Online Services
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 13, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Mr. Rick Marks
Prelude:
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us” LSB 851
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Introit – Psalm 143:1-2; Antiphon Psalm 143:9
C Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.
Kyrie
P In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the
Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
Salutation and Collect
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, hear the devout prayers of Your Church, especially in times of persecution, and grant that what we ask in faith we may obtain; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever
C Amen.
Readings
The First Reading: Genesis 50:15-21
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: Romans 14:1-12
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
P The Holy Gospel, according to St. Matthew, the eighteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
P This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn Of The Day “Where Charity and Love Prevail” LSB # 845
September 13, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Mr. Rick Marks
Prelude:
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us” LSB 851
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Introit – Psalm 143:1-2; Antiphon Psalm 143:9
C Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge.
Kyrie
P In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the
Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
Salutation and Collect
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, hear the devout prayers of Your Church, especially in times of persecution, and grant that what we ask in faith we may obtain; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever
C Amen.
Readings
The First Reading: Genesis 50:15-21
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: Romans 14:1-12
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
P The Holy Gospel, according to St. Matthew, the eighteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
P This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn Of The Day “Where Charity and Love Prevail” LSB # 845
The Sermon: Your Debt is Paid
Matthew 18:21-28 Grace Lutheran Church 9/13/2020
Your Debt Is Paid
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
What is Christianity all about? I wish more people were asking this question. I think people don’t ask that question because they think they know the answer. To some, Christianity is more a matter of where you live and culture than anything else. Some say, we are Christians, because we were born in the United States, that is founded on Christian principals. By that logic, if we had been born in the Middle East, we probably would have been Muslim or Buddhist. Others identify themselves as Christians because their parents told them they were. But most have never really thought about what it means to be a Christian.
So, what does it mean to be a Christian? I think it’s an interesting question; one that Jesus doesn’t specifically address., but as He responds to a question Peter asked, He does gets to the heart of it. Peter’s question had come out of a discussion about forgiveness. He already knew that Jesus taught we were to forgive others. He was wondering how many times a person should be willing to forgive another person. Was seven times enough? And understand, Peter thought he was being generous with seven. It was the accepted practice of the Jews at that time that you were required to forgive up to three times.
Thinking He was going to get another gold star, Peter more than doubled that. But Jesus wasn’t impressed. Not seven times, Peter, but seventy-seven times. His point being: don’t keep track. Just forgive. And to illustrate this forgiveness He told a parable that opens our eyes to see what really defines us as Christians. A Christian is a person who recognizes their debt before God and who recognizes that their debt’s been paid!
He said there was a king who wanted to settle accounts. Of course, in the parable the king represents God. This king had brought before him a servant of his who owed him a debt of 10,000 talents. 10,000 talents doesn’t have the shock factor for us that it would have had when Jesus first told the parable, but translate 10,000 talents into our money and you’re talking almost too much to imagine. How did anyone accrue such a debt? Who knows? Jesus does tend to push the envelope in His parables.
In our tough economic times, some know what it’s like to have a debt that they are not able to pay. Now imagine if you were told it is time for every man, woman and child to pay their share of our $26+ trillion national debt or roughly $78,000/ person – now or go to prison. This was an impossible debt to pay…and that was the point. The man cannot pay the king, so the king would liquidate his assets, and if that were not enough, he and his family would be sold into slavery until it was paid off. So, the servant fell on his knees and begged for mercy. “Be patient with me and I will pay back everything.” Could he ever hope to really pay back such an impossible debt?
A Christian is someone who recognizes their debt of sin before God, and Jesus wants us to realize that it is an impossible debt for us to pay. I suppose someone could hear that and say, “My debt before God isn’t much.” And they would justify themselves by saying when they think of sin, they think of the big four: murder, stealing, lying, and adultery. They’ve never murdered anyone, they haven’t stolen any cars, their lies have always been little ones, and they’ve never cheated on their spouse. However, don’t confuse your definition of sin with God’s.
We don’t have to try to keep a tally, instead we can go by God’s guide to identifying sin: Have you loved God perfectly? That means that you have always put God first in your life. Do you worship him as He deserves, you conform your life to His word? Do you use his name to pray and thank Him, or to emphasize how mad you? Do you never grow angry at or accuse God when things don’t go as you planned?
We can go on. Have you loved others as much as you love yourself? Or have you looked for opportunities to elevate yourself at the expense of another’s reputation. Do you look for ways to help others or ways to avoid them? Have you ever said anything mean to your spouse, have you ever thought of something mean and didn’t say it? Have you ever let lust enter your heart when your eyes lingered longer than they should? Have you ever secretly rejoiced when Someone experiences disappointment or trouble, or been angry or jealous at their success?
The problem is you can’t say you have kept God’s law perfectly. And because of that, a way to understand this parable is to understand our own forgiveness for our failures and recognizing our forgiveness in order to forgive others. It’s no wonder that Jesus says our debt of sin is an impossible amount and we have no means to even begin to pay it back. But this is the first thing that identifies a Christian: We recognize our debt of sin before God and we’re in good company when we do.
King David, a man described as being after God’s own heart said, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Paul said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ might display his unlimited patience.” John, said “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” All of us have an unpayable debt of sin. When we recognize this, all we can do is fall on our knees like the servant in the parable before our Lord and ask Him to have mercy on us.
What did Jesus say the king’s response was? “The servants master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.” What the Christian recognizes is that what the King did was forgive the debt, the debt has been cancelled. Someone else had to take the loss. In our situation with sin, don’t forget that it was Jesus who paid the price of our debt. He could not just look the other way, He had to make the payment himself. This is why we call ourselves “Christians;” we believe that Jesus Christ made the payment for our debt of sin. We believe that the payment He made was His perfect blood He shed on the cross. We know that God accepted this payment because He raised Jesus from the dead. That payment was for every debt of sin you have or ever will commit. So, breathe a sigh of relief. God paid your debt! Your account is settled.
The servant had his impossible debt forgiven by his master, but we also hear that he was owed a debt by a fellow servant that wasn’t nearly as large as his. He went out and found him. His response was something you might picture out of a movie. The servant choked his fellow servant and told him, “Pay back what you owe me!” His fellow servant fell on his knees and begged for patience. But there would be no patience. The servant had the man thrown into debtor’s prison.
Of course, those who saw this happen were shocked. How could someone who had been just shown such tremendous mercy go and fail to show mercy to a fellow servant who had a minor debt? I think our blood even starts to boil a little when we hear this parable. It wasn’t too long before news reached the king and when he found out, he was enraged. He called this servant in and said, ‘You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ Now, there would be no mercy. This servant was thrown into jail until he could pay back his debt. If you’re wondering how he could ever pay back the debt while in jail, the answer is: he couldn’t.
Here is my point: as a Christian we recognize that our debt of sin has been paid means, and that we are now in a position to forgive others freely. Jesus says that such forgiveness is not optional: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” And Jesus is saying nothing different than what He says in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Christians are uniquely positioned to be generous in offering forgiveness. We recognize the mountain of sin which God has forgiven us through Jesus and in view of this forgiveness, we then are able to forgive others whose debts against us are minor in comparison.
What unites us as Christians is a common need: we’re sinners. And when we keep that in mind, we realize we’re all in the same boat. But we are also united by a common Savior. It’s the forgiveness which Christ won for us that we can then proclaim to each other.
What does it mean to be a Christian? I’m confident that if someone asks you that question you will look that person squarely in the eye and say, “It means that I recognize my debt and I stake my eternity on the fact that Jesus has paid my debt completely.” Amen
Your Debt Is Paid
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
What is Christianity all about? I wish more people were asking this question. I think people don’t ask that question because they think they know the answer. To some, Christianity is more a matter of where you live and culture than anything else. Some say, we are Christians, because we were born in the United States, that is founded on Christian principals. By that logic, if we had been born in the Middle East, we probably would have been Muslim or Buddhist. Others identify themselves as Christians because their parents told them they were. But most have never really thought about what it means to be a Christian.
So, what does it mean to be a Christian? I think it’s an interesting question; one that Jesus doesn’t specifically address., but as He responds to a question Peter asked, He does gets to the heart of it. Peter’s question had come out of a discussion about forgiveness. He already knew that Jesus taught we were to forgive others. He was wondering how many times a person should be willing to forgive another person. Was seven times enough? And understand, Peter thought he was being generous with seven. It was the accepted practice of the Jews at that time that you were required to forgive up to three times.
Thinking He was going to get another gold star, Peter more than doubled that. But Jesus wasn’t impressed. Not seven times, Peter, but seventy-seven times. His point being: don’t keep track. Just forgive. And to illustrate this forgiveness He told a parable that opens our eyes to see what really defines us as Christians. A Christian is a person who recognizes their debt before God and who recognizes that their debt’s been paid!
He said there was a king who wanted to settle accounts. Of course, in the parable the king represents God. This king had brought before him a servant of his who owed him a debt of 10,000 talents. 10,000 talents doesn’t have the shock factor for us that it would have had when Jesus first told the parable, but translate 10,000 talents into our money and you’re talking almost too much to imagine. How did anyone accrue such a debt? Who knows? Jesus does tend to push the envelope in His parables.
In our tough economic times, some know what it’s like to have a debt that they are not able to pay. Now imagine if you were told it is time for every man, woman and child to pay their share of our $26+ trillion national debt or roughly $78,000/ person – now or go to prison. This was an impossible debt to pay…and that was the point. The man cannot pay the king, so the king would liquidate his assets, and if that were not enough, he and his family would be sold into slavery until it was paid off. So, the servant fell on his knees and begged for mercy. “Be patient with me and I will pay back everything.” Could he ever hope to really pay back such an impossible debt?
A Christian is someone who recognizes their debt of sin before God, and Jesus wants us to realize that it is an impossible debt for us to pay. I suppose someone could hear that and say, “My debt before God isn’t much.” And they would justify themselves by saying when they think of sin, they think of the big four: murder, stealing, lying, and adultery. They’ve never murdered anyone, they haven’t stolen any cars, their lies have always been little ones, and they’ve never cheated on their spouse. However, don’t confuse your definition of sin with God’s.
We don’t have to try to keep a tally, instead we can go by God’s guide to identifying sin: Have you loved God perfectly? That means that you have always put God first in your life. Do you worship him as He deserves, you conform your life to His word? Do you use his name to pray and thank Him, or to emphasize how mad you? Do you never grow angry at or accuse God when things don’t go as you planned?
We can go on. Have you loved others as much as you love yourself? Or have you looked for opportunities to elevate yourself at the expense of another’s reputation. Do you look for ways to help others or ways to avoid them? Have you ever said anything mean to your spouse, have you ever thought of something mean and didn’t say it? Have you ever let lust enter your heart when your eyes lingered longer than they should? Have you ever secretly rejoiced when Someone experiences disappointment or trouble, or been angry or jealous at their success?
The problem is you can’t say you have kept God’s law perfectly. And because of that, a way to understand this parable is to understand our own forgiveness for our failures and recognizing our forgiveness in order to forgive others. It’s no wonder that Jesus says our debt of sin is an impossible amount and we have no means to even begin to pay it back. But this is the first thing that identifies a Christian: We recognize our debt of sin before God and we’re in good company when we do.
King David, a man described as being after God’s own heart said, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Paul said, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ might display his unlimited patience.” John, said “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” All of us have an unpayable debt of sin. When we recognize this, all we can do is fall on our knees like the servant in the parable before our Lord and ask Him to have mercy on us.
What did Jesus say the king’s response was? “The servants master took pity on him, cancelled the debt and let him go.” What the Christian recognizes is that what the King did was forgive the debt, the debt has been cancelled. Someone else had to take the loss. In our situation with sin, don’t forget that it was Jesus who paid the price of our debt. He could not just look the other way, He had to make the payment himself. This is why we call ourselves “Christians;” we believe that Jesus Christ made the payment for our debt of sin. We believe that the payment He made was His perfect blood He shed on the cross. We know that God accepted this payment because He raised Jesus from the dead. That payment was for every debt of sin you have or ever will commit. So, breathe a sigh of relief. God paid your debt! Your account is settled.
The servant had his impossible debt forgiven by his master, but we also hear that he was owed a debt by a fellow servant that wasn’t nearly as large as his. He went out and found him. His response was something you might picture out of a movie. The servant choked his fellow servant and told him, “Pay back what you owe me!” His fellow servant fell on his knees and begged for patience. But there would be no patience. The servant had the man thrown into debtor’s prison.
Of course, those who saw this happen were shocked. How could someone who had been just shown such tremendous mercy go and fail to show mercy to a fellow servant who had a minor debt? I think our blood even starts to boil a little when we hear this parable. It wasn’t too long before news reached the king and when he found out, he was enraged. He called this servant in and said, ‘You wicked servant, I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ Now, there would be no mercy. This servant was thrown into jail until he could pay back his debt. If you’re wondering how he could ever pay back the debt while in jail, the answer is: he couldn’t.
Here is my point: as a Christian we recognize that our debt of sin has been paid means, and that we are now in a position to forgive others freely. Jesus says that such forgiveness is not optional: “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” And Jesus is saying nothing different than what He says in the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Christians are uniquely positioned to be generous in offering forgiveness. We recognize the mountain of sin which God has forgiven us through Jesus and in view of this forgiveness, we then are able to forgive others whose debts against us are minor in comparison.
What unites us as Christians is a common need: we’re sinners. And when we keep that in mind, we realize we’re all in the same boat. But we are also united by a common Savior. It’s the forgiveness which Christ won for us that we can then proclaim to each other.
What does it mean to be a Christian? I’m confident that if someone asks you that question you will look that person squarely in the eye and say, “It means that I recognize my debt and I stake my eternity on the fact that Jesus has paid my debt completely.” Amen
Apostles’ Creed
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed.
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering:
Prayers Of The Church
P …Lord, in Your mercy,
C Hear our prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn – “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” LSB #643
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed.
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering:
Prayers Of The Church
P …Lord, in Your mercy,
C Hear our prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn – “Sent Forth by God’s Blessing” LSB #643
Archive
Sunday 7/26/20
The Eighth Sunday After Pentecost
July 26, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Phone: 209-522-8890
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
www.gracemodesto.org
July 26, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Phone: 209-522-8890
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
www.gracemodesto.org
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE SETTING IV
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “God of Grace and God of Glory” [LSB#850]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake
forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by
His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 105:2-6; Antiphon Psalm 105:1
C Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him; sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory is his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy; Christ have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope, and love, that, receiving what You have promised, we may love what You have commanded; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST READING: Jeremiah 18:1-8
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: Romans 8:28-39
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 13:44-52
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the thirteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “I Love Your Kingdom, Lord” [LSB #651]
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE SETTING IV
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “God of Grace and God of Glory” [LSB#850]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake
forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by
His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 105:2-6; Antiphon Psalm 105:1
C Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
Sing to him; sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!
Glory is his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!
Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually!
Remember the wondrous works that he has done,
his miracles, and judgments he uttered,
O offspring of Abraham, his servant,
children of Jacob, his chosen ones!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy; Christ have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope, and love, that, receiving what You have promised, we may love what You have commanded; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST READING: Jeremiah 18:1-8
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: Romans 8:28-39
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 13:44-52
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the thirteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “I Love Your Kingdom, Lord” [LSB #651]
Sermon: Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again
Jeremiah 18:1-8; President Michael Lange CNH
Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again
Have you lived through a challenging time; a crisis; a disaster; a jarring death or loss; maybe even an extreme life-altering reality? Even when our present challenges do not quite qualify for any of these specific definitions, in this spring and summer of 2020, we certainly are treading upon “freshly raked” sand and are making new tracks wherever we walk. Have you have experienced the terrors of death close by or another profound loss? Has it been financial, or perhaps even worse? Maybe the loss of a relationship or the destruction of a family? Pressures like these bend and break us. They threaten, mar, and blemish our person permanently. The writer of our text today, Jeremiah, knew even greater oppression. He experienced emotional and community pain, personal fear, and threats on his life. His calling was to speak God’s word, calling people to repent who were in constant denial and rebellion. He was called to “go where God would send,” and, “speak that which he was commanded.” Often he was given to speak the most challenging and unpopular of truths. Shortly before the well-known words of today’s text, Jeremiah spoke a virtual gullywasher of curses and calls to repent. He performed acts that were signs to the community and endured more than one threat on his life. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you declares the Lord.” This was the promise of the God who called him. Jeremiah was beaten down by his message and by the reaction of his audience. Emotionally and spiritually, he was “dragging tail.” Listen! God had something to show Jeremiah personally and he has something to show each of us. Listen carefully. The message is bigger than Jeremiah and it’s bigger than us. Listen Again. There is a God behind this message who willingly bathes in the dust, (the dirt), of his own people’s making. Who is this Jeremiah? Born to the family of a priest, called and sent by God to be a prophet to his people, he grew up a short walk north of Jerusalem. The initial word from the Lord came when he was still a youth, barely having entered manhood. Times seemed relatively good. Josiah (a good king) was on the throne. The temple and worship there had been revived and there remained a faded but ingrained sense of national pride. However, apathy and shallowness of worship life contributed to false security which was bolstered by a hollow ritual of temple worship. The nation was stumbling without commitment or a depth of faith in Yahweh. The word of the Lord came to him declaring to Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” Jeremiah 18:1-8; President Michael Lange CNH Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again 2 Listen! Being formed by the “Former” of all things is no small blessing. Later in that same episode of the word coming to Jeremiah, the Lord touched his mouth and said, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” Not unlike Isaiah, the mouth is made holy, because the Word of God that will spring from those lips will be the design and content of Yahweh himself and Jeremiah will have no choice but to speak His words over nations and kingdoms. These words will “pluck up and break down, destroy and overthrow, build and plant”. It goes without saying, that with such a mandate, Jeremiah will not be popular. God’s message is overwhelming; The prophecies pound like a hammer blow; The people who hear the message: Bemused, sometimes rebellious, always unyielding. This is the personal dis-ease and muck of experience as God’s prophet that clings to Jeremiah when he is summoned to attend to the potter in Jeremiah 18. This is not a parable, and not only the words to a hymn; but rather an interlude of experience, given by God for Jeremiah to observe and examine and to visually “listen” as the sign from God continues and then to “listen (even more) carefully.” “Arise” comes the word. (Was Jeremiah weary? It would seem so!) “Go down to the Potters house; there I will let you hear my words.” Observe with Jeremiah, the potter’s house, surrounded by space for display of the useful and beautifully intricate work shaped by the potter under shade from the heat of the sun. Close at hand is a source of water to aid the potter in his work of forming and shaping as it pleases him. Not to be missed is the scrap heap of residue discarded, a witness to the imperfection of the medium at use. And … seated in the center of it all was the practical artist at his wheel of creation. “and there he was working at his wheel and the vessel he was making was marred in his hand … and he reworked it as seemed good for the potter to do.” What did Jeremiah see? Lumps of clay? Moistened dust? The hands of an artistic ‘former’? The evidence of his ability in the backdrop, and the potential for failure on the discard pile? Jeremiah saw a practiced creator who could create something with the mediums of dust and water. Even when it blemished, marred and failed, HE DID NOT throw it on the heap of refuse, but kneaded, worked, moistened and reshaped it into yet another creation as seemed BEST and as it pleased him. Jeremiah 18:1-8; President Michael Lange CNH Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again 3 Have you listened? (observed?). Now listen carefully … Then the word of the Lord comes. “O house of Israel” … . Is this message primarily about Jeremiah? Sounds like God has a much bigger picture in mind here than just Jeremiah, (or me). Look around this room today. Is the word of the Lord being spoken here only about Jeremiah and you? No! It is about the set-apart, called out, holy and elect people of God. Just look at all the beautiful reshaped, reworked and intricate pieces formed and re-formed by the master artist! This word of the Lord, although meant to be seen by Jeremiah and you, is truly about the beloved and called community of saints. “Can I not do with you as the potter has done? Like the clay in the potter’s hand are you in my hand, declares the potter. What is God’s holy desire for his faltering, marred, and blemished community of Israel? He would desire to reform and reshape them “as seems best” to Him. In the words that follow, you and I see the heart of God for the nation of Israel and for his holy church. We also see that God has an eye for the nations, because this word is not limited to Israel. Our God never lets his gaze waver from ALL the people he has formed. Our God lives and moves, not only in our church but in the world. We see clearly in these verses that even if God would “pluck up, break down, and destroy” and, “the nation to which he has spoken”, (that is responding to his word), “would turn, he will relent.” The Holy desire of the potter is to “build up and to plant!” The same holy God who called Jeremiah before he was FORMED in the womb is also the artistic FORMER who in his good and holy will would desire not to discard his people but to call them back by his word. With the kneading of his spirit and the water of life flowing freely from his own source, he would reFORM his people as it pleases him. He would reFORM you and me individually and as the whole people of God. Have you listened? Have you listened carefully? Listen again, just one more time. This one who FORMED Jeremiah in chapter 1, this creative FORMER who would re-FORM the marred vessel as seems good to him is also the one who lovingly FORMED mankind out of dust and breathed life into him. Our God perFORMS even more. We already know of the imagery of him putting his hands in the muck and dirt to create us. However, those incarnate hands also sweat drops like blood as he wrestled in prayer with his father over how he would reFORM us. Jeremiah 18:1-8; President Michael Lange CNH Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again 4 He perFORMS by saving us from eternal return to the dust of death, taking upon himself the grime and smear of our failures, the mars and blemishes that should land us on the heap of refuse, and dispatches them by his determined crucifixion. Ultimately his resurrection perFORMance recasts us in a new and glorified form made unto his likeness as pleases him. Let me share a brief true story about a young man caught up in the pride and rebellion of early adulthood tearfully yet confidently coming to his father. Knowingly but with deep repentance he actually said these words, “Dad, I’ve sinned against God and I’ve sinned against you. I don’t deserve to be your son, (and then with a knowing gleam), but I know you Dad, and I know you’ve already forgiven me.” And as quickly as the smile began it quickly faded, “But dad, I just can’t forgive myself.” The Father considered his distraught child. The words he shared had been passed to him by his own reFORMED father. “My son, I think you’re missing something. The God who made you hasn’t asked you whether you deserve to be forgiven.” He lifts your head, wipes your grime onto himself and makes you into something beautiful, working to remake all the things you think you have to fix. He hasn’t asked you what you think, child! He is the potter. You and I? We’re just clay. Did you listen? Did you listen Carefully? Did you listen Again? You were lovingly shaped for purpose. His Holy will is that his beloved people would be called back by his word. Our God FORMS, REFORMS and PERFORMS, smeared with the muck of our making and remaking, he grants us new and glorified Form.
Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again
Have you lived through a challenging time; a crisis; a disaster; a jarring death or loss; maybe even an extreme life-altering reality? Even when our present challenges do not quite qualify for any of these specific definitions, in this spring and summer of 2020, we certainly are treading upon “freshly raked” sand and are making new tracks wherever we walk. Have you have experienced the terrors of death close by or another profound loss? Has it been financial, or perhaps even worse? Maybe the loss of a relationship or the destruction of a family? Pressures like these bend and break us. They threaten, mar, and blemish our person permanently. The writer of our text today, Jeremiah, knew even greater oppression. He experienced emotional and community pain, personal fear, and threats on his life. His calling was to speak God’s word, calling people to repent who were in constant denial and rebellion. He was called to “go where God would send,” and, “speak that which he was commanded.” Often he was given to speak the most challenging and unpopular of truths. Shortly before the well-known words of today’s text, Jeremiah spoke a virtual gullywasher of curses and calls to repent. He performed acts that were signs to the community and endured more than one threat on his life. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you declares the Lord.” This was the promise of the God who called him. Jeremiah was beaten down by his message and by the reaction of his audience. Emotionally and spiritually, he was “dragging tail.” Listen! God had something to show Jeremiah personally and he has something to show each of us. Listen carefully. The message is bigger than Jeremiah and it’s bigger than us. Listen Again. There is a God behind this message who willingly bathes in the dust, (the dirt), of his own people’s making. Who is this Jeremiah? Born to the family of a priest, called and sent by God to be a prophet to his people, he grew up a short walk north of Jerusalem. The initial word from the Lord came when he was still a youth, barely having entered manhood. Times seemed relatively good. Josiah (a good king) was on the throne. The temple and worship there had been revived and there remained a faded but ingrained sense of national pride. However, apathy and shallowness of worship life contributed to false security which was bolstered by a hollow ritual of temple worship. The nation was stumbling without commitment or a depth of faith in Yahweh. The word of the Lord came to him declaring to Jeremiah “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” Jeremiah 18:1-8; President Michael Lange CNH Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again 2 Listen! Being formed by the “Former” of all things is no small blessing. Later in that same episode of the word coming to Jeremiah, the Lord touched his mouth and said, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.” Not unlike Isaiah, the mouth is made holy, because the Word of God that will spring from those lips will be the design and content of Yahweh himself and Jeremiah will have no choice but to speak His words over nations and kingdoms. These words will “pluck up and break down, destroy and overthrow, build and plant”. It goes without saying, that with such a mandate, Jeremiah will not be popular. God’s message is overwhelming; The prophecies pound like a hammer blow; The people who hear the message: Bemused, sometimes rebellious, always unyielding. This is the personal dis-ease and muck of experience as God’s prophet that clings to Jeremiah when he is summoned to attend to the potter in Jeremiah 18. This is not a parable, and not only the words to a hymn; but rather an interlude of experience, given by God for Jeremiah to observe and examine and to visually “listen” as the sign from God continues and then to “listen (even more) carefully.” “Arise” comes the word. (Was Jeremiah weary? It would seem so!) “Go down to the Potters house; there I will let you hear my words.” Observe with Jeremiah, the potter’s house, surrounded by space for display of the useful and beautifully intricate work shaped by the potter under shade from the heat of the sun. Close at hand is a source of water to aid the potter in his work of forming and shaping as it pleases him. Not to be missed is the scrap heap of residue discarded, a witness to the imperfection of the medium at use. And … seated in the center of it all was the practical artist at his wheel of creation. “and there he was working at his wheel and the vessel he was making was marred in his hand … and he reworked it as seemed good for the potter to do.” What did Jeremiah see? Lumps of clay? Moistened dust? The hands of an artistic ‘former’? The evidence of his ability in the backdrop, and the potential for failure on the discard pile? Jeremiah saw a practiced creator who could create something with the mediums of dust and water. Even when it blemished, marred and failed, HE DID NOT throw it on the heap of refuse, but kneaded, worked, moistened and reshaped it into yet another creation as seemed BEST and as it pleased him. Jeremiah 18:1-8; President Michael Lange CNH Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again 3 Have you listened? (observed?). Now listen carefully … Then the word of the Lord comes. “O house of Israel” … . Is this message primarily about Jeremiah? Sounds like God has a much bigger picture in mind here than just Jeremiah, (or me). Look around this room today. Is the word of the Lord being spoken here only about Jeremiah and you? No! It is about the set-apart, called out, holy and elect people of God. Just look at all the beautiful reshaped, reworked and intricate pieces formed and re-formed by the master artist! This word of the Lord, although meant to be seen by Jeremiah and you, is truly about the beloved and called community of saints. “Can I not do with you as the potter has done? Like the clay in the potter’s hand are you in my hand, declares the potter. What is God’s holy desire for his faltering, marred, and blemished community of Israel? He would desire to reform and reshape them “as seems best” to Him. In the words that follow, you and I see the heart of God for the nation of Israel and for his holy church. We also see that God has an eye for the nations, because this word is not limited to Israel. Our God never lets his gaze waver from ALL the people he has formed. Our God lives and moves, not only in our church but in the world. We see clearly in these verses that even if God would “pluck up, break down, and destroy” and, “the nation to which he has spoken”, (that is responding to his word), “would turn, he will relent.” The Holy desire of the potter is to “build up and to plant!” The same holy God who called Jeremiah before he was FORMED in the womb is also the artistic FORMER who in his good and holy will would desire not to discard his people but to call them back by his word. With the kneading of his spirit and the water of life flowing freely from his own source, he would reFORM his people as it pleases him. He would reFORM you and me individually and as the whole people of God. Have you listened? Have you listened carefully? Listen again, just one more time. This one who FORMED Jeremiah in chapter 1, this creative FORMER who would re-FORM the marred vessel as seems good to him is also the one who lovingly FORMED mankind out of dust and breathed life into him. Our God perFORMS even more. We already know of the imagery of him putting his hands in the muck and dirt to create us. However, those incarnate hands also sweat drops like blood as he wrestled in prayer with his father over how he would reFORM us. Jeremiah 18:1-8; President Michael Lange CNH Listen … Listen Carefully … Listen Again 4 He perFORMS by saving us from eternal return to the dust of death, taking upon himself the grime and smear of our failures, the mars and blemishes that should land us on the heap of refuse, and dispatches them by his determined crucifixion. Ultimately his resurrection perFORMance recasts us in a new and glorified form made unto his likeness as pleases him. Let me share a brief true story about a young man caught up in the pride and rebellion of early adulthood tearfully yet confidently coming to his father. Knowingly but with deep repentance he actually said these words, “Dad, I’ve sinned against God and I’ve sinned against you. I don’t deserve to be your son, (and then with a knowing gleam), but I know you Dad, and I know you’ve already forgiven me.” And as quickly as the smile began it quickly faded, “But dad, I just can’t forgive myself.” The Father considered his distraught child. The words he shared had been passed to him by his own reFORMED father. “My son, I think you’re missing something. The God who made you hasn’t asked you whether you deserve to be forgiven.” He lifts your head, wipes your grime onto himself and makes you into something beautiful, working to remake all the things you think you have to fix. He hasn’t asked you what you think, child! He is the potter. You and I? We’re just clay. Did you listen? Did you listen Carefully? Did you listen Again? You were lovingly shaped for purpose. His Holy will is that his beloved people would be called back by his word. Our God FORMS, REFORMS and PERFORMS, smeared with the muck of our making and remaking, he grants us new and glorified Form.
APOSTLES CREED
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life T everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P Let us pray to the Lord
C Lord have mercy.
OFFERING
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Spread the Reign of God the Lord” [LSB #830]
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life T everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P Let us pray to the Lord
C Lord have mercy.
OFFERING
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Spread the Reign of God the Lord” [LSB #830]
Sunday 7/19/20
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 19, 2020
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890
www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
July 19, 2020
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890
www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
PRELUDE “Built on the Rock” D. Wood
THE WELCOME
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE Setting III
OPENING HYMN: “Built on the Rock” [LSB#645]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross X may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT: Psalm 86:11-15, Antiphon Psalm 86:6
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer
listen to my plea for grace.
Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth;
unite my heart to fear Your name.
I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify Your name forever.
For great is Your steadfast love toward me;
You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of
ruthless men seek my life
and they do not set You before them.
But You O Lord, are a God, merciful and gracious
Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.
Amen.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer
listen to my plea for grace.
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray O God, So rule and govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your final judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here and dwell with You in perfect joy hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 44:6-8
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND LESSON: Rom 8:18-27
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matt 13:24-30 … 36-43
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 13th Chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
…Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “In Holy Conversation” [LSB #772]
THE WELCOME
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE Setting III
OPENING HYMN: “Built on the Rock” [LSB#645]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross X may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT: Psalm 86:11-15, Antiphon Psalm 86:6
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer
listen to my plea for grace.
Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth;
unite my heart to fear Your name.
I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
and I will glorify Your name forever.
For great is Your steadfast love toward me;
You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of
ruthless men seek my life
and they do not set You before them.
But You O Lord, are a God, merciful and gracious
Slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever.
Amen.
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer
listen to my plea for grace.
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray O God, So rule and govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your final judgment, we may be stirred up to holiness of living here and dwell with You in perfect joy hereafter; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 44:6-8
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. Fear not, nor be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any."
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND LESSON: Rom 8:18-27
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matt 13:24-30 … 36-43
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the 13th Chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"
…Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “In Holy Conversation” [LSB #772]
Sermon: Let God Sort Them Out
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Grace Lutheran Church July 19, 2020
“Let God Sort Them Out”
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sometimes when we look at today’s world and everything that is going on, we can get pretty discouraged by the continued steady state of degradation of our culture. And sometimes living in this world and putting up with the things we are confronted with, like the impacts of this pandemic can be pretty disheartening. It all can get pretty wearisome and overwhelming at times. And it makes us wonder sometimes, “Does God really know what He is doing?” Because there are times it seems like He doesn’t.
Jesus makes it very clear that 1) the end of the world will come, and 2) the things in this world will go on as they have always been going on throughout time. And it will even have the appearance that God is not in control – until the last day. And then, on the last day, everything is made right.
Following on the heels of last week’s parable of the Sower, Jesus tells a parable about spiritual gardening. In particular, He warns us about what I will call “premature spiritual weeding:” our attempt to separate wheat from weeds, or trying to look into a person’s heart and determine which they are.
However, it’s impossible to tell the difference between wheat and weeds or between Christians and those only pretending to be Christians – because only Jesus is able to see a person’s true heart condition.
Jesus’ parable is one to which many people of His day, and we, could relate. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.” (Mt. 13:24-26)
The weed, known in the day as darnel, looked so much like the wheat, only an expert could tell the difference. Unfortunately, that difference was only detected when the wheat began to germinate and bear fruit. Because this weed looked just like the wheat and because their roots were intertwined, you couldn’t pull it out of the ground without pulling the wheat along with it. In Biblical times people would purposely sow this weed in the field of a person they didn’t like.
As He did with the parable of the Sower, Jesus interprets the parable for His disciples this way: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.” (Mt. 13:37-39) The evil one, the devil, is the one who produces these weeds as he leads people away from following Christ. Like darnel, these people look just like healthy wheat, like any Christian.
They may sound like any other Christian; even do good deeds like any other Christian. But they are hypocrites: they are doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. They don’t really believe in Jesus. In their hearts they may even make fun of our Lord and the Christian faith, but outwardly they act like a pious Christian. That’s why we can’t tell the difference: we don’t have spiritual x-ray vision to look into their heart and see what they really believe. These people were planted initially by the Son of man as “good seed,” but the temptations of the devil, the cares of this world, and the sinfulness of the human heart has lured them away from Christ and morphed them into weeds.
