The Triumph Of His Defeat
Sermon
The Man From Galilee
Sermons and Orders of Worship for Lent and Easter
Object:
Bishop Walter L. Underwood wrote a book a few years ago called Being Human Being Hopeful. The last chapter is on the subject of death. He refers to a statement made by actor Woody Allen, who said, "I don't want immortality through my work. I want immortality through not dying."1 I read that book with great interest. Then I learned that Bishop Underwood died not long after I had read his book, and I went back and read that last chapter again. It is a great affirmation of our faith in the face of life's greatest question.
When Christian missionaries landed on the island we now call England, they were taken to see the king of Northhumbria. The missionaries told of their Christian faith. When they were through with what they had to say, someone asked, "Can this new religion tell us anything of what happens after death?"2 That is always the question.
When Bishop Earl G. Hunt was serving as a college president, he and his wife entertained Lord Caradon, the British Ambassador to the United Nations. He was delivering a lecture on their campus. One evening during dinner he asked about the hymns which were sung in the South. He said, "Do you ever sing "Beulah Land'?" He then told what the words of that hymn had meant to him and how it had helped him so many times.3
The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is God's answer for all our questions, fears, and doubts. It is the assurance of all our hopes, dreams, and desires.
The resurrection of Christ is the great watershed of history. It is the all-time most important event ever to take place in this world. All our hopes and dreams are centered in this. All our sorrows and heartaches find their relief in this.
This is the day of God's triumph. It is the day God defeated the power of sin and death. It is the day God took a stand and said, "That is enough."
They took His Son out and lashed Him with a whip. They mocked Him and insulted Him. They pressed down hard a crown of thorns. They led Him through the streets, a public spectacle. They took Him to a place outside the walls of the city, and there they nailed Him to a cross. Then they left Him there for dead.
God said, "That is enough. I will not stand for any more of this." That day ended with God biding His time. The next day came, a silent Saturday, and still God said nothing and did nothing. Then the first day of the week began to dawn. Now God was ready. Now He would do something about all this. Now He would take a stand and take a hand in what had been done to His boy.
On that day a new dawn broke upon the face of the earth. With the dawn of that new day the women made their way out to a garden tomb. There they made a world-shaking, history-making, breathtaking discovery which transformed their lives and the lives of all of His followers from that moment to this: "Christ the Lord is risen today."
Nothing has ever been the same. They thought they had defeated Jesus, but out of that defeat had come triumph, glory, resurrection. Today on this glorious Easter Sunday think back over the events of that day when God brought triumph out of defeat. Here are the facts.
I.
They defeated Jesus and sent Him to the tomb -- but He overcame the power of death. God raised Him up. The tomb could not hold Him. As the women went out to that tomb in a garden there was an earthquake. The angel of the Lord came down and rolled away the stone. Then 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 is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
The power of death had no power over Him, for the power of death was made weak by the power of God. The tomb could not hold Him, for God was greater than the tomb, and the bonds of God's love were stronger than the bonds of that tomb. The enemies of Jesus could not keep Him, for God defeated all of His enemies.
The dawn brought the sunrise of a new day, a new age, a new reality. That new reality, the reality of resurrection, transforms everything. Everything can now be seen from the standpoint of the new reality of the resurrection of Christ who went before us and found a new way.
A little boy at camp one summer listened intently as the lifeguard instructed all the campers in rules for safe swimming. He told them about the importance of each person having a buddy. After he finished he blew his whistle and said, "Okay, now. Tell me, what does it mean to have a buddy?" The little boy replied, "A buddy is someone who drowns with you."
Jesus was willing to die with us, and then to bring into our experience the new reality of resurrection. This new reality touches all of life. It is our hope for today and tomorrow for our loved ones and for ourselves. It is the promise of victory over death. It is also a new element which comes into our living. The power of the resurrection is not only what we believe in for the future, it is also what we live by in the present. Saint Paul writes to the Romans in chapter six that "just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
The resurrection becomes a power at work in our lives. Even in the face of all that would defeat us, all the suffering we go through, all the situations we think are hopeless, in all of that we find in the resurrection of Christ the power, the hope, the strength to go on. Because He overcame the power of death, nothing is ever the same.
