At EP Church we believe worship is important. So, though we have canceled service for corporate worship on the Lord’s Day, we have put together a worship guide in order to help equip individuals and families to worship in their homes during this time.
Also, if you have young children, don’t miss this week’s worship guide activities that Mrs. Freer put together.
You can download the guide in PDF format here if you’d prefer to print or view it on a tablet or mobile device.
If you choose to use the PDF version of the guide, the sermon video and the music (His Mercy Is More; Crown Him with Many Crowns) can be streamed.
Worship Guide
April 05, 2020
Sermon Scripture Text
Luke 19:28–48 (ESV)
28 And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30 saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32 So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33 And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35 And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36 And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37 As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38 saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
41 And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42 saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side 44 and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
45 And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.
God is inviting you to come to him in your weakness this day and be strengthen by his Spirit as he gives us hope and peace through Christ! Come Christians, hear the call of worship!
Call to Worship
Psalm 96:1–4
Reader: Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Response: Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
Reader: Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
Response: For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
Prayer of Invocation
O Lord, just as our Savior entered Jerusalem, we ask that you would enter our hearts this day afresh. Just as your servant set his face toward death on a cross, we pray Lord that you would help us this day to walk with you in Christ’s victory. We, Lord, want to cry out to you in spirit. Crying out as the children once cried “Hosanna.” We want to bless you, and so enable us to confess to you openly. Send us your presence by the power of your Spirit, that we may worship you our great and living God! Amen.
Let Us Sing to the Glory of God
Song—His Mercy Is More
1. What love could remember no wrongs we have done?
Omniscient, all-knowing, He counts not their sum.
Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore.
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
2. What patience would wait as we constantly roam?
What Father so tender is calling us home?
He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor.
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more
Refrain
Praise the Lord. His mercy is more.
Stronger than darkness, new ev’ry morn.
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
3. What riches of kindness He lavished on us.
His blood was the payment, His life was the cost.
We stood 'neath a debt we could never afford.
Our sins, they are many, His mercy is more.
CCLI Song # 7065053
Matt Boswell | Matt Papa
© 2016 Getty Music Hymns and Songs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Getty Music Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Love Your Enemies Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
Messenger Hymns (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
For use solely with the SongSelect® Terms of Use. All rights reserved. www.ccli.com
CCLI License # 162703
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Old Testament Reading
Zechariah 9:9–12
9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11 As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12 Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
Prayer of Confession
Oh Lord, like the people who greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem, then later pronounced “crucify him,” we are fickle people who often deny Christ in our thoughts, in our words, and in our deeds. Forgive us, Lord, of our sinful hearts. For we confess with our lips “Hosanna,” but in our sinful hearts we say “crucify!” Lord, we say “crucify” when we do not love our neighbor. Lord, we say “crucify” when we look at other things to comfort ourselves rather than resting in you. Lord, we say “crucify” when we do not trust you during this pandemic. But you, O Lord Christ, say to us just as you said on the Cross, “Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.” Lord, we come to you with our wicked hearts seeking your gospel embrace. Just as we say “crucify,” may you crucify our hearts and make them anew through your redemptive work. Forgive us and help us to rest in your ever constant, ever loving, ever powerful work. Help us to rest in you, our King and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Exodus 34:6b-7a
The Lord, the Lord, our compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
Prayer of Petition
O LORD, we praise you for your redemption of the world through Jesus Christ. He entered the holy city of Jerusalem in triumph and was proclaimed Messiah and King by those who spread garments and branches along his way, just as we carry these branches in our hearts this day in our living rooms. May we follow Christ in the way of the cross, in order to die to sin and be raised with him. Lord, we come to you needing your comfort and peace during this time. We need you more than ever to calm our hearts and root our fears in the God who can do all things and is powerful to do all things. You, Lord, are not afraid and so give us what we need. Give us our daily bread, Lord. Help us to pay our bills. Lord, we pray that you would give wisdom to our world leaders generously. We pray, Father, that you would bless the efforts of our scientists who are working on a vaccine. We pray, Father, that you would make this terrible thing into something good! We rest in you Lord, our shield and strong tower. Help us, we pray, for you are good and love your children. Amen.
We Give to the One Who Gave Us Everything
Part of our worship is giving. The church is a community of people committed to Christ and to one another. We share in God’s grace collectively and individually. During these unusual times, EPC still has many expenses and commitments to missionaries, staff and operating expenses. We show grace to one another as we share with those in need. In addition to your tithes, we would encourage you to give once a month to the Deacon’s Fund because we are helping those in our own body as well as people in our community. We can relinquish our resources for the sake of others because Christ has relinquished Himself for us.
During this time of social distancing, you can give online on our website, through the app GivePlus, or mail a check to the office (if it is for the Deacon’s Fund, please note on the memo).
Let us pray:
Lord, just as you open up the flood gates of grace in our hearts, we pray we would be open to others in need. We pray, Father, that you would open up our hearts with generous grace in our giving. May we worship you as we trust you while we are good stewards with what you have given us. Amen.
God Exhorts Us Through His Word
Sermon: Peace You Cannot Lose
Pastor Chad Barber
We Respond with Praise
Hymn (Trinity #295)—Crown Him with Many Crowns
1. Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne;
hark! how the heav'nly anthem drowns all music but its own:
awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity.
2. Crown him the Lord of love; behold his hands and side,
rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified:
no angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.
3. Crown him the Lord of peace; whose pow'r a scepter sways
from pole to pole, that wars may cease, absorbed in prayer and praise:
his reign shall know no end; and round his pierced feet
fair flow'rs of paradise extend their fragrance ever sweet.
4. Crown him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time;
Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime:
all hail, Redeemer, hail! for thou hast died for me:
thy praise shall never, never fail throughout eternity.
Benediction
Numbers 6:24-26
24 The LORD bless you and keep you; 25 the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.