Since we can’t look into another person’s heart and determine if they are weeds or wheat, we judge them by comparing them to what we know. “Lord, see that person over there? He can’t be as good a Christian as the rest of us because he doesn’t attend worship like he should, so obviously he is an inferior Christian! Lord, do you know what a terrible sin that person committed? They should be weeded out of the Kingdom for what they’ve done! Surely that person who is always whining, has a negative attitude, and speaks against everything good at Voter’s meetings can’t be part of Your kingdom either!”
Even though we can’t tell the difference, my how the devil tempts us to do some premature weeding. Even though the weeds and wheat look so much alike, only God can look into the heart to see its true condition. In fact, according to Jesus’ parable, we are not the ones who do the “weeding.” Jesus sends His angels to do that on Judgment Day.
Jesus says, “And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest....’” (Mt. 13:27-30)
We must leave the final weeding to our Savior on Judgment Day: “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt. 13:41-42)
On the Day of Judgment, the “sons of the evil one” will be exposed for who they truly are: unrepentant sinners who have rejected Christ and His Word. They will receive their reward, inheriting the kingdom prepared for the evil one: a terrible place of fiery torment; a place of eternal weeping, pain, and sorrow; to suffer for all eternity. That may sound harsh. But there are consequences for our actions.
However, for those who are wheat in the kingdom, Jesus promises that on Judgment Day: “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt. 13:43) By believing in Jesus as our Savior, the faithful inherit the forgiveness, life and salvation our Savior earned for us by His atoning death on the cross and His triumphant resurrection from the dead.
Connecting Jesus to our parable, He was “planted” in this world by means of a human birth just as the wheat in our parable was planted. He took on a human nature like ours, yet without the sin that ruins our nature. As Jesus was tempted by Satan, our Savior experienced the temptations the devil throws at us to deny Him and become imitation wheat. The writer to the Hebrews says of Jesus: “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb. 2:18)
He does this at His crucifixion. Jesus, the Sower-become-seed, was made to be a weed for us. He was treated as a weed when His heavenly Father rejected Him as He bore your sin and mine. Then He was “planted” like a seed in the soil–“crucified, dead, and buried.” By His resurrection from the dead our Savior proved that the sinless seed had to die in order to bring about new life in all people, as Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (Jn. 12:24) As we are resurrected with Christ for an eternity in heaven, we will shine not only like the sun, but we will shine like the Son with glorified bodies, perfect as God meant us to be at creation.
Jesus has born much fruit for you and me. All who believe in Him are declared “not guilty” of their sin before His Father and receive the gift of eternal life. On Judgment Day He will say to the “wheat,” - people like you and me watching today, “Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Mt. 25:34) Jesus doesn’t have to do this for us, but He does this act of His love for us. He is the one who does the sowing, planting, and cultivating. Everything good about the seed is His doing, not the seed’s.
The inheritance He offers us is simply that: an inheritance, or something that we cannot earn or deserve. His love is also shown in the fact that He prevents any premature weeding of the weeds that Satan sows among the wheat, not allowing the devil’s actions to endanger the good seed while it’s still growing.
Paul says, that the sufferings of this present time? They’re not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. So do not lose hope in this weed infested world we live in, even when the weeds grow tall, plentiful, and strong. They will not win. They cannot win. Let God sort them all out on the last day. God will have His harvest. And just as Christ is risen, your hope is secure. He has given you His Spirit to be with you now, and to help you as you wait, as He does His patient, merciful work in your life and for all. Amen.
“Let God Sort Them Out”
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Sometimes when we look at today’s world and everything that is going on, we can get pretty discouraged by the continued steady state of degradation of our culture. And sometimes living in this world and putting up with the things we are confronted with, like the impacts of this pandemic can be pretty disheartening. It all can get pretty wearisome and overwhelming at times. And it makes us wonder sometimes, “Does God really know what He is doing?” Because there are times it seems like He doesn’t.
Jesus makes it very clear that 1) the end of the world will come, and 2) the things in this world will go on as they have always been going on throughout time. And it will even have the appearance that God is not in control – until the last day. And then, on the last day, everything is made right.
Following on the heels of last week’s parable of the Sower, Jesus tells a parable about spiritual gardening. In particular, He warns us about what I will call “premature spiritual weeding:” our attempt to separate wheat from weeds, or trying to look into a person’s heart and determine which they are.
However, it’s impossible to tell the difference between wheat and weeds or between Christians and those only pretending to be Christians – because only Jesus is able to see a person’s true heart condition.
Jesus’ parable is one to which many people of His day, and we, could relate. “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.” (Mt. 13:24-26)
The weed, known in the day as darnel, looked so much like the wheat, only an expert could tell the difference. Unfortunately, that difference was only detected when the wheat began to germinate and bear fruit. Because this weed looked just like the wheat and because their roots were intertwined, you couldn’t pull it out of the ground without pulling the wheat along with it. In Biblical times people would purposely sow this weed in the field of a person they didn’t like.
As He did with the parable of the Sower, Jesus interprets the parable for His disciples this way: “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels.” (Mt. 13:37-39) The evil one, the devil, is the one who produces these weeds as he leads people away from following Christ. Like darnel, these people look just like healthy wheat, like any Christian.
They may sound like any other Christian; even do good deeds like any other Christian. But they are hypocrites: they are doing all the right things for all the wrong reasons. They don’t really believe in Jesus. In their hearts they may even make fun of our Lord and the Christian faith, but outwardly they act like a pious Christian. That’s why we can’t tell the difference: we don’t have spiritual x-ray vision to look into their heart and see what they really believe. These people were planted initially by the Son of man as “good seed,” but the temptations of the devil, the cares of this world, and the sinfulness of the human heart has lured them away from Christ and morphed them into weeds.
Since we can’t look into another person’s heart and determine if they are weeds or wheat, we judge them by comparing them to what we know. “Lord, see that person over there? He can’t be as good a Christian as the rest of us because he doesn’t attend worship like he should, so obviously he is an inferior Christian! Lord, do you know what a terrible sin that person committed? They should be weeded out of the Kingdom for what they’ve done! Surely that person who is always whining, has a negative attitude, and speaks against everything good at Voter’s meetings can’t be part of Your kingdom either!”
Even though we can’t tell the difference, my how the devil tempts us to do some premature weeding. Even though the weeds and wheat look so much alike, only God can look into the heart to see its true condition. In fact, according to Jesus’ parable, we are not the ones who do the “weeding.” Jesus sends His angels to do that on Judgment Day.
Jesus says, “And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest....’” (Mt. 13:27-30)
We must leave the final weeding to our Savior on Judgment Day: “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt. 13:41-42)
On the Day of Judgment, the “sons of the evil one” will be exposed for who they truly are: unrepentant sinners who have rejected Christ and His Word. They will receive their reward, inheriting the kingdom prepared for the evil one: a terrible place of fiery torment; a place of eternal weeping, pain, and sorrow; to suffer for all eternity. That may sound harsh. But there are consequences for our actions.
However, for those who are wheat in the kingdom, Jesus promises that on Judgment Day: “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” (Mt. 13:43) By believing in Jesus as our Savior, the faithful inherit the forgiveness, life and salvation our Savior earned for us by His atoning death on the cross and His triumphant resurrection from the dead.
Connecting Jesus to our parable, He was “planted” in this world by means of a human birth just as the wheat in our parable was planted. He took on a human nature like ours, yet without the sin that ruins our nature. As Jesus was tempted by Satan, our Savior experienced the temptations the devil throws at us to deny Him and become imitation wheat. The writer to the Hebrews says of Jesus: “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb. 2:18)
He does this at His crucifixion. Jesus, the Sower-become-seed, was made to be a weed for us. He was treated as a weed when His heavenly Father rejected Him as He bore your sin and mine. Then He was “planted” like a seed in the soil–“crucified, dead, and buried.” By His resurrection from the dead our Savior proved that the sinless seed had to die in order to bring about new life in all people, as Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (Jn. 12:24) As we are resurrected with Christ for an eternity in heaven, we will shine not only like the sun, but we will shine like the Son with glorified bodies, perfect as God meant us to be at creation.
Jesus has born much fruit for you and me. All who believe in Him are declared “not guilty” of their sin before His Father and receive the gift of eternal life. On Judgment Day He will say to the “wheat,” - people like you and me watching today, “Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Mt. 25:34) Jesus doesn’t have to do this for us, but He does this act of His love for us. He is the one who does the sowing, planting, and cultivating. Everything good about the seed is His doing, not the seed’s.
The inheritance He offers us is simply that: an inheritance, or something that we cannot earn or deserve. His love is also shown in the fact that He prevents any premature weeding of the weeds that Satan sows among the wheat, not allowing the devil’s actions to endanger the good seed while it’s still growing.
Paul says, that the sufferings of this present time? They’re not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed to us. So do not lose hope in this weed infested world we live in, even when the weeds grow tall, plentiful, and strong. They will not win. They cannot win. Let God sort them all out on the last day. God will have His harvest. And just as Christ is risen, your hope is secure. He has given you His Spirit to be with you now, and to help you as you wait, as He does His patient, merciful work in your life and for all. Amen.
APOSTLES CREED
P Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING/VOLUNTARY “Comfort Ye My People” D. Manz
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … Lord, in Your mercy.
C hear our prayer.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
P Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
C 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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Seek Ye First” [LSB #712]
P Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING/VOLUNTARY “Comfort Ye My People” D. Manz
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … Lord, in Your mercy.
C hear our prayer.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
P Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
C 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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Seek Ye First” [LSB #712]
Sunday 7/12/20
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 12, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
July 12, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
Prelude:
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty” LSB 901
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Introit – Psalm 103: 15-19; Antiphon 103:8- Sung by Cantor
Kyrie
P In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
Salutation and Collect
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Readings
The First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-13
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: Romans 8:12-17
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
C Alleluia. Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
P The Holy Gospel, according to St. Matthew, the thirteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
P This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn Of The Day “Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast” LSB # 577
Prelude:
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty” LSB 901
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Introit – Psalm 103: 15-19; Antiphon 103:8- Sung by Cantor
Kyrie
P In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
Salutation and Collect
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Readings
The First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-13
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: Romans 8:12-17
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
L This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
C Alleluia. Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
P The Holy Gospel, according to St. Matthew, the thirteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
P This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn Of The Day “Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast” LSB # 577
Sermon: God Is “Sow” In Love With You
Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23 Grace Lutheran Church 7/5/2020
God Is “Sow” In Love With You
Grace mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ministry can be and often is a difficult task. Oh, I know most of you only see me working for a couple of hours on Sunday mornings, and I’ve heard that old joke about us ministers only working a few hours one day a week more times than I care to remember. But it is hard work sometimes. Now, I’m not talking about hard work in the same sense being a construction worker, police officer, or firefighter, or working in the medical field is hard work. Those are physically demanding jobs, and I have great admiration for those who are willing and able to do them.
The demands of ministry are more mental and emotional than physical. For example, some of my old friends who knew me way back when I was "just an normal, ordinary sinner" (that’s THEIR description, not mine – I’ve NEVER been "normal") have commented, "How do you come up with a new sermon every week?" I guess that’s a polite way of saying, "I didn’t know you had it in you." I have to admit that sometimes I surprise myself, until I remember that my inspiration doesn’t come from within me, but from the Holy Spirit working through me. Sometimes they ask how can I officiate a funeral service with all its emotion, especially when I know the person.
If it were not for the help and grace of God, I don’t think anyone could be a pastor. But of all the tasks of ministry – and I’m talking now about the tasks which are the responsibility not just the pastor but of ALL proclaimers of the Gospel (which means all of you too) – perhaps none is more difficult and frustrating than the one Jesus mentions in the scripture reading for today, sowing the seeds of the gospel.
Do you ever stop and take a good look around at what’s going on in the world these days? Do you see the violence, the tension between one ethnic group and another, the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse in our society, the blatant dishonesty of people – do you ever look at all this and say to yourself, "What good would it do to sow the seeds of faith in all this? There’s no way anything is going to take root and grow here." You have felt that frustration, haven’t you? So have I.
Today we have the parable of the Sower. Parables are helpful because they take a hard to understand concept like the Kingdom of God and put it alongside something that is easily relatable from real life. In Jesus’ day, he used images like farming and fishing as His metaphors.
Today’s parable is split into two separate sections, I always like to see what they left out. In that section we left out, we find Jesus’ disciples, who are obviously confused by the Parable of the Sower, but don’t want Jesus to know, ask him, “Why do you talk to the people in parables?” He responds with basically, “because I want people to listen, to see, and to think.”
Jesus doesn’t hand us a blueprint of the Kingdom of God, but instead invites us to dig in and discover the intricate details of it – to grow in our understanding. Through parables, He gives us an idea of what His Kingdom is supposed to look like and then challenges us to use the brain we were given to understand. Sometime our understanding is like a remodeling project – say a kitchen, sometimes it requires tearing down how we currently live our lives and starting over.
There are at least three different ways we can distort our understanding of parables and especially this parable. The first is the classic mistake of literalism. It should be obvious that in the Parable of the Sower, Jesus isn’t describing a new way of farming in the Kingdom of God. Any farmer would know that it isn’t too smart to turn on the seed spreader when you leave the barn and let the seed fly everywhere - the road, into the ditches, or among the weeds. Even with my lack of horticulture skills, I know that in order for plants to grow, the soil first has to be cultivated. Good soil is rich in nutrients; it has to be fertilized; it needs good irrigation; and it has to get the right amount of sunlight. The first mistake to avoid is to realize that Jesus isn’t talking about a new farming technique for His followers.
The second mistake we often make is what we call allegorizing. An allegory a story that is can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. However, we aren’t helped by the fact that Jesus interprets his own parable allegorically in the second half of this morning’s lesson. I don’t like allegories because I think it makes understanding them too simplistic. I don’t think parables are supposed to be simplistic. If God is the sower and the Word is the Seed, and we are the soil, then what is there left for us to decipher? Jesus even goes so far as to tell us what kind of person each particular kind of soil represents: the hard hearted path doesn’t understand the Word, the shallow rocky soil won’t allow faith to take root, the unprepared, weed infested soil will choke out faith, and the good soil allows the Word to flourish. It all seems simple enough.
Allegorical interpretation, though simple, often leads to a third common mistake, moralism. From the time we are very young, we are encouraged to look for moral in every story. You have heard the sayings: “Don’t cry wolf, slow and steady wins the race, don’t count your chickens before they hatch” Today we would want to add, “Be good soil!”
Having heard the description of the four different types of soil, we can’t help but put those words in Jesus’ mouth telling us to “be good soil,” but in reality, He never says that. We may get the impression we should be good soil, but there is a terrible temptation here for pride to consume us, and say, “Jesus pictures me as the good soil because I’m somehow better than those who are pictured as the other three soil conditions.” And if we allow ourselves to think that way, we’ve really missed the point of the parable. God’s grace for us, His gift of faith, is the only reason why His seed, His word, grows in our hearts as it does.
The parable of the Sower is not about being good soil. However, that didn’t stop me from spinning my wheels this week to find a good moral in it and find a way to turn the path in the parable into good soil. What I came to realize was, if a moral existed, it was that I can’t. I can’t make this story have neat moral, and I can’t make myself into good soil – and neither can you.
This isn’t to say that if you think you are a path or rocky soil or full of weeds that there is no hope for you, in fact I think it is saying the opposite. None of us is all one type of soil. Each of us has all four kinds of soil in our hearts, and despite all the talk about soils, the “Parable of the Sower” isn’t really about dirt at all. The Parable of the Sower is, as the name implies, really about the Sower. This story is a description of our God, who knows it is foolish to spread seed on unworthy soil, but he does it anyway. God spreads his word and love with reckless abandon in hearts that are at once all four different types of soil.
He continually throws the seed of His word at the disciples, who over and over and over again have proven that they have hard hearts, and minds that can’t comprehend. He continues to work with them and help them see what God is doing in the world around them. Not only that, but He is scattering the seed of the Gospel with wild abandon, and even when it is clear that his disciples just don’t get it, even when they turn Him over to the authorities, abandon Him in His hour of need, and even when they deny even knowing him. Jesus continues to pour out his love on them as He hangs on the cross for their and our sin, and then invites them and us back into the fold after the resurrection.
What Jesus intends is that now, by His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit … you, too, can cast that living word to others. And so, one of the lessons we learn about sharing our faith with others is to sow the seed we’ve been given into that fertile soil. As God promised through Isaiah “His word will not return empty but will accomplish the purposes for which He sent it.” The problem we human beings often have with that promise is that we expect it to happen instantaneously. Sow today… harvest tomorrow, but it doesn’t work that way
It sure doesn’t make sense for God to love us the way He does. We who continue in the proud hard-hearted tradition of the disciples. The good news is this: God continues to throw seed at us. Through it we are nurtured as He consistently pours out His love upon us. And when He finds even the smallest patch of good soil in our hearts, He nurtures the Kingdom within us, producing an abundant harvest. This parable is really about God and His wildly immense love for us, and that, we have been reminded this week, is more than enough. Amen.
God Is “Sow” In Love With You
Grace mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Ministry can be and often is a difficult task. Oh, I know most of you only see me working for a couple of hours on Sunday mornings, and I’ve heard that old joke about us ministers only working a few hours one day a week more times than I care to remember. But it is hard work sometimes. Now, I’m not talking about hard work in the same sense being a construction worker, police officer, or firefighter, or working in the medical field is hard work. Those are physically demanding jobs, and I have great admiration for those who are willing and able to do them.
The demands of ministry are more mental and emotional than physical. For example, some of my old friends who knew me way back when I was "just an normal, ordinary sinner" (that’s THEIR description, not mine – I’ve NEVER been "normal") have commented, "How do you come up with a new sermon every week?" I guess that’s a polite way of saying, "I didn’t know you had it in you." I have to admit that sometimes I surprise myself, until I remember that my inspiration doesn’t come from within me, but from the Holy Spirit working through me. Sometimes they ask how can I officiate a funeral service with all its emotion, especially when I know the person.
If it were not for the help and grace of God, I don’t think anyone could be a pastor. But of all the tasks of ministry – and I’m talking now about the tasks which are the responsibility not just the pastor but of ALL proclaimers of the Gospel (which means all of you too) – perhaps none is more difficult and frustrating than the one Jesus mentions in the scripture reading for today, sowing the seeds of the gospel.
Do you ever stop and take a good look around at what’s going on in the world these days? Do you see the violence, the tension between one ethnic group and another, the prevalence of drug and alcohol abuse in our society, the blatant dishonesty of people – do you ever look at all this and say to yourself, "What good would it do to sow the seeds of faith in all this? There’s no way anything is going to take root and grow here." You have felt that frustration, haven’t you? So have I.
Today we have the parable of the Sower. Parables are helpful because they take a hard to understand concept like the Kingdom of God and put it alongside something that is easily relatable from real life. In Jesus’ day, he used images like farming and fishing as His metaphors.
Today’s parable is split into two separate sections, I always like to see what they left out. In that section we left out, we find Jesus’ disciples, who are obviously confused by the Parable of the Sower, but don’t want Jesus to know, ask him, “Why do you talk to the people in parables?” He responds with basically, “because I want people to listen, to see, and to think.”
Jesus doesn’t hand us a blueprint of the Kingdom of God, but instead invites us to dig in and discover the intricate details of it – to grow in our understanding. Through parables, He gives us an idea of what His Kingdom is supposed to look like and then challenges us to use the brain we were given to understand. Sometime our understanding is like a remodeling project – say a kitchen, sometimes it requires tearing down how we currently live our lives and starting over.
There are at least three different ways we can distort our understanding of parables and especially this parable. The first is the classic mistake of literalism. It should be obvious that in the Parable of the Sower, Jesus isn’t describing a new way of farming in the Kingdom of God. Any farmer would know that it isn’t too smart to turn on the seed spreader when you leave the barn and let the seed fly everywhere - the road, into the ditches, or among the weeds. Even with my lack of horticulture skills, I know that in order for plants to grow, the soil first has to be cultivated. Good soil is rich in nutrients; it has to be fertilized; it needs good irrigation; and it has to get the right amount of sunlight. The first mistake to avoid is to realize that Jesus isn’t talking about a new farming technique for His followers.
The second mistake we often make is what we call allegorizing. An allegory a story that is can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. However, we aren’t helped by the fact that Jesus interprets his own parable allegorically in the second half of this morning’s lesson. I don’t like allegories because I think it makes understanding them too simplistic. I don’t think parables are supposed to be simplistic. If God is the sower and the Word is the Seed, and we are the soil, then what is there left for us to decipher? Jesus even goes so far as to tell us what kind of person each particular kind of soil represents: the hard hearted path doesn’t understand the Word, the shallow rocky soil won’t allow faith to take root, the unprepared, weed infested soil will choke out faith, and the good soil allows the Word to flourish. It all seems simple enough.
Allegorical interpretation, though simple, often leads to a third common mistake, moralism. From the time we are very young, we are encouraged to look for moral in every story. You have heard the sayings: “Don’t cry wolf, slow and steady wins the race, don’t count your chickens before they hatch” Today we would want to add, “Be good soil!”
Having heard the description of the four different types of soil, we can’t help but put those words in Jesus’ mouth telling us to “be good soil,” but in reality, He never says that. We may get the impression we should be good soil, but there is a terrible temptation here for pride to consume us, and say, “Jesus pictures me as the good soil because I’m somehow better than those who are pictured as the other three soil conditions.” And if we allow ourselves to think that way, we’ve really missed the point of the parable. God’s grace for us, His gift of faith, is the only reason why His seed, His word, grows in our hearts as it does.
The parable of the Sower is not about being good soil. However, that didn’t stop me from spinning my wheels this week to find a good moral in it and find a way to turn the path in the parable into good soil. What I came to realize was, if a moral existed, it was that I can’t. I can’t make this story have neat moral, and I can’t make myself into good soil – and neither can you.
This isn’t to say that if you think you are a path or rocky soil or full of weeds that there is no hope for you, in fact I think it is saying the opposite. None of us is all one type of soil. Each of us has all four kinds of soil in our hearts, and despite all the talk about soils, the “Parable of the Sower” isn’t really about dirt at all. The Parable of the Sower is, as the name implies, really about the Sower. This story is a description of our God, who knows it is foolish to spread seed on unworthy soil, but he does it anyway. God spreads his word and love with reckless abandon in hearts that are at once all four different types of soil.
He continually throws the seed of His word at the disciples, who over and over and over again have proven that they have hard hearts, and minds that can’t comprehend. He continues to work with them and help them see what God is doing in the world around them. Not only that, but He is scattering the seed of the Gospel with wild abandon, and even when it is clear that his disciples just don’t get it, even when they turn Him over to the authorities, abandon Him in His hour of need, and even when they deny even knowing him. Jesus continues to pour out his love on them as He hangs on the cross for their and our sin, and then invites them and us back into the fold after the resurrection.
What Jesus intends is that now, by His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit … you, too, can cast that living word to others. And so, one of the lessons we learn about sharing our faith with others is to sow the seed we’ve been given into that fertile soil. As God promised through Isaiah “His word will not return empty but will accomplish the purposes for which He sent it.” The problem we human beings often have with that promise is that we expect it to happen instantaneously. Sow today… harvest tomorrow, but it doesn’t work that way
It sure doesn’t make sense for God to love us the way He does. We who continue in the proud hard-hearted tradition of the disciples. The good news is this: God continues to throw seed at us. Through it we are nurtured as He consistently pours out His love upon us. And when He finds even the smallest patch of good soil in our hearts, He nurtures the Kingdom within us, producing an abundant harvest. This parable is really about God and His wildly immense love for us, and that, we have been reminded this week, is more than enough. Amen.
NICENE CREED
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible...
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father
before all worlds,…
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance
with the Father,
by whom all things were made…
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary
and was made man…
And was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures…
And ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end…
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets…
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection
of the dead, and the life ♰ of the world to come. Amen.
Offering:
Prayers Of The Church
P …Lord, in Your mercy
C hear our prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn – “Almighty Father, Bless the Word” LSB #923
Sunday 7/5/20
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
July 5, 2020
8:15 am & 10:30 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
July 5, 2020
8:15 am & 10:30 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “God of Our Fathers”
God of our fathers,
Whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty
All the starry band
Of shining worlds
In splendor through the skies:
Our grateful songs
Before Your throne arise.
Your love divine
Has led us in the past;
In this free land
By You our lot is cast;
Oh, be our ruler,
Guardian, guide, and stay;
Your Word our law,
Your paths our chosen way.
From war’s alarms,
From deadly pestilence
Make Your strong arm
Our ever sure defense.
Your true religion
In our hearts increase;
Your bounteous goodness
Nourish us in peace.
Refresh Your people
On their toilsome way;
Lead us from night
To never-ending day;
Fill all our lives
With heav’n-born love and grace
Until at last
We meet before Your face.
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us confess our sins to God, our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 48 Sung by Cantor
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, Gracious God, our Heavenly Father, Your mercy attends us all our days. Be our strength and support amid the wearisome changes of this world, and at life’s end grant us Your promised rest and full joys of Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
READINGS
THE FIRST READING: Zechariah 9:9-12
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. 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. As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: Romans 7:14-25a
We know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE: Sung by Cantor
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 11:25-30
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eleventh chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord
C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “America the Beautiful”
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties,
Above the fruited plain.
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good
with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare
for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw.
Confirm thy soul
in self control,
Thy liberty in law.
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self
their country loved
And mercy more than life.
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success
be nobleness
And every gain divine.
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years.
Thine alabaster
cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good
with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
Sermon: Our True Freedom Is Found In Christ
Romans 7:14-25a Grace Lutheran Church July 5, 2020Our True Freedom Is Found In Christ
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Here it is, Independence weekend. And there is a lot of celebrating going on. As we contemplate our freedoms in this country, I am reminded of a bronze plaque on the wall at the Statue of Liberty that contains a poem by Emma Lazarus, written in 1883. Some of those words are very familiar to us: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Those words express the dream upon which our nation was founded, a country where anyone could find refuge, safety and freedom. We who were born here and who often take those freedoms for granted can hardly imagine what the sight of that Statue meant, and still means to an immigrant seeking to become a U.S. citizen after knowing nothing but a life of fear and oppression. As we celebrate this Independence weekend, we are reminded today how truly blessed we are.
Yet there is another symbol of freedom that stands in greater prominence at the entrance a far greater place, the kingdom of God. That symbol is a cross and today Paul records his struggle with the captivity of sin and how we can find freedom through Christ. Jesus invites us, not on a bronze plaque, but in the living Word of God to “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Paul tells us that sometimes we do the very things we really don’t want to do and it is a real battle within us. Who doesn’t struggle with the Christian life? I mean, do you ever look at the Scriptures and see that your life just doesn’t measure up? Do you have any habits and sins that you have tried over and over again to overcome and you just felt that you can’t do it – almost like you forgot the difference between right from wrong?
It seems Christians are under attack from multiple fronts. People want to dismiss your ideals because Christian ideals seem old fashion or out of step with this crazy world we live in. People call you a prude because your values are aligned with scripture rather than just doing what feel good. You are called judgmental, or a hypocrite or a religious nut because you don’t want to go with the flow. In some countries being a Christian will get you maimed or even killed.
You are exposed to all kinds of temptations to lead and be comfortable with the will of the world, instead of the will of God. Your eyes, ears, and mind are constantly being bombarded as the media glorifies and supports alternate lifestyles – indoctrinating, reinforcing, and encouraging ideals that are contrary to God’s will. In our country alone, the moral fabric has declined to the point where even some Christians are saying why fight it. If you can’t beat them, join them.
There is a real battle that rages within us. It is the same battle that the Apostle Paul speaks of today. Paul is no different from us. He identifies a struggle we all have, the struggle between being both a sinner and saint. This is very real. It is also hidden in the heart of every person. Some people confess this struggle openly, asking others to help them and still others try to hide this struggle, putting on the best game face hoping no one will notice. We can’t stop this battle like turning off a running water faucet. We are going to continue in this battle between sinner and saint until the day when Christ returns.
Paul knows the good that he wants to do, but he is unable to do it. Instead, he finds that what he doesn’t want to do, he does. He knows all too well the good that God demands of him and he agrees he should meet God’s demands, and even acknowledges they are good. Yet Paul also discovers that he is in slavery to them, “sold under sin” (7:14.) As a Christian, not only is the world waging a battle for your soul, but devil is waging a battle within you. This is the internal battle you have that makes it very hard for you to live the Christian life. Paul says his members “wage war” and he is “captive” to the law of sin (7:23), and he cries out to be delivered from the battle.
In your confirmation classes, you probably spent a lot of time learning and memorizing the Ten Commandments to make sure you knew what the law said so that you would not end up doing what His law said not to do. Here is what happens – your mind or your conscience – that part within you that has learned God’s law gets disconnected from what you say and do. This is sort of like the serpent testing Eve – did God didn’t really say don’t eat from any tree in the garden?
Let’s look at a few of these commandments. How about the first, “You shall have no other God’s.” Do you ever put something ahead of God in your life? The third, “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it Holy.” Do you always keep the Sabbath holy, or do you sometimes like to sleep in or skip church to do something else? Take the Fifth Commandment. Okay, so you don’t actually murder. But you do ever let your anger get the best of you, or have hateful thoughts or say hateful words. Are you doing what you can to keep your neighbor safe right now? Do you have a hard time forgiving people, even though in the Lord’s prayer you have basically said a thousand times, “Father forgive me to the extent I am willing to forgive others?”
The Sixth Commandment, about sexual purity, or the Eighth Commandment that speaks against gossip - tearing down the reputation of your neighbor. Do you see the battle we find ourselves in? We’re stuck in our sin of thought, word, and deed, even though we are Christians and we know we should be acting differently! We really are a wretched people too! We confessed at the start of service, “We confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean.” Here we’re just agreeing with Paul when he says, “Wretched man that I am!”
Paul says because of our faith and having the law written upon our hearts “we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. . . . For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. . . . So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am!”
It may sound like Paul is really getting down on himself here but remember even though Paul had persecuted many Christians before his conversion, Paul is probably one of the most faithful Christian men to ever live. So, you need to ask the question, if someone like Paul says he is a wretched sinner, what does that make you and me?
So then, where do we turn for help? Paul tells us. He says, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Let me ask you this. Do you believe in Christ? Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sin? Do you believe that because of what Jesus did your sins are forgiven? Do you believe that because of what Jesus did you are now righteous in the eyes of God and because of Jesus, salvation is yours? Do you believe this, even though you know in your heart God’s Commandments are good and helpful to guide you in your Christian life and you still have trouble doing them? The ultimate victory in this battle raging within us, is not won by us, it is won through the mercy God shows us because of Christ.
As a person of faith, we have been redeemed by God through our baptism. God’s way of bringing people to faith is to first show them the great, oppressive weight of sin they carry and how much trouble they are in because of it. Then he lifts the guilt off their shoulders and replaces it with the forgiveness of sins and peace with God. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We regularly confess our sins and through the cross receive absolution.
The Statue of Liberty might remind us of the precious freedom we enjoy as citizens in our nation. However, the cross assures us of a far more precious freedom we have as children of our heavenly Father, who gives us, not only, relief for our own sins, but also relief for all the troubles and hardships and disappointments and sadness of life in a fallen world. Our hope is not in the things we do or do not do, but in what Christ has done for us. Amen.
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Here it is, Independence weekend. And there is a lot of celebrating going on. As we contemplate our freedoms in this country, I am reminded of a bronze plaque on the wall at the Statue of Liberty that contains a poem by Emma Lazarus, written in 1883. Some of those words are very familiar to us: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Those words express the dream upon which our nation was founded, a country where anyone could find refuge, safety and freedom. We who were born here and who often take those freedoms for granted can hardly imagine what the sight of that Statue meant, and still means to an immigrant seeking to become a U.S. citizen after knowing nothing but a life of fear and oppression. As we celebrate this Independence weekend, we are reminded today how truly blessed we are.
Yet there is another symbol of freedom that stands in greater prominence at the entrance a far greater place, the kingdom of God. That symbol is a cross and today Paul records his struggle with the captivity of sin and how we can find freedom through Christ. Jesus invites us, not on a bronze plaque, but in the living Word of God to “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Paul tells us that sometimes we do the very things we really don’t want to do and it is a real battle within us. Who doesn’t struggle with the Christian life? I mean, do you ever look at the Scriptures and see that your life just doesn’t measure up? Do you have any habits and sins that you have tried over and over again to overcome and you just felt that you can’t do it – almost like you forgot the difference between right from wrong?
It seems Christians are under attack from multiple fronts. People want to dismiss your ideals because Christian ideals seem old fashion or out of step with this crazy world we live in. People call you a prude because your values are aligned with scripture rather than just doing what feel good. You are called judgmental, or a hypocrite or a religious nut because you don’t want to go with the flow. In some countries being a Christian will get you maimed or even killed.
You are exposed to all kinds of temptations to lead and be comfortable with the will of the world, instead of the will of God. Your eyes, ears, and mind are constantly being bombarded as the media glorifies and supports alternate lifestyles – indoctrinating, reinforcing, and encouraging ideals that are contrary to God’s will. In our country alone, the moral fabric has declined to the point where even some Christians are saying why fight it. If you can’t beat them, join them.
There is a real battle that rages within us. It is the same battle that the Apostle Paul speaks of today. Paul is no different from us. He identifies a struggle we all have, the struggle between being both a sinner and saint. This is very real. It is also hidden in the heart of every person. Some people confess this struggle openly, asking others to help them and still others try to hide this struggle, putting on the best game face hoping no one will notice. We can’t stop this battle like turning off a running water faucet. We are going to continue in this battle between sinner and saint until the day when Christ returns.
Paul knows the good that he wants to do, but he is unable to do it. Instead, he finds that what he doesn’t want to do, he does. He knows all too well the good that God demands of him and he agrees he should meet God’s demands, and even acknowledges they are good. Yet Paul also discovers that he is in slavery to them, “sold under sin” (7:14.) As a Christian, not only is the world waging a battle for your soul, but devil is waging a battle within you. This is the internal battle you have that makes it very hard for you to live the Christian life. Paul says his members “wage war” and he is “captive” to the law of sin (7:23), and he cries out to be delivered from the battle.