At the Grand Canyon on Easter Sunday a sunrise service is held each year. During that service a great stone is rolled over the edge and it goes bouncing down the side of the canyon while someone reads this passage from Matthew about the stone being rolled away. Then a choir sings, "King of kings and Lord of lords."4
He overcame the power of death.
II.
Second, they defeated Jesus and all who loved Him mourned -- but He said to them, "Rejoice!" It was a complete turnaround. For two days they had been in mourning. The women went out there to anoint His body with spices. But a time of mourning was turned into a time of rejoicing.
Easter means this still today. Our times of mourning can be transformed, and even in the midst of them we may find a way through. There are many times for all of us when life gets bogged down in sorrows and heartaches, when it seems to be going nowhere and nothing good is happening.
A man was fishing in a farmer's pond. The farmer came out and caught him. He said to the man, "Do you see that sign? It says 'No Fishing.' " The man looked at the sign, and said to the farmer, "Whoever painted that sign knew what he was talking about."
There are so many times when life seems empty, when it seems we may lose our way, when there is no fishing.
Not long after the resurrection the disciples went back up to Galilee. Simon Peter said, "I am going fishing." The other disciples went with him. They fished all night and there was no fishing. They caught nothing. Early that next morning Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them, "Children, have you any food?" When they responded negatively, Jesus replied, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find food."
There are times when in spite of Easter we keep looking on the wrong side, the empty side. In those times there is no fishing.
A taxi driver picked up a lady at a hospital in Chicago. He noticed her weeping, and after a few minutes began talking with her. He found out her mother had died. Then he asked her if she and her mother were Christians. When the woman said yes, he said, "Then why are you crying as if everything was over?"5
Everything is never over because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the operative word in the midst of our sorrows and suffering is always "Rejoice!"
III.
Third, they defeated Jesus and put an end to what He began -- but He assured them there was no end. A new beginning grew out of what was thought to be a tragic ending. Jesus said to the women, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." It was not the end at all. No one could put an end to what Jesus had begun. He had lit a fire in the hearts of His disciples which would never go out, a light shining in the darkness.
He had told them early, way back up there in Galilee on the side of a mountain, "You are the light of the world ... Let your light so shine before men...." It was the light of the resurrection, a light which no darkness has ever or will ever put out. The message of Easter is still that same message: "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers and sisters they will see me. I will meet them." He will always meet us out there in the future.
In every situation, every challenge, every sorrow, He will meet us.
In every act of kindness, mercy, and compassion, He will meet us and be with us.
In every kind of ministry, service, and witness, He will meet us and bless what we do, give, and hope.
In every time of study, prayer, and worship, He will meet us and be in the midst of us.
Some of you saw a movie a few years ago called Places In The Heart. It is the story of a heroic woman, played by Sally Fields, whose husband is killed in the line of duty as a sheriff in a small town. Somehow she survives this tragedy, and manages to earn a living for her family on their farm. During the story a black man who works for her is beaten by a mob and has to leave. But with the closing scene you suddenly become aware that something is different. Here they all are in church receiving the Lord's Supper together: her husband, his killer, her former employee.
I remember the feeling I had when I saw that. I was struck by the fact that here is a foretaste of glory divine when we all gather at the Lord's table for His great banquet feast in His presence. He will meet us there. That is His promise for all of us.
One afternoon when I was thirteen, a friend and I went fishing in Godley's Creek, which ran into the Savannah River. We decided to cross the creek at a place where it was not too deep in order to reach a little pool back in the swamp. We had a great time and fished all afternoon. When we started to leave we discovered something we had forgotten. The tide had come in and the creek was up, and we were up the creek. The water was snake-infested, and I was always afraid of snakes. There was only one thing to do. We went across the creek where it had been fairly shallow earlier. I could do it because I knew my father was waiting on me back up at the road on the other side.
Remembering that now I think of the words Jacob spoke to his brother after being gone away for a long time, "To see your face is like seeing the face of God."
Someday we will see the face of God and the faces of all those who have gone before us. They are waiting for us there on the other side.
In the meantime Christ will be meeting us along the way. So, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."
____________
1. Walter L. Underwood, Being Human Being Hopeful (Abingdon Press: Nashville, 1987), p. 108.
2. Leslie D. Weatherhead, After Death (Abingdon Press: New York, 1936), p. 9.
3. Earl G. Hunt, I Have Believed (The Upper Room: Nashville, 1980), p. 147.
4. William Sloane Coffin, Living The Truth In A World of Illusions (Harper & Row, Publishers: San Francisco, 1985), p. 71.
