Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Prayer of Adoration:
Song: “Spirit of the Living God” – Hymn No. 726 (repeat three times)
Song: “He Will Hold Me Fast” – CCLI #7916161
When I fear my faith will fail, Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail, He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold through life’s fearful path;
For my love is often cold; He must hold me fast.
CHORUS: He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast;
For my Saviour loves me so, He will hold me fast.
Those He saves are His delight, Christ will hold me fast;
Precious in his holy sight, He will hold me fast.
He’ll not let my soul be lost; His promises shall last;
Bought by Him at such a cost, He will hold me fast.
For my life He bled and died, Christ will hold me fast;
Justice has been satisfied; He will hold me fast.
Raised with Him to endless life, He will hold me fast
‘Til our faith is turned to sight, When He comes at last!
The Old Testament Lesson: From Psalm 148
Gentlemen: Praise the Lord!
Ladies: Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above.
Gentlemen: Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Ladies: Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
Gentlemen: Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies. Ladies: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for at his command they were created, and he established them for ever and ever!
Gentlemen: Kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth, young men and women, old men and children; Ladies: Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; All: His splendor is above the earth and the heavens!
Confession of Sin:
Assurance of Pardon: Colossians 1:13-14
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
The New Testament Lesson and Prayer for the Church: 1 John 1:1-10. Matthew Elliott, Ruling Elder.
Song: “Fairest Lord Jesus” – Hymn 170 v.1-3
The Sermon: “A Better Covenant, Part Three: The Blessings of the New Covenant.” Jeremiah 31:31-35; Hebrews 8:10-12. Dr. Michael Calvert, Teaching Elder.
Confession of Faith: The Shorter Catechism, Question 86, Trinity Hymnal p. 875.
*Communion:
Song: “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” – Hymn 296 v.1,3,6
The Benediction: Based on Colossians 3:16-17
May the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, and may you sing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Amen!
As we prepare our hearts for worship this coming Lord’s Day, let me encourage you to prayerfully read and meditate upon two closely related passages of Scripture.
The first is Jeremiah 31:27-34. This is the classic Old Testament text promising that God will one day bring about a “ new covenant.” And with the advent of this covenant, there will be blessings bestowed that are both unprecedented and unparalleled in their glory.
Then, look carefully at Hebrews 8:8-13 where the author of the Epistle quotes this Old Testament promise and tells us that it is Jesus our Lord who is the Mediator of this “ new covenant.”
The connection, then, becomes clear; the blessings that God has promised with this new covenant are to be experienced by faith in His Beloved Son!
As we walk though these two Biblical texts this Lord’s Day, we will discover that there are four amazing blessings for those who are in Christ Jesus. See if you can spot them as you ponder these inspired passages.
Adult Sunday School News
This Sunday we will complete our study of Esther. Then, beginning next week April 18, I will be teaching a six-week course on Romans 1-11.
As you know, the first eleven chapters of this Epistle lay out for us the content and power of the Gospel, particularly as Paul focuses upon the justification of sinners by God’s grace through faith in Christ. Then, with chapter 12, the transition (“Therefore”) is made to the practical results of justification in the life of the believer.
This overview of Romans 1-11 will prepare us for our twelve-weekSummer Preaching Series on Romans 12:1-21, which will commence on Sunday June 20.
If you would like to read a very helpful commentary on Romans I would recommend, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World
(The Bible Speaks Today Series), by Dr. John Stott.
Finally, don’t forget about our Fellowship Lunch this Sunday immediately following worship!
I love you all dearly!!
Mike
Announcements:
Second Sunday Lunch:
Make plans to join the rest of the church body in the education wing for lunch immediately following the service THIS Sunday. This week’s menu is sandwiches and sides. There will be indoor and outdoor seating, weather permitting.
Spring Picnic:
Save the date for the upcoming church picnic on May 2. This year’s picnic will be a potluck, so please watch for a sign-up this week for helping out. Church will provide grilled chicken tenders and drinks. It’s going to be a fabulous time of fellowship and fun!
Youth Group:
Youth Group meets April 11 at 4:30 PM at the church house.
Children’s Ministry:
Summer Bible Club:
We are excited to kick-off a summer of activities in our children’s ministry! We have really fun things planned with lots of opportunities for fellowship. Our first event will be our Summer Bible Club (modified VBS) on June 10th and 11th. We will spend time studying the themes in the book of Joshua, where godly characters like Joshua, Caleb, and Rahab, lend themselves well to teaching our Olympic “Athletes” who God is, what it means to be on God’s Team, and how to run the race of faith. The story of the people of Israel in the Bible is the story of how God loves and cares for His Team! Before I send out the official announcement for our summer line-up, I need to firm up my SBC volunteers. During these crazy uncertain times, I want to be sure we have the structure in place first! This is a modified VBS, so it is VERY simple.
