Worthy is the Lamb
May 4, 2025, Easter 3
Candle lighting
Welcome and Announcements
Call to Worship
Lord, we come before you in joy, clothed in the majesty of your glory.
Like the myriad faithful of old,
we proclaim the Lamb to be worthy
of blessing, honour, and glory.
We have come to sing your praises.
To you be blessing, honour, glory and dominion forever.
We have come to sing your praises.
We fall down before you in worship. Amen!
Hymn: 257 The strife is over, the battle done
Prayer of Approach
O Living God of past and future, we praise you for this present moment. You give us glimpses of your promised future, and remind us that we will enjoy your grace forever.
Fill us with your joy and empower us with your Holy Spirit, that our strength may be renewed to sing a new song of your glory in a world which longs for your justice and peace. We praise you that your promises are true and that your kingdom is now.
We thank you that in Jesus, we have become your new creation, now and forever. As the people of your new creation we offer our prayers of confession, trusting in your endless mercy…..
Prayer of Confession:
We rejoice in the wonder of your resurrection, O Christ, but then tend to sink back into our old ways of thinking, behaving, responding to people’s needs. We can dance with the angels and all humankind on Easter Sunday, but the days following the Day of Resurrection cause us to slip back into apathy or despair. Forgive us when we forget your power and love for us. Charge us up, O Lord! Set our hearts to dancing! Give us a spirit for rejoicing, willing hearts and hands for helping, voices for praising you forever! AMEN.
Assurance of Pardon
Sing! Shout! Rejoice! Jesus calls you to serve because of his love for you. He believes in you and all the gifts you have been given! Christ is with you always, forgiving you, guiding you and loving you. Glory be to God, Amen
Passing the Peace
Hymn: 350 To God be the glory
Scripture:
Responsive Psalm 30 p 867
Revelation 5: 11-14 p 1919
Sermon: Worthy is the Lamb
In the Psalm we are reminded that we are in the eternal care of a God who listens to our prayers, and hears our cries. Then he takes our weeping and turns it into songs of joy.
That is important to remember as we travel through this portion of life. The battle is over, Jesus has won. His very words from the cross prophesied, “it is finished”. We are forgiven for our sins, and we are assured an eternal life in the glorious presence of God.
More than that Jesus has also redeemed the earth. Satan, however has not yet moved out. But that day is coming.
So in the meantime, we see that life has moments of victory and moments when we feel oppressed.
And we, being human, enter the difficult times with lamenting and complaining. The Psalm serves to remind us that even as we complain, we are aware that our perception is not the reality. Our reality is that God is standing with us in every moment and that the victory has always been his.
The Psalmist sums up his words with this reminder, and the promise that God’s love transcends everything. He reminds us:
God is good.
God is love.
God is compassionate.
God wants us to flourish and do well.
God will ensure that we have grace and mercy.
MOST OF ALL God will never let us go and therefore we will praise God forever.
This Psalm underscores our unshakable core belief that in our difficult moments and all the seasons yet to come, God is already leading us to the dawn of a new day with Christ and a new creation.
That new creation is the next step of redemption that began at the cross and will be the result of Jesus coming to fully take back what has always been his. Earth and all of its inhabitants.
Therefore we are called to live in joy and with rejoicing as we walk forever with our loving God.
We don’t often talk about the day of the Lord that is yet to come.
In our second reading we found the description of John about the vision he had seen regarding the preparations for the Day of the Lord.
There is a lot of praising amongst the inhabitants of heaven. The elders and the living creatures were singing, ““‘Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,’[b]who was, and is, and is to come.” Rev 4:8 NIV
It would seem, that this song of praise has been sung to Jesus at least since the Resurrection. His work on earth has successfully broken the hold that Satan has had on earth and set the stage for the coming of the new creation.
In the opening verses of chapter 5 we see the preparation for the opening of the scroll that was sealed with the 7 seals. John reports the angel asking, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” Rev 5: 2 NIV
There was lamenting because as the inhabitants started to cast their eyes around, they could find no one who was worthy to open the scroll.
Earlier in Chapter 5, John reports that this news caused him to weep with grief, because no one was worthy. Then one of the elders said to him, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Rev 5: 5 NIV
At that point Jesus arrived with 7 horns and 7 eyes which represent the 7 spirits God has sent to the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. 8 And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign[b] on the earth.” Rev 5: 7-10
At this point the praise that was always present in heaven turned to a song of such rejoicing that it resounded throughout heaven.