In your confirmation classes, you probably spent a lot of time learning and memorizing the Ten Commandments to make sure you knew what the law said so that you would not end up doing what His law said not to do. Here is what happens – your mind or your conscience – that part within you that has learned God’s law gets disconnected from what you say and do. This is sort of like the serpent testing Eve – did God didn’t really say don’t eat from any tree in the garden?
Let’s look at a few of these commandments. How about the first, “You shall have no other God’s.” Do you ever put something ahead of God in your life? The third, “Remember the Sabbath Day by keeping it Holy.” Do you always keep the Sabbath holy, or do you sometimes like to sleep in or skip church to do something else? Take the Fifth Commandment. Okay, so you don’t actually murder. But you do ever let your anger get the best of you, or have hateful thoughts or say hateful words. Are you doing what you can to keep your neighbor safe right now? Do you have a hard time forgiving people, even though in the Lord’s prayer you have basically said a thousand times, “Father forgive me to the extent I am willing to forgive others?”
The Sixth Commandment, about sexual purity, or the Eighth Commandment that speaks against gossip - tearing down the reputation of your neighbor. Do you see the battle we find ourselves in? We’re stuck in our sin of thought, word, and deed, even though we are Christians and we know we should be acting differently! We really are a wretched people too! We confessed at the start of service, “We confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean.” Here we’re just agreeing with Paul when he says, “Wretched man that I am!”
Paul says because of our faith and having the law written upon our hearts “we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. . . . For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. . . . So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am!”
It may sound like Paul is really getting down on himself here but remember even though Paul had persecuted many Christians before his conversion, Paul is probably one of the most faithful Christian men to ever live. So, you need to ask the question, if someone like Paul says he is a wretched sinner, what does that make you and me?
So then, where do we turn for help? Paul tells us. He says, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Let me ask you this. Do you believe in Christ? Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for your sin? Do you believe that because of what Jesus did your sins are forgiven? Do you believe that because of what Jesus did you are now righteous in the eyes of God and because of Jesus, salvation is yours? Do you believe this, even though you know in your heart God’s Commandments are good and helpful to guide you in your Christian life and you still have trouble doing them? The ultimate victory in this battle raging within us, is not won by us, it is won through the mercy God shows us because of Christ.
As a person of faith, we have been redeemed by God through our baptism. God’s way of bringing people to faith is to first show them the great, oppressive weight of sin they carry and how much trouble they are in because of it. Then he lifts the guilt off their shoulders and replaces it with the forgiveness of sins and peace with God. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We regularly confess our sins and through the cross receive absolution.
The Statue of Liberty might remind us of the precious freedom we enjoy as citizens in our nation. However, the cross assures us of a far more precious freedom we have as children of our heavenly Father, who gives us, not only, relief for our own sins, but also relief for all the troubles and hardships and disappointments and sadness of life in a fallen world. Our hope is not in the things we do or do not do, but in what Christ has done for us. Amen.
NICENE CREED
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible...
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father
before all worlds,…
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance
with the Father,
by whom all things were made…
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary
and was made man…
And was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures…
And ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end…
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets…
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection
of the dead, and the life ♰ of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … Lord, in Your mercy,
C Hear our prayer.
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor
and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “God Bless our Native Land” LSB #965
God bless our native land;
Firm may she ever stand
Through storm and night.
When the wild tempests rave,
Ruler of wind and wave,
Do Thou our country save
By Thy great might.
So shall our prayers arise
To God above the skies;
On Him we wait.
Thou Who art ever nigh,
Guarding with watchful eye,
To Thee aloud we cry:
God save the state!
Acknowledgments Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book. Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
Sunday 6/28/20
The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost
June 28, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Phone: 209-522-8890
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
www.gracemodesto.org
June 28, 2020
Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Phone: 209-522-8890
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
www.gracemodesto.org
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE SETTING IV
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “Today Your Mercy Calls Us” [LSB#915]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake
forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by
His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 89 vrs 15-18, Antiphon vrs 1 by Cantor
C I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
For our shield belongs to the Lord,
our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now and will be forever. Amen.
I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray. Almighty God, by the working of Your Holy Spirit, grant that we may gladly hear Your Word proclaimed among us and follow its directing; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST READING: Jeremiah 28:5-9
Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: Romans 7:1-13
Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 10:34-42
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the tenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake [LSB #688]
Sermon: Peace is what we need
Matthew 10:34-42 Grace Lutheran Church 6/28/2020
Peace Is What We Need
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is not easy following Christ in our daily life. To be a Christian Monday through Saturday is, in fact, pretty hard. Christians are called to live out their faith in daily life. Our faith is not secret - we are to uncover those things which are covered up and to make known those things which are secret. As followers of Jesus we are called to be with the sick, comfort the dying, console the grieving, understand the troubled, and care about others as God cares for us - in other words to be at peace with our God and one another.
Jesus seems to contradict that today. He says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.” These are some pretty strange words coming from a Savior we often refer to as the “Prince of Peace.” But let’s think about it a moment. Face it, we live in a world that doesn’t understand peace. We can throw the word around all we want, but it seems to have no meaning all. If you are of my vintage or generation you might remember making the peace sign as a rout greeting gesture, or the peace bumper stickers. Before we stopped meeting because of Covid-19 this is how, almost in jest, we shared the peace of our God and with one another in worship.
But do we really know what peace is? Probably the best way to understand it is to look at the absence of peace. What does that look like - war, civil disobedience, strife as we see on our streets today, arguments, selfishness – the bottom line to all of it is sin. When we take a look at the conflicts throughout history, whether it be nation against nation, or conflict between individuals – somewhere in that conflict there are selfish, self-centered hearts.
I am talking about hearts not focused on the needs of others, but on our own needs and desires. Growing up my brother and I struggled with this. Take something as simple as a piece of cake. We became masters of splitting it evenly, or the fight was on over which piece was bigger and who was getting it. Looking back, how silly is that? And the attitudes of our youth tend to spill over into adulthood. In relationships sometimes, it is the smallest things that cause the biggest fights, even amid God’s people where we think that quarreling and strife and fighting shouldn’t exist. Why? Because we often, as scripture reminds us, do not have in mind the things of things of God, but rather the things of man.
And then we have Jesus’ words which seem to make no sense, “Do not think I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” They don’t make sense, because we are taught from the time we are very young that Jesus is all about love and grace and forgiveness. And what he says today goes against that. How do we reconcile the difference?
Probably the easiest way for us to do that is to take out the word that causes it to not make sense. I would contend that word is sword. However, as we begin to understand how the word sword is used in the New Testament, it all begins to make sense. The sword that Jesus talks about is not a sword sharpened with steel, but rather that word of God which brings both Law and Gospel.
When Jesus came, He brought the word in the flesh. And it is a word that cuts both ways. Because, you see, the word He brings is the word of truth and sometimes that truth knocks some sense into us when it confronts us with our own sinful behavior - when our sinful flesh takes such a grip of our heart that we become that selfish, self-centered individual who doesn’t care about anyone other than them self. Then the word of Christ comes to us and calls out our sinful hearts –and brings us to repentance. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. As hard as it is to hear, when our sin is paraded before our eyes, we realize and acknowledge and confess our sin before God and those we have sinned against.
Christ came to bring the truth of the word and to cut through all of the falsehoods, all of the self-assurances, and all of the pride and arrogance that has taken up residence within us. He came to cut through the veil of spiritual blindness. Because the only way that peace with God can ultimately prevail in our hearts is if we deal with the source of the conflict in the first place.
Sometimes we like to pretend that we are at peace. We pretend we are ok with God and there is no problem with us continuing our selfish patterns of behavior. We are all guilty of it. It is easy for us to say: “I am a believer! I am a Christian! I display my Christian symbols proudly.” And yet we do that all the while not really walking with the fullness of God’s peace. The reality is God’s word needs to be applied to us, cutting us to the very essence of who we are in our sinful behavior and reminding us we have no hope for eternal life apart from Christ.
The peace that Christ brings to us literally comes to us through the violence of the sword. The law that convicts us of our sin, is the law that demands punishment, and is the law that nailed Jesus to a cross for each and every one of our sins. He who is without sin becomes sin for our sake and in our place dies for us that we might become righteous before God. He came to die so the peace that passes all human understanding is that peace that comes to us through the cross.
We are all familiar with Jesus and His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Judas and the crowd from the Chief Priests and Scribes came to arrest Jesus, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant. And Jesus heals that servant’s ear. And Jesus says, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” I have to tell, you I always thought that meant that those who live by violence will perish by violence. But again, there is that word sword. When you trace it through the New Testament, you begin to understand it means that those who live by the law are die by the law and be measured before God by the Law.
The sword is not what Christ wants from us. He wants us to be at the foot of the cross. He wants us to come to His supper bearing our sins and sinfulness before Him so He can distribute freely to us through His body and blood the peace, that His death brings to us - that peace that passes all of our human understanding, that forgiveness we don’t deserve - that grace that He tells us to live in every day.
As we share the peace at the beginning of our worship service we are reminded of that peace we have with our God - that our sins are forgiven because of the cross and we have hearts without animosity or selfishness – we have the peace of Christ that binds us together. And that greeting happens in the gathering of God’s people because we understand that in order for that greeting to take place, for peace to be had, a steep price had to be paid.
Because peace never comes without a price of some type. Sometimes it is the swallowing of our own pride and confessing our sin before God and one another. Sometimes it is because many lay down their lives to preserve our freedoms or obtain peace in our land. But the true peace with God that passes all understanding was the price Christ paid when His blood was poured out for us on the cross.
Jesus also reminds us the truth of the word often divides people. The truth of the word can break down relationships and divide people. Sometimes the enemies of the Gospel and destroyers of God’s peace are even people within your own household. The peace that passes all understanding comes to us when we begin to see God as the priority in our lives, when we understand Christ in our lives is what all people need and we begin to live in that peace – even in the midst of the conflict going on all around us in our country today.
Jesus says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Those words remind us that we don’t to live under the Law, we live under the peace that comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do.
When we gather together here in this place to worship, the cross is ever before you to remind you of the price that was paid for your peace with God. As you live in that peace in your everyday life, take the peace of the cross, take the peace of Christ, take the peace which passes all understanding out into this world. May the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds, through faith in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.
Peace Is What We Need
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is not easy following Christ in our daily life. To be a Christian Monday through Saturday is, in fact, pretty hard. Christians are called to live out their faith in daily life. Our faith is not secret - we are to uncover those things which are covered up and to make known those things which are secret. As followers of Jesus we are called to be with the sick, comfort the dying, console the grieving, understand the troubled, and care about others as God cares for us - in other words to be at peace with our God and one another.
Jesus seems to contradict that today. He says, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.” These are some pretty strange words coming from a Savior we often refer to as the “Prince of Peace.” But let’s think about it a moment. Face it, we live in a world that doesn’t understand peace. We can throw the word around all we want, but it seems to have no meaning all. If you are of my vintage or generation you might remember making the peace sign as a rout greeting gesture, or the peace bumper stickers. Before we stopped meeting because of Covid-19 this is how, almost in jest, we shared the peace of our God and with one another in worship.
But do we really know what peace is? Probably the best way to understand it is to look at the absence of peace. What does that look like - war, civil disobedience, strife as we see on our streets today, arguments, selfishness – the bottom line to all of it is sin. When we take a look at the conflicts throughout history, whether it be nation against nation, or conflict between individuals – somewhere in that conflict there are selfish, self-centered hearts.
I am talking about hearts not focused on the needs of others, but on our own needs and desires. Growing up my brother and I struggled with this. Take something as simple as a piece of cake. We became masters of splitting it evenly, or the fight was on over which piece was bigger and who was getting it. Looking back, how silly is that? And the attitudes of our youth tend to spill over into adulthood. In relationships sometimes, it is the smallest things that cause the biggest fights, even amid God’s people where we think that quarreling and strife and fighting shouldn’t exist. Why? Because we often, as scripture reminds us, do not have in mind the things of things of God, but rather the things of man.
And then we have Jesus’ words which seem to make no sense, “Do not think I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” They don’t make sense, because we are taught from the time we are very young that Jesus is all about love and grace and forgiveness. And what he says today goes against that. How do we reconcile the difference?
Probably the easiest way for us to do that is to take out the word that causes it to not make sense. I would contend that word is sword. However, as we begin to understand how the word sword is used in the New Testament, it all begins to make sense. The sword that Jesus talks about is not a sword sharpened with steel, but rather that word of God which brings both Law and Gospel.
When Jesus came, He brought the word in the flesh. And it is a word that cuts both ways. Because, you see, the word He brings is the word of truth and sometimes that truth knocks some sense into us when it confronts us with our own sinful behavior - when our sinful flesh takes such a grip of our heart that we become that selfish, self-centered individual who doesn’t care about anyone other than them self. Then the word of Christ comes to us and calls out our sinful hearts –and brings us to repentance. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. As hard as it is to hear, when our sin is paraded before our eyes, we realize and acknowledge and confess our sin before God and those we have sinned against.
Christ came to bring the truth of the word and to cut through all of the falsehoods, all of the self-assurances, and all of the pride and arrogance that has taken up residence within us. He came to cut through the veil of spiritual blindness. Because the only way that peace with God can ultimately prevail in our hearts is if we deal with the source of the conflict in the first place.
Sometimes we like to pretend that we are at peace. We pretend we are ok with God and there is no problem with us continuing our selfish patterns of behavior. We are all guilty of it. It is easy for us to say: “I am a believer! I am a Christian! I display my Christian symbols proudly.” And yet we do that all the while not really walking with the fullness of God’s peace. The reality is God’s word needs to be applied to us, cutting us to the very essence of who we are in our sinful behavior and reminding us we have no hope for eternal life apart from Christ.
The peace that Christ brings to us literally comes to us through the violence of the sword. The law that convicts us of our sin, is the law that demands punishment, and is the law that nailed Jesus to a cross for each and every one of our sins. He who is without sin becomes sin for our sake and in our place dies for us that we might become righteous before God. He came to die so the peace that passes all human understanding is that peace that comes to us through the cross.
We are all familiar with Jesus and His disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Judas and the crowd from the Chief Priests and Scribes came to arrest Jesus, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant. And Jesus heals that servant’s ear. And Jesus says, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” I have to tell, you I always thought that meant that those who live by violence will perish by violence. But again, there is that word sword. When you trace it through the New Testament, you begin to understand it means that those who live by the law are die by the law and be measured before God by the Law.
The sword is not what Christ wants from us. He wants us to be at the foot of the cross. He wants us to come to His supper bearing our sins and sinfulness before Him so He can distribute freely to us through His body and blood the peace, that His death brings to us - that peace that passes all of our human understanding, that forgiveness we don’t deserve - that grace that He tells us to live in every day.
As we share the peace at the beginning of our worship service we are reminded of that peace we have with our God - that our sins are forgiven because of the cross and we have hearts without animosity or selfishness – we have the peace of Christ that binds us together. And that greeting happens in the gathering of God’s people because we understand that in order for that greeting to take place, for peace to be had, a steep price had to be paid.
Because peace never comes without a price of some type. Sometimes it is the swallowing of our own pride and confessing our sin before God and one another. Sometimes it is because many lay down their lives to preserve our freedoms or obtain peace in our land. But the true peace with God that passes all understanding was the price Christ paid when His blood was poured out for us on the cross.
Jesus also reminds us the truth of the word often divides people. The truth of the word can break down relationships and divide people. Sometimes the enemies of the Gospel and destroyers of God’s peace are even people within your own household. The peace that passes all understanding comes to us when we begin to see God as the priority in our lives, when we understand Christ in our lives is what all people need and we begin to live in that peace – even in the midst of the conflict going on all around us in our country today.
Jesus says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Those words remind us that we don’t to live under the Law, we live under the peace that comes from the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that we do.
When we gather together here in this place to worship, the cross is ever before you to remind you of the price that was paid for your peace with God. As you live in that peace in your everyday life, take the peace of the cross, take the peace of Christ, take the peace which passes all understanding out into this world. May the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds, through faith in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.
NICENE CREED
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible...
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father
before all worlds,…
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance
with the Father,
by whom all things were made…
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary
and was made man…
And was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures…
And ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end…
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets…
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection
of the dead, and the life ♰ of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P …through Jesus Christ our Lord
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “I am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus” [LSB #729]
NICENE CREED
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible...
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father
before all worlds,…
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance
with the Father,
by whom all things were made…
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary
and was made man…
And was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures…
And ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end…
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets…
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection
of the dead, and the life ♰ of the world to come. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P …through Jesus Christ our Lord
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “I am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus” [LSB #729]
Sunday 6/14/20
The Second Sunday After Pentecost
June 14, 2020
8:15 am & 10:30am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
June 14, 2020
8:15 am & 10:30am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
Prelude: “Blessed Jesus, We Are Here” by J.G. Walther
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “Today Your Mercy Calls Us” LSB 915
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Introit – Psalm 100 Antiphon verse 5
Kyrie (Spoken)
P In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
Salutation and Collect
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, Almighty, eternal Word, in the Word of Your apostles and prophets You have proclaimed to us your saving will. Grant us faith to believe Your promises that we may receive eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever
C Amen.
Readings
The Old Testament Reading: Exodus 19:2-8
They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.” So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: Romans 5:6-15
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Gradual: Alleluia by Cantor
The Holy Gospel: Matthew 9:35-10:20
P: The Holy Gospel, according to St. Matthew, the nineth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town. “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
P: This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Hymn Of The Day “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” LSB # 809
Sermon: Watch THis!
Matthew 9:35-10:8 Grace Lutheran Church 6-14-2020
Watch This!
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
I am one of those folks who doesn’t like to be late – whether it is for a meeting, or waiting to catch a plane. So, I try to get there early and when I get there, well, what do I do? You can only stare at your phone for so long. What do I do – people watch. People watching can actually be kind of fun.
What do you see when you watch people, when you look out at a crowd rushing by? Do you see what appears to be people aimlessly wandering from point A to point B, or do you take notice people of all shapes, sizes, ages, cultures, backgrounds, and demeanors. People with all sorts of commitments and time constraints. People who pass the time in different ways – staring at or talking on their phone or reading. Do you see things that make you laugh or shake your head – and make you think there has to be a hidden camera somewhere? Do you see people passing by as faceless, and unknown...or do you see souls?
As we enter into what we the call the green season – the longest season of the church year, we find Jesus doing some people watching. It’s amazing that He even had time, as busy as His ministry was. He traveled around Galilee, “teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.”
But one day, Jesus and His disciples stopped. And they really took a good hard look at the crowd. I get a picture in my mind of Jesus staring out over a hushed crowd. People who had been coming from all over to see and hear Him preach the good news of forgiveness and peace from a God of love, good news they had been starving to hear for so long. Many more came bringing a loved one they sought Jesus to heal. As Jesus saw the crowd, He saw how needy all those people were—physically, emotionally, spiritually. He didn’t see them as faceless unknown people constantly demanding His attention, power, or mercy?
When He looked out at all those people, he didn’t laugh, because He saw ordinary people like you and me. It didn’t matter if they were rich or poor, young or old, sick or well – or Jew or Gentile. “When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.”
In the Biblical way of speaking, compassion has to do with “guts” – because your “guts” are where your “feelings” are. That’s where the expression came from that something may have made you “sick to your stomach.” As Jesus looked on the crowds following after Him and seeking for His attention. He saw the anxiety they were feeling over work, family, and health. He saw the searching in their eyes for something certain and concrete. He saw shepherd-less sheep. In other words, He saw us in our lives disconnected from God. He saw soul after soul distraught and crushed by their earthly God-given shepherds -the religious leaders who should’ve loved and cared for their souls as God expected.
And what Jesus saw wrenched His guts. But He didn’t wave His finger – or tell everyone to shape up and get their life in order. He knew full well how incapable they were of doing that, so He had compassion on them. He saw them as a harvest field ripe for picking – the very same way, He sees in each of us! Even now Jesus is looking at you with that same compassionate gaze. And because of that compassion He has freely given you everything – His Word, His body, His blood, His death, and His resurrection.
Never in the history of the world has there ever been such compassion as Jesus’ gut- wrenching compassion for the shepherd-less crowds. And it was out of that compassion, Jesus bids His disciples to pray that the Lord of harvest would send workers into His field. What He asks us to do is such a simple thing – maybe too simple, for us who are so bewildered by the madness of culture. We are always fretting and fussing over the state of the family, our society, the Church and our congregation. We search here and there for this or that gimmick in the hope of improving things. But instead of wringing our hands, Jesus tells us we ought to be folding them in prayer that the Lord of harvest would send workers into His fields.
This is unglamorous work that He sends His workers to do. It is the kind of work that dirties clean hands. Yet it goes on day in and day our as we grind through life – around the dinner table, in casual conversation, beside the sick bed, and at social gatherings. It goes on in the Christian congregation where Christ’ s Word is preached, where His body and blood are eaten and drunk for the forgiveness of sin, and where God’s people are Baptized and catechized. Such work appears ordinary, even boring at times. But this is Jesus’ compassion at work in the nooks and crannies of life – hidden under the ordinary. That’s where His harvest field is.
Think of it this way, today Jesus turns to you, looks you right in the eye, and says, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” “So we pray, “Lord of the harvest, provide workers to bring in your harvest in. That’s what Jesus did with his twelve disciples, and He used His twelve disciples to answer their own prayers. “Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.”
Those disciples were the first to take the good news of Jesus out into the world. Almost every one of them gave up his life for the faith. But look at who Jesus called - fishermen, tax collectors, a zealot, and a guy who would betray him? Jesus is entrusting the harvest to them? After His death and resurrection Jesus would send them to all the nations Baptizing and teaching. When you think about it, doesn’t Jesus still do that today?
The Lord of harvest is the One who ultimately knows best where to send His disciples. He puts them in your homes, at your place of work, and in your neighborhood. He sits them down next to others and says to them: “Here’s the portion of My harvest field where you are to do your work.” And the Twelve did what they were given to do. They preached the Good News of the kingdom. They healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. But it was Jesus who was working through them, because that’s how Jesus has chosen to deal with us.
We too pray that the Lord would provide workers, and Jesus answers our prayers. He sends common, ordinary people—sinners He has saved - to serve in His harvest fields. Not just pastors, teachers, and missionaries, but people like you and me to serve with the unique set of gifts and abilities He’s given you to be part of the harvest mission.
But how can Jesus possibly use any of us to answer our prayers? On our own, we know how this will turn out, we will fail. You could’ve said the same thing about the disciples, but Jesus equipped them so he could send them. He equipped them with his divine authority to cast out demons and heal every disease. In fact, Jesus sent them out with specific instructions. “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan town. Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” The Savior’s love sent His servants out equipped with His Word, His power, and His promise. “Freely you received, freely give.”
They were to give freely of the gifts they had freely received from him. Jesus had looked at them with that compassionate love that moved him to bring them into his family with forgiveness He would earn for them on the cross. Then Jesus sent them out, not to the ends of the earth, but to the people in their hometowns, neighborhoods, and synagogues.
Jesus has done the same for us. His compassion moved him to rescue you and me from our sheep-like wandering, to find us when we were lost, to cleanse us of our sins, and to raise us to new life through his saving Word. We didn’t deserve any of it, but without hesitation, the Savior’s love moved him to rescue us and bring us into his kingdom.
Here is the kicker. Last week, we heard how Jesus wants us to “make disciples of all nations.” Now He wants us to watch as He sends us, not into unfamiliar territory, but to the people we know at home, in our neighborhoods, where we gather to work or join in fellowship. He sends us with His Word, with power flowing from him overcome Satan and his demons, and with His promise. “I saved you freely. You have received my love and my forgiveness. So now I send you to share it with people you interact with. I send you so my abundantly ripe harvest can be brought in before it is too late.”
When Jesus watches you, He sees all of your sins and all the failures of your faith, but He also sees you through eyes filled with compassionate love, a love that moves him to forgive you. When Jesus looks at the people around us in our lives, He says for all of us to hear and know, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” So, when you look at all those people living around you or the crowds of people seemingly passing you by aimlessly, see them through Jesus’ eyes. See souls and a blood-bought harvest ready to be brought to the Lord. Then pray that the Lord provide servants, even us, to bring that harvest in before He returns. God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Watch This!
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
I am one of those folks who doesn’t like to be late – whether it is for a meeting, or waiting to catch a plane. So, I try to get there early and when I get there, well, what do I do? You can only stare at your phone for so long. What do I do – people watch. People watching can actually be kind of fun.
What do you see when you watch people, when you look out at a crowd rushing by? Do you see what appears to be people aimlessly wandering from point A to point B, or do you take notice people of all shapes, sizes, ages, cultures, backgrounds, and demeanors. People with all sorts of commitments and time constraints. People who pass the time in different ways – staring at or talking on their phone or reading. Do you see things that make you laugh or shake your head – and make you think there has to be a hidden camera somewhere? Do you see people passing by as faceless, and unknown...or do you see souls?
As we enter into what we the call the green season – the longest season of the church year, we find Jesus doing some people watching. It’s amazing that He even had time, as busy as His ministry was. He traveled around Galilee, “teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.”
But one day, Jesus and His disciples stopped. And they really took a good hard look at the crowd. I get a picture in my mind of Jesus staring out over a hushed crowd. People who had been coming from all over to see and hear Him preach the good news of forgiveness and peace from a God of love, good news they had been starving to hear for so long. Many more came bringing a loved one they sought Jesus to heal. As Jesus saw the crowd, He saw how needy all those people were—physically, emotionally, spiritually. He didn’t see them as faceless unknown people constantly demanding His attention, power, or mercy?
When He looked out at all those people, he didn’t laugh, because He saw ordinary people like you and me. It didn’t matter if they were rich or poor, young or old, sick or well – or Jew or Gentile. “When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.”
In the Biblical way of speaking, compassion has to do with “guts” – because your “guts” are where your “feelings” are. That’s where the expression came from that something may have made you “sick to your stomach.” As Jesus looked on the crowds following after Him and seeking for His attention. He saw the anxiety they were feeling over work, family, and health. He saw the searching in their eyes for something certain and concrete. He saw shepherd-less sheep. In other words, He saw us in our lives disconnected from God. He saw soul after soul distraught and crushed by their earthly God-given shepherds -the religious leaders who should’ve loved and cared for their souls as God expected.
And what Jesus saw wrenched His guts. But He didn’t wave His finger – or tell everyone to shape up and get their life in order. He knew full well how incapable they were of doing that, so He had compassion on them. He saw them as a harvest field ripe for picking – the very same way, He sees in each of us! Even now Jesus is looking at you with that same compassionate gaze. And because of that compassion He has freely given you everything – His Word, His body, His blood, His death, and His resurrection.
Never in the history of the world has there ever been such compassion as Jesus’ gut- wrenching compassion for the shepherd-less crowds. And it was out of that compassion, Jesus bids His disciples to pray that the Lord of harvest would send workers into His field. What He asks us to do is such a simple thing – maybe too simple, for us who are so bewildered by the madness of culture. We are always fretting and fussing over the state of the family, our society, the Church and our congregation. We search here and there for this or that gimmick in the hope of improving things. But instead of wringing our hands, Jesus tells us we ought to be folding them in prayer that the Lord of harvest would send workers into His fields.
This is unglamorous work that He sends His workers to do. It is the kind of work that dirties clean hands. Yet it goes on day in and day our as we grind through life – around the dinner table, in casual conversation, beside the sick bed, and at social gatherings. It goes on in the Christian congregation where Christ’ s Word is preached, where His body and blood are eaten and drunk for the forgiveness of sin, and where God’s people are Baptized and catechized. Such work appears ordinary, even boring at times. But this is Jesus’ compassion at work in the nooks and crannies of life – hidden under the ordinary. That’s where His harvest field is.
Think of it this way, today Jesus turns to you, looks you right in the eye, and says, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” “So we pray, “Lord of the harvest, provide workers to bring in your harvest in. That’s what Jesus did with his twelve disciples, and He used His twelve disciples to answer their own prayers. “Summoning his twelve disciples, he gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.”
Those disciples were the first to take the good news of Jesus out into the world. Almost every one of them gave up his life for the faith. But look at who Jesus called - fishermen, tax collectors, a zealot, and a guy who would betray him? Jesus is entrusting the harvest to them? After His death and resurrection Jesus would send them to all the nations Baptizing and teaching. When you think about it, doesn’t Jesus still do that today?
The Lord of harvest is the One who ultimately knows best where to send His disciples. He puts them in your homes, at your place of work, and in your neighborhood. He sits them down next to others and says to them: “Here’s the portion of My harvest field where you are to do your work.” And the Twelve did what they were given to do. They preached the Good News of the kingdom. They healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. But it was Jesus who was working through them, because that’s how Jesus has chosen to deal with us.
We too pray that the Lord would provide workers, and Jesus answers our prayers. He sends common, ordinary people—sinners He has saved - to serve in His harvest fields. Not just pastors, teachers, and missionaries, but people like you and me to serve with the unique set of gifts and abilities He’s given you to be part of the harvest mission.
But how can Jesus possibly use any of us to answer our prayers? On our own, we know how this will turn out, we will fail. You could’ve said the same thing about the disciples, but Jesus equipped them so he could send them. He equipped them with his divine authority to cast out demons and heal every disease. In fact, Jesus sent them out with specific instructions. “Don’t take the road that leads to the Gentiles, and don’t enter any Samaritan town. Instead, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you received, freely give.” The Savior’s love sent His servants out equipped with His Word, His power, and His promise. “Freely you received, freely give.”
They were to give freely of the gifts they had freely received from him. Jesus had looked at them with that compassionate love that moved him to bring them into his family with forgiveness He would earn for them on the cross. Then Jesus sent them out, not to the ends of the earth, but to the people in their hometowns, neighborhoods, and synagogues.
Jesus has done the same for us. His compassion moved him to rescue you and me from our sheep-like wandering, to find us when we were lost, to cleanse us of our sins, and to raise us to new life through his saving Word. We didn’t deserve any of it, but without hesitation, the Savior’s love moved him to rescue us and bring us into his kingdom.
Here is the kicker. Last week, we heard how Jesus wants us to “make disciples of all nations.” Now He wants us to watch as He sends us, not into unfamiliar territory, but to the people we know at home, in our neighborhoods, where we gather to work or join in fellowship. He sends us with His Word, with power flowing from him overcome Satan and his demons, and with His promise. “I saved you freely. You have received my love and my forgiveness. So now I send you to share it with people you interact with. I send you so my abundantly ripe harvest can be brought in before it is too late.”
When Jesus watches you, He sees all of your sins and all the failures of your faith, but He also sees you through eyes filled with compassionate love, a love that moves him to forgive you. When Jesus looks at the people around us in our lives, He says for all of us to hear and know, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” So, when you look at all those people living around you or the crowds of people seemingly passing you by aimlessly, see them through Jesus’ eyes. See souls and a blood-bought harvest ready to be brought to the Lord. Then pray that the Lord provide servants, even us, to bring that harvest in before He returns. God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Nicene Creed
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible...
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father
before all worlds,…
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance
with the Father,
by whom all things were made…
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary
and was made man…
And was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures…
And ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living
and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end…
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father
and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets…
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection
of the dead,
and the life ♰ of the world to come. Amen.
Offering:
Prayers Of The Church
P …Let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C: 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn – “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” LSB #791 verses 1, 4, 5
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible...
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father
before all worlds,…
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance
with the Father,
by whom all things were made…
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary
and was made man…
And was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures…
And ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living
and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end…
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father
and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets…
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection
of the dead,
and the life ♰ of the world to come. Amen.
Offering:
Prayers Of The Church
P …Let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C: 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn – “All People That on Earth Do Dwell” LSB #791 verses 1, 4, 5
Sunday 6/7/20
The Holy Trinity
June 7, 2020
8:15 & 10:30 am Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
June 7, 2020
8:15 & 10:30 am Online Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantor: David Howard
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “Holy, Holy, Holy” LSB 507
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us confess our sins to God, our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT “Triune God, Be Our Stay”
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
READINGS
THE FIRST READING: Acts 2:42-47
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: Acts 2:14a, 22-36
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.' Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL: “Jesus Christ, Be Our Stay”
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 28:16-20
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-eighth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I with you AM always, to the end of the age."
P This is the Gospel of the Lord
C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “On Galilee’s High Mountain” LSB 835 (vs 1-4)
OPENING HYMN: “Holy, Holy, Holy” LSB 507
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us confess our sins to God, our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT “Triune God, Be Our Stay”
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
READINGS
THE FIRST READING: Acts 2:42-47
Genesis 1:1-2:4a
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And God said, "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens." So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day. And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: Acts 2:14a, 22-36
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, "'I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ "Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.' Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL: “Jesus Christ, Be Our Stay”
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 28:16-20
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-eighth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I with you AM always, to the end of the age."
P This is the Gospel of the Lord
C Praise to You, O Christ.
HYMN OF THE DAY: “On Galilee’s High Mountain” LSB 835 (vs 1-4)
Sermon: Living With A Missional Purpose
Matthew 28:16-20 Grace Lutheran Church 6-7-2020
Living With A Missional Purpose
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
When I went to the Seminary, I was asked what my emphasis on was going to be - congregational, church plant, or missionary ministry trac. To be honest with you, I didn’t know I had choice. I chose congregational.
I didn’t really give it much thought until one day I received a phone call from someone I knew. The nearest LCMS church for them was about 60 miles away from the town they lived in. Several people from their area, not wanting to make the drive, got together wanting to start an LCMS church in their community and wondered how to go about it. After getting the church off the ground and putting a constitution and by-laws together, they began meeting in a store front. They had a pastor who would make the drive to lead services.
I could only imagine their angst as they signed the lease on the store front. I am sure there were a lot of questions. They were a brand-new church, and there weren’t too many Lutherans around. Where would the money come from to operate? They are starting with none of the things people normally expected in a church – the altar wasn’t much more than a covered table. Would people visit them for worship? What would they think about what Lutheran believe? Could they survive and grow?