10:00-10:15 Welcome and Singing in the Education Wing
10:15-11:00 Breakout Sessions
Gospel-centered teaching led by small group leaders – broken up by age. This would be similar to our Sunday school setup/teaching. Super easy for anyone to teach! I promise!
11:00-11:15 Outdoor Snack
11:15-12:00 Outdoor Games & Dismissal/Pickup by parents
We will do a Friday night fellowship/dinner following SBC with some fun surprises. Make plans to join us!
Please let me know if you can volunteer by clicking HERE.
Again, I cannot do this without help from the congregation, so please consider this small way to serve our children 🙂 Teachers for each breakout group will be my biggest need so please consider. Thanks!
Nursery:
We are so excited to have had an increased number of children in our nursery! We now feel the need to have a flex volunteer to assist our nursery workers during church service on any given week. The volunteer should arrive at the nursery after Sunday School and help welcome the children in. When service begins, if there are three or fewer children, the volunteer may then go to worship (or stay if you’d like). With more than three children, we ask that you stay and assist our workers in any way needed (this usually means playing with our sweet babies!). Any Chris Pres woman or young lady (12 and up) who would like to serve our parents and children in this capacity can sign up at the link below. We plan to continue this system through the summer and will prayerfully return to our regular two nurseries in the fall.
Thank you for being such a wonderful body that loves and cares for our parents and children so well!
Women’s Ministry:
Danno Cummings, son of Tim and Carol, will be married this coming June to the lovely Jasper Williamson (also of Huntsville). They are both students at Auburn. We will not be having an in-person shower, but you can still bless them in two ways:
**Donation towards a cash gift. Click HERE, type in the amount, click “Give One Time” then under Funds, choose “Shower Gift.” The church will send a check and card “from the Christ Pres Church Family” once we have closed donations.
**Dropping a gift off in the Narthex. I have listed their registries at the bottom. Please drop any gifts or cards on the hospitality table until April 25th.
The weekly bible study and fellowship for career/singles has resumed at 5:30 PM Sunday evenings at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.
Senior Fellows:
The Senior Fellows have an ongoing weekly Bible study on Tuesdays from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. We will use the Zoom virtual meeting application to study The Last Days According to Jesus by R.C. Sproul. The topics for the 12 week series are listed below. Church members are welcome to join us. For further information, email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org.
Apr. 13 – The Antichrist
Apr. 20 – The Beast
Apr. 27 – The Rapture
May 4 – The Millennium
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Jack Loose, Hugh Dillon, Dave Angotti, Dustin and Katie Jackson, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, and Elizabeth Holton. Bereavement: Please pray for Mark Hearn, whose brother Mike died last week. Expecting: Please pray for the Deans, expecting in July. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
. . . 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.”John 20:19
My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Immediately following the resurrection of our Lord, on that very Sunday evening, we discover that the eleven remaining Disciples of Jesus were far from being the courageous heralds of the Gospel that we imagine.
John’s Gospel tells us that they were all terribly afraid of the Jewish religious authorities and what they might do to them since they had been so closely associated with Jesus. After all, it was these same authorities that, with the crowds in Jerusalem egging them on, had so brutally abused and crucified their Savior. And even Peter and John, who had seen the empty tomb for themselves, could not wrap their heads around the miracle that had actually occurred early that morning (John 20:2-10).
By that same evening, they found themselves with eight of the other disciples (except for Thomas) behind locked doors, trembling in fear for what terrible things were likely in store for them.
The intersection of facts here is quite remarkable. On the one hand, Jesus had been raised from the dead, just as He said. With His atoning death and bodily resurrection all of the malevolent powers and principalities at work in the world had been mortally wounded, and death itself had been killed off! But on the other hand, we see the Disciples of our Lord groveling in fear for their lives. It’s hard not to recognize the profound tension here. Victory over death, evil, and hell itself had been achieved. Yet those who were the very closest to Jesus were paralyzed, afraid to go out in public, knowing full well that they now had targets painted on their backs!
Perhaps in those moments behind the locked doors they recalled, and even discussed, what Jesus had said to them just before He was crucified:
“They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God”(John 16:2).