5. Robert M. Herhold, Funny, You Don't Look Christian (Weybright & Talley: New York, 1969), p. 66.
Morning Prayer
Easter Sunday
O God, as we gather in Thy house today we remember the great, glad, good news, "He is risen." And because of this good news we worship Thee on this glorious Easter Sunday.
With joyful hearts we sing praises to Thy name, and we thank Thee, gracious Father, for this resurrection day, for we know that our lives and the life of all the world have been changed by the resurrection of Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. So, make us Easter people, who always live on this side of Easter. Fill our minds with the wonders of Thy grace, and enable us to be people of victory rather than of defeat, of hope rather than of despair, of faith rather than of fear, of love rather than of hate.
Because of this Easter faith which is ours, call us and lead us ever onward toward greater service for Thee. Lead us to be witnesses of the victory of Thy Son, and guide us toward victorious living in Thy kingdom. Because of this Easter faith, forgive our sins, re-create us in the likeness of Thy Son, and put His love in our hearts.
Bless the witness and service of this congregation as we seek to bring into the lives of people the reality of Easter faith. May all that we do together reflect the goodness, the mercy, the compassion of our Lord and our hope in Him.
Be with and bless people all around us who need Thy presence, Thy help, or the touch of the Master's hand, and guide them through their times of sickness, sorrow and trouble.
Bless Thy people the world over today, and may we all be united in a spirit of service for each other and for Thy kingdom, for we pray today in the name of the King of kings, our resurrected Lord. Amen.
Children's Message
Easter Sunday
The Best Man Wins
Good morning to all of you! This is Easter Sunday, and I am so glad you are here with us today. This is the day we have been waiting for. This is the day when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from death and the tomb.
All of you look so good today. Easter Sunday is the day when we really dress up. Who knows why we do this? It is because we want to wear something new because Jesus has brought new life. This is the good news of our faith.
Look at this Easter egg I have brought with me today. It is very light. Who wants to hold it? See how light it is. It is light because it is empty. We started having Easter eggs at Easter because someone thought that as a chick is born out of the egg so Jesus came out of the tomb. Then someone else came up with the idea of putting a little hole in the egg at both ends and blowing out the contents until the egg is empty. That leaves an empty egg, like the tomb where they put Jesus was empty. This points us to the truth of Easter.
We have a saying we use sometimes, "May the best man win," or "the best man wins." This is what Easter means. Jesus went to Jerusalem to face His enemies. They put Him to death on the cross. But the best man won. That is Jesus. He was the best man. And God won. God and Jesus defeated death and the power of evil.
Do you know what this means for us? It means that God is on our side. It means that when we face hard times God is with us. And it means that when people we love die, God takes them to be with Him. And He will do that for all of us as well. This is the good news of Easter. The best man won, and He is still alive in this world. He is with us and He will always help us.
May we pray. Father, we thank Thee for the good news of Easter and the victory of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Discussion Questions
Easter Sunday
1. Begin with a prayer by a group member.
2. Have someone read Matthew 28:1-10.
3. Having asked them ahead of time, let members of the group share various sections of the chapter.
4. What was the proof of the resurrection of Jesus?
5. What difference did it make in the lives of His followers?
6. Is the resurrection true for you? If so, why?
7. What difference has it made in your life?
8. What will you do about it?
9. Have the group repeat together the Apostles' Creed, followed by a benediction by the leader.
Order Of Worship
11:00 a.m.
Easter Sunday
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Prelude
Chiming the Hour
Introit
Greeting
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed!
Hymn of Praise
"Christ The Lord Is Risen Today"
Affirmation of Faith
The Apostles' Creed
Welcome and Sharing
Children's Message
"The Best Man Wins"
WE TURN TO GOD IN PRAYER
Joys and Concerns
Morning Prayer and the Lord's Prayer
WE GIVE TO GOD
Prayer of Dedication
Offertory
Doxology
WE HEAR GOD'S WORD
Hymn of Preparation
"Low In The Grave He Lay"
Anthem
Reading of the Scriptures
Matthew 28:1-10
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
The Message
"The Triumph Of His Defeat"
WE RESPOND TO GOD
The Invitation to Christian Discipleship
Hymn of Invitation
"Crown Him With Many Crowns"
Benediction
Congregational Response
WE DEPART TO SERVE GOD
Postlude
When Christian missionaries landed on the island we now call England, they were taken to see the king of Northhumbria. The missionaries told of their Christian faith. When they were through with what they had to say, someone asked, "Can this new religion tell us anything of what happens after death?"2 That is always the question.