So here a handful of people stepped out in faith to begin a new congregation. And God blessed their gathering. From that little store front, they heard of another church body that was outgrowing its facility and had put it up for sale while they built a new one. Again, the congregation stepped out in faith and purchased the church – still without a pastor. And just a few years ago, they called their first pastor and continue to meet as a church today.
Our congregation has been in existence for 100 years and we face the same challenges. By that I mean, does the world really embrace who we are as a church of God or does it view us as unnecessary?
Would they feel comfortable going to a church that confesses that God created the world in six days by speaking it into existence as Genesis says, that Jesus really is 100% true God and 100% true man, that Mary gave birth while she was still a virgin, or that Jesus came back to life after being crucified, dead, and buried for the forgiveness of sin. Would they accept the teaching of the church about such things as the doctrine of the TRINITY we celebrate today? Would they think we were crazy to for believing there is power in Divine word of God, preaching, and in water, or a piece of bread and small cup of wine? Would they become argumentative when our views do not align with popular opinion of our culture.
I bring this up because Jesus came and spoke to the church as it was starting. It was a very small group of people – just 11 apostles who were still following Him after Judas killed himself. And that was the entire Christian church on earth. They had no building or traditions to follow. All they had to cling to was the Gospel. So how would they “do” church in a world that viewed them as a outcasts?
Shortly before He ascended, Jesus came to this small group of Christians and gave them a pep talk about how to go about church. He told them how and why. In doing so He gave them power, purpose, and a promise. And Jesus provides the same for us as well. These last verses of the Book of Matthew are sometimes referred to as the “Great Commission.” Because Jesus is commissioning His Church for service - all those who believe that Jesus lived and died for them. This great commission was given to the Church, and since this is the church on earth, it makes sense that this should be the mission of every Christian congregation.
Jesus started out by saying “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Considering all we have had to witness over the last couple of weeks, we shouldn’t let what Jesus says slip by us. So many people in today’s world believe that God is all right as long as He doesn’t make any demands which might infringe upon our freedom. What He is saying is that He is seated at the right hand of God – that He has all power as divine God and that He exercises that power in His rule of the world to be our leader in mission.
A grocery store owner decided that he had to ban customers from coming into his store. He was forced to take such drastic action because of people’s bad manners. First he banned smoking, then crude language, baby strollers, pets, and finally customers themselves. Shoppers had to look through the window, spot the item they wanted and be served through a tiny door. The owner admitted, “I lost my business. However, I am a man of principles, and I stand by my decision.” That storekeeper lost sight of his mission. It is a ridiculous story but it makes the point that it is easy for the church to lose sight of its mission. Jesus is telling the church “Therefore Go and make disciples.” You can do it because my power and authority are there to support you.
The church does not rely on its own power and wisdom to make disciples. It exists because the power of Jesus spoke it to exist, and the authority of Jesus causes it to continue to exist. So, the Christian church on earth might appear to be waning in its influence, but it is not losing the battle for survival. The church will never disappear, because when we gather as the church, we have the backing and authority of the King of Kings. We are not a cult who invented our own doctrine and practices that change with the wind. We have the authority of the one who is seated at the right hand of God.
But what is a church supposed to do when it gathers together to carry out the purpose that Jesus gave it? – to Make disciples of all nations. That is the purpose given directly by Jesus to His disciples. And a disciple in the church is a learner, who follows Jesus - someone who trusts Jesus words and then lives according to them. In short, a disciple is someone who has faith.
The purpose of the Christian church on earth is not to make followers of the culture, it is to make disciples of Jesus. The how is by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And so when the church gathers, it should be gathering around baptizing and teaching – Word and Sacrament. In other words, the church gathers around the Gospel.
And here is the good news. God’s word tells you He is not counting your sins against you because Jesus was punished in your place. Your sins are forgiven. And death is not final because Jesus died in your place and rose again. All so through Baptism your body will have a resurrection and be rewarded eternal life because of the perfect life Jesus lived.
That’s the good news! Whether it is baptism given to you with the water combined with Gods command or the good news is given to you in the spoken word. That good news delivers what it proclaims. And it makes disciples. Because the power Jesus has given those things is the power to create faith. What a wonderful blessing the Christian church on earth is, because it delivers to you the forgiveness of sins, makes you a disciple, and secures for you a resurrection and eternal life.
And because the Holy Christian church is such a blessing, what a blessing this congregation is. Because it is the place where the Holy Spirit delivers it to you. Martin Luther summed it up this way: “In this Christian Church, He daily and fully forgives all my sins and those of all believers.” We come here stained, tainted, broken, and flawed. But it is also here that God washes us clean and renews us. That is why the church exists and He wants to give you a promise too. “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” That is more than a promise, it is a fact.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives a special authority to His church. He gives her the authority to place the very name of the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit onto those whom He saves. This is Baptism. Just as a bride receives the name of her husband in marriage, so also the Christian receives the name of their savior in Baptism. Through Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit who works forgiveness, life, and salvation in us.
Along with Holy Baptism, Jesus instructs the church to carry on the revelation of God by teaching ALL that Jesus has given it to teach. True disciples of Jesus will have a hunger to learn more and more about Him. Therefore, they will have a hunger for God’s Word. Jesus instructs the church to satisfy this hunger by teaching ALL that He has given in His Word. He wishes to bless His disciples with a lifetime of revealing the true character of the one true God, Father … Son … and Holy Spirit. Amen
Living With A Missional Purpose
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
When I went to the Seminary, I was asked what my emphasis on was going to be - congregational, church plant, or missionary ministry trac. To be honest with you, I didn’t know I had choice. I chose congregational.
I didn’t really give it much thought until one day I received a phone call from someone I knew. The nearest LCMS church for them was about 60 miles away from the town they lived in. Several people from their area, not wanting to make the drive, got together wanting to start an LCMS church in their community and wondered how to go about it. After getting the church off the ground and putting a constitution and by-laws together, they began meeting in a store front. They had a pastor who would make the drive to lead services.
I could only imagine their angst as they signed the lease on the store front. I am sure there were a lot of questions. They were a brand-new church, and there weren’t too many Lutherans around. Where would the money come from to operate? They are starting with none of the things people normally expected in a church – the altar wasn’t much more than a covered table. Would people visit them for worship? What would they think about what Lutheran believe? Could they survive and grow?
So here a handful of people stepped out in faith to begin a new congregation. And God blessed their gathering. From that little store front, they heard of another church body that was outgrowing its facility and had put it up for sale while they built a new one. Again, the congregation stepped out in faith and purchased the church – still without a pastor. And just a few years ago, they called their first pastor and continue to meet as a church today.
Our congregation has been in existence for 100 years and we face the same challenges. By that I mean, does the world really embrace who we are as a church of God or does it view us as unnecessary?
Would they feel comfortable going to a church that confesses that God created the world in six days by speaking it into existence as Genesis says, that Jesus really is 100% true God and 100% true man, that Mary gave birth while she was still a virgin, or that Jesus came back to life after being crucified, dead, and buried for the forgiveness of sin. Would they accept the teaching of the church about such things as the doctrine of the TRINITY we celebrate today? Would they think we were crazy to for believing there is power in Divine word of God, preaching, and in water, or a piece of bread and small cup of wine? Would they become argumentative when our views do not align with popular opinion of our culture.
I bring this up because Jesus came and spoke to the church as it was starting. It was a very small group of people – just 11 apostles who were still following Him after Judas killed himself. And that was the entire Christian church on earth. They had no building or traditions to follow. All they had to cling to was the Gospel. So how would they “do” church in a world that viewed them as a outcasts?
Shortly before He ascended, Jesus came to this small group of Christians and gave them a pep talk about how to go about church. He told them how and why. In doing so He gave them power, purpose, and a promise. And Jesus provides the same for us as well. These last verses of the Book of Matthew are sometimes referred to as the “Great Commission.” Because Jesus is commissioning His Church for service - all those who believe that Jesus lived and died for them. This great commission was given to the Church, and since this is the church on earth, it makes sense that this should be the mission of every Christian congregation.
Jesus started out by saying “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Considering all we have had to witness over the last couple of weeks, we shouldn’t let what Jesus says slip by us. So many people in today’s world believe that God is all right as long as He doesn’t make any demands which might infringe upon our freedom. What He is saying is that He is seated at the right hand of God – that He has all power as divine God and that He exercises that power in His rule of the world to be our leader in mission.
A grocery store owner decided that he had to ban customers from coming into his store. He was forced to take such drastic action because of people’s bad manners. First he banned smoking, then crude language, baby strollers, pets, and finally customers themselves. Shoppers had to look through the window, spot the item they wanted and be served through a tiny door. The owner admitted, “I lost my business. However, I am a man of principles, and I stand by my decision.” That storekeeper lost sight of his mission. It is a ridiculous story but it makes the point that it is easy for the church to lose sight of its mission. Jesus is telling the church “Therefore Go and make disciples.” You can do it because my power and authority are there to support you.
The church does not rely on its own power and wisdom to make disciples. It exists because the power of Jesus spoke it to exist, and the authority of Jesus causes it to continue to exist. So, the Christian church on earth might appear to be waning in its influence, but it is not losing the battle for survival. The church will never disappear, because when we gather as the church, we have the backing and authority of the King of Kings. We are not a cult who invented our own doctrine and practices that change with the wind. We have the authority of the one who is seated at the right hand of God.
But what is a church supposed to do when it gathers together to carry out the purpose that Jesus gave it? – to Make disciples of all nations. That is the purpose given directly by Jesus to His disciples. And a disciple in the church is a learner, who follows Jesus - someone who trusts Jesus words and then lives according to them. In short, a disciple is someone who has faith.
The purpose of the Christian church on earth is not to make followers of the culture, it is to make disciples of Jesus. The how is by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And so when the church gathers, it should be gathering around baptizing and teaching – Word and Sacrament. In other words, the church gathers around the Gospel.
And here is the good news. God’s word tells you He is not counting your sins against you because Jesus was punished in your place. Your sins are forgiven. And death is not final because Jesus died in your place and rose again. All so through Baptism your body will have a resurrection and be rewarded eternal life because of the perfect life Jesus lived.
That’s the good news! Whether it is baptism given to you with the water combined with Gods command or the good news is given to you in the spoken word. That good news delivers what it proclaims. And it makes disciples. Because the power Jesus has given those things is the power to create faith. What a wonderful blessing the Christian church on earth is, because it delivers to you the forgiveness of sins, makes you a disciple, and secures for you a resurrection and eternal life.
And because the Holy Christian church is such a blessing, what a blessing this congregation is. Because it is the place where the Holy Spirit delivers it to you. Martin Luther summed it up this way: “In this Christian Church, He daily and fully forgives all my sins and those of all believers.” We come here stained, tainted, broken, and flawed. But it is also here that God washes us clean and renews us. That is why the church exists and He wants to give you a promise too. “Surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.” That is more than a promise, it is a fact.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives a special authority to His church. He gives her the authority to place the very name of the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit onto those whom He saves. This is Baptism. Just as a bride receives the name of her husband in marriage, so also the Christian receives the name of their savior in Baptism. Through Baptism, we receive the Holy Spirit who works forgiveness, life, and salvation in us.
Along with Holy Baptism, Jesus instructs the church to carry on the revelation of God by teaching ALL that Jesus has given it to teach. True disciples of Jesus will have a hunger to learn more and more about Him. Therefore, they will have a hunger for God’s Word. Jesus instructs the church to satisfy this hunger by teaching ALL that He has given in His Word. He wishes to bless His disciples with a lifetime of revealing the true character of the one true God, Father … Son … and Holy Spirit. Amen
ATHANASIAN CREED
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Athanasian Creed
Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.
C Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.
P And the catholic faith is this,
C that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.
P For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another.
C But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
P Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit:
C the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated;
P the Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite;
C the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.
P And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal,
C just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
P In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty;
C and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
P So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God;
C and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
P So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord;
C and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
P Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
C The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone.
P The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone.
C The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
P Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
C And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another;
P but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal, so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
C Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.
P But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
C Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.
P He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age:
C perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh;
P equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
C Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ:
P one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God;
C one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
P For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ,
C who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead,
P ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
C At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds.
P And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
C This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … Lord, in your mercy
C hear our prayer.
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor
and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Glory Be to God the Father” LSB 506
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Athanasian Creed
Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.
C Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.
P And the catholic faith is this,
C that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.
P For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another.
C But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
P Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit:
C the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated;
P the Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite;
C the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal.
P And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal,
C just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
P In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty;
C and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
P So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God;
C and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
P So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord;
C and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
P Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
C The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone.
P The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone.
C The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten, but proceeding.
P Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
C And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another;
P but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal, so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
C Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.
P But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
C Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.
P He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age:
C perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh;
P equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
C Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ:
P one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh, but by the assumption of the humanity into God;
C one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
P For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ,
C who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead,
P ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
C At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds.
P And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
C This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … Lord, in your mercy
C hear our prayer.
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor
and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Glory Be to God the Father” LSB 506
Acknowledgments Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book. Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
Sunday 5/31/20
The Day of Pentecost
May 31, 2020
8:15 am & 10:30 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantors: David and Marilyn Howard
May 31, 2020
8:15 am & 10:30 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Julie Peterson
Cantors: David and Marilyn Howard
Prelude: We Pray Now to the Holy Spirit by D. Buxtehude
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” LSB 657
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Introit – “Come Holy Ghost”
Kyrie
P In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C Lord, have mercy.
P For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the
Lord.
C Lord, have mercy.
P Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C Amen.
Salutation and Collect
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray, O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of your Holy Spirit, Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Readings
The First Reading: Numbers 11:24-30
So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: Acts 2:1-21
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Gradual: “Teach Us to Know”
The Holy Gospel: John 7:37-39
P: The Holy Gospel, according to St. John, the seventh chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
John 7:37-39
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
P: This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Children’s Message
Hymn Of The Day “Holy Spirit, Light Divine” LSB # 496
Sermon: An Invitation You Shouldn’t Refuse
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It has sure been hot hasn’t it. I am glad for a cooler day today. When it is as hot as it has been, I don’t know about you, but I sure get thirsty. Have you ever been so thirsty your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth? I know I am not the only one. How refreshing would a cold glass of ice water taste on a hot day. We’ve all had a similar experience, haven’t we? The feeling of thirst is not your imagination. God has given us a sense of physical thirst to let us know when our bodies need water because water is one of those necessities for human life.
Today John tells us Jesus is going to be making it known to the crowd that, just as water is necessary for physical life, in the same way He and His words provide what is necessary for spiritual life.
It’s the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). It was a very solemn day. The priests would march around the altar chanting. They and the people would go in procession and draw water from the pool of Siloam and place it in a gold pitcher. During the procession the people recited Isaiah 12:3: “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” When they returned, the priest would pour out the water at the side of the altar in the temple, symbolizing the event in Exodus where God caused the water to gush forth from the rock when Moses struck it with his staff, and the people’s thirst was satisfied.
That ceremony was not given to Moses in the Law, nor was it commanded by God. It was added later by the religious leaders and led people’s attention away from the real meaning of the feast. The drawing of the water could not satisfy the spiritual thirst of these people. Only God could satisfy their deepest needs.
Picture the scene. Thousands of worshipers were inside the temple at that moment. Probably would have been a lot less with social distancing. With all of those people gathered together Jesus shouts an invitation, as loudly as He can, to everyone within ear-shot of His voice, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” (Did that get your attention?) His calling out like that must have surprised those around Him. And many must have considered His outburst to be a rude interruption of such a solemn ceremony. When people want to be heard above others, don’t they speak louder in order to be heard? Maybe a hush then fell over the crowd. As you know, when speaking up in a crowd like that, once you get the groups attention you have to hold it. Any way you look at it, Jesus definitely got their attention.
What Jesus does next is relate what He says to the ceremony they are celebrating. He said, “If anyone is thirsts.” The Greek word used is “dipsos,” which expresses a passionate longing for something you can’t live without and in the hot region of Palestine, the people definitely knew the meaning of physical thirst. But Jesus isn’t talking about physical thirst – He is talking about a spiritual thirst. And His invitation is offered to all in need of salvation. He’s reminding them of the Father’s promise in Isaiah 55:1, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; …” Maybe also the prayer of King David in Psalm 63: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Jesus holds their attention and then extends the invitation for spiritual water to them when He says, “let him come to me and drink.”
And just so we're sure this is spiritual water, John tell us, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39)
What Jesus was saying to those gathered at the feast was, “You know that rock that gushed water in the desert to renew dehydrated Israel? That rock was Me. I am the rock.” The rock in the desert was a foreshadowing of an even greater renewal that God would supply His people. Just as He provided water for His thirsty people in the desert, now He was going to provide the Holy Spirit for His thirsty people in this world who can become so spiritually dehydrated.
This is no refreshing glass of plain water. It is the Living Water that Christ Jesus gives and it is yours. In this water Jesus washes you clean and makes you whole, He washes away your thirst for the temporary things of this life and He both gives to and promises you eternal life guaranteed in Him.
It was on the day of Pentecost that we celebrate today, that the 'true rock' gushed forth with the Holy Spirit, Who satisfies our spiritual thirst and renews all who will drink of Him. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was 'poured out' on the disciples, just as Jesus had promised. They were covered with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and everyone who was present heard it preached in their own language. And they were refreshed and renewed.
And, in addition to being spiritually refreshed themselves, “rivers of living water also flowed out of their hearts.” Each one returned home, pouring out on others what they had seen and heard in Jerusalem, just as the prophet Zechariah had foretold.
Today, the 'river of living water' that flows from Christ, flows all the way to you and me. And today, the same Holy Spirit poured out on the disciples brings us the 'Living Water' that renews and refreshes our thirsty souls. And we drink in the precious gospel, fully receiving the gift Jesus Christ has given us as He atoned for all of our sins by His precious blood, shed for you on the cross.
We all suffer from thirst. God made us to have not only a physical thirst, but also a spiritual thirst. And the same Holy Spirit that brings Jesus to you through the hearing of His gospel, brings you to Jesus by giving you the gift of faith.
As that faith is nurtured and grows, the gospel becomes a constant and abundant supply of blessing for Jesus’ disciples and for the world around them. John tells us how an amazing transformation is going to happen. It was the Holy Spirit who was going to empower and transform lives.
But this was something new. Each believer in Jesus Christ would receive the Holy Spirit when he or she comes to faith. This is not an easy concept to grasp. How is the Spirit of God going to accomplish this amazing feat in the lives of believers?
Speaking to a large audience, Evangelist D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked: How can I get the air out of this glass?” One man shouted, “Suck it out with a pump!” Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and break the glass.” After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There”, he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by “sucking the sins out of our lives” but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
I’m sure Jesus’ disciples were wondering when this transformation was going to occur. Therefore, John ends the verse by saying, “for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” As the apostle John writes this Gospel, he’s looking in the past, and now he understands those words of Jesus concerning His own glorification and the gift of the Holy Spirit that we celebrate today on this day of Pentecost.
The Spirit had not yet been given to all believers because Christ had not yet been glorified. When we think of the word “glorified,” we tend to think of something that happens in heaven, or that happened to Christ at His resurrection and ascension. However, the Bible teaches that Jesus was also glorified in His death. When He was arrested, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified” (John. 12:23; 13:31). After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, the Holy Spirit would be sent, and the lives of Jesus’ followers would be changed forever.
I think you can see what I’m getting at. This is no ordinary invitation we get today. It is the invitation of God. When God graciously calls and invites a person, He draws them to Himself with His own strength and ability. It’s a good thing too, because it is the sick who need a Doctor, the poor who need help, the broken who need fixing, the unable to be cared for. That is our God. He is a God who comes to the needy, the thirsty and draws them to Himself.
Jesus is reminding us not to be spiritually dehydrated. He is the source of living water – spiritual water that will quench us for a lifetime. What a day to be quenched, as many of us come back to worship together in God’s house to drink of the refreshing waters of God’s word and sacrament. This water was first poured into your heart by Christ Jesus. Him crucified is the source of this Living Water. May you be satisfied knowing He is the source of living water for you. Amen.
It has sure been hot hasn’t it. I am glad for a cooler day today. When it is as hot as it has been, I don’t know about you, but I sure get thirsty. Have you ever been so thirsty your tongue sticks to the roof of your mouth? I know I am not the only one. How refreshing would a cold glass of ice water taste on a hot day. We’ve all had a similar experience, haven’t we? The feeling of thirst is not your imagination. God has given us a sense of physical thirst to let us know when our bodies need water because water is one of those necessities for human life.
Today John tells us Jesus is going to be making it known to the crowd that, just as water is necessary for physical life, in the same way He and His words provide what is necessary for spiritual life.
It’s the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths). It was a very solemn day. The priests would march around the altar chanting. They and the people would go in procession and draw water from the pool of Siloam and place it in a gold pitcher. During the procession the people recited Isaiah 12:3: “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” When they returned, the priest would pour out the water at the side of the altar in the temple, symbolizing the event in Exodus where God caused the water to gush forth from the rock when Moses struck it with his staff, and the people’s thirst was satisfied.
That ceremony was not given to Moses in the Law, nor was it commanded by God. It was added later by the religious leaders and led people’s attention away from the real meaning of the feast. The drawing of the water could not satisfy the spiritual thirst of these people. Only God could satisfy their deepest needs.
Picture the scene. Thousands of worshipers were inside the temple at that moment. Probably would have been a lot less with social distancing. With all of those people gathered together Jesus shouts an invitation, as loudly as He can, to everyone within ear-shot of His voice, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” (Did that get your attention?) His calling out like that must have surprised those around Him. And many must have considered His outburst to be a rude interruption of such a solemn ceremony. When people want to be heard above others, don’t they speak louder in order to be heard? Maybe a hush then fell over the crowd. As you know, when speaking up in a crowd like that, once you get the groups attention you have to hold it. Any way you look at it, Jesus definitely got their attention.
What Jesus does next is relate what He says to the ceremony they are celebrating. He said, “If anyone is thirsts.” The Greek word used is “dipsos,” which expresses a passionate longing for something you can’t live without and in the hot region of Palestine, the people definitely knew the meaning of physical thirst. But Jesus isn’t talking about physical thirst – He is talking about a spiritual thirst. And His invitation is offered to all in need of salvation. He’s reminding them of the Father’s promise in Isaiah 55:1, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; …” Maybe also the prayer of King David in Psalm 63: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Jesus holds their attention and then extends the invitation for spiritual water to them when He says, “let him come to me and drink.”
And just so we're sure this is spiritual water, John tell us, “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39)
What Jesus was saying to those gathered at the feast was, “You know that rock that gushed water in the desert to renew dehydrated Israel? That rock was Me. I am the rock.” The rock in the desert was a foreshadowing of an even greater renewal that God would supply His people. Just as He provided water for His thirsty people in the desert, now He was going to provide the Holy Spirit for His thirsty people in this world who can become so spiritually dehydrated.
This is no refreshing glass of plain water. It is the Living Water that Christ Jesus gives and it is yours. In this water Jesus washes you clean and makes you whole, He washes away your thirst for the temporary things of this life and He both gives to and promises you eternal life guaranteed in Him.
It was on the day of Pentecost that we celebrate today, that the 'true rock' gushed forth with the Holy Spirit, Who satisfies our spiritual thirst and renews all who will drink of Him. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was 'poured out' on the disciples, just as Jesus had promised. They were covered with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and everyone who was present heard it preached in their own language. And they were refreshed and renewed.
And, in addition to being spiritually refreshed themselves, “rivers of living water also flowed out of their hearts.” Each one returned home, pouring out on others what they had seen and heard in Jerusalem, just as the prophet Zechariah had foretold.
Today, the 'river of living water' that flows from Christ, flows all the way to you and me. And today, the same Holy Spirit poured out on the disciples brings us the 'Living Water' that renews and refreshes our thirsty souls. And we drink in the precious gospel, fully receiving the gift Jesus Christ has given us as He atoned for all of our sins by His precious blood, shed for you on the cross.
We all suffer from thirst. God made us to have not only a physical thirst, but also a spiritual thirst. And the same Holy Spirit that brings Jesus to you through the hearing of His gospel, brings you to Jesus by giving you the gift of faith.
As that faith is nurtured and grows, the gospel becomes a constant and abundant supply of blessing for Jesus’ disciples and for the world around them. John tells us how an amazing transformation is going to happen. It was the Holy Spirit who was going to empower and transform lives.
But this was something new. Each believer in Jesus Christ would receive the Holy Spirit when he or she comes to faith. This is not an easy concept to grasp. How is the Spirit of God going to accomplish this amazing feat in the lives of believers?
Speaking to a large audience, Evangelist D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked: How can I get the air out of this glass?” One man shouted, “Suck it out with a pump!” Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and break the glass.” After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There”, he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by “sucking the sins out of our lives” but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
I’m sure Jesus’ disciples were wondering when this transformation was going to occur. Therefore, John ends the verse by saying, “for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” As the apostle John writes this Gospel, he’s looking in the past, and now he understands those words of Jesus concerning His own glorification and the gift of the Holy Spirit that we celebrate today on this day of Pentecost.
The Spirit had not yet been given to all believers because Christ had not yet been glorified. When we think of the word “glorified,” we tend to think of something that happens in heaven, or that happened to Christ at His resurrection and ascension. However, the Bible teaches that Jesus was also glorified in His death. When He was arrested, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of man glorified” (John. 12:23; 13:31). After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, the Holy Spirit would be sent, and the lives of Jesus’ followers would be changed forever.
I think you can see what I’m getting at. This is no ordinary invitation we get today. It is the invitation of God. When God graciously calls and invites a person, He draws them to Himself with His own strength and ability. It’s a good thing too, because it is the sick who need a Doctor, the poor who need help, the broken who need fixing, the unable to be cared for. That is our God. He is a God who comes to the needy, the thirsty and draws them to Himself.
Jesus is reminding us not to be spiritually dehydrated. He is the source of living water – spiritual water that will quench us for a lifetime. What a day to be quenched, as many of us come back to worship together in God’s house to drink of the refreshing waters of God’s word and sacrament. This water was first poured into your heart by Christ Jesus. Him crucified is the source of this Living Water. May you be satisfied knowing He is the source of living water for you. Amen.
Nicene Creed
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things
visible and invisible...
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father
before all worlds,…
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance
with the Father,
by whom all things were made…
Who for us men
and for our salvation
came down from heaven
and was incarnate
by the Holy Spirit
of the virgin Mary
and was made man…
And was crucified also for us
under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again
according to the Scriptures…
And ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand
of the Father.
And He will come again with glory
to judge both the living
and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end…
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father
and the Son,
who with the Father
and the Son together
is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets…
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism
for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection
of the dead,
and the life ♰ of the world to come. Amen.
Prayers Of The Church
P …Lord in your mercy
C Hear our prayer
Offering/Voluntary
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C: 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn – “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer” LSB #918
Sunday 5/24/20
The Seventh Sunday Of Easter
May 24, 2020
9:00am Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Phone: 209-522-8890
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Jerry Thomason
Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
www.gracemodesto.org
May 24, 2020
9:00am Service
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto, CA 95350
Phone: 209-522-8890
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Jerry Thomason
Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
www.gracemodesto.org
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE SETTING IV
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “Christ the Eternal Lord” [LSB#829] vrs 1, 3, 5
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and
praise, and gather in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [LSB page 203]
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake
forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by
His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 100:1-5; Antiphon Psalm 101:1
P I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son
And to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
Is now, and forever will be. Amen
I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
KYRIE
HYMN OF PRAISE – “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” [LSB #821] Vrs 1 & 2
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of Truth whom you promised from the Father; For You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST READING: Acts 1: 12-26
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. … Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Christ has been raised from the dead, Alleluia, Alleluia
THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 17: 1-11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY: “Be Still, My Soul, before the Lord” [LSB #771]
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE SETTING IV
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “Christ the Eternal Lord” [LSB#829] vrs 1, 3, 5
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and
praise, and gather in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [LSB page 203]
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake
forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by
His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 100:1-5; Antiphon Psalm 101:1
P I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son
And to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
Is now, and forever will be. Amen
I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O Lord, I will make music.
KYRIE
HYMN OF PRAISE – “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” [LSB #821] Vrs 1 & 2
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of Truth whom you promised from the Father; For You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST READING: Acts 1: 12-26
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: 1 Peter 4:12-19; 5:6-11
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. … Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Christ has been raised from the dead, Alleluia, Alleluia
THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 17: 1-11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY: “Be Still, My Soul, before the Lord” [LSB #771]
Sermon: Jesus Prays For You
John 17:1-11 Grace Lutheran Church 5/24/2020
Jesus Prays For Us
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
In my prior vocation I tried as best I could to wear my faith on my sleeve. And I will tell you when you try to live out Christian values, people take notice – both believers and unbelievers. It was not uncommon for people to come to my office and ask to talk. One time I had a man I worked with come into my office to talk. What he told me was he had just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and his prognosis wasn’t good.
He told me how he was struggling with his faith and his confidence in God and the hope he had for things to come. What he really wanted was the assurance that God was still in charge and with him through this entire ordeal.
I asked if he would mind if I prayed with him – keeping in mind the whole separation of church and state perceptions. He told me that was why he came to see me because he knew I was a Christian and would. We spent a little time in prayer, and when he left, he thanked me because it gave him the comfort someone is praying for him.
As you thumb through the Gospels, one thing you can’t help but notice is that Jesus prayed a lot. In fact, His disciples, seeing John the Baptist was teaching his disciples to pray, asked Him to teach them as well. Most of His prayers were private, but in the Bible God lets us listen in on some of them. In Acts we read, [the apostles] “were all of one accord devoting themselves to prayer together with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his Brothers.” Praying is important.
We’ve heard Jesus’ pleas in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his arrest. We heard his prayer at the Cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”Jesus prayed in the upper room, telling strong-willed Peter, “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” just hours before his shameful denial and sin against Him.
In our lesson today, the Holy Spirit reveals a prayer we know of as Jesus’ high priestly prayer, a prayer originating in our Savior’s innermost heart before facing his horrific suffering, and death on the cross for our sins. Soon he would lay down his life for the sins of the world, rise again and ascend back to heaven, where he would reclaim the glory he had left behind to accomplish His saving work. Soon his earthly mission would be over, but theirs was just beginning.
However, that evening Jesus wasn’t just praying for those disciples present with Him, He was also praying for everyone down through the ages, including you and me, who would hear the disciples’ message and believe in Him. As each of us lives the life God has given us as His disciples today, we need to remember that Jesus prays for us!
He prays that we may truly know him. He prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You." Jesus loves us so much more than we realize. He cares whether we go to heaven or hell. He made a promise to save us from our sins. He would do whatever it took to rescue us from the judgment that our sins deserve. As we discussed last week, Jesus keeps His promise - even though many struggle to believe it. But He didn’t go to the cross just to prove He could or get accolades from his Father. Jesus did it because it would bring glory or make His Father the most important thing this world has ever known.
And what glorified His Father more than anything else is that your sins would be forgiven by His unmerited grace. That is something no one else in all the universe could ever do. And then to have you believe it – to have God make you His child and an heir of heaven – was all Jesus wanted.
In this world we take great pride in our educational system and we pay dearly for it. College students learn that when they begin paying on their student loans. But as valuable as an education is in this world, it is only for a little while. Everything we need to know for eternity can only be learned from God's Word. “This is eternal life” Jesus said, “that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
He wasn’t praying about buildings or programs or styles of worship or a wish list. He prayed about hearts and faith. He prayed that we would know him better and grow in relationship with Him through His Word, and how eternal life is ours because of Him!
So if the top of Jesus’ prayer list was a prayer for us to grow in His Word, that tells us what our top priority must be, too. We need to know that Jesus' Father is our Father. We need to know that Jesus is the only way to the Father. We need to know that we are believers in Jesus only because the Father gave us to Jesus. If Jesus’ first disciples, who lived with him, ate with Him, listened to him, talked to him, and watched everything he did – if they needed to know Him more and more through His Word, how much do we need it? With all the distractions and all the temptations and all the selfishness that pull us away from hearing and learning God’s Word, our most important prayer is, "Jesus, may we may truly know You!"
He prays that we may always be safe. When I worked in Colorado Springs Colorado at the Police Department, we started an air support helicopter unit. Occasionally we would fly into schools and talk to the children about the helicopter and how the Police Department used it. I would occasionally ride as the observer. When we would land, I would jump out real quick to hold the children back until the blades stopped turning, because we wanted to keep them safe from danger.
Jesus knew He was sending His disciples out into a dangerous world to carry on the mission He had spent three years training them to do. However, they could not see how great the danger would be for their faith. And there wasn't a power on earth that could keep them safe. Peter reminds us to: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith knowing the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brethren throughout the world.”
Right now, the world is a terribly dangerous and hostile place for anyone who believes in Jesus. We really struggle with being overrun by the devil's temptations. Even though we believe in Jesus, we still have our sinful nature to contend with, and left to ourselves, we would quickly and certainly give up on Jesus and give in to the devil - something we should all be aware of at this time. Peter found that out when he stepped out on his own and put his faith in terrible danger. Judas left the safety of Jesus’ protection completely and ended up losing his faith forever.
Jesus prayed, "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world and I am coming to you." Jesus was going to prepare a place for us and He has every intention of bringing us to be with Him in heaven when it is our time to leave this world. As we follow Jesus we’ll live for him, we’ll love one another, we’ll worship and praise him, we’ll talk about him to others. It may be a neighbor, a classmate, a friend at work, or even our own children. This is how Jesus keeps bringing glory to himself and to the Father. He does it through us!
And that’s why we need His protection. Jesus stepped into our world with full authority as God to halt the devil’s power so our faith can survive in this world. This is why He continued: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name." Scripture is the only place shows how we are shielded from the attitudes, suggestions, and advice of the world. Because we have the Holy Spirit, whose coming we will celebrate next week and who makes God’s word come alive for us, Jesus is confident to leave us here until he brings us safely home.
