21:1-19  [Jesus offers renewal, reconciliation, and responsibility.]

21:1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.

21:2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.

21:3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

21:4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.

21:5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.”

21:6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.

21:7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea.

21:8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

21:9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.

21:10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”

21:11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.

21:12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord.

21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.

21:14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

21:15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

21:16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.”

21:17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

21:18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.”

21:19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

THE SERMON:          Pastor Neil or Pastor Gwen

SONG SELECTION      

AN AFFIRMATION OF OUR FAITH:

We believe that God graciously revealed himself in Jesus Christ,
the Light of the world,
the Word of life made flesh
God’s own Son living among us,
and yet a human just like us.

We believe that Jesus Christ willingly
shared our life, its joys and sorrows;
taught us how to love God and each other;
allowed himself to be broken at the hands of humanity;
and met his death on a cross.

We believe, even beyond our understanding, that Jesus
was resurrected from the dead;
disarmed and conquered death;
cancelled out the power of sin;
and wiped the smile forever off of Satan’s face.

We believe that Jesus Christ is alive and well
in the Church that proclaims him;
in our lives that serve him;
in our world that needs him;
and everywhere that God’s love reaches now and forever.  Amen.

OFFERING   [God has chosen us to carry his mission to others with our words, our deeds, our values, and our love. Like Peter the disciple and Paul the missionary, let us be courageous, committed, and compassionate!] 

THE OFFERTORY SONG:     “I Know It Was the Blood”                                             

  • I know it was the blood… I know it was the blood…    I know it was the blood for me.

One day when I was lost, he died upon the cross…     I know it was the blood for me.

  1. It was my Savior’s blood…
  2. They pierced him in the side…
  3. He’s coming back again…

OFFERING PRAYER:                 

O God, it is only by your amazing grace that we are Easter-alive today! Now give us the bold confidence   and the passionate love to dry tears, to lift up broken hearts, and to testify with our gifts and our lives that there is new life, more life, eternal life in Christ.  Amen.

MUSIC SELECTION:    “Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”      Dennis Fortune                                         Brown #234 

THE PRAYERS We pray that THE WAY OF THE CROSS will continue to impact our lives and transform the world!

THE LORD’S PRAYER

+   WE ARE SENT TO SHOW AND TELL   +

THE BENEDICTION:   

L   Alleluia! Christ is risen!

C    He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

L   Leave with a message upon your heart: I have seen the Lord! 

     Leave with a message on your lips: I have seen the Lord!

Leave with a message revealed through your daily living: I have seen the Lord!

Go in the faith-filled power of the Risen Lord [+] to love God and to serve your neighbor in all that you do!

    AMEN NOW! AMEN ALWAYS! AMEN!

 

CLOSING SONG:        “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”                             Brown #220

  • What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the Everlastings Arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning, leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

  • Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the Everlasting Arms;

Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

  • What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the Everlasting Arms;

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

 

LORD, make us bold and eager witnesses to others of NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.  Amen.