When Bishop Earl G. Hunt was serving as a college president, he and his wife entertained Lord Caradon, the British Ambassador to the United Nations. He was delivering a lecture on their campus. One evening during dinner he asked about the hymns which were sung in the South. He said, "Do you ever sing "Beulah Land'?" He then told what the words of that hymn had meant to him and how it had helped him so many times.3
The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is God's answer for all our questions, fears, and doubts. It is the assurance of all our hopes, dreams, and desires.
The resurrection of Christ is the great watershed of history. It is the all-time most important event ever to take place in this world. All our hopes and dreams are centered in this. All our sorrows and heartaches find their relief in this.
This is the day of God's triumph. It is the day God defeated the power of sin and death. It is the day God took a stand and said, "That is enough."
They took His Son out and lashed Him with a whip. They mocked Him and insulted Him. They pressed down hard a crown of thorns. They led Him through the streets, a public spectacle. They took Him to a place outside the walls of the city, and there they nailed Him to a cross. Then they left Him there for dead.
God said, "That is enough. I will not stand for any more of this." That day ended with God biding His time. The next day came, a silent Saturday, and still God said nothing and did nothing. Then the first day of the week began to dawn. Now God was ready. Now He would do something about all this. Now He would take a stand and take a hand in what had been done to His boy.
On that day a new dawn broke upon the face of the earth. With the dawn of that new day the women made their way out to a garden tomb. There they made a world-shaking, history-making, breathtaking discovery which transformed their lives and the lives of all of His followers from that moment to this: "Christ the Lord is risen today."
Nothing has ever been the same. They thought they had defeated Jesus, but out of that defeat had come triumph, glory, resurrection. Today on this glorious Easter Sunday think back over the events of that day when God brought triumph out of defeat. Here are the facts.
I.
They defeated Jesus and sent Him to the tomb -- but He overcame the power of death. God raised Him up. The tomb could not hold Him. As the women went out to that tomb in a garden there was an earthquake. The angel of the Lord came down and rolled away the stone. Then 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 is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
The power of death had no power over Him, for the power of death was made weak by the power of God. The tomb could not hold Him, for God was greater than the tomb, and the bonds of God's love were stronger than the bonds of that tomb. The enemies of Jesus could not keep Him, for God defeated all of His enemies.
The dawn brought the sunrise of a new day, a new age, a new reality. That new reality, the reality of resurrection, transforms everything. Everything can now be seen from the standpoint of the new reality of the resurrection of Christ who went before us and found a new way.
A little boy at camp one summer listened intently as the lifeguard instructed all the campers in rules for safe swimming. He told them about the importance of each person having a buddy. After he finished he blew his whistle and said, "Okay, now. Tell me, what does it mean to have a buddy?" The little boy replied, "A buddy is someone who drowns with you."
Jesus was willing to die with us, and then to bring into our experience the new reality of resurrection. This new reality touches all of life. It is our hope for today and tomorrow for our loved ones and for ourselves. It is the promise of victory over death. It is also a new element which comes into our living. The power of the resurrection is not only what we believe in for the future, it is also what we live by in the present. Saint Paul writes to the Romans in chapter six that "just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
The resurrection becomes a power at work in our lives. Even in the face of all that would defeat us, all the suffering we go through, all the situations we think are hopeless, in all of that we find in the resurrection of Christ the power, the hope, the strength to go on. Because He overcame the power of death, nothing is ever the same.
At the Grand Canyon on Easter Sunday a sunrise service is held each year. During that service a great stone is rolled over the edge and it goes bouncing down the side of the canyon while someone reads this passage from Matthew about the stone being rolled away. Then a choir sings, "King of kings and Lord of lords."4
He overcame the power of death.
II.
Second, they defeated Jesus and all who loved Him mourned -- but He said to them, "Rejoice!" It was a complete turnaround. For two days they had been in mourning. The women went out there to anoint His body with spices. But a time of mourning was turned into a time of rejoicing.