He knows what the future holds for each of us. He knows the troubles we face in the world and He wants us to be assured He has overcome the world. Trust in Him to know what is best for you. Stay safe and close to him by continuing to hear and learn His Word and receive His sacraments. Then His mission can be summed up in what Paul writes to the Colossians: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) And know that Jesus is always, always praying for you! Amen.
Jesus Prays For Us
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
In my prior vocation I tried as best I could to wear my faith on my sleeve. And I will tell you when you try to live out Christian values, people take notice – both believers and unbelievers. It was not uncommon for people to come to my office and ask to talk. One time I had a man I worked with come into my office to talk. What he told me was he had just been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and his prognosis wasn’t good.
He told me how he was struggling with his faith and his confidence in God and the hope he had for things to come. What he really wanted was the assurance that God was still in charge and with him through this entire ordeal.
I asked if he would mind if I prayed with him – keeping in mind the whole separation of church and state perceptions. He told me that was why he came to see me because he knew I was a Christian and would. We spent a little time in prayer, and when he left, he thanked me because it gave him the comfort someone is praying for him.
As you thumb through the Gospels, one thing you can’t help but notice is that Jesus prayed a lot. In fact, His disciples, seeing John the Baptist was teaching his disciples to pray, asked Him to teach them as well. Most of His prayers were private, but in the Bible God lets us listen in on some of them. In Acts we read, [the apostles] “were all of one accord devoting themselves to prayer together with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his Brothers.” Praying is important.
We’ve heard Jesus’ pleas in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his arrest. We heard his prayer at the Cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”Jesus prayed in the upper room, telling strong-willed Peter, “I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail” just hours before his shameful denial and sin against Him.
In our lesson today, the Holy Spirit reveals a prayer we know of as Jesus’ high priestly prayer, a prayer originating in our Savior’s innermost heart before facing his horrific suffering, and death on the cross for our sins. Soon he would lay down his life for the sins of the world, rise again and ascend back to heaven, where he would reclaim the glory he had left behind to accomplish His saving work. Soon his earthly mission would be over, but theirs was just beginning.
However, that evening Jesus wasn’t just praying for those disciples present with Him, He was also praying for everyone down through the ages, including you and me, who would hear the disciples’ message and believe in Him. As each of us lives the life God has given us as His disciples today, we need to remember that Jesus prays for us!
He prays that we may truly know him. He prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You." Jesus loves us so much more than we realize. He cares whether we go to heaven or hell. He made a promise to save us from our sins. He would do whatever it took to rescue us from the judgment that our sins deserve. As we discussed last week, Jesus keeps His promise - even though many struggle to believe it. But He didn’t go to the cross just to prove He could or get accolades from his Father. Jesus did it because it would bring glory or make His Father the most important thing this world has ever known.
And what glorified His Father more than anything else is that your sins would be forgiven by His unmerited grace. That is something no one else in all the universe could ever do. And then to have you believe it – to have God make you His child and an heir of heaven – was all Jesus wanted.
In this world we take great pride in our educational system and we pay dearly for it. College students learn that when they begin paying on their student loans. But as valuable as an education is in this world, it is only for a little while. Everything we need to know for eternity can only be learned from God's Word. “This is eternal life” Jesus said, “that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
He wasn’t praying about buildings or programs or styles of worship or a wish list. He prayed about hearts and faith. He prayed that we would know him better and grow in relationship with Him through His Word, and how eternal life is ours because of Him!
So if the top of Jesus’ prayer list was a prayer for us to grow in His Word, that tells us what our top priority must be, too. We need to know that Jesus' Father is our Father. We need to know that Jesus is the only way to the Father. We need to know that we are believers in Jesus only because the Father gave us to Jesus. If Jesus’ first disciples, who lived with him, ate with Him, listened to him, talked to him, and watched everything he did – if they needed to know Him more and more through His Word, how much do we need it? With all the distractions and all the temptations and all the selfishness that pull us away from hearing and learning God’s Word, our most important prayer is, "Jesus, may we may truly know You!"
He prays that we may always be safe. When I worked in Colorado Springs Colorado at the Police Department, we started an air support helicopter unit. Occasionally we would fly into schools and talk to the children about the helicopter and how the Police Department used it. I would occasionally ride as the observer. When we would land, I would jump out real quick to hold the children back until the blades stopped turning, because we wanted to keep them safe from danger.
Jesus knew He was sending His disciples out into a dangerous world to carry on the mission He had spent three years training them to do. However, they could not see how great the danger would be for their faith. And there wasn't a power on earth that could keep them safe. Peter reminds us to: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith knowing the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brethren throughout the world.”
Right now, the world is a terribly dangerous and hostile place for anyone who believes in Jesus. We really struggle with being overrun by the devil's temptations. Even though we believe in Jesus, we still have our sinful nature to contend with, and left to ourselves, we would quickly and certainly give up on Jesus and give in to the devil - something we should all be aware of at this time. Peter found that out when he stepped out on his own and put his faith in terrible danger. Judas left the safety of Jesus’ protection completely and ended up losing his faith forever.
Jesus prayed, "I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world and I am coming to you." Jesus was going to prepare a place for us and He has every intention of bringing us to be with Him in heaven when it is our time to leave this world. As we follow Jesus we’ll live for him, we’ll love one another, we’ll worship and praise him, we’ll talk about him to others. It may be a neighbor, a classmate, a friend at work, or even our own children. This is how Jesus keeps bringing glory to himself and to the Father. He does it through us!
And that’s why we need His protection. Jesus stepped into our world with full authority as God to halt the devil’s power so our faith can survive in this world. This is why He continued: "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Holy Father, protect them by the power of Your name." Scripture is the only place shows how we are shielded from the attitudes, suggestions, and advice of the world. Because we have the Holy Spirit, whose coming we will celebrate next week and who makes God’s word come alive for us, Jesus is confident to leave us here until he brings us safely home.
He knows what the future holds for each of us. He knows the troubles we face in the world and He wants us to be assured He has overcome the world. Trust in Him to know what is best for you. Stay safe and close to him by continuing to hear and learn His Word and receive His sacraments. Then His mission can be summed up in what Paul writes to the Colossians: “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) And know that Jesus is always, always praying for you! Amen.
APOSTLES CREED
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
OFFERING / VOLUNTARY
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng” [LSB #813] verses 1 & 7
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
OFFERING / VOLUNTARY
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Rejoice, O Pilgrim Throng” [LSB #813] verses 1 & 7
Sunday 5/17/20
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 17, 2020
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890
www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Rick Marks
Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
May 17, 2020
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 617 W. Orangeburg Ave, Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890
www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Rick Marks
Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
PRELUDE: in G by J. Kindermann
THE WELCOME
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE Setting III
OPENING HYMN: Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord [LSB#497]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross X may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT: PSALM 119:89-93, Antiphon Psalm 119:105
P Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Forever, O Lord, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
By your appointment they stand this day,
for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
HYMN OF PRAISE: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise [LSB # 802 vs 1]
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray. O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Acts 17:16-31
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND LESSON: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL: Christ has been risen from the dead! Hallelujah!
THE HOLY GOSPEL: JOHN 14:15-21
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 14th Chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY: Great Is Thy Faithfulness [LSB #809 vs 1, 3]
THE WELCOME
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE Setting III
OPENING HYMN: Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord [LSB#497]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross X may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT: PSALM 119:89-93, Antiphon Psalm 119:105
P Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Forever, O Lord, your word
is firmly fixed in the heavens.
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
you have established the earth, and it stands fast.
By your appointment they stand this day,
for all things are your servants.
If your law had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.
HYMN OF PRAISE: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise [LSB # 802 vs 1]
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray. O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Acts 17:16-31
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND LESSON: 1 Peter 3:13-22
Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
GRADUAL: Christ has been risen from the dead! Hallelujah!
THE HOLY GOSPEL: JOHN 14:15-21
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 14th Chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY: Great Is Thy Faithfulness [LSB #809 vs 1, 3]
Sermon: Yes, You Can
John 14:15-21 Grace Lutheran Church 2/17/2020
Yes You Can
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
You can always tell which children are attending preschool for the first time. They’re usually the ones howling at the top of their lungs, looking like a poster child for abandoned children, with big crocodile tears running down their cheeks, along with the trade- mark quivering lower lip and runny nose. I call this the season of weeping and gnashing of teeth. They have such a sad look of abandonment on their face that cries out: “I want my mommy or daddy.”
Mom or Dad have already tried to convince them that they were coming back to pick them up, but that didn’t matter. All they know is that their parents are gone and they’ve been left alone with strangers. The two people they counted on most in the world to be there for them seemed to have abandoned them! How can they go on without them?
But that feeling is not limited to preschoolers on their first day at school. Those who observe our culture note that there is a growing sense of isolation and loneliness among us, especially now. In the midst of the Covid 19 epidemic, loneliness is fast becoming another quiet epidemic. How can we go on feeling disconnected, isolated, and abandoned?
God declared in Genesis, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We were created social creatures. And we affirm that truth with our own behavior. Teens can’t keep their eyes and attention off of their cell phone to see who has texted them. We rush to get our mail, check to see who’s e-mailed us or updated their Facebook page. We drop everything when the phone rings to answer it.
The words of our Gospel this morning are the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in the upper room on the night He was betrayed. He told His disciples the hour was approaching when He would be taken from them and that they would no longer be able to see or touch Him. Understandably they were disheartened, frightened and sad.
A group of disciples gather around their Lord listening to Him as He describes His imminent suffering and death, and He prepares them for when He will be gone from their presence. Their Master, the One they had counted for three years, was going away. What would happen to them? How would they or the Church survive? They are filled with fear and anxiety at the thought of his death, and the threat to their own lives. But most of all they are afraid of a future without Jesus being right there with them to guide them, to give them counsel, to empower them in their mission, and of course to settle their disputes.
The disciples, are in effect, saying, “We don’t think we can do this on our own. We are afraid. We’re not ready for you to leave us.” And Jesus, who knows their hearts and their future is trying to encourage them, “Yes, you can do this. You are ready. You just don’t know it.”
Jesus tells them, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments, I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, to be with you forever.” Until that moment Jesus had been their Comforter. Yet He was about to die, rise from the dead, and then leave them, ascending to sit at the right hand of the Father. Still, His promise was that they would never be alone. The Father would send another Comforter, One who would comfort them with the same comfort as Jesus Himself. He would cause them to remember all that Jesus had said and done. He would lead and guide them into all truth. He would take what belongs to Jesus and make it known to the disciples. He would be with them forever, and nothing, not even death, would be able to separate them from Him.
Love as, Jesus describes it, is an action, not a feeling. It’s an act of the will, not a state of being. Love is action offered toward another. But the truth is that we have nothing but sin and death to offer Christ – and He willingly takes it. And in return He gives us His perfection and life. That’s the blessed exchange Jesus was going to the cross to accomplish. He died, taking our sinfulness, and exchanging it for His perfect righteousness and victory over death. That’s how Jesus creates love for Him in our hearts, when we realize His death is greater than our death and His perfect obedience is greater than our sin.
Therefore, we are not fearful of hiding anything from Him. He invites us to come to Him with all our burdens to find peace and rest. We love Christ because He first loved us and gave Himself up for us. His love for us is the cause of our love for Him.
What Jesus does today is leave a set of last instructions to His disciples, a last will and testament, if you will. He knew in just a few days He would leave the ongoing work of the Kingdom of God to these men and women, and to all of us who would come after them. And He knew they could carry on the work of His Kingdom.
We often speak about our faith in God, but could it be that we get today a view of God’s faith in us? Jesus left the future of His Church, a work for which he would give his very life, into the hands of these apostles, - face it who have been somewhat unfaithful and unable to understand Jesus’ mission up to this point. However, the disciples were well aware of their dependence on Jesus. They had already failed Him enough times when they depended on themselves, and knew He was the reason for the success of the mission to this point.
However, the thought had to linger, how could He leave them? How would they survive, apart from him? And for that matter, why couldn’t God just let Him stay with them, with us in the flesh forever?
These are the questions that would probably be on our minds if we were there on the night when Jesus spoke to His disciples. And the answer Jesus gives to these anxious disciples is something we might consider to be common sense we all know from our own life experiences.
Common sense tells us Jesus left earth and left the disciples to lead the Church because as long as He stayed with them, they would never carry on His mission on their own. They would continue to be dependent on him. What Jesus intended for them was to grow as leaders.
And when you think about it, what child would ever learn to read and write unless a parent worked to make sure they got a good education? What child would mature into a responsible adult if they didn’t learn to live life in this world? What child would grow up to function independently unless they were given the opportunity. For example, what student pilot would ever learn to fly the plane on their own if the instructor did not eventually get out of the cockpit and tell them, “You got this. It is time for you to solo.” Jesus had to leave the disciples in order to give them an opportunity to grow.
And to combat the fear they may be feeling, Jesus reminded them they weren’t alone. In order to reduce they anxiety they were feeling, the Father would give them the Spirit a “Paraclete,” meaning advocate, counselor, defender. Jesus would leave His disciples behind, but He would not leave them alone. By leaving, Jesus could actually be even more present with His Church through the Holy Spirit. And with the gift of the Spirit, Jesus could empower the disciples, then and now, with a sense of his protection and wisdom. And unlike the physical limitations of time and space His bodily presence presented, the Spirit would not be limited.
The Spirit testifies to us that we are forgiven in the death and resurrection of Jesus and all of these promises are ours now in Him. With this gift of the Spirit of Truth dwelling within us we become aware of the truth that even now Jesus is with us. So, we are not as alone and helpless as it may seem. Jesus is truly present in His Word and has not left us to fend for ourselves. As empty as the house may seem right now, as abandoned as we may feel left to our own, the Word of God is the presence of Jesus comforting us with all of His promises that even while living in somewhat isolation you are not alone.
So these promises of Jesus come with His admonition to live like those who hold securely onto His promises. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). If you love Me because of the promises that I have made to you, then live in the sure hope of those promises. Cast aside the ways of the world and keep the commandments of the One who has promised to come to you, to restore to you, to reveal to you the intimate communion that is yours through the gift of the Spirit of Truth whom He has placed within you at your baptism such as He did with Marc Kennedy this past week.
This Holy Spirit, reminds you of the promises of Jesus: your sins are forgiven in Him; He will not leave you as orphans; that He Himself is coming to you, and that: “Because [He] lives, you also will live” (John 14:19). Amen.
Yes You Can
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
You can always tell which children are attending preschool for the first time. They’re usually the ones howling at the top of their lungs, looking like a poster child for abandoned children, with big crocodile tears running down their cheeks, along with the trade- mark quivering lower lip and runny nose. I call this the season of weeping and gnashing of teeth. They have such a sad look of abandonment on their face that cries out: “I want my mommy or daddy.”
Mom or Dad have already tried to convince them that they were coming back to pick them up, but that didn’t matter. All they know is that their parents are gone and they’ve been left alone with strangers. The two people they counted on most in the world to be there for them seemed to have abandoned them! How can they go on without them?
But that feeling is not limited to preschoolers on their first day at school. Those who observe our culture note that there is a growing sense of isolation and loneliness among us, especially now. In the midst of the Covid 19 epidemic, loneliness is fast becoming another quiet epidemic. How can we go on feeling disconnected, isolated, and abandoned?
God declared in Genesis, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We were created social creatures. And we affirm that truth with our own behavior. Teens can’t keep their eyes and attention off of their cell phone to see who has texted them. We rush to get our mail, check to see who’s e-mailed us or updated their Facebook page. We drop everything when the phone rings to answer it.
The words of our Gospel this morning are the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in the upper room on the night He was betrayed. He told His disciples the hour was approaching when He would be taken from them and that they would no longer be able to see or touch Him. Understandably they were disheartened, frightened and sad.
A group of disciples gather around their Lord listening to Him as He describes His imminent suffering and death, and He prepares them for when He will be gone from their presence. Their Master, the One they had counted for three years, was going away. What would happen to them? How would they or the Church survive? They are filled with fear and anxiety at the thought of his death, and the threat to their own lives. But most of all they are afraid of a future without Jesus being right there with them to guide them, to give them counsel, to empower them in their mission, and of course to settle their disputes.
The disciples, are in effect, saying, “We don’t think we can do this on our own. We are afraid. We’re not ready for you to leave us.” And Jesus, who knows their hearts and their future is trying to encourage them, “Yes, you can do this. You are ready. You just don’t know it.”
Jesus tells them, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments, I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, to be with you forever.” Until that moment Jesus had been their Comforter. Yet He was about to die, rise from the dead, and then leave them, ascending to sit at the right hand of the Father. Still, His promise was that they would never be alone. The Father would send another Comforter, One who would comfort them with the same comfort as Jesus Himself. He would cause them to remember all that Jesus had said and done. He would lead and guide them into all truth. He would take what belongs to Jesus and make it known to the disciples. He would be with them forever, and nothing, not even death, would be able to separate them from Him.
Love as, Jesus describes it, is an action, not a feeling. It’s an act of the will, not a state of being. Love is action offered toward another. But the truth is that we have nothing but sin and death to offer Christ – and He willingly takes it. And in return He gives us His perfection and life. That’s the blessed exchange Jesus was going to the cross to accomplish. He died, taking our sinfulness, and exchanging it for His perfect righteousness and victory over death. That’s how Jesus creates love for Him in our hearts, when we realize His death is greater than our death and His perfect obedience is greater than our sin.
Therefore, we are not fearful of hiding anything from Him. He invites us to come to Him with all our burdens to find peace and rest. We love Christ because He first loved us and gave Himself up for us. His love for us is the cause of our love for Him.
What Jesus does today is leave a set of last instructions to His disciples, a last will and testament, if you will. He knew in just a few days He would leave the ongoing work of the Kingdom of God to these men and women, and to all of us who would come after them. And He knew they could carry on the work of His Kingdom.
We often speak about our faith in God, but could it be that we get today a view of God’s faith in us? Jesus left the future of His Church, a work for which he would give his very life, into the hands of these apostles, - face it who have been somewhat unfaithful and unable to understand Jesus’ mission up to this point. However, the disciples were well aware of their dependence on Jesus. They had already failed Him enough times when they depended on themselves, and knew He was the reason for the success of the mission to this point.
However, the thought had to linger, how could He leave them? How would they survive, apart from him? And for that matter, why couldn’t God just let Him stay with them, with us in the flesh forever?
These are the questions that would probably be on our minds if we were there on the night when Jesus spoke to His disciples. And the answer Jesus gives to these anxious disciples is something we might consider to be common sense we all know from our own life experiences.
Common sense tells us Jesus left earth and left the disciples to lead the Church because as long as He stayed with them, they would never carry on His mission on their own. They would continue to be dependent on him. What Jesus intended for them was to grow as leaders.
And when you think about it, what child would ever learn to read and write unless a parent worked to make sure they got a good education? What child would mature into a responsible adult if they didn’t learn to live life in this world? What child would grow up to function independently unless they were given the opportunity. For example, what student pilot would ever learn to fly the plane on their own if the instructor did not eventually get out of the cockpit and tell them, “You got this. It is time for you to solo.” Jesus had to leave the disciples in order to give them an opportunity to grow.
And to combat the fear they may be feeling, Jesus reminded them they weren’t alone. In order to reduce they anxiety they were feeling, the Father would give them the Spirit a “Paraclete,” meaning advocate, counselor, defender. Jesus would leave His disciples behind, but He would not leave them alone. By leaving, Jesus could actually be even more present with His Church through the Holy Spirit. And with the gift of the Spirit, Jesus could empower the disciples, then and now, with a sense of his protection and wisdom. And unlike the physical limitations of time and space His bodily presence presented, the Spirit would not be limited.
The Spirit testifies to us that we are forgiven in the death and resurrection of Jesus and all of these promises are ours now in Him. With this gift of the Spirit of Truth dwelling within us we become aware of the truth that even now Jesus is with us. So, we are not as alone and helpless as it may seem. Jesus is truly present in His Word and has not left us to fend for ourselves. As empty as the house may seem right now, as abandoned as we may feel left to our own, the Word of God is the presence of Jesus comforting us with all of His promises that even while living in somewhat isolation you are not alone.
So these promises of Jesus come with His admonition to live like those who hold securely onto His promises. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). If you love Me because of the promises that I have made to you, then live in the sure hope of those promises. Cast aside the ways of the world and keep the commandments of the One who has promised to come to you, to restore to you, to reveal to you the intimate communion that is yours through the gift of the Spirit of Truth whom He has placed within you at your baptism such as He did with Marc Kennedy this past week.
This Holy Spirit, reminds you of the promises of Jesus: your sins are forgiven in Him; He will not leave you as orphans; that He Himself is coming to you, and that: “Because [He] lives, you also will live” (John 14:19). Amen.
APOSTLES CREED
P Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING: Verso by D. Zipoli
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
P Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
C 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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing [LSB #493 vs1, 4, 6]
P Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING: Verso by D. Zipoli
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
P Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
C 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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: A Hymn of Glory Let Us Sing [LSB #493 vs1, 4, 6]
Sunday 5/10/20
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2020
9:00 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Jerry Thomason
Music Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
Bell Choir Director: Marilyn Howard
Cantor: David Howard
May 10, 2020
9:00 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Jerry Thomason
Music Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
Bell Choir Director: Marilyn Howard
Cantor: David Howard
Prelude: Harpsichord
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “The Church’s One Foundation” LSB 644
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Introit – Psalm 146 vs 2 Antipon 146:1 Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
Kyrie
C: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the
Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.
Hymn of Praise “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” LSB #790 vs. 1, 5
Salutation and Collect
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray, O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Readings
The First Reading: Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me… “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: I Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Gradual: Sung by David & Marilyn Howard
The Holy Gospel: John 14:1-14
P: The Holy Gospel, according to St. John, the fourteenth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
P: This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Children’s Message
Hymn Of The Day “You Are the Way; through You Alone” LSB # 526
Welcome
Opening Hymn: “The Church’s One Foundation” LSB 644
Invocation
The sign of the cross ♰ may be made by all in remembrance of their baptism.
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Congregation: Amen.
Confession & Absolution
P: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C: But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination.)
P: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the ♰ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: Amen.
Introit – Psalm 146 vs 2 Antipon 146:1 Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
Kyrie
C: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: For the peace from above and for our salvation let us pray to the Lord
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the Church of God, and for the unity of all let us pray to the Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise let us pray to the
Lord.
C: Lord, have mercy.
C: Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
C: Amen.
Hymn of Praise “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” LSB #790 vs. 1, 5
Salutation and Collect
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Let us pray, O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Readings
The First Reading: Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a, 51-60
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me… “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.” Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
The Second Reading: I Peter 2:2-10
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
L: This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
Gradual: Sung by David & Marilyn Howard
The Holy Gospel: John 14:1-14
P: The Holy Gospel, according to St. John, the fourteenth chapter.
C: Glory to You, O Lord.
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
P: This is the Gospel of our Lord.
C: Praise to You, O Christ.
Children’s Message
Hymn Of The Day “You Are the Way; through You Alone” LSB # 526
Sermon: Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
John 14:1-14 Grace Lutheran Church 5/10/2020
Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Mother’s Day blessings to all the moms watching today. Mother’s Day is one of the most celebrated days of the year as it brings families together to honor Mom; to give thanks to the one who brought us into the world; to recall and rejoice in their love which has, since our birth, flowed unceasingly and unconditionally from our mother’s heart, and who diligently performed the duty of loving, caring, protecting, nurturing and preparing us for this life. These are the pillars of motherhood.
Mother’s Day also brings out bittersweet memories, even tears, as some reflect on this day about moms who have passed from this life, and joined the saints in heaven who await, as we do, the coming of the Lord in all His Glory, and the great reunion that will take place for all believers on the Last Day.
But there is also a tension today. Let’s go so far as to call it an anxiety. The Greek word used in our lesson today is “tarasso,” which means to be shaken or stirred up like water, to be disturbed, unsettled, or thrown into confusion - to be troubled. In the face of all unrest, Jesus says, “let not your heart be troubled.” Now that’s easy for Jesus to say. Maybe not so easy for the disciples to hear...and us to relate to.
For nearly 2 months we have been “sheltered in place” in our own homes. We have learned to become suspicious of nearly everyone around us, avoiding people like the proverbial plague. We wear masks and gloves in fear that disease and death are lurking behind every corner. For some, we can’t work. For others, we must. Family and friends are forced to forsake us. Bills are coming due. Credit is tanking. Retirement accounts are in recovery. People are dying. Yes, our hearts today are troubled and anxious.
And this is in addition to the anxieties of life: maybe the burden of caring for children is becoming overwhelming, medical care is failing us, maybe those aches and pains we feel seems like it will never go away, and the constant battle against the evils of life rage as the temptations, sin and guilt of our past haunt us every day.
There is no magic pill we can take for this. There is no other quick fix to the issues in our life; nor is there some escape to a better and different life – nothing like that old Southwest Airlines commercial which used to ask us – do you ever want to get away, which we can’t do now anyway.
However, we don’t have to go this way of anxiety alone. Christ takes on all your troubles, everything that stirs up unrest in your life. Every sin and weight that so easily binds you up is cast upon Him. As people of faith, we have only to listen to the One who says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” In the very first verse of our lesson Jesus means to put the first hearers of those words, the disciples, at ease.
Why is it necessary for Jesus to calm His disciples with those words? What happens before our lesson is a time heavy with thought, concern, and stress for the disciples. Consider all they are experiencing at this time: It is Holy Thursday, the night of the Passover. When Jesus utters these words, He has already washed the disciple’s feet, instituted the Lord’s Supper, spoken of His forthcoming suffering and death, announced to His Ready-Fire-Aim disciple - Peter, that before the night is over, he would deny Him three times, and He has confronted the one who would betray Him only hours away in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Talk about stress. How much more stress, gloom and hopelessness awaited the disciples? This moment calls for a message of comfort, hope, and assurance. How does Jesus handle this crisis of faith and a future that seemingly would not include Him? Could anyone who was less than the Savior of the world speak words of comfort at a time like this?
Jesus was going to the cross to die. He has told His disciples this on numerous occasions. Now, on the eve of the crucifixion the disciples were deeply anxious or troubled because they still did not understand Jesus’ mission to bring salvation to the entire world and establish a kingdom of believers who confess him as Lord and Savior.
Jesus sat in the midst of His anxiety ridden disciples like an island of calm in a stormy troubled sea and said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in Me.” As Jesus spoke to His disciples, He also He speaks to us.
Life in this sinful world can be troubling and overwhelming sometimes. If you love your family; If you care about the church; If you are loyal to your country; If you desire to live your life according to the will of God, you will experience anxiety and concern about events in life. This sinful world is never at peace. We are surrounded with the trauma of conflict, controversy, disaster, war, accidents, illness, and death.
As these harsh realities overwhelm us, Jesus puts both hands on our shoulders, looks us straight in the eye and says, “Let not your hearts be troubled; neither let them be afraid. In My Father’s house are many rooms. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ...I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.”
Jesus went to the cross to confront the sin of the world on our behalf. He went to the cross to face the trauma, sorrow, pain and death that we have brought on ourselves because of sin. As simply as Jesus proclaims this, your sin is taken care of. Your enemy is defeated, because the Lord who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light “also professes: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and hades.”
Jesus came in love, giving His life on the cross on our behalf to bring peace to our anxious lives; to bring us the peace our anxious world cannot give. It was not easy for Jesus to go to the cross. Scriptures tells us how He struggled in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane asking the Heavenly Father if there was another way to save the world. Jesus struggled, but He did not back away from the sacrifice He was called to endure. He faced the cross with conviction and courage in full certainty that only by His sacrifice could He bring forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation to all the anxious and overwhelmed people in this world.
All of the trials and tribulation we experience in this life that cause us to be anxious were overcome by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Just as our risen Lord appeared to Stephen before his martyrdom, the risen Lord is actually with you through His Word. In the face of a pandemic, pain, loneliness, sorrow, fear, and death, the Lord declares in Psalm 46: “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, and the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”
Tribulations and anxiety are temporary, but an untroubled heart is forever as 2 Corinthians 4 encourages us, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
It is likely that we will never stop asking questions about our future, the answers to which we somehow find so important, so critical to life, even though Jesus has proven to be the answer to the most important question: “Is there life after this life?” That answer is clear. “There are many rooms in My Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you.”
Jesus knows how to get there. He’s there now. And He is coming back one day to take us there to be with Him. Jesus alone knows the way because He is the Way. This truth is borne out repeatedly in Holy Scripture. And Jesus is the Life because He and the Father are One – our life was made possible by the Father, it has been saved from everlasting condemnation and hell by God the Son with His redeeming and atoning sacrifice for our sins, and it is guided and protected in the face of all manner of trials and temptation by God the Holy Spirit, gifted to us since our Baptism.
What gracious words Jesus shared with His disciples – and us - amid great fear and uncertainty. How comforting to know that Jesus will bring us safely to His Father's house. How reassuring to know that Jesus is the fullness of God with us. How wonderful to know that Jesus' perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection show that His Father is also our Father and His Father's house is our eternal home. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Believe in Him. Your faith in Him is your confidence and peace. Let not your hearts be troubled. Jesus has come, not just so we might have life, but have it abundantly. Jesus has come to bring you the peace the world cannot give. Amen.
Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Mother’s Day blessings to all the moms watching today. Mother’s Day is one of the most celebrated days of the year as it brings families together to honor Mom; to give thanks to the one who brought us into the world; to recall and rejoice in their love which has, since our birth, flowed unceasingly and unconditionally from our mother’s heart, and who diligently performed the duty of loving, caring, protecting, nurturing and preparing us for this life. These are the pillars of motherhood.
Mother’s Day also brings out bittersweet memories, even tears, as some reflect on this day about moms who have passed from this life, and joined the saints in heaven who await, as we do, the coming of the Lord in all His Glory, and the great reunion that will take place for all believers on the Last Day.
But there is also a tension today. Let’s go so far as to call it an anxiety. The Greek word used in our lesson today is “tarasso,” which means to be shaken or stirred up like water, to be disturbed, unsettled, or thrown into confusion - to be troubled. In the face of all unrest, Jesus says, “let not your heart be troubled.” Now that’s easy for Jesus to say. Maybe not so easy for the disciples to hear...and us to relate to.
For nearly 2 months we have been “sheltered in place” in our own homes. We have learned to become suspicious of nearly everyone around us, avoiding people like the proverbial plague. We wear masks and gloves in fear that disease and death are lurking behind every corner. For some, we can’t work. For others, we must. Family and friends are forced to forsake us. Bills are coming due. Credit is tanking. Retirement accounts are in recovery. People are dying. Yes, our hearts today are troubled and anxious.
And this is in addition to the anxieties of life: maybe the burden of caring for children is becoming overwhelming, medical care is failing us, maybe those aches and pains we feel seems like it will never go away, and the constant battle against the evils of life rage as the temptations, sin and guilt of our past haunt us every day.
There is no magic pill we can take for this. There is no other quick fix to the issues in our life; nor is there some escape to a better and different life – nothing like that old Southwest Airlines commercial which used to ask us – do you ever want to get away, which we can’t do now anyway.
However, we don’t have to go this way of anxiety alone. Christ takes on all your troubles, everything that stirs up unrest in your life. Every sin and weight that so easily binds you up is cast upon Him. As people of faith, we have only to listen to the One who says, “Let not your heart be troubled.” In the very first verse of our lesson Jesus means to put the first hearers of those words, the disciples, at ease.
Why is it necessary for Jesus to calm His disciples with those words? What happens before our lesson is a time heavy with thought, concern, and stress for the disciples. Consider all they are experiencing at this time: It is Holy Thursday, the night of the Passover. When Jesus utters these words, He has already washed the disciple’s feet, instituted the Lord’s Supper, spoken of His forthcoming suffering and death, announced to His Ready-Fire-Aim disciple - Peter, that before the night is over, he would deny Him three times, and He has confronted the one who would betray Him only hours away in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Talk about stress. How much more stress, gloom and hopelessness awaited the disciples? This moment calls for a message of comfort, hope, and assurance. How does Jesus handle this crisis of faith and a future that seemingly would not include Him? Could anyone who was less than the Savior of the world speak words of comfort at a time like this?
Jesus was going to the cross to die. He has told His disciples this on numerous occasions. Now, on the eve of the crucifixion the disciples were deeply anxious or troubled because they still did not understand Jesus’ mission to bring salvation to the entire world and establish a kingdom of believers who confess him as Lord and Savior.
Jesus sat in the midst of His anxiety ridden disciples like an island of calm in a stormy troubled sea and said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in Me.” As Jesus spoke to His disciples, He also He speaks to us.
Life in this sinful world can be troubling and overwhelming sometimes. If you love your family; If you care about the church; If you are loyal to your country; If you desire to live your life according to the will of God, you will experience anxiety and concern about events in life. This sinful world is never at peace. We are surrounded with the trauma of conflict, controversy, disaster, war, accidents, illness, and death.
As these harsh realities overwhelm us, Jesus puts both hands on our shoulders, looks us straight in the eye and says, “Let not your hearts be troubled; neither let them be afraid. In My Father’s house are many rooms. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ...I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.”
Jesus went to the cross to confront the sin of the world on our behalf. He went to the cross to face the trauma, sorrow, pain and death that we have brought on ourselves because of sin. As simply as Jesus proclaims this, your sin is taken care of. Your enemy is defeated, because the Lord who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light “also professes: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and hades.”
Jesus came in love, giving His life on the cross on our behalf to bring peace to our anxious lives; to bring us the peace our anxious world cannot give. It was not easy for Jesus to go to the cross. Scriptures tells us how He struggled in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane asking the Heavenly Father if there was another way to save the world. Jesus struggled, but He did not back away from the sacrifice He was called to endure. He faced the cross with conviction and courage in full certainty that only by His sacrifice could He bring forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation to all the anxious and overwhelmed people in this world.
All of the trials and tribulation we experience in this life that cause us to be anxious were overcome by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, Just as our risen Lord appeared to Stephen before his martyrdom, the risen Lord is actually with you through His Word. In the face of a pandemic, pain, loneliness, sorrow, fear, and death, the Lord declares in Psalm 46: “God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, and the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”
Tribulations and anxiety are temporary, but an untroubled heart is forever as 2 Corinthians 4 encourages us, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
It is likely that we will never stop asking questions about our future, the answers to which we somehow find so important, so critical to life, even though Jesus has proven to be the answer to the most important question: “Is there life after this life?” That answer is clear. “There are many rooms in My Father’s house, and I am going to prepare a place for you.”
