April 7, 2013 - Second Sunday of Easter

Scriptures for April 7th: Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 150; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31 Theme: Easter is a Choice Song: We Meet You O, Christ UMH 257 Acts: Jesus says that those who die with me, shall also live with me. When we are baptized, we become a part of Jesus’ death, and we become a part of Jesus’ life. During the Easter season, our task is to make sure that we understand what it means to be a Christian, and to live out the responsibility of our baptism. During this time we will read from the book of Acts, so that we can learn what it means to be a witness to the living Christ. Peter and the other disciples are on trial for preaching about the resurrection of Christ. In Luke, he only speaks of witness who live around Jerusalem. But in Acts, they are trying to prove that the cat is out of the bag. More and more people are witnesses to Christ. As a matter of fact, he is everywhere! The defense of the disciples is that the power of God is so strong that it can’t be stopped. The gift of the spirit is given to those who are witnesses to the power of God and obey the Word of God. Revelation: This is a section of the letter that is addressed to the 7 churches in Asia. It is a continuation of the proclamation that the Spirit of Jesus is every where. The movement has been so strong that it was organized into churches. The church is the place where those who follow God gather. It is the place where we get our strength to be able to serve. It is the place where we learn in order to prepare ourselves to live out our baptism. John wants us to be reminded that it is not the power of humans that makes the church relevant, it is the power of the throne of God. We have no power over what we do as Christians. We are just following God’s plan for our life and for the world. The church is a community of priest, consecrated by God – but we have to be obedient to God. Questions: How have you witnessed the presence of Christ in your life? how do you see the word of God spreading throughtout the world? Where does the word need to go next? What educational activities does the church need to provide to help you grow in service? What do you think of the book of Revelation? How do we live out our role as priest of God? Is the church a human institution or a God institution?