Tag: The Purpose of This Book

Easter | 2nd Sunday 27 Apr 2025: Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 150; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31 ~ Sent that believers may have Life.

Easter | 2nd Sunday 27 Apr 2025

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

Almighty and everlasting God,
who in the Paschal mystery
established the new covenant of reconciliation:
Grant that all who have been reborn
into the fellowship of Christ’s Body
may show forth in their lives
what they profess by their faith;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus said to them again,
“Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, even so
I am sending you.”
(John 20:21)

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Thine Be the Glory (Tune: Maccabeus) | St Michael’s Singers [Chet Valley Churches]

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Acts Reading: Acts 5:27-32 (ESV)

5:27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” 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.”

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From the Psalms: Psalm 150 | Poor Bishop Hooper

praise the lord
praise the lord
praise him in his mighty heavens
praise the lord
praise the lord
praise him his unequaled greatness

let everything that breathes
let everything that breathes
let everything that breathes
praise the lord

praise him with harp and lyre
praise him with trumpet sound
praise him with strings and pipe
praise him with cymbals loud

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NT Reading: Revelation 1:4-8 (ESV)

Greeting to the Seven Churches

1:4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

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Revelation 1:4b-6 NKJV | John’s Doxology | To Him Be Glory | Susan Toh Music

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Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31 (ESV)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

20:19 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.”

Jesus and Thomas

20:24 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.”

The Purpose of This Book

20:30 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.

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I Believe In Jesus – Chris Tomlin / Living Faith Nazarene

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP 2019

+ Almighty God our Savior, you desire that none should perish, and you have taught us through your Son that there is great joy in heaven over every sinner who repents: Grant that our hearts may ache for a lost and broken world. May your Holy Spirit work through our words, deeds, and prayers, that the lost may be found and the dead made alive, and that all your redeemed may rejoice around your throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayers, and grant that in our local assemblies the pure Word of God may be preached and the Sacraments duly administered. Strengthen and confirm the faithful; protect and guide the children; visit and relieve the sick; turn and soften the wicked; arouse the careless; recover the fallen; restore the penitent; remove all hindrances to the advancement of your truth; and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Gracious and empowering God: Prosper all those who live, preach, and teach the Gospel at home and in distant lands [especially in the Middle East]; protect them in all perils, support them in their loneliness, sustain them in the hour of trial; give them your abundant grace to bear faithful witness; and endue them with burning zeal and love, that they may turn many to righteousness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Heavenly Father, grant these our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2nd Sunday of Easter: 11 Apr 2021 – Isa 26:1-9,19; Ps 111; 1 John 5:1-5; John 20:19-31 ~ Believing without seeing!

2nd Sunday of Easter: 11 Apr 2021

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

God of life, source of all faith,
through the waters of baptism you have raised us up in Jesus
and given us life that endures.
Day by day refine our faith, that we who have not seen the Christ
may truly confess him as our Lord and God
and share the blessedness of those who believe.
Grant this through Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
(John 20:29)

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See What a Morning – Stuart Townend (Hadleigh Baptist Church, UK)

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OT Reading: Isa 26:1-9,19 (ESV)

You Keep Him in Perfect Peace

26:1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;
he sets up salvation
as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates,
that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
5 For he has humbled
the inhabitants of the height,
the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
casts it to the dust.
6 The foot tramples it,
the feet of the poor,
the steps of the needy.”

7 The path of the righteous is level;
you make level the way of the righteous.
8 In the path of your judgments,
O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

26:19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise.
You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!
For your dew is a dew of light,
and the earth will give birth to the dead.

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Psalms: Ps 111,112 (ESV)

Great Are the Lord’s Works

MIQEDEM – Psalm 111/112 (Live in Studio) תהילים קי״א/קי״ב
Psalm 111 and 112 (first 4 verses of each) in the original Hebrew – for translation turn on CC!

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Gospel Reading: John 20:19-31 (ESV)

Jesus Appears to the Disciples

20:19 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.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus and Thomas

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 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.”

26 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.” 27 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.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The Purpose of This Book

30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 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.

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Goodness Of God ~ Bethel Music

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NT Reading: 1 John 5:1-5 (ESV)

Overcoming the World

5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

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Overcome The World – ENCS Music | Singapore

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Prayer –

Gracious and Merciful God: hear our prayers and help us, in this our time of need –

+ For the peace of the whole world, and for the well-being and unity of the people of God, preserve us….
+ For all those who proclaim the Gospel at home and abroad; and for all who teach and disciple others, protect us….
+ For our brothers and sisters in Christ who are persecuted for their faith, deliver us….
+ For our nation, for those in authority, and for all in public service, guide and direct them….
+ For all those who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity, heal us….
+ For all those who have departed this life in the certain hope of the resurrection, comfort us….

Heavenly Father, grant these our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with us, wherever He may send us.
May He guide us through the wilderness, protect us through the storm.
May He bring us home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown us.
May He bring us home rejoicing once again into our doors.

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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.