Welcome to sojournmusic.com’s Easter 2011 worship music set list review & service recap. This set list is from Sunday’s worship service here in Louisville’s Sojourn Church. You’ll not only read a list of the songs we led following the Call To Worship, but also the readings and prayers from our liturgy.
You can find links to the set lists of this church and many other churches each week in the Worship Blog Carnival at theworshipcommunity.com. And you can learn about some of the songs we sing at Sojourn Gathered each week in advance of the Sunday service by reading my “Getting Ready For Sunday” post each Thursday at Sojourn’s online journal, TravelBlog. Photos this week from our J-Town Campus, by Tom Branch, Midtown Campus by Chuck Heeke and East Campus by Fletcher Lang.
Call to Worship:
Good morning! It’s Easter Sunday, a day when we celebrate the fact that Jesus died in our place, but the grave couldn’t contain or conquer him. On the third day, he rose. What we want to invite you to do.
Matthew 27
The Crucifixion of Jesus
33 They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). 34 There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. 35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 36 And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. 37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Sung: 1st verse of “Were You There?” the gospel spiritual that asks, in successive verses, these three questions:
- “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
- Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
- Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
After the first of these verses, our worship leader read:
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.
Sung: 2nd verse of “Were You There”
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.
Sung: 3rd verse of “Were You There”
Mark 16
The Resurrection
1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
8 The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.
1st verse of “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down” the traditional gospel song:
Satan, your kingdom must come down
Satan, your kingdom must come down
I heard the voice of Jesus say
“Satan, your kingdom must come down”
1 Corinthians 15
…If our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. – 1 Corinthians 15:19-24
2nd verse of “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
I’m gonna pray til they tear your kingdom down
Pray ’til they tear your kingdom down
I hear the voice of Jesus say
“Satan, your kingdom must come down”
Song – Death in His Grave written by John Mark McMillan. We’ve enjoyed singing this Integrity Music song recently at Sojourn Gathered. It’s especially poignant on Easter, of course:
On Friday, a thief. On Sunday, a king.
Laid down in grief but awoke with the keys
Of hell on that day, the first-born of the slain
The man Jesus Christ laid death in his grave
Song – Over Death written by Sojourn’s Jesse Eubanks, Neil Robins and Joel Gerdis, based on a text by Isaac Watts. We recorded this on Volume One of the Isaac Watts Project back in 2009, entitled Over The Grave. You can hear “Over Death” in its entirety on our Over The Grave Bandcamp page right here.
Confession / Assurance
Resurrection Sunday begins with a tragedy. Christ was crucified an innocent man, who took on the punishment our sins deserved. The joy of this day only makes sense in the shadow of the cross, where he bore our sins. Let’s pause for a moment and ask the Spirit of God to search our hearts, to see the burden he carried for us, so that by seeing our sin, we might marvel all the more at his grace.
Pause…
Hear the word of the Lord:
But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
- Isaiah 53:10-12 (New Living Translation)
Song – The God Who Saves written by Aaron Senseman. This song, made popular by Caedmon’s Call, has been a favorite for Sojourners to sing since early in our existence as a church.
There is truth in His body, raised that third day
There is joy in the stone rolled away
There is hope pouring out of the tomb where He lay
Pouring out, pouring over the grave
Passing Of The Peace - In Christ, we are rescued and placed safely into His family. Let’s take time now to greet each other as family and perhaps meet some new faces here today.
Giving
Hear God’s word:
You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. – 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
We continue to respond in worship to our Great God by giving. This is a way for Christians that attend here to continue to support the mission God has called us to and to continue in worship as the scriptures call us to give. Let’s pray:
Lord, you are the God that breathes life into death. Apart from you, we have nothing. As we return to you what you have blessed us with we ask that you would breathe life into these offered gifts.
May your name be lifted up through them and may the hope of the Gospel be carried out. We ask in Jesus name, Amen.
As we give, we’re going to continue to hear and remember the Easter story…
Song – He’s Alive the ballad of Christ’s resurrection, written by Don Fransisco and popularized by Dolly Parton.
He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive and I’m forgiven — heaven’s gates are open wide!
Sermon – Our pastor finished the Romans 8 sermon series, which we’ve worked through since Ash Wednesday. He took his Easter Sunday text from Romans 8:31-39 — Nothing Can Separate Us. You can hear Sojourn sermons in our free Sojourn Church podcast on iTunes, or in the Sermon page at sojournchurch.com.
Song: The Power of the Cross, our communion hymn for Easter Sunday 2011, written by Stuart Townend and Keith Getty. If you missed my report last week of Keith Getty’s worship songwriting workshop at the 2011 Gospel Coalition National Conference, check it out here. “The Power Of The Cross” is a great example of a modern hymn, packed with gospel teaching and emotion:
Oh, to see my name, written in the wound
For through Your suffering I am free
Death is crushed to death, life is mine to live
Won through Your selfless love
Song: The World Will Know written by Sojourn Pastor Mike Cosper and Brooks Ritter. You’ll find this one on our brand new album The Water And The Blood: The Hymns Of Isaac Watts, Volume Two. We released the CD here in Louisville at our Good Friday Hymn Sing. We’ll release it nationally tomorrow, on CD, vinyl and mp3 download — check it out here!
The world will know the righteousness of our incarnate God
And nations yet unborn profess salvation in His blood.
Reading
Hear the word of the Lord:
I keep the Lord before me always. Because he is close by my side,
I will not be hurt.
So I rejoice and am glad. Even my body has hope,
because you will not leave me in the grave.
You will not let your holy one rot.
You will teach me how to live a holy life.
Being with you will fill me with joy;
at your right hand I will find pleasure forever
- Psalm 16: 8-11
This is God’s promise to us! Let’s celebrate that freedom and hope with lifted voices and lifted hands, and let’s seize this moment to respond to our Lord. If you’re feeling restrained, if you need to take a step of commitment or a step of recommitment – let this be the day! Christ is risen, and invites you to join him in resurrected, renewed, reinvigorated life!
Song: Absent from Flesh written by Sojourn’s Jamie Barnes. This song is so great we recorded it twice — different vocalists, musicians, producers and arrangement, but still 100% pure Sojourn Music.
- You can hear the version featuring songwriter Jamie Barnes on our Bandcamp page for The Mercy Seat/The War split EP, released in February.
I go where God and glory shine, to one eternal day
This failing body I now resign, for the angels point my way
Benediction: Christ has gone to prepare a place for us. May his resurrection bring you all joy and hope. Go in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.