Easter means this still today. Our times of mourning can be transformed, and even in the midst of them we may find a way through. There are many times for all of us when life gets bogged down in sorrows and heartaches, when it seems to be going nowhere and nothing good is happening.
A man was fishing in a farmer's pond. The farmer came out and caught him. He said to the man, "Do you see that sign? It says 'No Fishing.' " The man looked at the sign, and said to the farmer, "Whoever painted that sign knew what he was talking about."
There are so many times when life seems empty, when it seems we may lose our way, when there is no fishing.
Not long after the resurrection the disciples went back up to Galilee. Simon Peter said, "I am going fishing." The other disciples went with him. They fished all night and there was no fishing. They caught nothing. Early that next morning Jesus stood on the shore and called out to them, "Children, have you any food?" When they responded negatively, Jesus replied, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find food."
There are times when in spite of Easter we keep looking on the wrong side, the empty side. In those times there is no fishing.
A taxi driver picked up a lady at a hospital in Chicago. He noticed her weeping, and after a few minutes began talking with her. He found out her mother had died. Then he asked her if she and her mother were Christians. When the woman said yes, he said, "Then why are you crying as if everything was over?"5
Everything is never over because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the operative word in the midst of our sorrows and suffering is always "Rejoice!"
III.
Third, they defeated Jesus and put an end to what He began -- but He assured them there was no end. A new beginning grew out of what was thought to be a tragic ending. Jesus said to the women, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." It was not the end at all. No one could put an end to what Jesus had begun. He had lit a fire in the hearts of His disciples which would never go out, a light shining in the darkness.
He had told them early, way back up there in Galilee on the side of a mountain, "You are the light of the world ... Let your light so shine before men...." It was the light of the resurrection, a light which no darkness has ever or will ever put out. The message of Easter is still that same message: "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers and sisters they will see me. I will meet them." He will always meet us out there in the future.
In every situation, every challenge, every sorrow, He will meet us.
In every act of kindness, mercy, and compassion, He will meet us and be with us.
In every kind of ministry, service, and witness, He will meet us and bless what we do, give, and hope.
In every time of study, prayer, and worship, He will meet us and be in the midst of us.
Some of you saw a movie a few years ago called Places In The Heart. It is the story of a heroic woman, played by Sally Fields, whose husband is killed in the line of duty as a sheriff in a small town. Somehow she survives this tragedy, and manages to earn a living for her family on their farm. During the story a black man who works for her is beaten by a mob and has to leave. But with the closing scene you suddenly become aware that something is different. Here they all are in church receiving the Lord's Supper together: her husband, his killer, her former employee.
I remember the feeling I had when I saw that. I was struck by the fact that here is a foretaste of glory divine when we all gather at the Lord's table for His great banquet feast in His presence. He will meet us there. That is His promise for all of us.
One afternoon when I was thirteen, a friend and I went fishing in Godley's Creek, which ran into the Savannah River. We decided to cross the creek at a place where it was not too deep in order to reach a little pool back in the swamp. We had a great time and fished all afternoon. When we started to leave we discovered something we had forgotten. The tide had come in and the creek was up, and we were up the creek. The water was snake-infested, and I was always afraid of snakes. There was only one thing to do. We went across the creek where it had been fairly shallow earlier. I could do it because I knew my father was waiting on me back up at the road on the other side.
Remembering that now I think of the words Jacob spoke to his brother after being gone away for a long time, "To see your face is like seeing the face of God."
Someday we will see the face of God and the faces of all those who have gone before us. They are waiting for us there on the other side.
In the meantime Christ will be meeting us along the way. So, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me."
____________
1. Walter L. Underwood, Being Human Being Hopeful (Abingdon Press: Nashville, 1987), p. 108.
2. Leslie D. Weatherhead, After Death (Abingdon Press: New York, 1936), p. 9.
3. Earl G. Hunt, I Have Believed (The Upper Room: Nashville, 1980), p. 147.
4. William Sloane Coffin, Living The Truth In A World of Illusions (Harper & Row, Publishers: San Francisco, 1985), p. 71.
5. Robert M. Herhold, Funny, You Don't Look Christian (Weybright & Talley: New York, 1969), p. 66.
Morning Prayer
Easter Sunday
O God, as we gather in Thy house today we remember the great, glad, good news, "He is risen." And because of this good news we worship Thee on this glorious Easter Sunday.