Jesus knows how to get there. He’s there now. And He is coming back one day to take us there to be with Him. Jesus alone knows the way because He is the Way. This truth is borne out repeatedly in Holy Scripture. And Jesus is the Life because He and the Father are One – our life was made possible by the Father, it has been saved from everlasting condemnation and hell by God the Son with His redeeming and atoning sacrifice for our sins, and it is guided and protected in the face of all manner of trials and temptation by God the Holy Spirit, gifted to us since our Baptism.
What gracious words Jesus shared with His disciples – and us - amid great fear and uncertainty. How comforting to know that Jesus will bring us safely to His Father's house. How reassuring to know that Jesus is the fullness of God with us. How wonderful to know that Jesus' perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection show that His Father is also our Father and His Father's house is our eternal home. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Believe in Him. Your faith in Him is your confidence and peace. Let not your hearts be troubled. Jesus has come, not just so we might have life, but have it abundantly. Jesus has come to bring you the peace the world cannot give. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed.
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering: “Hallelujah” The Grace Bell Choir, Directed by Marilyn Howard
Prayers Of The Church
P …in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is Yours, almighty Father, both now and forevermore.
C Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C: 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn – “Christ is Our Cornerstone” LSB #912
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed.
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
Offering: “Hallelujah” The Grace Bell Choir, Directed by Marilyn Howard
Prayers Of The Church
P …in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory is Yours, almighty Father, both now and forevermore.
C Amen
The Lord’s Prayer
P: Lord, remember us in Your kingdom, and teach us to pray:
C: 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Benediction
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and ♰ give you peace.
C: Amen.
Closing Hymn – “Christ is Our Cornerstone” LSB #912
Sunday 5/3/20
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 3, 2020
9:00 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Gerald Schneider
Music Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
May 3, 2020
9:00 am
Grace Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 670 W. Orangeburg Ave. Modesto CA 95350
209-522-8890 www.gracemodesto.org
Officiant: Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
Lay Minister: Gerald Schneider
Music Vocals: David and Marilyn Howard
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “Crown Him With Many Crowns” LSB 525
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us confess our sins to God, our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 23 Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
HYMN OF PRAISE “Praise To You and Adoration” LSB 692
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray. Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name an follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
READINGS
THE FIRST READING: Acts 2:42-47
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: 1 Peter 2:19-25
For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE: Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 10:1-10
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the tenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord
C Praise to You, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY: “The King Of Love My Shepherd Is” LSB 709 (vs 1,2,3,6)
OPENING HYMN: “Crown Him With Many Crowns” LSB 525
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
P If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P Let us confess our sins to God, our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 23 Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
HYMN OF PRAISE “Praise To You and Adoration” LSB 692
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray. Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name an follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
READINGS
THE FIRST READING: Acts 2:42-47
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe] came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: 1 Peter 2:19-25
For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
P This is the word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE: Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
THE HOLY GOSPEL: John 10:1-10
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the tenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord
C Praise to You, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY: “The King Of Love My Shepherd Is” LSB 709 (vs 1,2,3,6)
Sermon: In The Care Of The Shepherd Who Saves
John 10:1-10 Grace Lutheran Church 5/3/2020
In The Care Of The Shepherd Who Saves
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It seems as though we live our lives going through one door or another. Doors that keep us out. Doors that keep us in. We have doors at church, the store, at the doctor’s office and hospital, at our schools, and even in our homes. Doors keep what is inside safe, and what is unsafe out. And if that weren’t enough, we even put locks on our doors for added security. Our world today is a dangerous place. But Jesus wants to assure us that if we follow our Good Shepherd, we are kept spiritually safe.
Jesus had given a poor man back his sight. This man’s friends and neighbors were shocked and stunned by this miracle. So, they brought him before the religious authorities, the Pharisees, who conducted an investigation. When they interrogated this man, he refused to retract the truth about who had given him his sight. The Pharisees threw him out of the synagogue. Jesus bluntly and directly called the Pharisees blind guides; robbers and thieves who were destroying God’s flock.
Why was Jesus so judgmental and intolerant of the Pharisees? Quite simply, because they were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of God’s people; they were called to keep them safe by pointing out the dangers of sin and unbelief and giving them the comfort of God’s promises. But the Pharisees had betrayed both God and His people. They had become spiritual thieves and robbers who were leading Israel away from God by adding their own ideas to God’s Word.
The Pharisees taught that salvation was achieved by obeying a set of rules and regulations that they had invented apart from God’s Law. They were not faithful shepherds. They were leading Israel to spiritual destruction. In response to the Pharisees’ negligence, Jesus uses the opportunity to make a bigger point: not everyone who claims to come in God’s name is a faithful shepherd of the flock.
Jesus uses the picture of sheep dependent upon a shepherd to teach us the importance of being dependent on Him for our salvation. In His Word, God uses the picture of sheep to show us that we are hopelessly lost without His love and care. He reveals to us how He protects and saves us from the judgment which is to come. Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd, I give my life for the sheep.”
When Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.” He is speaking these words to the Pharisees who accused Him of breaking Sabbath laws by healing a blind man on the Sabbath day. These people were dependent on saving themselves by keeping the law. They did not like it when Jesus called on them to become like sheep who were dependent on Him for their salvation.
To help people see their need for believing in Him, Jesus directs their attention to the sheep pen. Sometimes it happened that shepherds would band together to build a large sheep pen for their sheep. They would all bring their sheep into the pen at night. The watchman guarding the door would recognize the voice of the shepherd and as Jesus said, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.” They know the voice of the Shpherd.
On another occasion Jesus told the leaders of the Jewish people, “My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
Which begs the question: do we know the voice of our Good Shepherd? Would you know if someone was not leading you to Christ, but stealing you away from him? You might be tired of hearing the regular encouragement to be faithful in worship, attend Bible class and study the Bible on your own time. Satan makes it seem like spending time in God’s Word is some terrible burden that no one should have to bear.
But just like it takes years of listening for sheep to recognize their shepherd’s voice - it takes a lifetime of study for believers to learn the voice of Jesus so well that they will not be misled by the voices of the thieves and robbers– who are out not only to steal your time, but the salvation of your soul. Nothing can replace the time you personally spend with Jesus in His Word.
What do you hear when you hear God’s word preached? Do you hear a message of hope and redemption? Does it reflect the inerrant word of God, with its central message of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins? Does it speak to a problem the Shepherd is seeking to cure? Does it speak to the sin in your life that separates you from God?
God’s word points to the reason Christ was crucified for your sin, allowing us to understand not only God’s love for us, but how His love for us was the reason Christ was crucified, allowing us to see in ourselves a need for a Savior. It also reminds us that we cannot do anything on our own to earn our salvation apart from Him. Our salvation is, by faith, His care for our souls.
The real message of Christianity is that the real, deep, eternal problem we wrestle with is human sin – not only the sins we do but the sinfulness we were born with, and how the solution to our sin can only be found in the cross of Christ. That message can only be found in the pages of Scripture.
Every false religion in the world, without exception, teaches that you can depend on yourself to make yourself acceptable to whatever god you believe in. People tend to seek their own righteousness. They refused to accept and believe in what God freely gives them in Jesus through His cross.
What do you think of when you reflect on sheep that wandered off from the shepherd and put themselves in danger? What Scripture tells us is “We all like sheep have gone astray each of us has turned to his own way.” Ezekiel [34] tells us, “My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched for them and looked for them.” If you are like me you might be thinking of the stubbornness and foolishness that exists in your heart. Think of what Jesus endured to rescue you.
The good news for us with all that is happening outside of our doors, is that today you are safe in the sheep pen. Jesus is your Shepherd. You can joyfully say, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” That means you lack nothing in your life to be accepted by God. You don’t need to listen to false teachers who tell you your life is hanging in the balance and you need to try and save yourself. Listen to the voice of your Good Shepherd who says, “I am the door for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
We don’t know when Jesus will return for judgment. We don’t know when our last hour will come. We do know that with Jesus our Shepherd, we are safe with him. If he comes in glory today, we can joyfully say, “Jesus. He is my Shepherd. He has come to take me home.” “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” With His rod and staff, He protects you from the evil trying to consume you.
Just as sheep are dependent upon the shepherd to lead them through life, we are dependent on Jesus to lead us through life. How? “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” If you have a dog, you know your dog loves to hear its name called. Shepherds, at the time of Jesus, had such a close relationship with their sheep they knew each one by name. Jesus knows your name. He knows everything about you. Later in this chapter Jesus says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
Many times, in close relationships between two people, they can finish each other’s sentences. Your loving Shepherd is in such a close relationship with you that He hears your prayers even before you pray them. Isaiah 40 says of our Shepherd, “He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms, and carried them close to his heart, he gently leads those that have young.”
Jesus, your Shepherd, leads you. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, but you already know what the future holds for you, because you know the One who holds the future. The Shepherd is going to open the door. He is going to call you by name, and you will follow Him as he leads you out to another day of challenges as your live your life for Him in this present world. Amen.
In The Care Of The Shepherd Who Saves
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It seems as though we live our lives going through one door or another. Doors that keep us out. Doors that keep us in. We have doors at church, the store, at the doctor’s office and hospital, at our schools, and even in our homes. Doors keep what is inside safe, and what is unsafe out. And if that weren’t enough, we even put locks on our doors for added security. Our world today is a dangerous place. But Jesus wants to assure us that if we follow our Good Shepherd, we are kept spiritually safe.
Jesus had given a poor man back his sight. This man’s friends and neighbors were shocked and stunned by this miracle. So, they brought him before the religious authorities, the Pharisees, who conducted an investigation. When they interrogated this man, he refused to retract the truth about who had given him his sight. The Pharisees threw him out of the synagogue. Jesus bluntly and directly called the Pharisees blind guides; robbers and thieves who were destroying God’s flock.
Why was Jesus so judgmental and intolerant of the Pharisees? Quite simply, because they were supposed to be the spiritual leaders of God’s people; they were called to keep them safe by pointing out the dangers of sin and unbelief and giving them the comfort of God’s promises. But the Pharisees had betrayed both God and His people. They had become spiritual thieves and robbers who were leading Israel away from God by adding their own ideas to God’s Word.
The Pharisees taught that salvation was achieved by obeying a set of rules and regulations that they had invented apart from God’s Law. They were not faithful shepherds. They were leading Israel to spiritual destruction. In response to the Pharisees’ negligence, Jesus uses the opportunity to make a bigger point: not everyone who claims to come in God’s name is a faithful shepherd of the flock.
Jesus uses the picture of sheep dependent upon a shepherd to teach us the importance of being dependent on Him for our salvation. In His Word, God uses the picture of sheep to show us that we are hopelessly lost without His love and care. He reveals to us how He protects and saves us from the judgment which is to come. Jesus says, “I am the Good Shepherd, I give my life for the sheep.”
When Jesus says: “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.” He is speaking these words to the Pharisees who accused Him of breaking Sabbath laws by healing a blind man on the Sabbath day. These people were dependent on saving themselves by keeping the law. They did not like it when Jesus called on them to become like sheep who were dependent on Him for their salvation.
To help people see their need for believing in Him, Jesus directs their attention to the sheep pen. Sometimes it happened that shepherds would band together to build a large sheep pen for their sheep. They would all bring their sheep into the pen at night. The watchman guarding the door would recognize the voice of the shepherd and as Jesus said, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.” They know the voice of the Shpherd.
On another occasion Jesus told the leaders of the Jewish people, “My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.”
Which begs the question: do we know the voice of our Good Shepherd? Would you know if someone was not leading you to Christ, but stealing you away from him? You might be tired of hearing the regular encouragement to be faithful in worship, attend Bible class and study the Bible on your own time. Satan makes it seem like spending time in God’s Word is some terrible burden that no one should have to bear.
But just like it takes years of listening for sheep to recognize their shepherd’s voice - it takes a lifetime of study for believers to learn the voice of Jesus so well that they will not be misled by the voices of the thieves and robbers– who are out not only to steal your time, but the salvation of your soul. Nothing can replace the time you personally spend with Jesus in His Word.
What do you hear when you hear God’s word preached? Do you hear a message of hope and redemption? Does it reflect the inerrant word of God, with its central message of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins? Does it speak to a problem the Shepherd is seeking to cure? Does it speak to the sin in your life that separates you from God?
God’s word points to the reason Christ was crucified for your sin, allowing us to understand not only God’s love for us, but how His love for us was the reason Christ was crucified, allowing us to see in ourselves a need for a Savior. It also reminds us that we cannot do anything on our own to earn our salvation apart from Him. Our salvation is, by faith, His care for our souls.
The real message of Christianity is that the real, deep, eternal problem we wrestle with is human sin – not only the sins we do but the sinfulness we were born with, and how the solution to our sin can only be found in the cross of Christ. That message can only be found in the pages of Scripture.
Every false religion in the world, without exception, teaches that you can depend on yourself to make yourself acceptable to whatever god you believe in. People tend to seek their own righteousness. They refused to accept and believe in what God freely gives them in Jesus through His cross.
What do you think of when you reflect on sheep that wandered off from the shepherd and put themselves in danger? What Scripture tells us is “We all like sheep have gone astray each of us has turned to his own way.” Ezekiel [34] tells us, “My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched for them and looked for them.” If you are like me you might be thinking of the stubbornness and foolishness that exists in your heart. Think of what Jesus endured to rescue you.
The good news for us with all that is happening outside of our doors, is that today you are safe in the sheep pen. Jesus is your Shepherd. You can joyfully say, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” That means you lack nothing in your life to be accepted by God. You don’t need to listen to false teachers who tell you your life is hanging in the balance and you need to try and save yourself. Listen to the voice of your Good Shepherd who says, “I am the door for the sheep; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
We don’t know when Jesus will return for judgment. We don’t know when our last hour will come. We do know that with Jesus our Shepherd, we are safe with him. If he comes in glory today, we can joyfully say, “Jesus. He is my Shepherd. He has come to take me home.” “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” With His rod and staff, He protects you from the evil trying to consume you.
Just as sheep are dependent upon the shepherd to lead them through life, we are dependent on Jesus to lead us through life. How? “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” If you have a dog, you know your dog loves to hear its name called. Shepherds, at the time of Jesus, had such a close relationship with their sheep they knew each one by name. Jesus knows your name. He knows everything about you. Later in this chapter Jesus says, “I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”
Many times, in close relationships between two people, they can finish each other’s sentences. Your loving Shepherd is in such a close relationship with you that He hears your prayers even before you pray them. Isaiah 40 says of our Shepherd, “He tends his flock like a shepherd. He gathers the lambs in his arms, and carried them close to his heart, he gently leads those that have young.”
Jesus, your Shepherd, leads you. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, but you already know what the future holds for you, because you know the One who holds the future. The Shepherd is going to open the door. He is going to call you by name, and you will follow Him as he leads you out to another day of challenges as your live your life for Him in this present world. Amen.
APOSTLES’ CREED
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life T everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever. Amen.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor
and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Alleluia! Alleluia! Hearts To Heaven” LSB 477
P Let us now profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life T everlasting. Amen.
OFFERING
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever. Amen.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Lord, remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor
and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Alleluia! Alleluia! Hearts To Heaven” LSB 477
Acknowledgments Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book. Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
Sunday 4/26/20
The Third Sunday Of Easter
April 26, 2020
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
April 26, 2020
Rev. Tom Albertson, Pastor
Organist: Mr. Steve Grubb
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE SETTING IV
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “At The Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” [LSB#633 Vs 1,4,8]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and
praise, and gather in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION LSB 203
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake
forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by
His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT
P Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
P Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
KYRIE Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
HYMN OF PRAISE – He Is Risen! Glorious Word! [LSB #488]
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray. O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST READING: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1:17-25
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 24:13-35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
APOSTLES CREED
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
OFFERING
THE WELCOME
OPENING HYMN: “At The Lamb’s High Feast We Sing” [LSB#633 Vs 1,4,8]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross T may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and
praise, and gather in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION LSB 203
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
C Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake
forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by
His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father
and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
INTROIT
P Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
P Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when brothers dwell in unity!
KYRIE Sung by David and Marilyn Howard
HYMN OF PRAISE – He Is Risen! Glorious Word! [LSB #488]
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray. O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST READING: Acts 2:14a, 36-41
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1:17-25
And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 24:13-35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
APOSTLES CREED
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
OFFERING
HYMN OF THE DAY: “Who Are You Who Walk In Sorrow” [LSB #476, vs 1-3, 5]
HYMN OF THE DAY: “Who Are You Who Walk In Sorrow” [LSB #476, vs 1-3, 5]
SERMON: “There Is Joy In The Word”
Luke 24:13-35 Grace Lutheran Church 4/26/2020
There Is Joy In The Word
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
While taking a lifesaving course I was taught to always be careful approaching a drowning swimmer. The reason is a drowning person is struggling to save their life, and they will tend to latch on to and try to pull you down to stay above water. Then you have not just one person drowning, but two. The two are then in despair because one was in need of saving, and the other was the one who was supposed to do the saving.
Have you ever felt like you were drowning? I am not talking about drowning in water. I am talking about drowning in the problems of this life, such as being classified as non-essential in the fight against the pandemic. I am talking about your faith being deemed not essential as well. I am talking about drowning in some sinful condition or drowning in sadness, or just drowning in your low self-esteem. It is scary when you start losing hope. You desperately cry out, “Lord, help me.”
I have to tell you it is tough to see people lose their hope, especially people who follow Jesus, such as those in our Gospel today. We read: “That very day (the day of Jesus’ resurrection) two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.” Two of Jesus’ disciples were already leaving Jerusalem despite hearing the most amazing and confusing report – how Jesus was buried, no longer in the tomb, and how He has risen from the dead. Two women reported they saw Jesus. Two disciples went and found the tomb was empty. It all seemed so unreal. As His life came to an end, all their hopes and aspirations for Him come to an end as well. They had quite a bit of sadness to work through in their minds that day. And that was about all they thought they could do - walk home – talk about it –try to make sense of it all.
All of a sudden they run into a man we know as Jesus along the road. What initially gets their attention is that this guy has no clue about the chaos that has filled Jerusalem and the sadness that is filling their hearts. Jesus asked, “What are you discussing together as your walk along?” They wonder if this stranger has been hiding under a rock for the last few days, and ask Him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and you do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Some people might walk away after such sarcastic criticism, but not Jesus. He wants to engage them in conversation. He wants to bring God’s Word into their lives and ours.
As they walk and talk, two things become very clear. First of all, He understands what has taken place. But unlike them, He also understands why it has taken place. They had all these troubles, and questions filling their hearts. And this person seemed to have all the answers. They look at the very same event that filled their hearts with sadness and despair, and He sees everything working out perfectly. He saw the Old Testament scriptures being fulfilled, and the salvation of the world being won. To this man, everything made sense – the trial right up through the empty tomb.
As the miles passed, so did their troubles and their worries. Before long it was time for them to enter their village. So, they invited Him to come over to their house and spend a little time. After all, it is the least they could do to return the favor. He has shared so many interesting things with them and answered so many of their questions. They are probably hoping they will get Him to give them a few more insights.
As they are sitting down to eat, this man breaks bread, and at that moment God reveals to them who this stranger is. It turns out it wasn’t a stranger at all. It was the Christ, their Savior. These men were living their lives hoping that Jesus would be their earthly Messiah. Their hopes has been dashed and now their hope is restored. They now know that Jesus lives, and understand why He had to die and now lives. The Scriptures were opened up to them – it now all made sense.
They didn’t understand everything the Scripture said. They had their own preconceived notions and expectations about what they wanted the Scriptures to say, and who they wanted Jesus to be. And when it didn’t make sense and Jesus didn’t match those expectations, they felt let down.
We experience the same feelings in our lives as well. Sometimes we don’t understand the Scriptures as we should. There are blanks in our understanding and appreciation of what God says to us. This may be due to our ignorance But God is speaking to us through His word every time we open the Scriptures, and yet we can think that we know enough already. Especially if we have been confirmed – we think we have the basics down and we don’t have to spend much time with them anymore. Or maybe we think we have spent such a long-time studying God’s word that we pretty much have it all down. However, sometimes we just can’t fully understand what God is trying to say to us.
Other times we don’t understand because of doubt. There are things in Scripture that are hard for us to understand. Not only because they don’t make sense to our rational minds, but because it takes faith to understand. Take the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Science is still trying to answer the question of what happened in that tomb on Easter morning. Or just think about the rest of the miracles the Scriptures talk about. When we read things like that they challenge us and we are tempted to doubt.
At the same time we can have expectations of our Savior – certain things we want him to become. But if you look closely, you can see a similar attitude in our own hearts. We can think our life should be one joy after another, and God would remove any pain or suffering we experience. And when that doesn’t happen, we feel let down about the type of Savior we have.
Luke said when they met Jesus, they just stood there with their faces downcast. How could they do anything else. Sin and doubt take away the certainty that Scriptures offers. It was true for them, and it is true for us as well. When we have these moments and doubts, we wish Jesus would just come up to us and talk to us like He did with these followers as they traveled. Don’t you just wish when you are having a bad day that Jesus would come and talk to you and point out everything from the Scriptures? To hear from Jesus’ own lips how the OT and the NT work together perfectly; and more than that, that you didn’t need to be worried or concerned.
Through the inspired writers of both the OT and NT, God tells us everything we need to know. When we take the Scriptures as they are, and as God intended them to be, we really enjoy the full comfort they give us. Sure, God doesn’t always match our expectations, but what He provides is always better. That is what the followers on the road to Emmaus discovered.
You may wish God would take care of every problem or difficulty in your life. When that doesn’t happen God’s word assures you He still loves you and is watching over you. So, you don’t have to be worried or concerned.
Every other religion out there says you have to do something to be saved or to be certain of your salvation. But Jesus draws you to His side and says, “I have done it all. You can be certain that because of my death and resurrection that your sins are forgiven, and heaven is yours.” It may not be what the world wants to hear; but to be honest with you, it is what the world needs to hear – it is what we need to take to heart. When God speaks to us through His word, there we find our hope is renewed. There our joy is renewed once again.
Looking around today, our world doesn’t look the same. Our worship isn’t the same, our fellowship isn’t the same. We can’t go out to breakfast after Bible Study, and our ways of shopping are not the same. This can lead us to despair. Yet our joy that comes to us through faith is still the same. We have the same happiness and hope when we consider what Easter still means to us. Easter morning was all about the empty tomb. Maybe that first Easter evening is easier for us to relate to today. The followers of Jesus in despair found their greatest joy was when their hearts burned within them as He talked with them and opened the scriptures. There is where we find our joy as well. That is where we find our hope restored. There, we have the full hope and joy that is ours in Christ. Amen.
There Is Joy In The Word
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
While taking a lifesaving course I was taught to always be careful approaching a drowning swimmer. The reason is a drowning person is struggling to save their life, and they will tend to latch on to and try to pull you down to stay above water. Then you have not just one person drowning, but two. The two are then in despair because one was in need of saving, and the other was the one who was supposed to do the saving.
Have you ever felt like you were drowning? I am not talking about drowning in water. I am talking about drowning in the problems of this life, such as being classified as non-essential in the fight against the pandemic. I am talking about your faith being deemed not essential as well. I am talking about drowning in some sinful condition or drowning in sadness, or just drowning in your low self-esteem. It is scary when you start losing hope. You desperately cry out, “Lord, help me.”
I have to tell you it is tough to see people lose their hope, especially people who follow Jesus, such as those in our Gospel today. We read: “That very day (the day of Jesus’ resurrection) two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.” Two of Jesus’ disciples were already leaving Jerusalem despite hearing the most amazing and confusing report – how Jesus was buried, no longer in the tomb, and how He has risen from the dead. Two women reported they saw Jesus. Two disciples went and found the tomb was empty. It all seemed so unreal. As His life came to an end, all their hopes and aspirations for Him come to an end as well. They had quite a bit of sadness to work through in their minds that day. And that was about all they thought they could do - walk home – talk about it –try to make sense of it all.
All of a sudden they run into a man we know as Jesus along the road. What initially gets their attention is that this guy has no clue about the chaos that has filled Jerusalem and the sadness that is filling their hearts. Jesus asked, “What are you discussing together as your walk along?” They wonder if this stranger has been hiding under a rock for the last few days, and ask Him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and you do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” Some people might walk away after such sarcastic criticism, but not Jesus. He wants to engage them in conversation. He wants to bring God’s Word into their lives and ours.
As they walk and talk, two things become very clear. First of all, He understands what has taken place. But unlike them, He also understands why it has taken place. They had all these troubles, and questions filling their hearts. And this person seemed to have all the answers. They look at the very same event that filled their hearts with sadness and despair, and He sees everything working out perfectly. He saw the Old Testament scriptures being fulfilled, and the salvation of the world being won. To this man, everything made sense – the trial right up through the empty tomb.
As the miles passed, so did their troubles and their worries. Before long it was time for them to enter their village. So, they invited Him to come over to their house and spend a little time. After all, it is the least they could do to return the favor. He has shared so many interesting things with them and answered so many of their questions. They are probably hoping they will get Him to give them a few more insights.
As they are sitting down to eat, this man breaks bread, and at that moment God reveals to them who this stranger is. It turns out it wasn’t a stranger at all. It was the Christ, their Savior. These men were living their lives hoping that Jesus would be their earthly Messiah. Their hopes has been dashed and now their hope is restored. They now know that Jesus lives, and understand why He had to die and now lives. The Scriptures were opened up to them – it now all made sense.
They didn’t understand everything the Scripture said. They had their own preconceived notions and expectations about what they wanted the Scriptures to say, and who they wanted Jesus to be. And when it didn’t make sense and Jesus didn’t match those expectations, they felt let down.
We experience the same feelings in our lives as well. Sometimes we don’t understand the Scriptures as we should. There are blanks in our understanding and appreciation of what God says to us. This may be due to our ignorance But God is speaking to us through His word every time we open the Scriptures, and yet we can think that we know enough already. Especially if we have been confirmed – we think we have the basics down and we don’t have to spend much time with them anymore. Or maybe we think we have spent such a long-time studying God’s word that we pretty much have it all down. However, sometimes we just can’t fully understand what God is trying to say to us.
Other times we don’t understand because of doubt. There are things in Scripture that are hard for us to understand. Not only because they don’t make sense to our rational minds, but because it takes faith to understand. Take the fact that Jesus rose from the dead. Science is still trying to answer the question of what happened in that tomb on Easter morning. Or just think about the rest of the miracles the Scriptures talk about. When we read things like that they challenge us and we are tempted to doubt.
At the same time we can have expectations of our Savior – certain things we want him to become. But if you look closely, you can see a similar attitude in our own hearts. We can think our life should be one joy after another, and God would remove any pain or suffering we experience. And when that doesn’t happen, we feel let down about the type of Savior we have.
Luke said when they met Jesus, they just stood there with their faces downcast. How could they do anything else. Sin and doubt take away the certainty that Scriptures offers. It was true for them, and it is true for us as well. When we have these moments and doubts, we wish Jesus would just come up to us and talk to us like He did with these followers as they traveled. Don’t you just wish when you are having a bad day that Jesus would come and talk to you and point out everything from the Scriptures? To hear from Jesus’ own lips how the OT and the NT work together perfectly; and more than that, that you didn’t need to be worried or concerned.
Through the inspired writers of both the OT and NT, God tells us everything we need to know. When we take the Scriptures as they are, and as God intended them to be, we really enjoy the full comfort they give us. Sure, God doesn’t always match our expectations, but what He provides is always better. That is what the followers on the road to Emmaus discovered.
You may wish God would take care of every problem or difficulty in your life. When that doesn’t happen God’s word assures you He still loves you and is watching over you. So, you don’t have to be worried or concerned.
Every other religion out there says you have to do something to be saved or to be certain of your salvation. But Jesus draws you to His side and says, “I have done it all. You can be certain that because of my death and resurrection that your sins are forgiven, and heaven is yours.” It may not be what the world wants to hear; but to be honest with you, it is what the world needs to hear – it is what we need to take to heart. When God speaks to us through His word, there we find our hope is renewed. There our joy is renewed once again.
Looking around today, our world doesn’t look the same. Our worship isn’t the same, our fellowship isn’t the same. We can’t go out to breakfast after Bible Study, and our ways of shopping are not the same. This can lead us to despair. Yet our joy that comes to us through faith is still the same. We have the same happiness and hope when we consider what Easter still means to us. Easter morning was all about the empty tomb. Maybe that first Easter evening is easier for us to relate to today. The followers of Jesus in despair found their greatest joy was when their hearts burned within them as He talked with them and opened the scriptures. There is where we find our joy as well. That is where we find our hope restored. There, we have the full hope and joy that is ours in Christ. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Almighty Father Bless The Word” [LSB #923]
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
LORD’S PRAYER (spoken in unison)
P Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
C 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 trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
P Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: “Almighty Father Bless The Word” [LSB #923]
Sunday 4/19/20
The Second Sunday of Easter
April 19, 2020
THE WELCOME
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE Setting III
April 19, 2020
THE WELCOME
THE ORDER OF DIVINE SERVICE Setting III
OPENING HYMN: Christ The Lord Is Risen Today, Alleluia [LSB#463]
INVOCATION
The sign of the cross X may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION
Silence for reflection on God's Word and for self-examination.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
PSALM: Psalm 148
P Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
KYRIE
C Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy
upon us.
HYMN OF PRAISE: GLORIA IN EXCELSIS (Spoken)
P Glory be to God on High,
C and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee.
we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee, for Thy great glory.
O Lord God, heav'nly King, God the Father Almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sin of the world, receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy
Upon us. For Thou only art holy; Thou only art the Lord.
Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost,
art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Let us pray. Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON: Acts 5:29-42
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
THE SECOND LESSON: 1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
P This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
ALLELUIA AND VERSE
C Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: JOHN 20:19-31
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 20th Chapter.
C Glory be to Thee, O Lord.
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise be to Thee, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY: Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing [LSB #475]
Sermon: Encountering Jesus Brings Peace
John 20:19-31 Grace Lutheran Church 4/19/2020
We Are At Peace
Grace mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
I can remember the first time I went away to summer camp. Oh, I thought it was great – a week away from my parents constantly after me to do this or that. I was in the wilderness with about a hundred other young boys. The first night we were there, our counselors led us through the forest to a clearing. In the clearing was a roaring campfire. We all sat around the campfire, and then one of the counselors stood up and told a story about a legend of the area. It was about a three legged mountain lion who came out at night to hunt for its dinner. The counselor had heard that just last year they lost camper and they believe the lion got him. He talked about how it had been seen around camp just a week before.
Well, how well do you think I slept that night? You’ve got it – I did not sleep a wink. When we got in our cabin that night the first thing we did was lock all the doors. Every little noise we heard from outside the cabin was enough to make our hearts pound. I think every one of us slept with our flashlights on that night. I have never felt so anxious in all my life and could not wait for the night to end. I just felt abject fear!
The story we have from our Gospel reading today begins with the disciples experiencing abject fear too. The reading starts: “It was evening on the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked.” The big question is: Who were they afraid of? And why?
In John’s Gospel, as we heard last week, the two Mary’s had been to the tomb and seen it empty. As they fled in fear they encountered the risen Christ. The verse before our lesson says: “So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what He had told her”.
So why didn’t the disciples go looking for him? They stayed behind locked doors. John tells us that they had locked the door “for fear of the Jews” - which isn’t a good excuse. We aren’t told the Jews had arranged a posse to hunt the disciples down. And besides, when Mary told the disciples the tomb was empty, Peter and John had rushed to look. Now, if they were really afraid of the Jews – or the Romans for that matter – they wouldn’t have gone back to the tomb because that was one of the first places the authorities would have looked for them.
So, why were the disciples afraid? What were they really running from? Who were they really hiding from? Maybe they were actually afraid of running into Jesus! What if Mary was right? What if Jesus had been raised from the dead? What would He say if they bumped into him? They had every reason to be afraid.
The last time He had seen the disciples was when they were deserting him at His arrest in Gethsemane. Sure, Peter had stayed with him: but then He had denied knowing him at all. The guilt had been so bad that Judas Iscariot killed himself. How must the rest of them have been feeling? Probably really ashamed of themselves. And what would Jesus say if He saw them again? Would he be mad at them? Would he be out for revenge! No, rather than going out searching for Jesus, it would be far safer to lock the door and hope the whole problem would go away!
We are more like the disciples than we want to admit! How often have you and I locked the door to keep Jesus out? Maybe because of something in your past: something you are particularly ashamed of. Maybe some fear for the future. Sometimes, we are afraid of what Jesus might think, what Jesus might do. So we lock up our heart, try to keep Jesus out and lock ourselves in for fear of what might happen. And sometimes, we are not even honest with ourselves about why we are hiding or what we are hiding from. Maybe the disciples weren’t keeping the Jews out, they were keeping themselves in.
But what does Jesus do? It is here they have an encounter with Jesus. He does what he always does when we try to hide from him: “Jesus came and stood among them.” He takes the initiative. He enters the room and breaks into their shame and He says, “Peace be with you.” These words are the exact opposite of fear and shame and anxiety. Jesus is telling the disciples He’s not out to settle old scores. He’s not angry with them. He knows their failures, He knows their weaknesses, He knows everything we have every done wrong.
Do you notice, there is absolutely no mention of their past. It’s done – it was taken care of on the cross. This is when we hear this amazing verse: “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
Why is this so amazing? Because Jesus is inviting us to start completely afresh and go right back to the beginning with him. In fact, what he is doing is taking us right back to the Garden of Eden. It is in the Garden of Eden that humanity first tries to hide from God. Adam and Eve “heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees,” and now the disciples were hiding from God behind closed doors.
In Gods creation of man Genesis [2:7] says: “Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live.” Today, Jesus breathes on His disciples and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, they have new life.
