Your April 14th, Sermon & Ministry Resources

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Lectionary Readings — Third Sunday of Easter — April 14, 2024

Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48

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Call to Worship (based on Luke 24:36-48)

Leader: As we gather in worship today, let us remember the moment when Jesus stood among His disciples and said, “Peace be with you.”

People: In our midst, Christ appears, offering peace and dispelling our fears.

Leader: Like those early disciples, we may be startled and doubtful, yet Jesus comes to us, making Himself known to us, inviting us to believe.

People: We touch and see the signs of His love and sacrifice, and our doubt turns to joy.

Leader: Jesus opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name.

People: So we, too, are called to witness these things, to share the good news of what we have seen and heard.

Leader: Come, let us worship the risen Lord, who brings peace, opens our understanding, and sends us forth with His message of hope.

People: With hearts full of joy, we respond to His presence, ready to proclaim His love to all the world.

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Opening Prayer (based on Acts 3:12-19)

Let us pray,

Gracious and Almighty God, we come before You, inspired by the words of Peter in Acts 3, where he speaks not of his own power or piety but of Your strength and sovereignty that made the lame man walk. As Peter redirected the people’s awe from himself to Jesus Christ, the source of true healing and salvation, we too focus our hearts on You, recognizing that every good gift comes from Your hand.

Lord, we are reminded of our own need for repentance and turning back to You, just as Peter urged the people of Jerusalem. Help us to turn from our ways that lead away from You and to embrace fully the life and redemption You offer through Jesus Christ, whom You raised from the dead.

In our gathering today, may we, like the early believers, be filled with boldness to proclaim the truth of Your power and compassion. Empower us by Your Spirit to be agents of healing and transformation in a world that yearns for Your touch. Open our eyes to see the opportunities You lay before us to speak of Your goodness and to act in ways that bring Your kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven.

We pray for the humility to acknowledge our sins and the courage to forsake them. May our hearts be turned towards You in every action we take and every word we speak. Guide us in Your ways, that our lives might bear witness to the life-changing power of Your grace and the hope of the resurrection.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who with You and the Holy Spirit, reigns in power and glory forever. Amen.

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Sermon Outline: [NOTE to Paid subscribers — scroll down for the full manuscript sermon].

Sermon Outline: From Doubt to Declaration — Luke 24:36-48

Introduction:

Set the scene post-resurrection, where the disciples are gathered, discussing the bewildering events they have witnessed, and Jesus suddenly appears among them, offering peace and understanding.

I. Peace Presented (Luke 24:36)

Point: Jesus greets His startled disciples with a message of peace, calming their fears and uncertainties (Luke 24:36).

Application: Reflect on how Jesus offers us peace in the midst of our own confusion and fear, and how we can receive and share this peace in our daily lives.

II. Presence Proven (Luke 24:37-43)

Point: Jesus demonstrates His physical resurrection by showing His wounds and eating before the disciples, proving He is not a ghost but has bodily risen (Luke 24:37-43).

Application: Discuss the importance of the physical resurrection of Jesus for our faith and the assurance it provides in the promise of our own resurrection.

III. Prophecy Fulfilled (Luke 24:44-46)

Point: Jesus explains how His life, death, and resurrection fulfill the words of Moses, the prophets, and the Psalms, connecting His suffering to the larger narrative of redemption (Luke 24:44-46).

Application: Encourage a deeper exploration of Scripture to understand how the story of Jesus is woven into the fabric of God’s redemptive plan, and how this fulfillment strengthens our faith.

IV. Purpose Forged (Luke 24:47-48)

Point: Jesus commissions His disciples to be witnesses of these things, indicating the purpose forged for them through His resurrection (Luke 24:47-48).

Application: Consider our own calling as witnesses of Christ’s resurrection and explore how we can actively live out this mission in our communities and beyond.

Conclusion:

Conclude by emphasizing the continuous relevance of Jesus’ resurrection appearance to the disciples in Luke 24:36-48. Highlight how it not only transformed their understanding and mission but also continues to offer peace, prove His presence, fulfill prophecy, and forge a purpose for all believers today.

Closing Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the profound truth revealed in Your Word about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we have looked into the scriptures, may the peace that Jesus offered to His disciples fill our hearts, the proof of His resurrection strengthen our faith, and the fulfillment of prophecy deepen our understanding of Your redemptive plan. Guide us to embrace the purpose You have forged for us, to be faithful witnesses of Your love and grace in this world. Empower us by Your Spirit to carry this message of hope and transformation into our daily lives and beyond. In the name of Jesus, our risen Lord and Savior, we pray. Amen.

Full Manuscript Sermon Below for Paid Subscribers