6th Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2024
Loving God and loving neighbor, here in Central Vermont
and to the ends of the earth, all to the glory of God.
Prelude Music
Prepare your heart for worship.
Rebekah Barnes
Welcome
Pastor Josh
Announcements Listen for upcoming events and ways you can get involved.
Pastor Josh
Lighting the Candles Jesus is the light of the world.
Acolytes
Statement of Faith—New City Catechism Q&A 52 Confess what you believe about the Christian faith.
Acolytes
Children: What hope does everlasting life hold for us?
C: That we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be freed from all sin in a renewed, restored creation.
C: What hope does everlasting life hold for us?
Children: That we will live with and enjoy God forever in the new heaven and the new earth, where we will be freed from all sin in a renewed, restored creation.
Greeting Your Neighbors Greet your neighbors in the name of the Lord.
Congregation
Call to Worship—Based on Hebrews 10:19-22 Hear God call you to worship through his word.
Pastor Josh
L: Since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.
C: This morning, we draw near to God through Jesus, to worship his holy name.
Opening Prayer Invite God to work in you as you worship today.
Pastor Josh
Worship Songs Join with the congregation in praise to God.
Puopolos
There Is A Redeemer
Verse 1
There is a Redeemer Jesus God’s own Son
Precious Lamb of God Messiah Holy One
Chorus
Thank You O my Father
For giving us Your Son
And leaving Your Spirit
Till the work on earth is done
Verse 2
Jesus my Redeemer name above all names
Precious Lamb of God Messiah
O for sinners slain
Verse 3
When I stand in glory I will see His face
There I’ll serve my King forever
In that holy place
Because He Lives
Verse 1
God sent His Son they called Him Jesus
He came to love heal and forgive
He bled and died to buy my pardon
An empty grave is there to prove
My Savior lives
Chorus
Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives all fear is gone
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because He lives
Verse 2
How sweet to hold our newborn baby
And feel the pride and joy he gives
But greater still the calm assurance
This child can face uncertain days
Because Christ lives
Verse 3
And then one day I’ll cross that river
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain
And then as death gives way to vict’ry
I’ll see the lights of glory
And I’ll know He reigns
#69—Crown Him With Many Crowns
Verse 1
Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
Thro’ all eternity.
Verse 2
Crown Him the Son of God before the worlds began
And ye who tread where He hath trod
Crown Him the Son of Man
Who every grief hath known
that wrings the human breast,
And takes and bears them for His own,
that all in Him may rest.
Verse 3
Crown Him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.
Verse 4
Crown Him the Lord of love!
Behold His hands and side
Those wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Thro’out eternity. Amen.
Scripture Meditation—Hebrews 8 (Page 1192 in Pew Bible) Hear a reading from the Gospel that relates to the sermon text.
Chris Holmes
Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
8 For he finds fault with them when he says:
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,
9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Confession and Assurance—Based on a Prayer of Ambrose Confess your sins to God and thank him for his forgiveness.
Pastor Josh
L: Let us come and confess our sins to God.
C: O Lord, you have mercy upon all—take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore you, a heart to delight in you, to follow and to enjoy you, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
L: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:1-2).
Congregational Prayer Lift your burdens and concerns to the Lord.
Led by Pastor Josh
The Lord’s Prayer In closing, pray the words that Jesus taught us to pray.
Congregation
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, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Scripture Reading—Acts 17:24-25 (Page 1101 in Pew Bible) Read this portion of God’s word.
Charlie Stabolepszy
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
L: The grass withers and the flower fades.
C: But the word of our God will stand forever.
Sermon—The Object of Our Worship Hear God’s word proclaimed and explained.
Pastor Josh
Communion Liturgy—Based on NCC and Heidelberg
Pastor Josh
Pastor: What are the sacraments or ordinances?
C: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Pastor: What is the Lord’s Supper?
C: Christ commanded all Christians to eat bread and to drink from the cup in thankful remembrance of him.
Pastor: Does the Lord’s Supper add anything to Christ’s atoning work?
C: No, Christ died once for all.
Pastor: How does the holy supper remind and assure you that you share in Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross and in all his benefits?
C: In this way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat this broken bread and to drink this cup in remembrance of him.
Pastor: With this command come two promises. What are those promises?
C: First, as surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup shared with me, so surely his body was offered and broken for me and his blood poured out for me on the cross. Second, as surely as I receive from the hand of the one who serves, and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, given me as sure signs of Christ’s body and blood, so surely he nourishes and refreshes my soul for eternal life with his crucified body and poured-out blood.
Pastor: We must be careful not to come to this table in an unworthy manner without taking time to examine ourselves. Take a moment now in silent confession and repentance of sin.
[Silent confession]
Pastor to close the liturgy with a prayer over the elements and the people.
Distribution of the Elements Receive the body and the blood of Christ.
The Elders
Song of Response—Victory Chant Respond to the preaching of the word with song.
The Puopolos
Verse 1
Hail Jesus You’re my King (ECHO)
Your life frees me to sing (ECHO)
I will praise You all my days (ECHO)
You’re perfect in all Your ways (ECHO)
Verse 2
Hail Jesus You’re my Lord (ECHO)
I will obey Your word (ECHO)
I want to see Your kingdom come (ECHO)
Not my will but Yours be done (ECHO)
Verse 3
Glory glory to the Lamb (ECHO)
You take me into the land (ECHO)
We will conquer in Your name (ECHO)
And proclaim that Jesus reigns (ECHO)
Verse 4
Hail hail Lion of Judah (ECHO)
How powerful You are (ECHO)
Hail hail Lion of Judah (ECHO)
How wonderful You are (ECHO)
How wonderful You are (ECHO)
Ending
How wonderful You are
Extinguishing the Candles You are the light of the world.
Acolytes
Benediction Receive a parting blessing.
Pastor Josh
Postlude Music
Rebekah Barnes