This is where our reading began this morning. The voices of the angels, numbering thousands and tens of thousands, and the living creatures and the elders began singing,
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!” Rev 5: 12 NIV
The commentator Bratt wrote that it was LOUD! LOUD!!!
All of heaven, loudly singing and proclaiming that the Lamb was worthy.
And then John writes that everything on earth joined the song.
Imagine that… all the people on earth singing the song of praise.
And then the stones rang out their song.
And the lions roared. And the elephants trumpeted. And the hyenas laughed. And the wolves howled. The owls hooted. The cows mooed and the pigs squealed. The bumblebees hummed and the mosqitoes whined. And the squirrels chattered. the chickens sqwaucked, and the rooster crowed. The waterfalls thundered. The brooks added their joyful burbling. The trees thrummed with the rustling of leaves, while the woodpecker pecked out the beat. The praise of the earth roused the sky.
Everything in the sky joined the song: And the seagulls cried. And the eagle screeched. And the crows cawed. The ducks quacked and the geese honked. And the nightingales sang. The doves cooed. The parrots imitated all that they heard, while the love birds hummed a love song.
Imagine that. But that wasn’t all.
Then everything that was in the sea joined the song.
The dolphins laughed and splashed. The whales sang their song. The crabs clapped their claws. The clownfish chortled and the sea urchins purred along. The fish drummed their swim bladder. The toadfish sounded its foghorn.
Finally, the waves brought the song back to the earth, as they crashed upon the rocks with a resounding crescendo.
This was a loud, long and inclusive song where heaven and earth and sky and sea and all of creation joined their voices in unity. A joyous cacophony of praise.
And the reason?
Because the Lamb was the one who was worthy for this final task.
The Lamb, the Lion of Judah was to be given all the power.
Jesus was worthy of all the wealth of heaven and earth.
Jesus was worthy to have all the wisdom of God.
Jesus would be given all the strength of God.
And all the honour of God. And all the glory. And all the praise.
And with these items of strength and power he would take the scrolls and return to earth for the final battle.
The lion of Judah, the Lamb that was slain was returning to fulfill the prophecy from the cross about the restoration of heaven and earth he had already set in motion and in doing so set to right everything that had happened in the garden of Eden.
The new creation would begin.
The restoration of the earth would include cleaning the lakes and rivers. Reversing the damage of pollution. Replant the areas destroyed by fire. Restore the damages of climate change. In short, make every place on earth, not only habitable, but an oasis where everyone could dwell in joy.
If we could imagine it what would it be.
Like the Garden of Eden, where we spend our days in praise and in the evening walk and talk with God and the only one expelled from the garden would be the serpent.
The days of lamenting with hope for the earth and its inhabitants will be over, forever. And the only appropriate response would be praise and worship.
Today’s lection is a reminder that the praise and worship for that day has already begun.
We at St. Andrew’s lend our voice to the song and scripture reminds us that we never sing alone. The whole Church joins its voice to ours. Grace does so in this very building. And the joyous fellowship that we often hear from them as we worship is a part of that.
One of the commentators said that the reading from Revelation is a reminder that we never sing alone. There is never has a soloist and there are never those who just listen because they don’t have a good enough voice.
In fact, he said the only audience to the praises we bring is God. For this reason everyone who sings, at worship or whether alone in the car or the shower, is joined by all the other voices that sing the song and praise for the worthy lamb.
All of heaven, all of creation joins us. We may not hear it yet, but the day will come when we will hear the cacophony of praise and with joy, LOUDLY add our voices to sing the incredible song of faith. Our praises are meant to be loud and joyful Scripture said nothing about singing in tune. And so we will sing.
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and
wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!” Rev 5: 12 NIV
The voice of prayer and the voice of praise is never alone and never silent. Glory be to God. Amen.
Hymn: 255 Now let the vault of Heaven resound
Dedication of elevator/lift
Psalm 145 10 All your works praise you, Lord;
your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The Lord upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
Today we give thanks, to God, for the completion of the installation of the new elevator. We are grateful for the leadership and dedication of the Board and the Session, and the generosity of the congregation that made replacing the elevator possible.
We rejoice to know that through the generosity and dedication of those who love this congregation this replacement has been made possible. We are grateful to Ken Swanson, whose classic car provided the seed funds. We rejoice in the generosity of all of you, whose giving toward the elevator fund made it possible to dream that we would no longer need the grants from Presbytery and Synod. We are grateful to the estate of Cliff Hughson, whose gift has bridged the gap. At the Session meeting we remarked how appropriate it was that his gift brought us to this place of rejoicing because he lavished so much love and care on this building with his hands and his heart. As a result, we have paid all of the cost of the installation, inspection and preparation, and have money set aside for future repairs and servicing costs. Synod and Presbytery have been thanked for agreeing to give us grants, and informed that through the generosity of the people of St. Andrew’s we no longer need the money. Thank you all so much.