If we try to put ourselves into their shoes, we can see why they would be not only devastated by the death of Jesus at the hands of His enemies, but also in fear for their lives as well.
But then, John tells us that our resurrected Lord Himself came to them there, behind those locked doors, and He said to them, “ Peace be with you”(v. 19). And then again, after the frightened Apostles had inspected the wounds on the Lord’s body, He said it once more: “Peace be with you”(v. 21).
Then, eight days later the eleven Disciples were again gathered behind locked doors, this time with Thomas in attendance (v. 26). Obviously, the fear of suffering and death still had them in its icy grip, and the uncertainty before them had robbed them of any semblance of inner tranquility. But yet again, the Lord Himself came and stood before them. And just as He had eight days earlier, He declared for the third time, “ Peace be with you” (v. 26).
So what encouragement is there for us from this passage on this first Monday after Easter?
Let me simply suggest a few quick thoughts:
First, the peace that we need in order to live and serve our Lord faithfully in this world does not come from experiencing better circumstances or conditions.
Our peace is in a Person! Our circumstances will be exactly as Jesus taught. In this world there will be tribulation for us (John 16:33). There will never be a time when the world is not at war with us. Yet, we have peace because we always have Jesus Himself!
Situations and circumstances change with the wind. But our peace is indomitable and immovable because our Lord Himself is never changing and is never absent from His beloved sheep! If we have Him, we have peace. If we have Him we have His presence, and not only with us always, but in us always!
Second, we must be careful to understand what having peace really means.
I would suggest that there is a great difference between experiencing a lack of conflict on one hand, and having peace on the other (at least in the Biblical sense). At the end of a long day as you are relaxing on your couch, almost asleep, you might well be enjoying a lack of conflict at that moment. But that’s not really peace. The peace we have in Christ not only assumes, but requires, the presence of conflict. Without something threatening us, or something disturbing us, ‘peace’ is really a meaningless term.
The peace that Jesus gives, that Jesus actually embodies, comes to us in our fears, in our anxieties, in situations of danger, and in seasons of great distress that threaten to paralyze us.
In this story from John’s Gospel, Jesus appeared to His Disciples and blessed them with His peace as they were in the midst of a very frightening situation. He did not remove them from the danger, but stood with them right in the middle of it! This is what it means to have His peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you”(John 14:27).
Finally, we note that our Lord speaks His peace to the Disciples three times in these two episodes.
I sense in this the assurance that His presence and His peace are always enough, and are never exhausted by our afflictions no matter how frequent or intense they may be. Three being the number of perfection in Scripture, there is the intentional focus here upon the sufficiency and eternal abundance of our Lord’s gift of peace to His people! He will never run short of this precious treasure that He delights to give to those who love Him. For His peace is as omnipresent and eternal as He is!
So, find your Monday encouragement here in this truth: Your Savior and Lord is always with you, even when you are hiding behind locked doors trembling in fear. And since He is ever with you, you always have His peace!
Pastor: Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You. People: I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You.”
Pastor: The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. People: For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
Pastor: You will make known to me the way of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; People: In Your right hand there are pleasures forever!
Prayer of Adoration:
Confession of Faith: The Apostle’s Creed. Trinity Hymnal p. 845.
Song: “Crown Him with Many Crowns” – Hymn 295 v.1-2,4
Song: “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today” – Hymn 277 v.1-4
Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 25:6-9. Matthew Elliott, Ruling Elder
Song: “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” – CCLI #7041364
CHORUS: We will feast in the house of Zion,
we will sing with our hearts restored
“He has done great things,” we will say together
We will feast and weep no more
We will not be burned by the fire; He is the Lord our God
We are not consumed by the flood; upheld, protected, gathered up
In the dark of night before the dawn, my soul be not afraid
For the promised morning, oh how long! O God of Jacob, be my strength
Every vow we’ve broken and betrayed, You are the faithful One
And from the garden to the grave, bind us together, bring shalom
New Testament Lesson and Prayer for the Church: Luke 24:1-12 Dr. Michael Calvert, Teaching Elder.
The Sermon: “Crucified With Christ, Yet Alive!” Galatians 2:20. Dr. Michael Calvert, Teaching Elder.
Prayer of Confession:
Assurance of Pardon: Romans 4:25
He was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.