With joyful hearts we sing praises to Thy name, and we thank Thee, gracious Father, for this resurrection day, for we know that our lives and the life of all the world have been changed by the resurrection of Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. So, make us Easter people, who always live on this side of Easter. Fill our minds with the wonders of Thy grace, and enable us to be people of victory rather than of defeat, of hope rather than of despair, of faith rather than of fear, of love rather than of hate.
Because of this Easter faith which is ours, call us and lead us ever onward toward greater service for Thee. Lead us to be witnesses of the victory of Thy Son, and guide us toward victorious living in Thy kingdom. Because of this Easter faith, forgive our sins, re-create us in the likeness of Thy Son, and put His love in our hearts.
Bless the witness and service of this congregation as we seek to bring into the lives of people the reality of Easter faith. May all that we do together reflect the goodness, the mercy, the compassion of our Lord and our hope in Him.
Be with and bless people all around us who need Thy presence, Thy help, or the touch of the Master's hand, and guide them through their times of sickness, sorrow and trouble.
Bless Thy people the world over today, and may we all be united in a spirit of service for each other and for Thy kingdom, for we pray today in the name of the King of kings, our resurrected Lord. Amen.
Children's Message
Easter Sunday
The Best Man Wins
Good morning to all of you! This is Easter Sunday, and I am so glad you are here with us today. This is the day we have been waiting for. This is the day when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from death and the tomb.
All of you look so good today. Easter Sunday is the day when we really dress up. Who knows why we do this? It is because we want to wear something new because Jesus has brought new life. This is the good news of our faith.
Look at this Easter egg I have brought with me today. It is very light. Who wants to hold it? See how light it is. It is light because it is empty. We started having Easter eggs at Easter because someone thought that as a chick is born out of the egg so Jesus came out of the tomb. Then someone else came up with the idea of putting a little hole in the egg at both ends and blowing out the contents until the egg is empty. That leaves an empty egg, like the tomb where they put Jesus was empty. This points us to the truth of Easter.
We have a saying we use sometimes, "May the best man win," or "the best man wins." This is what Easter means. Jesus went to Jerusalem to face His enemies. They put Him to death on the cross. But the best man won. That is Jesus. He was the best man. And God won. God and Jesus defeated death and the power of evil.
Do you know what this means for us? It means that God is on our side. It means that when we face hard times God is with us. And it means that when people we love die, God takes them to be with Him. And He will do that for all of us as well. This is the good news of Easter. The best man won, and He is still alive in this world. He is with us and He will always help us.
May we pray. Father, we thank Thee for the good news of Easter and the victory of your Son Jesus Christ. Amen.
Discussion Questions
Easter Sunday
1. Begin with a prayer by a group member.
2. Have someone read Matthew 28:1-10.
3. Having asked them ahead of time, let members of the group share various sections of the chapter.
4. What was the proof of the resurrection of Jesus?
5. What difference did it make in the lives of His followers?
6. Is the resurrection true for you? If so, why?
7. What difference has it made in your life?
8. What will you do about it?
9. Have the group repeat together the Apostles' Creed, followed by a benediction by the leader.
Order Of Worship
11:00 a.m.
Easter Sunday
WE GATHER TO WORSHIP GOD
Prelude
Chiming the Hour
Introit
Greeting
Leader: Christ is risen!
People: He is risen indeed!
Hymn of Praise
"Christ The Lord Is Risen Today"
Affirmation of Faith
The Apostles' Creed
Welcome and Sharing
Children's Message
"The Best Man Wins"
WE TURN TO GOD IN PRAYER
Joys and Concerns
Morning Prayer and the Lord's Prayer
WE GIVE TO GOD
Prayer of Dedication
Offertory
Doxology
WE HEAR GOD'S WORD
Hymn of Preparation
"Low In The Grave He Lay"
Anthem
Reading of the Scriptures
Matthew 28:1-10
Leader: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
The Message
"The Triumph Of His Defeat"
WE RESPOND TO GOD
The Invitation to Christian Discipleship
Hymn of Invitation
"Crown Him With Many Crowns"
Benediction
Congregational Response
WE DEPART TO SERVE GOD
Postlude