And here is the incredible truth of the Gospel. We can hide from God because of the shame, of our past, because of our bad habits and failures and weakness. But because He loves us so much, God will come and seek us out and find us. And He will not bring up the past, he will not make us wallow in shame or guilt, he won’t humiliate us. He will find us, and say, “Peace be with you,” and breathe the Holy Spirit on you and bring you to new life.
His peace means we are forgiven. He showed them the marks in His hands and side. They were the price He paid to earn the peace of forgiveness. With their sin taken away, the disciples did not have to fear.
Yet, we too have our share of fears and doubts, don’t we? When we look at ourselves we see plenty of reasons for Jesus to say, “I want nothing to do with you!”
Encounter Jesus yourself. See the nail marks and the wound in His side. He paid the penalty for all your sin and now He says, “Peace to you!” “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). “The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus is our peace.
So when you feel overwhelmed, confused, guilty, afraid, or lonely, look up and see who is standing beside you. He is back from the war. Look at His hands and side. He not only survived, He won! Run to His arms, and within them find peace.
Jesus’ peace is peace with a purpose. It is meant to be shared with the whole world. The Lord did not want the disciples to stay locked behind closed doors and keep the Easter message to themselves. He told them, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” [v.21] He authorized and empowered them with the Holy Spirit. He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” [v.23]
We call it the Office of the Keys - Jesus gave the disciples the awesome power to lock or unlock the Kingdom of Heaven through the use of the Word of God. The Lord has put those same Keys into our hands. We are not to keep Jesus’ peace locked up in our hearts or church body. We are to be busy sharing it with others.
The disciples had no reason to fear behind locked doors. They had the peace of Jesus and a purpose to share it with the entire world. We have received the same peace and purpose. Think of all the people whom the Lord has brought into your life.
The other disciples wasted no time in telling Thomas that Jesus was alive. But Thomas didn’t believe, and so for the next week he was just as fearful and uncertain as before Easter. Still, the Lord did not give up on him. The following Sunday Jesus again appeared to the disciples and greeted them with: “Peace to you!” He ignited Thomas’ smoldering, sputtering faith into a bright, strong flame. Thomas’ fears were replaced by the confident confession: “My Lord and my God!”
During this time of pandemic, this is a strong message to the church. Sure we are hunkered down sheltering in place, we do it in fear of this world and its impact on our lives. But in our fear, Jesus still comes to renew and reassure us, just as He did Thomas. Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.” [v.29] We are among those blessed! May the Lord preserve and strengthen our faith through which we receive that priceless gift of peace, received by faith with a purpose. Peace to you! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
We Are At Peace
Grace mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
I can remember the first time I went away to summer camp. Oh, I thought it was great – a week away from my parents constantly after me to do this or that. I was in the wilderness with about a hundred other young boys. The first night we were there, our counselors led us through the forest to a clearing. In the clearing was a roaring campfire. We all sat around the campfire, and then one of the counselors stood up and told a story about a legend of the area. It was about a three legged mountain lion who came out at night to hunt for its dinner. The counselor had heard that just last year they lost camper and they believe the lion got him. He talked about how it had been seen around camp just a week before.
Well, how well do you think I slept that night? You’ve got it – I did not sleep a wink. When we got in our cabin that night the first thing we did was lock all the doors. Every little noise we heard from outside the cabin was enough to make our hearts pound. I think every one of us slept with our flashlights on that night. I have never felt so anxious in all my life and could not wait for the night to end. I just felt abject fear!
The story we have from our Gospel reading today begins with the disciples experiencing abject fear too. The reading starts: “It was evening on the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked.” The big question is: Who were they afraid of? And why?
In John’s Gospel, as we heard last week, the two Mary’s had been to the tomb and seen it empty. As they fled in fear they encountered the risen Christ. The verse before our lesson says: “So Mary Magdalene went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and related to them what He had told her”.
So why didn’t the disciples go looking for him? They stayed behind locked doors. John tells us that they had locked the door “for fear of the Jews” - which isn’t a good excuse. We aren’t told the Jews had arranged a posse to hunt the disciples down. And besides, when Mary told the disciples the tomb was empty, Peter and John had rushed to look. Now, if they were really afraid of the Jews – or the Romans for that matter – they wouldn’t have gone back to the tomb because that was one of the first places the authorities would have looked for them.
So, why were the disciples afraid? What were they really running from? Who were they really hiding from? Maybe they were actually afraid of running into Jesus! What if Mary was right? What if Jesus had been raised from the dead? What would He say if they bumped into him? They had every reason to be afraid.
The last time He had seen the disciples was when they were deserting him at His arrest in Gethsemane. Sure, Peter had stayed with him: but then He had denied knowing him at all. The guilt had been so bad that Judas Iscariot killed himself. How must the rest of them have been feeling? Probably really ashamed of themselves. And what would Jesus say if He saw them again? Would he be mad at them? Would he be out for revenge! No, rather than going out searching for Jesus, it would be far safer to lock the door and hope the whole problem would go away!
We are more like the disciples than we want to admit! How often have you and I locked the door to keep Jesus out? Maybe because of something in your past: something you are particularly ashamed of. Maybe some fear for the future. Sometimes, we are afraid of what Jesus might think, what Jesus might do. So we lock up our heart, try to keep Jesus out and lock ourselves in for fear of what might happen. And sometimes, we are not even honest with ourselves about why we are hiding or what we are hiding from. Maybe the disciples weren’t keeping the Jews out, they were keeping themselves in.
But what does Jesus do? It is here they have an encounter with Jesus. He does what he always does when we try to hide from him: “Jesus came and stood among them.” He takes the initiative. He enters the room and breaks into their shame and He says, “Peace be with you.” These words are the exact opposite of fear and shame and anxiety. Jesus is telling the disciples He’s not out to settle old scores. He’s not angry with them. He knows their failures, He knows their weaknesses, He knows everything we have every done wrong.
Do you notice, there is absolutely no mention of their past. It’s done – it was taken care of on the cross. This is when we hear this amazing verse: “He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”
Why is this so amazing? Because Jesus is inviting us to start completely afresh and go right back to the beginning with him. In fact, what he is doing is taking us right back to the Garden of Eden. It is in the Garden of Eden that humanity first tries to hide from God. Adam and Eve “heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees,” and now the disciples were hiding from God behind closed doors.
In Gods creation of man Genesis [2:7] says: “Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live.” Today, Jesus breathes on His disciples and, in the power of the Holy Spirit, they have new life.
And here is the incredible truth of the Gospel. We can hide from God because of the shame, of our past, because of our bad habits and failures and weakness. But because He loves us so much, God will come and seek us out and find us. And He will not bring up the past, he will not make us wallow in shame or guilt, he won’t humiliate us. He will find us, and say, “Peace be with you,” and breathe the Holy Spirit on you and bring you to new life.
His peace means we are forgiven. He showed them the marks in His hands and side. They were the price He paid to earn the peace of forgiveness. With their sin taken away, the disciples did not have to fear.
Yet, we too have our share of fears and doubts, don’t we? When we look at ourselves we see plenty of reasons for Jesus to say, “I want nothing to do with you!”
Encounter Jesus yourself. See the nail marks and the wound in His side. He paid the penalty for all your sin and now He says, “Peace to you!” “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). “The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus is our peace.
So when you feel overwhelmed, confused, guilty, afraid, or lonely, look up and see who is standing beside you. He is back from the war. Look at His hands and side. He not only survived, He won! Run to His arms, and within them find peace.
Jesus’ peace is peace with a purpose. It is meant to be shared with the whole world. The Lord did not want the disciples to stay locked behind closed doors and keep the Easter message to themselves. He told them, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” [v.21] He authorized and empowered them with the Holy Spirit. He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” [v.23]
We call it the Office of the Keys - Jesus gave the disciples the awesome power to lock or unlock the Kingdom of Heaven through the use of the Word of God. The Lord has put those same Keys into our hands. We are not to keep Jesus’ peace locked up in our hearts or church body. We are to be busy sharing it with others.
The disciples had no reason to fear behind locked doors. They had the peace of Jesus and a purpose to share it with the entire world. We have received the same peace and purpose. Think of all the people whom the Lord has brought into your life.
The other disciples wasted no time in telling Thomas that Jesus was alive. But Thomas didn’t believe, and so for the next week he was just as fearful and uncertain as before Easter. Still, the Lord did not give up on him. The following Sunday Jesus again appeared to the disciples and greeted them with: “Peace to you!” He ignited Thomas’ smoldering, sputtering faith into a bright, strong flame. Thomas’ fears were replaced by the confident confession: “My Lord and my God!”
During this time of pandemic, this is a strong message to the church. Sure we are hunkered down sheltering in place, we do it in fear of this world and its impact on our lives. But in our fear, Jesus still comes to renew and reassure us, just as He did Thomas. Jesus told Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet have believed.” [v.29] We are among those blessed! May the Lord preserve and strengthen our faith through which we receive that priceless gift of peace, received by faith with a purpose. Peace to you! He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Amen.
P Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
P Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
C 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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds [LSB #465]
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P … lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
P Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
C 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 trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
SALUTATION AND BENEDICAMUS
P The Lord be with you.
C And with thy spirit.
P Bless we the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
C Amen.
CLOSING HYMN: Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds [LSB #465]
THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD — EASTER DAy
The Resurrection Changes Everything
April 12, 2020
AS WE GATHER
Every Sunday is the Lord’s day, the day of His resurrection, “after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week” (Matt. 28:1). In the Divine Service, the Church enters upon the eternal “eighth day.” The Lord Jesus, “who was crucified,” who “has risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:5–6), is the firstborn from the dead and the firstfruits of the new creation and that changes everything in the lives of His people. Because “you have died” with Him in Holy Baptism, “you have been raised with Christ” and “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1, 3). In this, He “shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34), but “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43). As “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” and “raised him on the third day,” He also raises us up and pours out His Spirit upon us through the Gospel (Acts 10:38, 40). Today we celebrate the forgiveness won for us and all people by Jesus, our all-powerful and victorious Lord.
OPENING HYMN “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” [LSB 457]
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
People: But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse up from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination
Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all of your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
KYRIE
Pastor: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God and for the untiy of all, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
People: Amen.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light. Grant that we who have been raised with Him may abide in His presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
FIRST READING: Acts 10:34–43 (The disciples are witnesses to the risen Lord.)
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING: Colossians 3:1–4 (Our lives are hidden with Christ in God.)
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 28:1–10 (Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-eighth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY “I Know My Redeemer Lives” [LSB 461]
April 12, 2020
AS WE GATHER
Every Sunday is the Lord’s day, the day of His resurrection, “after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week” (Matt. 28:1). In the Divine Service, the Church enters upon the eternal “eighth day.” The Lord Jesus, “who was crucified,” who “has risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:5–6), is the firstborn from the dead and the firstfruits of the new creation and that changes everything in the lives of His people. Because “you have died” with Him in Holy Baptism, “you have been raised with Christ” and “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1, 3). In this, He “shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34), but “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43). As “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” and “raised him on the third day,” He also raises us up and pours out His Spirit upon us through the Gospel (Acts 10:38, 40). Today we celebrate the forgiveness won for us and all people by Jesus, our all-powerful and victorious Lord.
OPENING HYMN “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today” [LSB 457]
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
Pastor: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
People: But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse up from all unrighteousness.
Silence for reflection on God’s Word and for self-examination
Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all of your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
KYRIE
Pastor: In peace let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For the peace from above and for our salvation, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For the peace of the whole world, for the well-being of the church of God and for the untiy of all, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: For this holy house and for all who offer here their worship and praise, let us pray to the Lord.
People: Lord have mercy.
Pastor: Help, save, comfort and defend us, gracious Lord.
People: Amen.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, by the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light. Grant that we who have been raised with Him may abide in His presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
FIRST READING: Acts 10:34–43 (The disciples are witnesses to the risen Lord.)
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING: Colossians 3:1–4 (Our lives are hidden with Christ in God.)
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL: Matthew 28:1–10 (Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-eighth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE
HYMN OF THE DAY “I Know My Redeemer Lives” [LSB 461]
SERMON: The Resurrection Changes Everything
Matthew 28:1-10 Grace Lutheran Church 4/20/2020
The Resurrection of our Lord
The Resurrection Changes Everything
Christ is risen! [He is risen indeed! Alleluia!] Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Words are powerful. Words can change a person's life. Words can change history. Consider some words from our memorable history: “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy – January 20, 1961 “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” – Ronald Reagan – June 12, 1987. Heard those words before? They were just a few words, but they were memorable. Why? Because of the circumstances that surrounded them, and because of the impact they had.
Consider how the three words "He has risen!" spoken on Easter morning have changed human history - have changed your history! These three words were spoken 2000 years ago at a cemetery outside of Jerusalem. An angel announced, “He has risen!” With those three words the course of human history was changed forever. With those few words, YOUR life has been changed.
Things happen in our lives that become game changers for us – that lead us to a new normal, where life is not the same anymore. There is no shortage of events that could make this list, but the one that tops them all is the one we celebrate today: the Resurrection of our Lord. Think about it. Jesus came back to life! Of all the events that have changed the world, this one truly changes everything!
And this is not just some made up story. We have eyewitness testimony confirming the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospels. Matthew, one of the original disciples, was an eyewitness of the resurrected Jesus. From his testimony, I believe we can reasonably conclude that if Jesus had not truly risen from the dead it wouldn’t make any sense at all for him to claim that He did; because all the Romans would have to do would be to open the sealed tomb and prove that Jesus was still there and He hadn’t actually risen. Matthew would have then found himself on a cross for trying to resurrect a dead message about the kingdom of God coming in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. And since He is risen from the dead, that changes everything.
Just consider Peter for a moment. Raised as an Israelite, he was very careful not to eat unclean foods and not to touch unclean things lest he be unable to come into the presence of God in the holy temple. At the same time he was raised to think the Israelites were holy and the Gentiles were not.”
All that changes one afternoon after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter is sitting on a rooftop waiting for dinner. At that moment he saw a vision of a great sheet being let down out of heaven. In the sheet were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds both clean and unclean. Then Peter hears a voice that says, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). Peter refuses to do what he is commanded to do because of those Old Testament purity laws - to which the voice says, “What God has made clean, do not call unclean” (Acts 10:15). The result of this exchange is that when a centurion, a Gentile named Cornelius, sends two men to ask Peter to come to his house (an unclean house, mind you) he goes and speaks the words of our first lesson today. He says, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). That is quite a change in his thinking. Yet that is what the resurrection does. It changes everything.
As a result of the resurrection, Peter preaches to Cornelius and his whole household that Jesus of Nazareth was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and went about doing good deeds and healing all who were being oppressed by the devil because God was with Him. Peter also proclaimed that Jesus was put to death on the cross and raised again on the third day, after which He appeared to those whom God had chosen to be eyewitnesses. Then he described how God commanded Peter and the other eyewitness to testify that Jesus is the One appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead, and bear witness saying “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name” (Acts 10:43).
Can you imagine this? Here is Peter, an Israelite, who all his life has been led to believe that Israelites are favored by God because He chose them and not the Gentiles, preaching now to a household full of Gentiles that yes indeed they too can be saved by believing in Jesus Christ - that God shows no partiality. The resurrection truly changes everything!
Peter still struggled with the change that came by means of the resurrection, the same as many of us may. Later Peter found himself in Antioch eating with Gentiles and expressing freedom from Old Testament ritual law; but when some Jews came by, he stops. It is as if he is uncertain or afraid of the implications of the change that the resurrection of Jesus has made. Paul in fact has to call him to repentance and bring him back to faith in the salvation won for all people, in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We struggle to reconcile the realities of our world, more specifically these days as we deal with how this Covid 19 virus affects us and our future. We think about the person who has just lost their job, or one who struggles with a dreaded disease. Doesn’t the Lord make a promise through the prophet Jeremiah when He said, “I know the plans I have for you, . . . plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). How can this be the Lord’s plan to prosper them? We struggle being at a graveside with the words of the Lord echoing in the air, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
Of course, the fact that we continue to have these difficulties does not change the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead. Nor does it change the fact that this changes everything. What it does mean is that we are still living in a fallen, broken world that is still feeling the effects of sin.
But the victory over sin, death, and the devil has already been won by Jesus’ atoning death on the cross and His resurrection! That is the fulfillment of God’s plan to give us a future and hope – that is what changed!
At the same time the victory has been won, there are still many battles to be fought. The devil refuses to go quietly and wait for Jesus to return when He will set all things right. He continually tries to stir up trouble by using the fallenness of our world to cause the Lord’s people to doubt that Jesus is truly risen from the dead and now reigns from the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
That’s why it’s good for us to worship today. Once more we hear the eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ disciples who actually saw the resurrected Jesus walking and talking and eating with them. The message of Easter encourages our faith and we are reminded that this same Jesus is the “one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). He will return one day with all of His glory to restore everything to the perfection, the way the world was originally created.
On that day, “every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Those who believe, who trust that Jesus’ death and resurrection paid the penalty for their sins, “receive forgiveness through His name” (Acts 10:43). That’s what Easter is all about.
We now live in a state of forgiveness, that enables us to forgive those who sin against us, to be reconciled with those from whom we are separated, and to mourn the loss of our loved ones in hopeful anticipation that when Christ returns He will bring with Him all those who have died in the faith, allowing us to be the church in the world. Because in Jesus all your sins are forgiven. Jesus is risen, and that changes everything. Amen.
The Resurrection of our Lord
The Resurrection Changes Everything
Christ is risen! [He is risen indeed! Alleluia!] Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Words are powerful. Words can change a person's life. Words can change history. Consider some words from our memorable history: “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy – January 20, 1961 “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” – Ronald Reagan – June 12, 1987. Heard those words before? They were just a few words, but they were memorable. Why? Because of the circumstances that surrounded them, and because of the impact they had.
Consider how the three words "He has risen!" spoken on Easter morning have changed human history - have changed your history! These three words were spoken 2000 years ago at a cemetery outside of Jerusalem. An angel announced, “He has risen!” With those three words the course of human history was changed forever. With those few words, YOUR life has been changed.
Things happen in our lives that become game changers for us – that lead us to a new normal, where life is not the same anymore. There is no shortage of events that could make this list, but the one that tops them all is the one we celebrate today: the Resurrection of our Lord. Think about it. Jesus came back to life! Of all the events that have changed the world, this one truly changes everything!
And this is not just some made up story. We have eyewitness testimony confirming the resurrection of Jesus in the Gospels. Matthew, one of the original disciples, was an eyewitness of the resurrected Jesus. From his testimony, I believe we can reasonably conclude that if Jesus had not truly risen from the dead it wouldn’t make any sense at all for him to claim that He did; because all the Romans would have to do would be to open the sealed tomb and prove that Jesus was still there and He hadn’t actually risen. Matthew would have then found himself on a cross for trying to resurrect a dead message about the kingdom of God coming in the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. And since He is risen from the dead, that changes everything.
Just consider Peter for a moment. Raised as an Israelite, he was very careful not to eat unclean foods and not to touch unclean things lest he be unable to come into the presence of God in the holy temple. At the same time he was raised to think the Israelites were holy and the Gentiles were not.”
All that changes one afternoon after Jesus’ resurrection. Peter is sitting on a rooftop waiting for dinner. At that moment he saw a vision of a great sheet being let down out of heaven. In the sheet were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds both clean and unclean. Then Peter hears a voice that says, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat” (Acts 10:13). Peter refuses to do what he is commanded to do because of those Old Testament purity laws - to which the voice says, “What God has made clean, do not call unclean” (Acts 10:15). The result of this exchange is that when a centurion, a Gentile named Cornelius, sends two men to ask Peter to come to his house (an unclean house, mind you) he goes and speaks the words of our first lesson today. He says, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). That is quite a change in his thinking. Yet that is what the resurrection does. It changes everything.
As a result of the resurrection, Peter preaches to Cornelius and his whole household that Jesus of Nazareth was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and went about doing good deeds and healing all who were being oppressed by the devil because God was with Him. Peter also proclaimed that Jesus was put to death on the cross and raised again on the third day, after which He appeared to those whom God had chosen to be eyewitnesses. Then he described how God commanded Peter and the other eyewitness to testify that Jesus is the One appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead, and bear witness saying “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name” (Acts 10:43).
Can you imagine this? Here is Peter, an Israelite, who all his life has been led to believe that Israelites are favored by God because He chose them and not the Gentiles, preaching now to a household full of Gentiles that yes indeed they too can be saved by believing in Jesus Christ - that God shows no partiality. The resurrection truly changes everything!
Peter still struggled with the change that came by means of the resurrection, the same as many of us may. Later Peter found himself in Antioch eating with Gentiles and expressing freedom from Old Testament ritual law; but when some Jews came by, he stops. It is as if he is uncertain or afraid of the implications of the change that the resurrection of Jesus has made. Paul in fact has to call him to repentance and bring him back to faith in the salvation won for all people, in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We struggle to reconcile the realities of our world, more specifically these days as we deal with how this Covid 19 virus affects us and our future. We think about the person who has just lost their job, or one who struggles with a dreaded disease. Doesn’t the Lord make a promise through the prophet Jeremiah when He said, “I know the plans I have for you, . . . plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). How can this be the Lord’s plan to prosper them? We struggle being at a graveside with the words of the Lord echoing in the air, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
Of course, the fact that we continue to have these difficulties does not change the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead. Nor does it change the fact that this changes everything. What it does mean is that we are still living in a fallen, broken world that is still feeling the effects of sin.
But the victory over sin, death, and the devil has already been won by Jesus’ atoning death on the cross and His resurrection! That is the fulfillment of God’s plan to give us a future and hope – that is what changed!
At the same time the victory has been won, there are still many battles to be fought. The devil refuses to go quietly and wait for Jesus to return when He will set all things right. He continually tries to stir up trouble by using the fallenness of our world to cause the Lord’s people to doubt that Jesus is truly risen from the dead and now reigns from the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
That’s why it’s good for us to worship today. Once more we hear the eyewitness testimony of Jesus’ disciples who actually saw the resurrected Jesus walking and talking and eating with them. The message of Easter encourages our faith and we are reminded that this same Jesus is the “one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead” (Acts 10:42). He will return one day with all of His glory to restore everything to the perfection, the way the world was originally created.
On that day, “every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and under earth and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Those who believe, who trust that Jesus’ death and resurrection paid the penalty for their sins, “receive forgiveness through His name” (Acts 10:43). That’s what Easter is all about.
We now live in a state of forgiveness, that enables us to forgive those who sin against us, to be reconciled with those from whom we are separated, and to mourn the loss of our loved ones in hopeful anticipation that when Christ returns He will bring with Him all those who have died in the faith, allowing us to be the church in the world. Because in Jesus all your sins are forgiven. Jesus is risen, and that changes everything. Amen.
CREED Apostles Creed
Pastor: Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: … through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
Pastor: Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
People: 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
Pastor: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace. [Numbers 6:24–26]
People: Amen.
HYMN “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia” [LSB 469]
CREED Apostles Creed
Pastor: Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: … through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
People: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
Pastor: Let us pray the prayer our Lord has taught us.
People: 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICAMUS AND BENEDICTION
Pastor: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace. [Numbers 6:24–26]
People: Amen.
HYMN “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia” [LSB 469]
Lutheran Service Book, Divine Service Setting I. Copyright © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Good Friday
The Wonderful Cross
April 10, 2020
AS WE GATHER
It seems strange to call this day “good.” After all, on this day, Jesus, our Savior and Lord, was tortured, beaten, spit upon, and brutally crucified on a cross. What is good about that? Actually, the goodness of this day is extensive and amazing. At the cross, God’s plan to redeem the world came to full fruition. Rather than ignore our sin, pretend it away, or eternally turn away from us, God became one of us, and in an act of pure self-sacrifice and love, Jesus willingly suffered the worst. For you. For me. For the world. Ours is not a God who says to us, “If you obey Me well enough, then I might love you.” Our God says to us at the outset, “I love you. I willingly gave My life for yours. If you want to see the extent of My love, look to the cross. Let My love draw you to hear and obey Me.” So today’s service is not a funeral for Jesus. It is a way to remember the events of Jesus’ death—including the allusions to it already in the Old Testament. It is an occasion for us to be drawn closer in love to the God who loves us unconditionally. It is an occasion to weep over our sin that made the crucifixion of Jesus necessary. It is an occasion to rejoice in the forgiveness and peace that comes from putting our faith in our crucified Lord. It is an occasion to marvel at the breadth, height, and depth of God’s love for us. Yes, it is Good Friday.
INTROIT Psalm 38:1–4, 18, 22; antiphon: Isaiah 53:5
Pastor: He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
O Lord, rebuke me not in Your anger,
nor discipline me in Your wrath!
For Your arrows have sunk into me,
and Your hand has come down on me.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning
is now and forever will be. Amen.
He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
COLLECT
Pastor: Let us pray.
Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
X WORD X
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (Isaiah describes a
suffering servant who has “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”)
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST John 18:1–19:42
Pastor: The Passion of our Lord is part of our faith walk. As we observe this Good Friday and what Jesus did for us sinners, we continue with a reading of the passion of our Lord according to St. John
Reading: The Betrayal and arrest of Jesus – John 18:1-11
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" 5 They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go." 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one." 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"
Extinguishing the first candle
Reading: Jesus before the High Priest and the Denial of Peter – John 18:12-27
12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said." 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?" 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
Extinguish the second Candle
Reading: Jesus stands before Pilate – John 18:28-40
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" 30 They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." 31 Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." 37 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." 38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" 40 They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.
Extinguish the third candle
Reading: Jesus is prepared for crucifixion – John 19:1-16
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him." 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him." 7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God." 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin."
12 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
Extinguish the fourth candle
Reading: The Crucifixion of Jesus – John 19:16-24
16 So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." So the soldiers did these things,
Extinguish the fifth candle
Reading: Jesus’ Mother and His Death – John 19:25-30
25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Extinguish the sixth candle
Reading: Jesus’ Side is pierced – John 19:31-42
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced."
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Extinguish the seventh candle
Silence
April 10, 2020
AS WE GATHER
It seems strange to call this day “good.” After all, on this day, Jesus, our Savior and Lord, was tortured, beaten, spit upon, and brutally crucified on a cross. What is good about that? Actually, the goodness of this day is extensive and amazing. At the cross, God’s plan to redeem the world came to full fruition. Rather than ignore our sin, pretend it away, or eternally turn away from us, God became one of us, and in an act of pure self-sacrifice and love, Jesus willingly suffered the worst. For you. For me. For the world. Ours is not a God who says to us, “If you obey Me well enough, then I might love you.” Our God says to us at the outset, “I love you. I willingly gave My life for yours. If you want to see the extent of My love, look to the cross. Let My love draw you to hear and obey Me.” So today’s service is not a funeral for Jesus. It is a way to remember the events of Jesus’ death—including the allusions to it already in the Old Testament. It is an occasion for us to be drawn closer in love to the God who loves us unconditionally. It is an occasion to weep over our sin that made the crucifixion of Jesus necessary. It is an occasion to rejoice in the forgiveness and peace that comes from putting our faith in our crucified Lord. It is an occasion to marvel at the breadth, height, and depth of God’s love for us. Yes, it is Good Friday.
INTROIT Psalm 38:1–4, 18, 22; antiphon: Isaiah 53:5
Pastor: He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
O Lord, rebuke me not in Your anger,
nor discipline me in Your wrath!
For Your arrows have sunk into me,
and Your hand has come down on me.
There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;
there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
For my iniquities have gone over my head;
like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.
I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning
is now and forever will be. Amen.
He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes we are healed.
COLLECT
Pastor: Let us pray.
Almighty God, graciously behold this Your family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed and delivered into the hands of sinful men to suffer death upon the cross; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
X WORD X
OLD TESTAMENT READING Isaiah 52:13–53:12 (Isaiah describes a
suffering servant who has “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”)
13 Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. 14 As many were astonished at you-- his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind-- 15 so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.
1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned--every one--to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST John 18:1–19:42
Pastor: The Passion of our Lord is part of our faith walk. As we observe this Good Friday and what Jesus did for us sinners, we continue with a reading of the passion of our Lord according to St. John
Reading: The Betrayal and arrest of Jesus – John 18:1-11
1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" 5 They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8 Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go." 9 This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one." 10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"
Extinguishing the first candle
Reading: Jesus before the High Priest and the Denial of Peter – John 18:12-27
12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.
15 Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, 16 but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of this man's disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." 18 Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
19 The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said." 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" 23 Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?" 24 Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" 27 Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.
Extinguish the second Candle
Reading: Jesus stands before Pilate – John 18:28-40
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" 30 They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." 31 Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" 34 Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" 35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" 36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." 37 Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." 38 Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him. 39 But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" 40 They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.
Extinguish the third candle
Reading: Jesus is prepared for crucifixion – John 19:1-16
1 Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him." 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him." 7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God." 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin."
12 From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." 13 So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. 14 Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" 15 They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." 16 So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
Extinguish the fourth candle
Reading: The Crucifixion of Jesus – John 19:16-24
16 So they took Jesus, 17 and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. 19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." 20 Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."
23 When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, 24 so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." So the soldiers did these things,
Extinguish the fifth candle
Reading: Jesus’ Mother and His Death – John 19:25-30
25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." 29 A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Extinguish the sixth candle
Reading: Jesus’ Side is pierced – John 19:31-42
31 Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." 37 And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced."
38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.
Extinguish the seventh candle
Silence
Sermon: Success or Failure
John 19:17-30 Grace Lutheran Church 4/10/2020
Success Or Failure
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
How would you define “Success”? Surviving the corona virus pandemic? Winning the lottery? Being famous? Working hard and making a name for yourself? Finishing a project? Would success be to you?
How about this for a definition: Work 3 years, gain many followers and become popular wherever you go. To have a name above all names. So good so far. But let’s add to that definition to then get arrested, tortured and humiliated. Be condemned, sentenced to death, and have almost everyone abandon you. In summary: having all of the success you achieve in a lifetime come to an end in one week. To have your name and reputation dragged through the mud.
I don’t think any of us would define success this way. If this was the way our lives turned out we would consider ourselves a miserable failure. When it comes to human success, we find success doesn’t last like failure does. Speaking from experience, people remember failure more than achievements.
Of course, the definition I gave doesn’t describe our lives, but it can be a short description of the life, work and death of Jesus Christ. He started small, gathered a following, got people’s attention wherever He went. But somewhere, somehow something went wrong. The popular guy suddenly was not top dog anymore – His fame is waning. In fact, there is already a plan in motion to topple Him and send Him into obscurity. And, as we heard in the Gospel today, their plan against Him was successful.
And it might have been by human standards. However, everything that happened was only confirming how successful God’s original plan truly was. God planned to send his Son, Jesus Christ to do exactly this: to give his own life, suffer and die for all humanity, completely consumed in the miserable failure of sin. So, in God’s eyes what we have here is total success.
Now let’s make a pause here to reflect how it connects to the first table of the Law. The Pharisees and the crowd were not only breaking the first commandment, of not having other gods. They were also breaking the second commandment of not misusing the name of the Lord your God as they dragged Jesus’ name through the dusty streets of Jerusalem making a mockery of Him. Jesus is God, Lord, and Savior, but they refused to praise his name. The crowd took it in vain. They preferred even the name of Barabbas to Jesus’. They chose the name of a murderer and criminal. The ones who you suppose would make sure God’s commandments are being observed were blatantly acting against His law.
That’s how we sin against God too when we use His name in vain. This is not just a random name, or a set of letters that are put together to symbolize something else. The name IS God. If we take God’s name in vain, we are sinning not only against a name. We are sinning against God Himself. We sin against Jesus.
Well, back to the supposed “failure” found in the account of Jesus’s passion. We somehow understand why the message of the cross isn’t often as welcome as you would think in our world. It sounds like a message of failure. A big leader who dies, being abandoned even by close friends. Where was His leadership ability, His vision of the future, His ability to perform under pressure in the heat of crisis management, His uncanny ability to protect His good name in the heat of a public scandal? And when a Christian refers to the resurrection as victory over death, the unbelieving heart is thinking “It is a story invented by his disciples to cope with failure, loss and sorrow. That this whole crucifixion and resurrection thing could never have taken place.”
If the Holy Week were a scene in a movie, usually all we see are the people acting in front of the camera. And yet also many others are behind the scenes. But they all forget that above the obvious appearances, is the One whose sight misses nothing. He sees everything. So, that in what was deemed to be one of the biggest failures ever, He was really working the greatest work of love of all time.
Holy Week shows us that contrary to that old adage “Nothing fails like success,” that really “Nothing was more successful than failure.” In this case, Christ’s apparent failure was the only successful rescue plan in History: God rescuing us from sin, death, and hell. It was an event that was so successful that it even divided human History in 2 parts – before and after Christ.
Good Friday is the day when we remember this successful failure. That is, something that seemed to be going wrong, but was happening perfectly right. The name above all names dragged through the streets of Jerusalem to glory! A victory over death on Good Friday that manifests itself on Easter Morning.
Sometimes we feel we are a miserable failure in our lives. Everything just seems to go wrong. We feel ashamed, that our “good” name is not good at all. Christ reminds us that above all is the One who knows the how all this plays out for us and He works for our good. Even when all we see is apparent failure, His Holy Spirit Works in our hearts to give us the highest success we can receive, faithfulness to the Man who hung on the cross in our place. So even as we Christians are being dragged through the muck of sin, in the end all of our sin is covered with Jesus’ truly good name, the name above all names. The name we can call upon in every time of trouble.
I know there is a lot of worry and concern right now over the impact of the corona virus will have in our lives. And I would like to leave you with this thought: success is not measured in how many thousands of people you gather, or how much money the Church has. The success of Christ’s work lies in the fact that He obeyed God’s law perfectly, went to the cross and obtained forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life for every single human being. Once and for all, nothing else can for your eternal salvation. This is our focus now. There’s nothing as successful as the “failure” on the cross. Because Christ’s success brings us everything we’ll ever need, we are free to praise and give thanks to his Holy NAME. Amen
Success Or Failure
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
How would you define “Success”? Surviving the corona virus pandemic? Winning the lottery? Being famous? Working hard and making a name for yourself? Finishing a project? Would success be to you?