*Communion:
Song: “Before the Throne” – CCLI# 2306412
Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love, who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands, my name is written on His heart
I know that while in heav’n He stands, no tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart
When Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there, who made an end of all my sin
One with Himself, I cannot die, my soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high, with Christ my Savior and my God
With Christ my Savior and my God
Behold Him there, the risen Lamb, my perfect, spotless Righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM, the King of glory and of grace
Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied, to look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me
The Benediction: From 1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
Nineteen-hundred and eighty-eight years ago today, on Friday April 3, AD 33 at 9:00 AM, our beloved Lord and Savior was crucified upon the cross. At 3:00 PM that same day He died and was buried.
This is why today has been remembered as “Good Friday” for these many centuries.
There is an obvious incongruity associated with the designation of this day as “Good.” Historically, the Church has observed this day as one of deep spiritual sobriety. This is the holy day when believers all over the world gather together in local congregations to reflect upon the horrible passion and sacrificial death of our Lord.
It might surprise you to know that this is the only corporate worship service of the year where we do not, and should not, celebrate the Lord’s Supper. The reason is that our weekly Communion, as the Word itself tells us, is the celebration of the presence of the Resurrected Lord with His people.
But the observance of Good Friday is the stark reminder that before there could be our Lord’s bodily resurrection from the grave, He first had to be crucified on our behalf, “ even to the point of death” (Philippians 2:8). The Biblical order is suffering, death, burial, and then resurrection and enthronement!
Tonight, faithful believers from all nations who love our Lord and are not ashamed of His name will once again gather in order reflect upon the cross and the reason for it, our sins. We will join with them as we come together as the Body of Christ at 6:00 PM this evening. We will read the Word of God, we will sing of our Savior, we will lament, pray, and confess our sins and our faith, and then hear the proclamation of the Holy Scriptures from Galatians 6:14.
And then we will wait . . . for it may be Friday, but Sunday is coming!
It is only the reality of what happened early that Sunday morning at our Lord’s tomb that allows us to look back at that terrible Friday and call it “Good”!
Then, on Resurrection Morning at 10:30 AM we will come together again to celebrate our Lord’s victory over death and hell! We will consider the words of Galatians 2:20, and how Scripture teaches us the blessed truth that we also have been crucified and buried with Christ, so that we might rise with Him to walk in a new life! And, as always, we will commune with the very One who died and rose again on the third day!
What a blessed day it will be!
I love you so much!
Mike
Announcements:
Spring Picnic:
Save the date for the upcoming church picnic on May 2. Details soon!
Youth Group:
Youth Group meets April 11 at 4:30 PM at the church house.
Children’s Ministry:
Ashley has put together a list of Easter Resources for Families. Please check out her blog post HERE.
Watch for information on our summer programming next month. We have some really exciting things planned for the children over the summer!
Women’s Ministry:
Women’s Bible Studies have resumed for the new semester. Times and subjects below:
Mothers Morning Bible Study
Date: Tuesdays through May
Time: 9:30 am
Location: Christ Pres Church
Women’s Morning Bible Study
Date: Wednesdays through May
Time: 10-11:30 am
Location: Christ Pres Church
Topic: Book of Acts Ch, 1-12 by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Acts 1-12 For You (a companion commentary ) by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Women’s Evening Bible Study
Date: Wednesdays through May
Time: 6-7:30 pm
Location: Christ Pres Church
Topic: Book of Acts Ch, 1-12 by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Acts 1-12 For You (a companion commentary ) by R. Albert Mohler Jr.
Career/Singles:
The weekly bible study and fellowship for career/singles has resumed at 5:30 PM Sunday evenings at the home of Jim and Sharon Daughtry.
Senior Fellows:
The Senior Fellows have an ongoing weekly Bible study on Tuesdays from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. We will use the Zoom virtual meeting application to study The Last Days According to Jesus by R.C. Sproul. The topics for the 12 week series are listed below. Church members are welcome to join us. For further information, email us at seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org.
Apr. 6 – The Book of Revelation
Apr. 13 – The Antichrist
Apr. 20 – The Beast
Apr. 27 – The Rapture
May 4 – The Millennium
Prayer Requests:
Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Jack Loose, Hugh Dillon, Dave Angotti, Dustin and Katie Jackson, Zig and Virdia Jastrebski, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, and Elizabeth Holton. Bereavement: Please pray for Mark Hearn, whose brother Mike died last week. Expecting: Please pray for the Deans, expecting in July. Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); Amos and Jessica Williams (RUF at Alabama A&M); Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); Gannon Miles (seminary student); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.
Online Donations:
If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:
