Open Arms Worship Sunday April 19, 2020

Second Sunday of Easter
Divine Service

April 19, 2020

Welcome to Open Arms Lutheran Church.   God bless your worship today!  Prepare now to receive the gifts which He has for you!

Here is the video link for this service:   Open Arms Sunday worship   

Opening Song:    Behold The Lamb

Invocation

V: In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit,

C: AMEN

V:   Christ is Risen!       He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Psalm 148, selected verses

V:   Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!

C:  Praise Him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!

V:   Praise Him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars!

C:  Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

V:   Let them praise the name of the Lord!

C:  For He commanded and they were created.  Praise the Lord!

Confession and Absolution

V:   Join me as we seek God’s mercy and forgiveness.

O God our Father, we confess before you all our sins, both those we know and remember and those we do not.  We have not loved You fully, and we haven’t loved our neighbors as ourselves.  We’ve been self-centered and selfish in our thoughts, words and actions. 

C:  Have mercy on us and forgive us, Lord.

V:   O God our Father, hear now our individual confessions, in the name of Jesus.            

Silent confession of your sins

V:   Like Thomas and the other disciples, our doubt and unbelief often blind us our resurrected Savior, who is right in front of us by His word and in His church.  Today, Jesus says to you:  Peace be with you!  Because of Jesus, your sins are forgiven!  Receive His peace, in the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit.

C:  Amen. 

First Reading                         Acts 5:29-42

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.  The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.  God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.  And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them.  But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.   And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men.  For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.  After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.  

So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail;  but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.  Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.  And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

A:   This is the Word of the Lord.

C:  Thanksbe to God.

Epistle Reading                     1 Peter 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

A:   This is the Word of the Lord.

C:  Thanksbe to God.

Holy Gospel                           John 20:19-31

V:   The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 20^thchapter.

C:  Gloryto You, O Lord.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.  Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”  Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”  Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;  but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

V:   This is the Word of the Lord.

C:  Praise to You, O Christ.

Sermon    

The Nicene Creed     

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Prayers of the Church

V:   Let’s pray for all people, and for all their needs.

The Lord’s Prayer  

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

     and the power and the glory

     forever and ever. Amen.

Benediction

Closing Song:   Because He Lives