ORDER OF WORSHIP
Call To Worship
Psalm 149 : 1 – 2
1 Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of His faithful people. 2 Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
詩篇 149 : 1 – 2
1 你們要讚美耶和華！向耶和華唱新歌，在聖民的會中讚美他！2 願以色列因造他的主歡喜，願錫安的民因他們的王快樂！
Worship Through Songs
Good day brothers and sisters in Christ. May this find you rested and secure in the love of our Father in heaven, and in the care of our Good Shepherd Jesus Christ.
With so many people claiming affiliation to Christ nowadays, it can be confusing to determine which are genuine and which are not. Treading lightly, we point the question at ourselves, and ask whether we are truly of the faith or not. For sure, an abundance of Biblical knowledge, religious activities and spiritual talk does not always mean there is a living connection with Christ. Even morality can be practiced with utmost excellence devoid of a heart-felt love for the Savior.
So, while humbly acknowledging our own flaws and inconsistencies, and realizing that we cannot peer inside another person’s heart like God can, we subject this matter to the light of what Jesus taught about how the fruit of each tree reveals the kind of tree it is. For we can tell a lot about who we really are by the spontaneous outpourings of our hearts—our spiritual cores. We can discern the condition of our relationship with Jesus by the natural leanings of our hearts—the impulsive direction our hearts gravitate to in the unguarded moments of our lives.
On whom or what do we look to for identity, purpose, esteem, and acceptance? Who or what is our true source of strength, confidence, and direction? To whom or what do we run when facing trials, failures, and disappointments. Who or what is the One thing we can never live without? Needless to say, child of God, for the Christian it is simply Jesus Christ or nothing.
Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Apart from Christ, we can accomplish nothing—at least nothing that is eternally significant and valuable in the eyes of God. For sure, there are many who seek to accomplish much in this world—good things, noble things, helpful things. Yet, in the eyes of God, when such altruism are done apart from a grateful love, a humble acknowledgment, and desperate dependence upon Christ—through whom and for whom all things are made—they are as vapor in the wind.
A hallmark of a living relationship with Christ our Vine, is a growing sense of need and dependence on Jesus—a deepening realization and rested-ness in the fact that Christ is our All in all. He not only atoned for our sins and justified us through his death, He lives to abide with us and to intercede for us along life’s narrow way. He forgave our sins and continues to forgive us. He accepted us and continues to accept us. He lifted us up and continues to lift us. He leads us on and He holds us fast—everyday, all the way. Once again, let us gratefully and lovingly draw near to him, and humbly declare, Lord I need You.
‘Eternal God and loving Heavenly Father, You are our light and our salvation in this broken world. Amid this brokenness and confusion, we have only our hope that You, our God, do not lie. In the cries of a whole nation of people, in the moaning of its fragile land, You bid us hear the faint but sure cry of hope. Though to some degree it mocks our sensibilities, we abandon ourselves to your promise that one day the whole earth will be covered with the knowledge of the glory of God; one day the barren places will have trees again and those trees will clap their hands; one day desolate hills will seem like dancing mountains.
One day You will wipe away every tear from the eyes of your people, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away for your world in waiting. How long, O Lord? How long until that increasingly longed-for day? . . .
We praise You that You do not despise our confusion, our despair, or even our railings against heaven and the mysteries of hard providence, but You give us all the gospel sanity we will need to follow You into the heart-wrenching brokenness and chaos. We will hold on to the hope that because of Christ our King, and his victory on the cross, all will be well in the end. We pray in Jesus’ tender and trustworthy name. Amen.’ [adapted from Scotty Smith]
Anthem
Where The Nails Were
Scripture Reading
John 20 : 19 – 29 (ESV)
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.”
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.”
約 翰 福 音 20 : 19 – 29 (CUV)
19 那 日 （ 就 是 七 日 的 第 一 日 ） 晚 上 ， 門 徒 所 在 的 地 方 ， 因 怕 猶 太 人 ， 門 都 關 了 。 耶 穌 來 ， 站 在 當 中 ， 對 他 們 說 ： 願 你 們 平 安 ！
20 說 了 這 話 ， 就 把 手 和 肋 旁 指 給 他 們 看 。 門 徒 看 見 主 ， 就 喜 樂 了 。
21 耶 穌 又 對 他 們 說 ： 願 你 們 平 安 ！ 父 怎 樣 差 遣 了 我 ， 我 也 照 樣 差 遣 你 們 。
22 說 了 這 話 ， 就 向 他 們 吹 一 口 氣 ， 說 ： 你 們 受 聖 靈 ！
23 你 們 赦 免 誰 的 罪 ， 誰 的 罪 就 赦 免 了 ； 你 們 留 下 誰 的 罪 ， 誰 的 罪 就 留 下 了 。
24 那 十 二 個 門 徒 中 ， 有 稱 為 低 土 馬 的 多 馬 ； 耶 穌 來 的 時 候 ， 他 沒 有 和 他 們 同 在 。
25 那 些 門 徒 就 對 他 說 ： 我 們 已 經 看 見 主 了 。 多 馬 卻 說 ： 我 非 看 見 他 手 上 的 釘 痕 ， 用 指 頭 探 入 那 釘 痕 ， 又 用 手 探 入 他 的 肋 旁 ， 我 總 不 信 。
26 過 了 八 日 ， 門 徒 又 在 屋 裡 ， 多 馬 也 和 他 們 同 在 ， 門 都 關 了 。 耶 穌 來 ， 站 在 當 中 說 ： 願 你 們 平 安 ！
27 就 對 多 馬 說 ： 伸 過 你 的 指 頭 來 ， 摸 （ 原 文 是 看 ） 我 的 手 ； 伸 出 你 的 手 來 ， 探 入 我 的 肋 旁 。 不 要 疑 惑 ， 總 要 信 。
28 多 馬 說 ： 我 的 主 ！ 我 的 神 ！
29 耶 穌 對 他 說 ： 你 因 看 見 了 我 才 信 ； 那 沒 有 看 見 就 信 的 有 福 了 。
Sermon
Dr. Gerardo Lisbe, Jr.
中文翻譯
Tithes And Offering
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Response Song
