Welcome: –

Passing The Peace: –

 As we gather for worship let us remember that we are one people in Christ Jesus.  We are all welcomed by God into His presence and graced by His mercy.  Let us, then, be united in our worship of God and in our fellowship together, and uplift our hands to greet those both here and those in their homes with these words:

May the peace of God be with you.

And also with you.

Call To Worship             

We gather today to worship the one who created us,

The one who calls us,

The one who equips us,

The one who loves us without end,

With joyful hearts, let us worship God.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing 2 Praise Songs

  The first song is: ‘We are one in the bond of love.’  (Scripture in Song volume 1  number 134)

  We are called to be God’s People, that, despite our differences and diversity, there is a deeper unity that we share.  We are the Family of God.

Otis Skillings

The second song is: ‘Come as you are’  (TiS693)

  Remember the Prodigal Son?  He left home, had a great time for a while, and then things got out of hand.  He found himself in a big mess.  But, he had the courage to ask for forgiveness, and to come home, just as he was, a bit the worse for wear.  But, he came home and all was well.

The song speaks to us   –   come out of sadness, from wherever you are or wherever you’ve been.

Come on home, just as you are!

Deidre Browne

Prayer Of Confession And Thanksgiving                      

  Holy God, we can be so full of fear at times.  Afraid of the unknown, afraid of what is beyond our control, afraid of what is strange to us.  And we know that fear stops us in our tracks, hinders our action and gives excuse for not doing what you call us to do and what you empower us to do.  So, we pray that you will give us courage.  O God, give us strong hearts and open hands, that we might set aside our fear and walk confidently into this World you have made.

  Lord, we thank you for each new morning with its light, for the rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends.

  May grace, mercy and peace be with us from God our Father.  In Jesus’ name we pray.    Amen.

Offering 

Offering Song

‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow’  (TiS768)

Offering Prayer                                                                       

Thank you Lord that you meet our needs, providing what we need when we need it.  We share what we have with others and we do this joyfully, together, today in Jesus name.  Amen.            

Prayer Of Illumination                  

Prepare our hearts, O Lord, to be guided by your Word and the Holy Spirit, that in your light we may perceive your mercy and grace, that in your truth we may find freedom, and that in your will we may discover peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Bible Readings                                                                                    

Psalm 16: 1-6

1  Protect me, O God; I trust in you for safety.  2  I say to the LORD, “you are my Lord; all the good things I have come from you.”

3  How excellent are the LORD’s faithful people!  My greatest pleasure is to be with them.

4  Those who rush to other gods bring many troubles on themselves.  I will not take part in their sacrifices; I will not worship their gods.

5  You, LORD, are all I have, and you give me all I need; my future is in your hands.  6  How wonderful are your gifts to me; how good they are!

This is the Word of God.

Praise to you Almighty God.

John 20: 19-31 

19  It was late that Sunday evening, and the Disciples were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the Jewish Authorities.  Then Jesus came and stood among them.

“Peace be with you.” He said.

20  After saying this, he showed them his hands and his side.  The Disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord.  21  Jesus said to them again,

“Peace be with you.  As the Father sent me, so I send you.”

22  Then he breathed on them and said,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.  23  If you forgive people’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive  them, they are not forgiven.”

24  One of the twelve Disciples, Thomas (called the Twin), was not with them when Jesus came.  25  So the other Disciples told him,

“We have seen the Lord!”

Thomas said to them,

“Unless I see the scars of the nails in his hands and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26  A week later, the Disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them.

The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said,

“Peace be with you.”

27  Then he said to Thomas,

“Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side.  Stop your doubting and believe!”

28  Thomas answered him,

“My Lord and my God!”

29  Jesus said to him,

“Do you believe because you see me?  How happy are those who believe without seeing me!”

30  In his Disciples’ presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this Book.  31  But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.

This is the Gospel of our Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.

For The Young At Heart 

 ‘Thomas’

When we are riding in a car, what are some things you might be doing or looking at inside the car?  Maybe you are looking at a book, or a movie, or listening to music, or playing with technology.  Or just chatting.  So when you are riding in a car looking at, or doing these things, has someone else in the car ever pointed at something that was outside of the car and said, “look at that!  Do you see that?”

But by the time you look outside it’s too late, because the car has passed by the thing.  And then, you might ask one or more of the following questions, like:….

…what was it?

…where was it?

…what did it look like?

…i can’t see it….can you still see it?

…can we turn around and go look at it again?

What do you think  –  has that ever happened to you?

Perhaps you might wonder and think…….. ‘they are just making it all up.’

In our scripture story, we hear about how a disciple of Jesus’ (Thomas) has something like that happen to him.

The story starts with the disciples getting to see resurrected Jesus.  You see they were gathered together, (except for Thomas) in a locked room.   They were frightened for their own lives after Jesus was crucified.  The disciples were most likely talking about all the terrible things Jesus had endured and what would they do now! ……. Then, suddenly, Jesus was in their midst.

It was pretty exciting for everybody,  and at first, it was a little scary too.  The only problem was that Thomas was not there.

So you can guess what happened can’t you.  Thomas comes back, Jesus was gone, and the disciples were so excited and told Thomas what had happened.  “Jesus was here, he was here among us, and he just said to us”..……..”Peace be with you.”………he is alive.!!

When the disciples told Thomas what had happened, he didn’t trust what they were telling him.  Which is sort of like what we were just talking about can happen in the car,  right?   We can sometimes miss seeing something pretty amazing cant we, because we were paying attention to something else.

So, Thomas not only missed out on an exciting experience, Thomas began to distrust his friends.  Were they making it all up?  He just didn’t believe them. 

But the good news for Thomas was that he got a second chance.  He was with the disciples when Jesus came again into their midst, saying, “peace be with you.”  He spoke directly to Thomas, and showed him his hands and his side……  what did Thomas say?    “my lord, and my God.”

We, too, can come together with fellow disciples of Jesus and talk together, enjoy time together and pray together.  Granted, we may not see resurrected Jesus in the same way that Thomas and the disciples did, but we will certainly be able to better see how Jesus is with us and helping us right here and now.  When we are together as a church, god will use others to speak wise words to us.  No one person, including ourselves, has all the answers.  However, others may bring to light things that we might not see.

Let us pray;

 Dear God, thank you for Jesus,  thank you for your unconditional love, thank you that you forgive us our sins and bring us peace and joy.  Amen

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the hymn:

‘Down in the Valley with my Saviour’  (Follow, follow, I will follow Jesus)

William Cushing

Sermon

‘The Risen Lord’    –   ‘Jesus shows up in our fear’

  Imagine, if you were there when Jesus died on the cross.  If you witnessed it, you saw it, and then days later Jesus began popping up all around town, how crazy would that be?

  Imagine, the people who experienced the resurrection of Jesus, the people who experienced the presence of God in those moments.

 How our lives can be changed and impacted still today, 2000 years later, that give us incredible meaning and incredible hope.

  John is writing with a very specific audience in mind.  Namely, those second and third generation believers, who are under-going severe persecution at the hands of the current roman emperor…..  And, now, also to you and me, as we read John’s gospel.  John wants us to know that we did not have to be there in person.  We did not have to walk the paths with Jesus.  We did not have to witness the miracles first hand.  We did not have to be locked in that upper room.  Through the reading of John’s message we may hear the stories and come to believe.  And in believing, we may have life eternal.  John, the author, explains he has written down these stories and joyous news of Jesus’ resurrection so that future readers and generations to come, may read and “come to believe that Jesus is the…Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.”

  A group of people were hiding.  They were not hiding in fun or in jest.  They were hiding in fear and uncertainty.  These people were the disciples, minus Thomas.  Think again of what it would have been like for those disciples, gathered together that first Easter evening.  Think of what they witnessed in the days leading up to Easter:  there was that emotional Thursday evening when Jesus washed the disciples feet, and shared a last supper with them.  If only they had known.  There was his agony in the garden, when those same disciples fell asleep as Jesus prayed……  Jesus and his disciples entered the garden of Gethsemane, he tells them: “stay awake, watch!”  The implication is that they’re about to learn something, a lesson is to be taught.  But, as we know, they didn’t stay awake, they fell asleep, not because the hour was late and they were tired after a long day, not even because of the wine they’d drunk at the supper.  They fell asleep, Luke says, “out of sheer sorrow.”  (Luke 22: 45)  they fell asleep because they were disconsolate, disappointed, confused, depressed.  And, because of that sleep, they missed the lesson they were supposed to learn from watching Jesus in his prayer……what was that lesson?……. There was the betrayal by one of their own, Judas, and Jesus’ arrest.  The denial by Peter, the crowds shouting for Jesus to be crucified.  His trial, his torture and then, finally his crucifixion.  His burial in the tomb. 

  Remember these disciples had left their jobs, homes and families and followed Jesus for 3 plus years.  They witnessed Jesus, by his sheer words, healing the blind, the sick, the mute to talk, calming the seas, feeding 5,000 plus people.  Jesus did incredible things and these disciples were following him, the messiah, son of God.  And then on one Friday, that’s called Good Friday, they watched their whole world turn upside down.  Their life began to crumble and they found themselves in Jerusalem behind a locked door because Jesus had been killed and they were in fear for their own lives.

  Have you ever been afraid?  Something disheartening happened in life that you weren’t expecting, circumstances beyond your control took place and life changed and it left you afraid, maybe unsure and asking questions.  I will never forget those times in my life.  But I think we all have our story to tell.  We all have at one time or another had fear in our hearts and in our lives.  What sustains us is remembering the story in john 20.  Jesus showed up in the fears and in the hiding of these disciples.  He shows up, and he steps into it.     He came and stood among them and simply said, “Peace be with you.”  They felt joy, of course.  But also sadness over what Jesus went through.  And perhaps confusion over what his resurrection meant, and we know that they were very afraid.  Do you think they may have felt guilt too, over deserting Jesus in his hour of need.  In response to all that joy and sadness and confusion and fear and guilt, Jesus simply said:  “Peace be with you.”  He had forgiven them for all that they had done – and not done – over these last dramatic days.

  This story is also about how Jesus comes to us, in the midst of our doubts and fears our sin and guilt, to offer each and every one of us that simple word of grace, and mercy and forgiveness.  “Peace be with you,” says our risen Lord to us all.  Think back to a time in your life when you felt as though you had truly disappointed God.  And now, imagine Jesus showing up at that very moment, and saying to you:  “Peace be with you.”  That is what our Lord does for each and every one of us.  That, too, is what the miracle of Easter means to us.

  there are many verses and stories about fear in the Bible, in the Old and New Testament.  Let us just recall these three.

Psalm 23:4

  “even though i walk through the darkest valley,  i will fear no evil,  for you are with me;  your rod and your staff,  they comfort me.”

  You would be hard pressed to find a more well-known passage in the Bible than the 23^rd psalm.  It is just so applicable to every situation in our lives, including when we are frightened.  When we become aware of god’s presence, we don’t have to be afraid, even in the darkest valleys.

Psalm 91:4-5

  “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;  his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart,  you will not fear the terror of night,  nor the arrow that flies by day.”

  It’s a beautiful image of God as a shelter.  When chicks are afraid or in danger, the nurturing mother draws them in and hides them from the peering eyes of predators.  God isn’t an emotionally distant sanctuary, he’s more like a caring mother protecting her young.

Psalm 107:28-30

  “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.  He stilled the storm to a whisper;  the waves of the sea were hushed.”

  They were glad when it grew calm,  and he guided them to their desired haven.

  Psalm 107 speaks about four different groups of people from the tribe of Judah dealing with their exile.  This passage speaks of those who went out to sea, and when the sea acted up and threatened to consume them, God quieted the storms and stilled the sea, guiding them home.

  Jesus, now resurrected, performs 3 actions when he “shows up in the midst of the disciples fear”

1. He blesses them with his peace.
2. He blesses them with the Holy Spirit.
3. He makes them his agents to forgive – or retain – sins.

Jesus gave the disciples a job.  Jesus would send them into the world to continue the work and spread the message.  Jesus breathes on them and they are touched with the Holy Spirit.

Purpose of John 20: 19-31

  the promise of this text is that Jesus cannot be stopped by our locked doors.  Jesus comes to us as he came to the first disciples, right in the midst of our fear, pain, doubt and confusion.  He comes speaking peace, breathing into our anxious lives the breath of the holy spirit.

Amen.   

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the hymn : ‘In Christ Alone’   

Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Prayer For Others                                                                        

Lord Jesus, we come to you today and thank you for the privilege of praying for others.  Bless our families, our children and grandchildren with your love.  Bless us all who are here and those who are at home and Aged Care Facilities.  May our love for you help us to love and forgive others and make a difference in our World.

We pray for teachers, for students, for all of those in authority and leadership, both locally and throughout the World.  We pray for the lost, the hurting, the lonely and sick, the bereaved, and those who are imprisoned.  Send your comfort, your peace and your calming presence to those who are without hope.  Protect the defenceless and hold them close to your heart.  We pray for peace in the World.  Create goodwill between every Race and Nation.

Lord, we ask that you will open our heart to receive genuine love for your Commandments.  Teach us, Lord, to love you first above all else, and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves.

In Jesus’ name we pray.   

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil,

For the Kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,

Now and forever.   Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the hymn ‘Low in the grave he lay’  (Alexander’s Hymns Number 3 number 122)

The words are printed below

Verse 1 of 3

Low in the grave he lay,

Jesus my Saviour.

Waiting the coming day,

Jesus my Lord.

Chorus

Up from the grave he arose

With a mighty triumph o’er his foes.

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose!  He arose!

Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Verse 2 of 3

Vainly they watch his bed,

Jesus my Saviour.

Vainly they sealed the dead,

Jesus my Lord.

Chorus

Up from the grave he arose

With a mighty triumph o’er his foes.

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose!  He arose!

Hallelujah, Christ arose!

Verse 3 of 3

Death cannot keep his prey,

Jesus my Saviour.

He tore the bars away,

Jesus my Lord.

Chorus

Up from the grave he arose

With a mighty triumph o’er his foes.

He arose a Victor from the dark domain,

And he lives forever with his saints to reign.

He arose!  He arose!

Hallelujah, Christ arose!

[repeat the chorus]

Robert Lowry

Benediction

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.   And may the blessing of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you always.   Amen.

You are invited to listen to, or join in singing the Benediction Song:

‘Shalom to you now.’  (TiS778)

Elise Eslinger