ONLINE SERVICE FOR ZION EVANGELICAL CHURCH6th SUNDAY OF EASTER, MAY 17, 2020

You are encouraged to go through these as a family, although they can certainly be done individually. While this service is much like our church service, some parts have been eliminated or moved to help it flow better. If you do not care for the renditions of the hymns, there are several other arrangements on YouTube for all the songs. Find one that speaks to your heart.

We hope this service will feed your soul during our forced isolation. Keep those affected by the virus in your prayers—those affected physically, emotionally and economically. Our other prayer concerns:

For the safe resumption of services at Zion on June 14The son of a good friend of Zion who has been diagnosed with tumors Emilie and Spencer Carson following the birth this week of Eleanor LynnJanet Theobald, recovering from a heart attack and doing well at homePastor Randy Wilken, recovering from a stroke and doing better at home

Call to Worship (from Psalm 66; entire Psalm at:)https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+66&version=NIV

Alleluia, the Lord is Risen! The Lord is risen, indeed. Alleluia! We come into Your presence, O Lord, and give You our hearts. Come and hear, all you who fear God, and we will tell what He has done for us. Truly God has listened. He has not rejected our prayers or removed His steadfast love from us, Amen.

Opening Hymn: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQrNMJrgbyM

Lyrics

Love Divine, all loves excellingJoy of heaven to earth come downFix in us Your humble dwellingAll Your faithful mercies crownJesus, source of all compassionLove unbounded, love all pureVisit us with thy salvationLet Your love in us endure

Finish, then, Your new creation;Pure and spotless gracious LordLet us see Your great salvationPerfectly in You restoredChanged from glory into glory,

Till in heaven we take our place,Till we sing before the AlmightyLost in wonder, love, and praise.

God’s Word

Acts 17:22-31

22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

1 Peter 3:13-22

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19 After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Sermon: “Always Be Ready” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwrlKXZSjjE

Time for Our Children: https://youtu.be/mnBmuJbnmZY

Parents: Since our verse is from Peter (1 Peter 3:15) there is some good material for kids on Peter at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhIwTU9RbxY&list=PL5aPdmniG3y_n7hXEKTV4qQnIeCe-p6Ws&index=48&t=0s

Gathering Prayer (from Colossians 4:2-6):https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+4&version=NIV

Help us, O Lord, to devote ourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. We pray also that You may open a door for our message, that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ. Let us be wise in the way we act toward outsiders and make the most of every opportunity. That our conversation may be always full of grace, so that we may know how to answer everyone, Amen.

Apostles’ Creed: Our Statement of Faith

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the one holy universal Christian church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, Amen.

Sermon Hymn: “I Love to Tell the Story”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLuOz0g8rOA

Lyrics:

I love to tell the story of unseen things aboveOf Jesus and His glory; of Jesus and His loveI love to tell the story, because I know ‘tis trueIt satisfies my longings as nothing else can do

(Refrain)I love to tell the story, twill be my theme in gloryTo tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love

I love to tell the story, ‘tis pleasant to repeatWhat seems each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweetI love to tell the story, for some have never heardThe message of salvation from God’s own holy Word

I love to tell the story, for those who know it bestSeem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the restAnd when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song‘Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long

Refrain

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.

Offering

Our faithful people are reminded that even during this time of isolation and confinement, the work and needs of the church continue. Please consider mailing your tithes and offerings to the church so that we do not fall behind financially. Our address is 7025 E 100 North, Shelbyville, IN 46176.

Please keep in mind that our special offering for the month of May is the Charles Major Manor.

Our Prayer of Thanks (from Colossians 1:21-23)https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1%3A21-23&version=NIV

Heavenly Father, we were once alienated from You because of our evil hearts, but we give You thanks that You have reconciled us through the love of Jesus. Send us out to share this love with others, always ready to explain the hope that we have in Him, Amen.

Closing Hymn: “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeSoE1Kmmv0

Lyrics

I sing the mighty power of GodThat made the mountains riseThat spread the flowing seas abroadAnd built the lofty skiesI sing the wisdom that ordainedThe sun to rule the dayThe moon shines full at His commandAnd all the stars obey

I sing the goodness of the Lord

That filled the earth with foodHe formed the creatures with His WordAnd then pronounced them goodLord, how Thy wonders are displayedWherever I turn my eyeIf I survey the ground I treadOr gaze upon the sky

There’s not a plant or flower belowBut makes Thy glories knownAnd clouds arise, and tempests blowBy order from Thy throneWhile all that borrow life from TheeIs ever in Thy careAnd everywhere that man can beThou God art present there. Amen.

Benediction (from Ephesians 2: 12-13, 19)https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+2&version=NIV

Alleluia, the Lord has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia! We know that at one time we were separate from Christ, without hope and without God in the world. But now we who were once far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. We are no long foreigners or strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people! Amen.

IF ZION CAN BE A BLESSING TO YOU DURING THIS TIME, PLEASE LET US KNOW. YOU CAN REACH PASTOR BRAD AT 662-236-2846 OR

BSCHULTZ27@GMAIL.COM