Worship Service for Easter on April 30, 2023, at 11 AM

Welcome and Invocation

Confession and Forgiveness:

P: When we come into the presence of God we cannot help but see our sinfulness. God does not require us to cleanse our own sin and be perfect of our own power for, surely, we could never achieve this. Instead, He tells us to come just as we are and receive His great mercy.

Song: Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not, To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

Just as I am, though tossed about,
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
Lamb of God, I come!  I come!

 (a time of silence to reflect and personally confess our sins)

C: Heavenly Father, we confess that we have sinned against you and each other. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ and His suffering and death on the cross, please forgive us and help us to live according to Your ways. Amen

Just As I Am Verse 4:
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!                                          © Public Domain

P: The Lord our God is merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Therefore I announce unto you the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  In His stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.

Song of Praise and Thanksgiving – Living Hope

How great the chasm that lay between us.

How high the mountain I could not climb.

In desperation, I turned to heaven,
And spoke Your name into the night.

Then through the darkness Your loving kindness,

Tore through the shadows of my soul.

The work is finished, the end is written,
Jesus Christ, my Living Hope.

 

Who could imagine so great a mercy.

What heart could fathom such boundless grace.

The God of ages stepped down from glory,
To wear my sin and bear my shame.

The cross has spoken. I am forgiven.

The King of Kings calls me His own.

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever,

Jesus Christ, my Living Hope.

 

Chorus:

Hallelujah, praise the one who set me free!

Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me!

You have broken every chain. There’s salvation in Your Name,

Jesus Christ, my Living Hope.

 

Verse 3:

Then came the morning that sealed the promise,

Your buried body began to breathe.

Out of the silence the roaring Lion,

Declared the grave has no claim on me.

(Repeat)

 

Jesus, Yours is the victory!

(Chorus 2x)               © Bethel Music Publishing and Remaining portion is unaffiliated

First Reading – Acts 6:1-7

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Reader: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading – John 14:1–14

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to You, o Christ.

Children’s Message (Children dismissed to Children’s Church)

Brief Announcements (scroll down for more details)

Sermon Hymn – Cornerstone
My hope is built on nothing less,
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ name.

Chorus:

Christ alone, Cornerstone, Weak made strong in the Savior’s love.

Through the storm He is Lord, Lord of all.

 

Verse 2:

When darkness seems to hide His face,

I rest on His unchanging grace.

In every high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil.

My anchor holds within the veil.

 

(Chorus)

 

He is Lord. Lord of all.

 

Verse 3:

When He shall come with trumpet sound,

Oh, may I then in Him be found,

Dressed in His righteousness alone,

Faultless, stand before the throne.

 

(Chorus)                                                        © 2011 Hillsong Music Publishing

Sermon – “Living Stones”

1 Peter 2:1–10

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

P: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C: Praise be to You, o Christ.

Prayers: Text in prayer requests to (813) 326-5255

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.

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

Offering

Greeting and Benediction for the Online Service (scroll down for a video of the closing song)

Words of Institution

Peace

P: The peace of the Lord be with you all.
C: And also, with you.

Distribution

Prayer

Benediction

Closing Song – The Church’s One Foundation

The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ, her Lord;

she is his new creation by water and the Word:

from heav’n he came and sought her to be his holy bride;

with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

Elect from ev’ry nation, yet one o’er all the earth,

her charter of salvation one Lord, one faith, one birth;

one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,

and to one hope she presses, with ev’ry grace endued.

Through toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,

she waits the consummation of peace forevermore;

till with the vision glorious her longing eyes are blest,

and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,

and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won:

O blessed heav’nly chorus! Lord, save us by Your grace,

that we, like saints before us, may see You face to face.

 

    © Public Domain

 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Today, After the Service, Voter Meeting
Faith Lutheran Church

Today, After the Voter Meeting, Confirmation
Faith Lutheran Church

Today, 5 PM, Main Event (All are welcome)
Main Event, Wesley Chapel. Cost – $20

May 2, 7 PM, Growth Group
Growth Group 2 – Rich and Judy’s Home and Online

May 7, After the Service, Confirmation
Faith Lutheran Church

May 14, Mother’s Day and Faith and Food Worship Service
Faith Lutheran Church

 

May 21, Confirmation Sunday
Faith Lutheran Church

 

 

 

Florida-Georgia District Regional Conference
“Deliver Us: God’s Rescue Story in Exodus”
Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing from Concordia University in St. Paul

This conference will highlight how God’s kingdom comes to us and then through us to the world. The conference will draw us into a deeper understanding that what Jesus did for Israel in the past he will do for us today—deliver us from bondage and bring us into a kingdom where he reigns forever and ever.

• ·        When: Monday, May 8th
• ·        Where: Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church 7461 Prospect Rd. Sarasota.
• ·        Time: Registration begins at 8:30am and we conclude at 3:30pm.
• ·       Cost: $10 (includes lunch)

Register through Pastor Kurt

 

 

 

1 Peter Reading Plan

• ·         4/24: 1 Peter 1:1-2
• ·         4/25: 1 Peter 1:3-9
• ·         4/26: 1 Peter 1:10-12
• ·         4/27: 1 Peter 1:13-16
• ·         4/28: 1 Peter 1:17-25
• ·         4/29: 1 Peter 2:1-10
• ·         5/1: 1 Peter 2:9-10
• ·         5/2: 1 Peter 2:11-12
• ·         5/3: 1 Peter 2:13-15
• ·         5/4: 1 Peter 2:16-17
• ·         5/5: 1 Peter 2:18
• ·         5/6: 1 Peter 2:19-25
• ·         5/8: 1 Peter 3:1-2
• ·         5/9: 1 Peter 3:3-6
• ·         5/10: 1 Peter 3:7
• ·         5/11: 1 Peter 3:8
• ·         5/12: 1 Peter 3:9-12
• ·         5/13: 1 Peter 3:13-22
• ·         5/15: 1 Peter 4:1-2
• ·         5/16: 1 Peter 4:3-5
• ·         5/17: 1 Peter 4:6
• ·         5/18: 1 Peter 4:7
• ·         5/19: 1 Peter 4:8-11
• ·         5/20: 1 Peter 4:12-19
• ·         5/22: 1 Peter 5:1-4
• ·         5/23: 1 Peter 5:5
• ·         5/24: 1 Peter 5:6-7
• ·         5/25: 1 Peter 5:8-11
• ·         5/26: 1 Peter 5:12-14
• ·         5/27: Numbers 11:24–30 and John 7:37–39

Below is the video of the closing song: