Preparing our Hearts to Worship
In an effort to help you prepare for the April 12, 2020, Easter Sunday morning corporate worship gathering and to aid you in your own reflections on Christ’s Victory. I wanted to pose a few questions and provide a few resources to prayerfully consider over the coming days. Our sermon is entitled, “Christ has Triumphed” The main Scripture for the day is Colossians 2:8-15.
(Pick and choose from the many resources and options, which I have tried to make available for your devotional life.)
From the Scriptures
Please read through these passages: Colossians 1-2; Ephesians 6:12; Matthew 15:2-6; Hebrews 2:8-9; Deuteronomy 10:16, 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4, 9:25.
From the Creeds and Confessions
2nd Helvetic Confession Chapter 11
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WORLD, AND THE TRUE AWAITED MESSIAH.
For we teach and believe that this Jesus Christ our Lord is the unique and eternal Savior of the human race, and thus of the whole world, in whom by faith are saved all who before the law, under the law, and under the Gospel were saved, and however many will be saved at the end of the world. For the Lord himself says in the Gospel: “He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber….I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:1 and 7). And also in another place in the same Gospel he says: “Abraham saw my day and was glad” (ch. 7:56). The apostle Peter also says: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
We therefore believe that we will be saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, as our fathers were (Acts 4:12; 10:43; 15:11). For Paul also says: “All our fathers ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock which followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (I Cor. 10:3 f.). And thus we read that John says: “Christ was the Lamb which was slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 14:8), and John the Baptist testified that Christ is that “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Wherefore, we quite openly profess and preach that Jesus Christ is the sole Redeemer and Savior of the world, the King and High Priest, the true and awaited Messiah, that holy and blessed one whom all the types of the law and predictions of the prophets prefigured and promised; and that God appointed him beforehand and sent him to us, so that we are not now to look for any other.
Now there only remains for all of us to give all glory to Christ, believe in him, rest in him alone, despising and rejecting all other aids in life. For however many seek salvation in any other than in Christ alone, have fallen from the grace of God and have rendered Christ null and void for themselves (Gal. 5:4).
2nd Helvetic Confession Chapter 11
CHRIST IS TRULY RISEN FROM THE DEAD.
We believe and teach that the same Jesus Christ our Lord, in his true flesh in which he was crucified and died, rose again from the dead, and that not another flesh was raised other than the one buried, or that a spirit was taken up instead of the flesh, but that he retained his true body.
Therefore, while his disciples thought they saw the spirit of the Lord, he showed them his hands and feet which were marked by the prints of the nails and wounds, and added: “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; handle me, and see, for a spirit has not flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).
From the songs, hymns and spiritual songs of the Church
Joyful, joyful we adore thee: Lyrics, Video
All hail the power of Jesus name: Lyrics, Video
Christ the Lord is risen today: Lyrics, Video
At the name of Jesus: Lyrics, Video
For Thoughtful Reflection, Prayer, or further Study
Read and reflect upon Ray Stedman’s Beware.
Read and reflect upon Ligon Duncan’s The Incomparable Christ.
Other noteworthy sites: Lectionary Commentary.
The Sermon will be available online on April 12, 2020 at 12:30 pm.
Disclaimer: Reference to a particular article or website does not constitute endorsement or agreement with everything in that article or on that website.
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