We also thank those whose skill and time and attention to performing the preparation work, which made this project go smoothly. We are deeply grateful for the hours that John and Don spent working on preparation tasks of installing drywall, painting and prepping. They have indeed been worthy servants.
And we are grateful for the ease of access that we can again enjoy. We rejoice that once again we can plan for ministry to those who reside in seniors homes. We praise God that we can again gather with everyone to enjoy the fellowship that strengthens us in Christ.
Let us pray:
Prayer:
Holy God, we pray for all who will use this elevator, on wheels or on foot, and we are grateful for the new avenues of ministry this will open for us. We pray for all the ministries that we will again undertake, especially the gatherings of residents of seniors home who come for tea and fellowship.
We pray that all who seek God and need the elevator to make access easier, and will ensure that they are welcomed and included in the whole life that you offer through this congregation.
We thank you for all in the congregation and the elevator service company whose labour has moved this project to completion and we pray that you will bless them with a full measure of grace. May we enjoy the use of this elevator for many decades to come. In Jesus name. Amen
Dedication:
And now we dedicate this elevator In the service of God’s people, and to God’s glory. WE give all praise and glory to God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Offering and Doxology 830
Offertory Prayer
Lord, accept these offerings, which we bring before with joy and are given as a token of our praise, that they may be used in service to Christ.
Lord accept also, we pray, our gifts of service, that we too may be used to the glory of Jesus Christ.
May all of our gifts reflect our love and trust in you; and our dedication as your people. Amen.
Scripture tells us that our prayers are the golden bowls full of incense. Let us fill the bowl, as we prepare to bring our intercessions before God
Gathering Prayer Requests
Prayer of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Lord, accept now our prayers and praises as a part of the joyous praise with which you are worshiped in heaven. You are indeed worthy as both mighty Lion and slaughtered Lamb.
With the heavenly choir before your throne, we cry: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals. In you we have been bought, redeemed and returned to God with your blood. To you, Father, Son and Spirit we praise you along with people of every tribe, language, and nation.
For all whom you have redeemed and for the new creation we offer you our intercessions…
JOY
Missing girl in Chilliwack found
CONCERNS
Fallen workers …
Fires, in BC Dawson Creek, Prince George, Fort ST John, and all evacuees
WORLD
Israel, peace in Jerusalem…become what God has always asked them to be, a nation that cared for the stranger at their gates
Syria, internal unrest
VE Day
NEW GOVERNMENT
WE thank you for all those who felt called to serve in the government and ran for a seat. Commend them for their courage and sense of service.
WE pray for all those who have been elected, asking Lord that you grant our government leaders the humility to recognize that they serve not for personal gain but for the well-being of our nation. May they exemplify the spirit of servant leadership and be guided by you in all they do.
Lord, grant our new government the discernment to navigate the complexities of international relations, promoting peace and cooperation among nations.
Lord, we pray for unity among government leaders on all levels, national, provincial and local, that they may all work together harmoniously for the common good. May all rule with a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.
GRIEF
We come in grief, as we still struggle to understand the tragic events at the Lapu Lapu celebrations. Be present with all those who are still reeling, confused, in pain, angry, grieving. Comfort those who mourn, and lift up those whose pain knows no bounds. Fill our own hearts O Lord that we may be moved with compassion and remind all of us to live with compassion and grace in a hurting world.
We pray for all the first responders who attended. Be with them now as they were for those in need that night. Fill them with your mercy, and guide them with your grace as they work to overcome the overwhelming feelings of the tragedy they encountered.
In the aftermath of this event, call forth new life and order. Bring hope and strength and a new sense of community. We ask you to heal the wounds of whole communities, and enter our grief to turn it again to hope. In Jesus name who taught us to pray saying,
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be 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, for ever. Amen
Hymn: 267 Rejoice the Lord is King
Benediction
You are people of the Resurrection! You know the powerful love of God! Go into God’s world proclaiming hope, peace, and joy, in the name of the Risen Lord. AMEN.
Blessing Song: 252 He is Lord v1
He is Lord, he is Lord, he is risen from the dead and he is Lord. Every knee shall bow
every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
3-Fold Amen