WS Online – 26 April 2020

WS Online - 26 April 2020
26 April 2020

Interactive service outline for Church at Home

Welcome

Welcome to WS Online! Whether you’re watching this in your bedroom in your PJs, on your phone, or in front of the computer, isn’t it great we still get to worship God wherever we are? We thank God for the technology but we also long for the day that we get to come back together again. If you’re new here today, welcome to our online service too.  We’d love to connect with you and get to know you more.  There is a link below to fill in your contact detail if you’d like to connect with us and find out more.

Today, we’re going to continue our series on the book of Ephesians: God’s Masterplan. Last week we’ve heard from Pastor Andrew that God has given us this free gift of life and it’s not because of anything we’ve done but because our God is a gracious and loving God. Today we’re going to see what this free gift of life consists of from Pastor Wayne. Every spiritual blessing we have in Christ. 

This service is designed in such a way to accommodate for both families and groups worshipping together but also for those who wish to follow along by themselves. Our online Sunday School materials are available here: https://wsccc.org.au/children-strathfield/

We encourage you to set aside 1 hour to worship through this service. We want you to interact with this service as much as possible as we sing, pray, read Scripture, partake in offering and hear God’s Word explained to us. If you are in a group, ways to engage in active worship of our God include taking turns reading His Word together, singing songs out loud and praying the prayer points together.

Service Video

Interactive Service Outline

Our call to worship

As we begin today’s service please read with us from Psalm 8:3-4,

When I COnsider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.

Opening prayer

Heavenly Father, 

Thank you for creating us and thank you for loving us. You’ve even crowned us with glory and honour. Please help us to love and honour you with all of our lives. 

In Jesus Name. 

Amen.

Opening songs

Let’s sing our opening song that celebrates God’s grace for us. Grace Alone

Our second song focuses on the sufficency of Jesus. Jesus Paid it All

Announcements

While we currently exist in part as an online community, we remain a local community that desires to meet together, serve each other, and carry out Christ’s Great Commission. Here are some items of news for us as a church family.

  • Special Offering for CDP – While we plan to reassess the situation in August, the church is still committed to going ahead with the CDP at Croydon Park. This Sunday, we continue our bi-monthly special offering for the CDP. Feel free to contribute via bank transfers or online giving. Details can be found below.
  • Special Holiday Sunday School – A special holiday Zoom Sunday School program will be held at 10:30–11:00am this Sunday! If you haven’t received the meeting ID and password, please contact our Children’s Ministry coordinator, Zion at cms.wsccc@gmail.com

Online Giving – We give thanks for the continued generosity of our members in supporting the work of the church and our missionaries. If you would like to find out more about how you can give online during this time, please visit our website: https://wsccc.org.au/giving/

Congregational Prayer

Prayer is simply talking to God, and as Christians it is amazing, we can do it alone or as a family of God. 

Dear God,

Thank you that there’s no part of our being and life outside of your interest and care. Despite the chaos we are experiencing with Covid-19, you are still in control. You are our creator and sustainer, how majestic is your name in all the earth.  

Thank you for loving and welcoming us despite our failure, our fear, our brokenness and weakness. Thank for your forgiveness offered through your Son Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  You are our Redeemer. How majestic is your name in all the earth.

Restore to us the joy of our salvation Lord. We look forward to the day when the pandemic will end but we crave even more for the spirit-filled experience of your joy.  For your joy is our strength.  

Not only so, you are also our peace. We pray for an eradication of the virus, we pray for the protection of the health workers, we pray for wisdom of the government leaders. But even more Lord, we pray for peace that transcends all understanding. Peace that enables us to live our lives in worship of you. Peace that helps us to move forward in times of like this. 

We pray for our church family. Many of us have more time at home but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easier for us. Some have lost their jobs, some have fallen ill, some are on the front line fighting the disease. Grant us copious amount of love, patience, kindness and self-control as we share our time together. Help us to not dismiss the opportunity to show your grace to others, especially during this time.  

We long to be home with you Lord. We long for the day where there will be no more sin, suffering, pain and viruses. Until then, keep us thirsty for you and satisfied in you. The virus will one day be gone, but your love and kingdom last forever. Speak to us now and recalibrate our heart to you Lord as we hear from your word.

In Jesus Name.  

Amen. 

Bible reading

The first reading for today comes from Ephesians 1:3-14 (NIV)

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Sermon

Today we’ll hear from Pastor Wayne Mok, as he speaks on the topic of “Every Spiritual Blessing in Christ”

Please listen here to the recording: https://wsccc.org.au/s9/sermons/

Offering Song

We come to a time in the service when we have the opportunity to worship God through offering, in giving back to the Lord a portion of what he has given to us. Even though we cannot all meet together in one building, we have still made our commitment to financially support our pastors, missionaries, and ongoing church expenses. 

Because an offering bag cannot be passed around, please make your electronic offerings to church via these accounts. 

  • General fund: BSB 082 080. Acc 48 243 6244. Name: WSCCC. 
  • Mission fund: BSB 082 080. Acc 52 856 0495. Name: WSCCC. 
  • Building fund: BSB 082 451. Acc 73 932 0475. Name: WSCCC. 

You can also give online through this link: https://tithe.ly/give?c=1291374

Our offering song is  – In His Name

Offering Prayer

Dear God, 

Thank you for your daily provision for us. Make our hearts more like your own generous heart and we ask that the money collected would be used to grow your kingdom and bring you glory. 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen. 

Closing prayer and benediction

Please continue to contemplate all you have heard from Scripture today, and please take the opportunity this week to share with your family and friends.

As we approach the coming week, let’s finish with Paul’s blessing from 2 Corinthians 13:14

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all evermore.

Connect with us!If you’d like to get in touch with us, join a small group online, or find out more about Christianity, fill out a response card here: Response Form.