How about this for a definition: Work 3 years, gain many followers and become popular wherever you go. To have a name above all names. So good so far. But let’s add to that definition to then get arrested, tortured and humiliated. Be condemned, sentenced to death, and have almost everyone abandon you. In summary: having all of the success you achieve in a lifetime come to an end in one week. To have your name and reputation dragged through the mud.
I don’t think any of us would define success this way. If this was the way our lives turned out we would consider ourselves a miserable failure. When it comes to human success, we find success doesn’t last like failure does. Speaking from experience, people remember failure more than achievements.
Of course, the definition I gave doesn’t describe our lives, but it can be a short description of the life, work and death of Jesus Christ. He started small, gathered a following, got people’s attention wherever He went. But somewhere, somehow something went wrong. The popular guy suddenly was not top dog anymore – His fame is waning. In fact, there is already a plan in motion to topple Him and send Him into obscurity. And, as we heard in the Gospel today, their plan against Him was successful.
And it might have been by human standards. However, everything that happened was only confirming how successful God’s original plan truly was. God planned to send his Son, Jesus Christ to do exactly this: to give his own life, suffer and die for all humanity, completely consumed in the miserable failure of sin. So, in God’s eyes what we have here is total success.
Now let’s make a pause here to reflect how it connects to the first table of the Law. The Pharisees and the crowd were not only breaking the first commandment, of not having other gods. They were also breaking the second commandment of not misusing the name of the Lord your God as they dragged Jesus’ name through the dusty streets of Jerusalem making a mockery of Him. Jesus is God, Lord, and Savior, but they refused to praise his name. The crowd took it in vain. They preferred even the name of Barabbas to Jesus’. They chose the name of a murderer and criminal. The ones who you suppose would make sure God’s commandments are being observed were blatantly acting against His law.
That’s how we sin against God too when we use His name in vain. This is not just a random name, or a set of letters that are put together to symbolize something else. The name IS God. If we take God’s name in vain, we are sinning not only against a name. We are sinning against God Himself. We sin against Jesus.
Well, back to the supposed “failure” found in the account of Jesus’s passion. We somehow understand why the message of the cross isn’t often as welcome as you would think in our world. It sounds like a message of failure. A big leader who dies, being abandoned even by close friends. Where was His leadership ability, His vision of the future, His ability to perform under pressure in the heat of crisis management, His uncanny ability to protect His good name in the heat of a public scandal? And when a Christian refers to the resurrection as victory over death, the unbelieving heart is thinking “It is a story invented by his disciples to cope with failure, loss and sorrow. That this whole crucifixion and resurrection thing could never have taken place.”
If the Holy Week were a scene in a movie, usually all we see are the people acting in front of the camera. And yet also many others are behind the scenes. But they all forget that above the obvious appearances, is the One whose sight misses nothing. He sees everything. So, that in what was deemed to be one of the biggest failures ever, He was really working the greatest work of love of all time.
Holy Week shows us that contrary to that old adage “Nothing fails like success,” that really “Nothing was more successful than failure.” In this case, Christ’s apparent failure was the only successful rescue plan in History: God rescuing us from sin, death, and hell. It was an event that was so successful that it even divided human History in 2 parts – before and after Christ.
Good Friday is the day when we remember this successful failure. That is, something that seemed to be going wrong, but was happening perfectly right. The name above all names dragged through the streets of Jerusalem to glory! A victory over death on Good Friday that manifests itself on Easter Morning.
Sometimes we feel we are a miserable failure in our lives. Everything just seems to go wrong. We feel ashamed, that our “good” name is not good at all. Christ reminds us that above all is the One who knows the how all this plays out for us and He works for our good. Even when all we see is apparent failure, His Holy Spirit Works in our hearts to give us the highest success we can receive, faithfulness to the Man who hung on the cross in our place. So even as we Christians are being dragged through the muck of sin, in the end all of our sin is covered with Jesus’ truly good name, the name above all names. The name we can call upon in every time of trouble.
I know there is a lot of worry and concern right now over the impact of the corona virus will have in our lives. And I would like to leave you with this thought: success is not measured in how many thousands of people you gather, or how much money the Church has. The success of Christ’s work lies in the fact that He obeyed God’s law perfectly, went to the cross and obtained forgiveness of sins, salvation and eternal life for every single human being. Once and for all, nothing else can for your eternal salvation. This is our focus now. There’s nothing as successful as the “failure” on the cross. Because Christ’s success brings us everything we’ll ever need, we are free to praise and give thanks to his Holy NAME. Amen
CREED Apostles Creed
Pastor: Let us profess our faith in the words of the Apostle’s Creed:
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
All: 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The service ends in silence
Adapted from Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Quarter 2. Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Maundy THursday
New Covenant Promise
April 9, 2020
AS WE GATHER
Holy Thursday begins the great three days that commemorate how God accomplished our salvation in Jesus Christ. The first part of the service is confession and forgiveness, the culmination of the Lenten season of repentance. Holy Thursday then recalls two central events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. First is the Lord’s Supper. The Gospel tells of the Holy Thursday night when, during the Passover meal, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is My body.” He then took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My blood of the new covenant.” The old covenant involved regular repeated animal sacrifice. This new covenant involves the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus’ blood, which fulfilled the old covenant once for all. We now share this Meal regularly in remembrance of Jesus’ all-availing sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. The second central event recalled tonight is the abandonment of Jesus by all who loved Him. This is remembered by the action of stripping the altar while Psalm 22 is read. This reminder of how Jesus was forsaken also assures us that Jesus is with us at times when we feel forsaken.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION
Pastor: People of God, we struggle against sin, death, and the power of the devil. We have intensified the struggle begun at Baptism to daily die with Christ and also to rise daily in Christ to live anew. In this struggle we have been reminded again that we are weak and Christ is strong. We need the forgiveness of our sins in order to live as the people God has called us to be.
A time of silence is observed.
Pastor: Assured of God’s love for us through our Baptism into Christ, we confess our sin against God and our neighbors, so that we enter these three days, so central to our faith, reconciled to God and to one another. We confess:
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: The Word of God is living and active. Words of forgiveness spoken in the name of Jesus do what they say. Receive the forgiveness won for you by the blood of Jesus in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
INTROIT
All: Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and forever will be. Amen
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray.
O Lord, in the wondrous Sacrament of the Altar, that we long to join together and receive again in this place, You have left us a remembrance of Your passion. Grant that we may so receive the sacred mystery of Your body and blood that the fruits of Your redemption may continually be manifest in us; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
X WORD X
FIRST READING Hebrews 9:11–22 (Jesus is the high priest of the new covenant who
gives His Own blood, rather than the blood of
animals, to secure eternal redemption.)
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING Matthew 26:16-20 (Jesus prepares for the Passover.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-sixth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
HOLY GOSPEL John 13:1-35 (Jesus declares all people will know you are His disciples
by your love.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the thirteenth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
April 9, 2020
AS WE GATHER
Holy Thursday begins the great three days that commemorate how God accomplished our salvation in Jesus Christ. The first part of the service is confession and forgiveness, the culmination of the Lenten season of repentance. Holy Thursday then recalls two central events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. First is the Lord’s Supper. The Gospel tells of the Holy Thursday night when, during the Passover meal, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is My body.” He then took the cup, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My blood of the new covenant.” The old covenant involved regular repeated animal sacrifice. This new covenant involves the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus’ blood, which fulfilled the old covenant once for all. We now share this Meal regularly in remembrance of Jesus’ all-availing sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. The second central event recalled tonight is the abandonment of Jesus by all who loved Him. This is remembered by the action of stripping the altar while Psalm 22 is read. This reminder of how Jesus was forsaken also assures us that Jesus is with us at times when we feel forsaken.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION
Pastor: People of God, we struggle against sin, death, and the power of the devil. We have intensified the struggle begun at Baptism to daily die with Christ and also to rise daily in Christ to live anew. In this struggle we have been reminded again that we are weak and Christ is strong. We need the forgiveness of our sins in order to live as the people God has called us to be.
A time of silence is observed.
Pastor: Assured of God’s love for us through our Baptism into Christ, we confess our sin against God and our neighbors, so that we enter these three days, so central to our faith, reconciled to God and to one another. We confess:
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: The Word of God is living and active. Words of forgiveness spoken in the name of Jesus do what they say. Receive the forgiveness won for you by the blood of Jesus in the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
INTROIT
All: Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and forever will be. Amen
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray.
O Lord, in the wondrous Sacrament of the Altar, that we long to join together and receive again in this place, You have left us a remembrance of Your passion. Grant that we may so receive the sacred mystery of Your body and blood that the fruits of Your redemption may continually be manifest in us; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
X WORD X
FIRST READING Hebrews 9:11–22 (Jesus is the high priest of the new covenant who
gives His Own blood, rather than the blood of
animals, to secure eternal redemption.)
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
SECOND READING Matthew 26:16-20 (Jesus prepares for the Passover.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-sixth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
HOLY GOSPEL John 13:1-35 (Jesus declares all people will know you are His disciples
by your love.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the thirteenth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. 33 Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
sERMON: mARKS OF THE cHURCH
John 13:1-35 Grace Lutheran Church 4-9-2020
Maundy Thursday
Marks of the Church: Love
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our theme for the Lenten season before we were sheltered in place was the marks of the church. We look for these marks because the Church itself is an invisible body. It consists of those who adhere to the true faith; but faith can’t be seen. What can be seen are the marks. So we know that where the marks are, God’s Word and sacrament, there the Church must be. And if you want to be part of the Church, that’s where you know you should be too: where the marks are.
Well, today I’m going off script. It is Maundy Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin root that shows up in words like command, demand, and mandatory. It has to do with issuing orders, commands to obey. And it was on this night that Jesus gave his disciples a new command: that we love one another. He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." So, even though Luther did not put Christian love on his list of marks of the Church, the Lord Jesus put it on his. So, I feel that I’m on pretty safe ground.
But we should ask why Luther didn’t include Christian love on his list. I think you can go out and find the Word of God being taught correctly. You can find the Sacraments and Keys being properly administered. You can find a pastor who performs the tasks of ministry with due diligence. And you can find people praising and thanking the Lord and offering prayers to him. But true Christian love ... well, that’s a lot harder to find. Sadly, among the disciples of Jesus, love can be just as invisible as the Church is – and it’s not simply because you can’t see it, but very often because it isn’t there.
All you have to do is look at the original disciples of Jesus. They confessed the truth about Jesus. They believed him to be the Son of God and the promised Savior. They were the Church. And yet they were always arguing with one another about which of them was the greatest. They competed with each other to secure for themselves the highest place of honor in the kingdom. They were self-centered, ambitious, envious, seekers of power, glory, wealth, and fame. There wasn’t a whole lot of love going on between them.
But they were the Church. Or take Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He calls them the saints of God. They were the Church in that place; but it was one messed up congregation with factions and infighting and sexual sins and all kinds of other moral and theological problems. Love was not particularly evident among them. To be sure, that was Paul’s major point in writing to them. You are the Church. Act like it. Seek the greatest gift of the Spirit – which is love.
This, I’m certain, is the reason that Luther didn’t include love as a mark of the Church. The Church can exist where love is not evident. But according to Christ’s own command, it shouldn’t be that way. “By this all people” – believers and unbelievers alike – “will know that you are my disciples.” Jesus wants our love for one another to be the foremost mark of his Church.
And that’s why on the holy night in which He was betrayed and on which he gave us this command, Jesus demonstrated for us how true Christian love should appear. He does it by washing his disciples’ feet. And to fully appreciate the significance of it, you have to understand the cultural context.
To wash someone else’s feet would have been considered the lowest of low tasks. And you can understand why. They didn’t wear shoes and socks back then. People either went barefoot or wore open sandals. And they walked on the dusty ground wherever they went. They didn’t have paved roads and concrete sidewalks. They walked where the livestock did – and you know what that means.
Even most of their homes would have had dirt floors. The point being that your feet were always dirty. You couldn’t keep them clean. As soon as you were done bathing, you had to set them on the ground again – and now they’re dirty again. Because of this, people were naturally embarrassed about them. You didn’t talk about them. You certainly didn’t look at someone’s feet if you were talking to them; no, out of politeness you avoided glancing downward. And even if you did happen to see someone’s feet, you didn’t (if you know what mean).
Understanding this, you can imagine the disciples’ shock and horror when Jesus, the man they called their Lord and Master, took this task upon himself. Peter gives voice to what all of them were thinking. “No way! You’re not washing my feet! Never!” Behind that outburst was what Peter was thinking: Lord, I don’t want you looking at my nasty feet, I certainly don’t want you touching them, and whatever cleaning they need I’ll take care of myself, thank you very much.
The thing to see is that the foot washing was only an illustration of the greater reality that Jesus was driving at. You think washing your feet is a humble, disgusting task? How about the dirty job of cleansing your filthy, sinful heart, mind, and soul? The feet make a great metaphor for this. Like your soul, you can’t keep them clean. You confess your sins, have the absolution pronounced: you’re all clean. Not one sin remains. But before you take another breath, you’ve started accumulating more guilt on your soul. And like the feet in that culture, you don’t want anyone looking at your guilty heart, soul, and mind. This sin thing is something you’d like to be able to take care of yourself.
But you can’t. That’s the point. That’s why Jesus said, “Peter, unless you let me wash you, you have no part of me.” Only Jesus can cleanse you from your sins. He takes that disgusting task on himself. And that’s why it’s significant that Jesus strips off his outer garment, wraps a towel around his waist, and wipes their feet on the towel he’s wearing. He’s taking their sins on himself. And before that day was over, he completed what he started when he suffered and died for those sins on the cross. That’s how Jesus demonstrates Christian love. And that’s how he has commanded us to love one another.
Jesus died for all of our sins. But He calls upon us to show the same level of devotion, willingness, patience and, kindness to do for one another whatever needs to be done. Jesus set the example by washing the feet of his disciples. Obviously, foot washing doesn’t carry the same meaning in our time and culture. It’s more like: “Look at me! See how humble and loving I am?”
No, Jesus calls us to genuine Christian love that isn’t shown off to become a source of sinful pride. He calls us to Christian love that serves the neighbor. You need it? Here. It’s yours. You need help with that? Let me lend you a hand. You hurt or offend me in some way? I forgive you. I’m not going to let it come between us.
Note too that Jesus washed the feet of all the disciples, even Judas who was at that very moment planning to betray him. It didn’t matter. Jesus served even his enemies. So too our love is tested with the difficult cases. It’s relatively easy to be kind to and assist those we like. But we are called to love also those who are hard to live with, and openly hostile. We are called to serve and love them even as Christ does for us.
It isn’t easy. On our own, it’s impossible; but we are not on our own. We have been given the Spirit and mind of Christ. He serves us with his own body and blood. He forgives us when we fail, and raises us to walk with him in newness of life. And he commands us to love one another in a way that all people can see and thereby know that we are his disciples. Such love is all too often not a mark of the Church. But it should be. Let us make it a mark among us. Amen.
Maundy Thursday
Marks of the Church: Love
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Our theme for the Lenten season before we were sheltered in place was the marks of the church. We look for these marks because the Church itself is an invisible body. It consists of those who adhere to the true faith; but faith can’t be seen. What can be seen are the marks. So we know that where the marks are, God’s Word and sacrament, there the Church must be. And if you want to be part of the Church, that’s where you know you should be too: where the marks are.
Well, today I’m going off script. It is Maundy Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin root that shows up in words like command, demand, and mandatory. It has to do with issuing orders, commands to obey. And it was on this night that Jesus gave his disciples a new command: that we love one another. He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." So, even though Luther did not put Christian love on his list of marks of the Church, the Lord Jesus put it on his. So, I feel that I’m on pretty safe ground.
But we should ask why Luther didn’t include Christian love on his list. I think you can go out and find the Word of God being taught correctly. You can find the Sacraments and Keys being properly administered. You can find a pastor who performs the tasks of ministry with due diligence. And you can find people praising and thanking the Lord and offering prayers to him. But true Christian love ... well, that’s a lot harder to find. Sadly, among the disciples of Jesus, love can be just as invisible as the Church is – and it’s not simply because you can’t see it, but very often because it isn’t there.
All you have to do is look at the original disciples of Jesus. They confessed the truth about Jesus. They believed him to be the Son of God and the promised Savior. They were the Church. And yet they were always arguing with one another about which of them was the greatest. They competed with each other to secure for themselves the highest place of honor in the kingdom. They were self-centered, ambitious, envious, seekers of power, glory, wealth, and fame. There wasn’t a whole lot of love going on between them.
But they were the Church. Or take Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He calls them the saints of God. They were the Church in that place; but it was one messed up congregation with factions and infighting and sexual sins and all kinds of other moral and theological problems. Love was not particularly evident among them. To be sure, that was Paul’s major point in writing to them. You are the Church. Act like it. Seek the greatest gift of the Spirit – which is love.
This, I’m certain, is the reason that Luther didn’t include love as a mark of the Church. The Church can exist where love is not evident. But according to Christ’s own command, it shouldn’t be that way. “By this all people” – believers and unbelievers alike – “will know that you are my disciples.” Jesus wants our love for one another to be the foremost mark of his Church.
And that’s why on the holy night in which He was betrayed and on which he gave us this command, Jesus demonstrated for us how true Christian love should appear. He does it by washing his disciples’ feet. And to fully appreciate the significance of it, you have to understand the cultural context.
To wash someone else’s feet would have been considered the lowest of low tasks. And you can understand why. They didn’t wear shoes and socks back then. People either went barefoot or wore open sandals. And they walked on the dusty ground wherever they went. They didn’t have paved roads and concrete sidewalks. They walked where the livestock did – and you know what that means.
Even most of their homes would have had dirt floors. The point being that your feet were always dirty. You couldn’t keep them clean. As soon as you were done bathing, you had to set them on the ground again – and now they’re dirty again. Because of this, people were naturally embarrassed about them. You didn’t talk about them. You certainly didn’t look at someone’s feet if you were talking to them; no, out of politeness you avoided glancing downward. And even if you did happen to see someone’s feet, you didn’t (if you know what mean).
Understanding this, you can imagine the disciples’ shock and horror when Jesus, the man they called their Lord and Master, took this task upon himself. Peter gives voice to what all of them were thinking. “No way! You’re not washing my feet! Never!” Behind that outburst was what Peter was thinking: Lord, I don’t want you looking at my nasty feet, I certainly don’t want you touching them, and whatever cleaning they need I’ll take care of myself, thank you very much.
The thing to see is that the foot washing was only an illustration of the greater reality that Jesus was driving at. You think washing your feet is a humble, disgusting task? How about the dirty job of cleansing your filthy, sinful heart, mind, and soul? The feet make a great metaphor for this. Like your soul, you can’t keep them clean. You confess your sins, have the absolution pronounced: you’re all clean. Not one sin remains. But before you take another breath, you’ve started accumulating more guilt on your soul. And like the feet in that culture, you don’t want anyone looking at your guilty heart, soul, and mind. This sin thing is something you’d like to be able to take care of yourself.
But you can’t. That’s the point. That’s why Jesus said, “Peter, unless you let me wash you, you have no part of me.” Only Jesus can cleanse you from your sins. He takes that disgusting task on himself. And that’s why it’s significant that Jesus strips off his outer garment, wraps a towel around his waist, and wipes their feet on the towel he’s wearing. He’s taking their sins on himself. And before that day was over, he completed what he started when he suffered and died for those sins on the cross. That’s how Jesus demonstrates Christian love. And that’s how he has commanded us to love one another.
Jesus died for all of our sins. But He calls upon us to show the same level of devotion, willingness, patience and, kindness to do for one another whatever needs to be done. Jesus set the example by washing the feet of his disciples. Obviously, foot washing doesn’t carry the same meaning in our time and culture. It’s more like: “Look at me! See how humble and loving I am?”
No, Jesus calls us to genuine Christian love that isn’t shown off to become a source of sinful pride. He calls us to Christian love that serves the neighbor. You need it? Here. It’s yours. You need help with that? Let me lend you a hand. You hurt or offend me in some way? I forgive you. I’m not going to let it come between us.
Note too that Jesus washed the feet of all the disciples, even Judas who was at that very moment planning to betray him. It didn’t matter. Jesus served even his enemies. So too our love is tested with the difficult cases. It’s relatively easy to be kind to and assist those we like. But we are called to love also those who are hard to live with, and openly hostile. We are called to serve and love them even as Christ does for us.
It isn’t easy. On our own, it’s impossible; but we are not on our own. We have been given the Spirit and mind of Christ. He serves us with his own body and blood. He forgives us when we fail, and raises us to walk with him in newness of life. And he commands us to love one another in a way that all people can see and thereby know that we are his disciples. Such love is all too often not a mark of the Church. But it should be. Let us make it a mark among us. Amen.
CREED Apostles Creed
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: … Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
People: 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
[The church is darkened. The pastor and assistant remove the paraments, candles, and any other adornments on the altar and in the chancel.]
STRIPPING OF THE ALTAR Psalm 22
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
and by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are holy,
enthroned on the praises[a] of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were rescued;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by mankind and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they make mouths at me; they wag their heads;
“He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him;
let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”
Yet you are he who took me from the womb;
you made me trust you at my mother's breasts.
On you was I cast from my birth,
and from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Be not far from me,
for trouble is near,
and there is none to help.
Many bulls encompass me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs encompass me;
a company of evildoers encircles me;
they have pierced my hands and feet[b]--
I can count all my bones--
they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far off!
O you my help, come quickly to my aid!
Deliver my soul from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dog!
Save me from the mouth of the lion!
You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen!
I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him,
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his face from him,
but has heard, when he cried to him.
From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
my vows I will perform before those who fear him.
The afflicted[d] shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall praise the Lord!
May your hearts live forever!
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep himself alive.
Posterity shall serve him;
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation;
they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn,
that he has done it.
The service ends in silence.
Adapted from Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Quarter 2. Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Palm SUnday
April 5, 2020
AS WE GATHER
Palm Sunday begins with unbridled joy as we recall how Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, while being acclaimed by the crowds with loud shouts of “Hosanna” and boisterous waving of palm branches. So today we begin with songs of praise and waving of palm branches as we hail Jesus as the One worthy of all glory, laud, and honor. But then the solemnness of Holy Week also begins. With a time of silence, the service shifts our focus to Jesus’ path to the cross. As foretold by prophets long ago, Jesus was stricken and afflicted, beaten and spit upon, crucified, and He died. He did this out of divine love for all of humanity, taking on Himself the sins of all people for our forgiveness. Today’s worship reflects the pattern of our lives. At times we experience unbridled joy and celebration. And then, sometimes in the next moment, we experience heartbreaking suffering. Jesus is there with us—in the joyful celebrations, in the heartbreak and suffering. He alone can transform it all into deeper love for God and neighbor. The hour of Jesus’ death on the cross is the hour of our life and salvation.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit
People: Amen
INTROIT Psalm 24:7–10; antiphon: Psalm 118:26
ALL: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless You from the house of the Lord.
Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!
Glory be to the Father and to the son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now and forever will be. Amen.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless You from the house of the Lord.
BLESSING OF PALMS (Even though they are absent)
Pastor: We praise You, God, for redeeming the world through our Savior Jesus Christ. Today we remember that He entered the holy city in triumph and was proclaimed Messiah and King by those who spread garments and palm branches along His way. As we enter this Holy Week, grant us grace to follow our Lord in the way of the cross, so that, joined to His death and resurrection, we may enter into life with You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
X Service of the Word X
SALUTATION
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
EPISTLE Philippians 2:5–11 (Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL John 12:12-19 (Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to, O Christ.
AS WE GATHER
Palm Sunday begins with unbridled joy as we recall how Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, while being acclaimed by the crowds with loud shouts of “Hosanna” and boisterous waving of palm branches. So today we begin with songs of praise and waving of palm branches as we hail Jesus as the One worthy of all glory, laud, and honor. But then the solemnness of Holy Week also begins. With a time of silence, the service shifts our focus to Jesus’ path to the cross. As foretold by prophets long ago, Jesus was stricken and afflicted, beaten and spit upon, crucified, and He died. He did this out of divine love for all of humanity, taking on Himself the sins of all people for our forgiveness. Today’s worship reflects the pattern of our lives. At times we experience unbridled joy and celebration. And then, sometimes in the next moment, we experience heartbreaking suffering. Jesus is there with us—in the joyful celebrations, in the heartbreak and suffering. He alone can transform it all into deeper love for God and neighbor. The hour of Jesus’ death on the cross is the hour of our life and salvation.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit
People: Amen
INTROIT Psalm 24:7–10; antiphon: Psalm 118:26
ALL: Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless You from the house of the Lord.
Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory!
Glory be to the Father and to the son,
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now and forever will be. Amen.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
We bless You from the house of the Lord.
BLESSING OF PALMS (Even though they are absent)
Pastor: We praise You, God, for redeeming the world through our Savior Jesus Christ. Today we remember that He entered the holy city in triumph and was proclaimed Messiah and King by those who spread garments and palm branches along His way. As we enter this Holy Week, grant us grace to follow our Lord in the way of the cross, so that, joined to His death and resurrection, we may enter into life with You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
X Service of the Word X
SALUTATION
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
EPISTLE Philippians 2:5–11 (Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.)
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Lector: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL John 12:12-19 (Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written, “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey's colt!” His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to, O Christ.
SERMON: “It All Depends On Your Perspective”
John 12:12-19 Grace Lutheran Church 4/5/2020
It All Depends On Your Perspective
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is amazing how two different people can experience the same event yet come away with completely different perspectives. A woman was once asked about her Friday evening. And this is what she said: “It was amazing. My husband came home from work and took me out for a romantic dinner. Afterwards we walked for about an hour. After we got home we lit candles around the house and we sat and talked for hours. It was like being in a fairytale.”
But her husband, when asked about this very same event, described it this way: “It was definitely an ordeal. When I arrived home, my wife hadn’t made any dinner because the electricity was out. So, I had to take her out to eat. It was so expensive, we didn’t have enough money left to get an Uber home, so we had to walk almost an hour. When we got home, the power was still out, so we had had to light candles all over the house. I was so upset up I couldn’t even sleep. No TV, no internet except for my phone. My only recourse was to sit there and listen to my wife talk for hours. Two completely different perspectives of the same event.
We just read John’s account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. And from the perspective of someone looking in from the outside, it seems as though this was an incredibly exciting and happy day for Jesus and His ministry. Certainly, His disciples must have been on cloud nine. They have to be thinking that this joyful event is evidence Jesus is coming into His own. Now nothing is going to be able to stop Him.
But I have often wondered what Jesus saw as He rode into Jerusalem that day and what we would see if we were watching through His eyes as well. Might this change our perspective a bit as we get a peek into Jesus’ Palm Sunday heart and mind. As Jesus entered Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, His heart had to be incredibly heavy. He came into this world to seek and save the lost. After three years of ministry He enters Jerusalem looking past all of these people’s faces and into their hearts. And what did He see. Certainly He saw His disciples, He had been faithfully preparing them for what was coming, yet it seems they still have no clue about what was about to take place.
Jesus had told them very clearly on several occasions that He was going up to Jerusalem to suffer and to die. You sure couldn’t tell. I think they didn’t want to see it. It didn’t fit in with how they thought about Jesus’ kingship. Jesus knows their thoughts –this cheering mob must certainly mean good things for the days ahead. But Jesus knows just how powerfully their faith was about to be tested. And how miserably they would fail.
Jesus looks at the cheering crowd of which most of them have no clue what all this excitement was all about. Most were just joining the celebration, taking advantage of a time to party. Little did they know all that was about to change. They are hyper excited, just not for the right reasons. Jesus sees disillusioned people hoping this miracle working prophet would free them from the oppressions of the Romans.
Jesus sees the Roman soldiers maintaining order and looking on with distain. He knows their thoughts. This is their king – riding on a donkey? He knows their pride and how the Romans saw themselves as gods here on this earth. They believe a real king would ride into Jerusalem on a mighty stead. He would surround himself with a powerful well-equipped army. Jesus knows He is about to die even for these men who are far from Him, probably wondering if His sacrifice be in vain.
Then there are the religious leaders – probably Jesus’ biggest heartbreak. These are men entrusted with the word of God and administration of the temple and the worship of God’s people. And yet it seems their agenda was almost always only their own. Jesus can see the anger and rage that is welling up in their hearts as Jesus ride by and the people shout Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel – fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. Oh, the leaders know Jesus is holding Himself up as the fulfillment of that prophecy. And Jesus knows that for them this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back – that they will not rest now until He is dead.
As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, this is what He sees. This is His perspective. These are people for whom He has come to suffer and to die. And at the root of it all, what He really sees is unbelief. Unbelief that disgraces him and the sacrifice He is about to make. It is a miracle isn’t it. That Jesus didn’t just turn that donkey around and ride out of town.
What does Jesus see as He looks out as we sing our hosanna’s? I suspect that just like on that first Palm Sunday, Jesus’ perspective and ours may differ slightly. No doubt everyone in Jerusalem felt they were correct in what they believed about Jesus and how they reacted to Him. But that is the scary thing about being human isn’t it. That we can be absolutely convinced that we are right even when we are so terribly Paul says, “Being of the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Paul isn’t content with just saying God loves you or God saves you. wrong.
Like the disciples, we close our ears sometimes to things that Jesus says to us because we just don’t want to hear it. But if we want to follow Jesus we must take up our cross and follow Him. We must love Him more than whatever we love most in this world – even when, like the crowds in Jerusalem, we only look to Jesus when we want something from Him. We want Jesus to answer our prayers, grant us success, take away our struggles, and pain – even when like the soldiers we are completely enamored by an outward show of strength and wealth and power and prestige and think that these are the things, more than god who is really the answer to our problems.
Even when we, like the religious leaders, feel completely justified in fueling the fires of hatred, discontent and jealousy in our hearts – even when we think we know better than God how people who we think have mistreated us ought to be treated. When Jesus looks at us today, does He relive that first Palm Sunday all over again. Is He disgraced by our rejection of parts of His word of truth, by His will for our lives? Even the thought sends a shiver down my spine, because the only answer I can think of is Lord, we do believe. Please help us overcome our unbelief.
As I read the Bible, I am struck at how God’s faithful people see and respond to sin in their lives. They express shame and are deeply disturbed and distressed by their sin. They see sin as bringing incredible disgrace into their lives.
However, it doesn’t seem to shame us. All too often we are more embarrassed about what other people may think of us if we get caught in our sin, than we are truly appalled at the reality of how deeply every sin grieves the heart of our God. If you were Jesus and you could look deeply into your own heart and you could see what really goes on there from God’s perspective instead of being blinded by Your own, would you be willing to sacrifice your life for the person you see in there.
Here though is the miracle of Palm Sunday – and the miracle of our God. What Jesus saw when he looked into the hearts of that Palm Sunday crowd and what Jesus can see in our hearts as He looked into the future only made Jesus all that much more determined to do what He had come to Jerusalem to accomplish. As the Son of God, Jesus met the disgust of our unbelief and sin with unbelievable grace head-on. He is driven by a love that is so big and powerful that it is stronger than even the shame that our sin brings Him.
We talk about love and grace, but I don’t think we can fathom in this life how much God loves us the way that He does. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he marvels at what God’s love did for sinners through Jesus. He wants us to ponder for a moment just how low God’s love stooped to make our salvation possible. He outlines the path Jesus took to raise us up out of our sin and shame.
Paul says Jesus would consider it an honor and a privilege to set aside all of the advantages of him being the Son of God and to face the disgrace of the cross in our place. God demonstrates His own love for us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Love and grace in place of disgrace. That is why Jesus refused to turn that donkey around.
What could have been powerful enough to move the heart of the Father to allow His Son to go through that kind of suffering on the cross. The answer is His love for you. His desire to be in a relationship with you. Even in the midst of the suffering we are experiencing with the Covid-19 virus. God wants your heart see things from His perspective.
Now let’s not forget how Paul closes our lesson. With the cross behind him, God the Father raised Jesus up from the dead. He would return now to heaven with more honor and glory than before. Not only as the Son of God but as the Savior of the world, as the Lord before whom every tongue will be silenced, and every knee will bow. And we who believe in him will be raised up and be honored alongside Him forever.
In a way Paul echoes Jesus’ Palm Sunday thoughts when He says: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I pray that all of this gives us new meaning and fresh perspective as we enter holy week. In a sense the disciples were right when they thought nothing was going to stop Jesus now, and that is what makes this a truly triumphant day for us as God’s people. Amen.
It All Depends On Your Perspective
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It is amazing how two different people can experience the same event yet come away with completely different perspectives. A woman was once asked about her Friday evening. And this is what she said: “It was amazing. My husband came home from work and took me out for a romantic dinner. Afterwards we walked for about an hour. After we got home we lit candles around the house and we sat and talked for hours. It was like being in a fairytale.”
But her husband, when asked about this very same event, described it this way: “It was definitely an ordeal. When I arrived home, my wife hadn’t made any dinner because the electricity was out. So, I had to take her out to eat. It was so expensive, we didn’t have enough money left to get an Uber home, so we had to walk almost an hour. When we got home, the power was still out, so we had had to light candles all over the house. I was so upset up I couldn’t even sleep. No TV, no internet except for my phone. My only recourse was to sit there and listen to my wife talk for hours. Two completely different perspectives of the same event.
We just read John’s account of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. And from the perspective of someone looking in from the outside, it seems as though this was an incredibly exciting and happy day for Jesus and His ministry. Certainly, His disciples must have been on cloud nine. They have to be thinking that this joyful event is evidence Jesus is coming into His own. Now nothing is going to be able to stop Him.
But I have often wondered what Jesus saw as He rode into Jerusalem that day and what we would see if we were watching through His eyes as well. Might this change our perspective a bit as we get a peek into Jesus’ Palm Sunday heart and mind. As Jesus entered Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, His heart had to be incredibly heavy. He came into this world to seek and save the lost. After three years of ministry He enters Jerusalem looking past all of these people’s faces and into their hearts. And what did He see. Certainly He saw His disciples, He had been faithfully preparing them for what was coming, yet it seems they still have no clue about what was about to take place.
Jesus had told them very clearly on several occasions that He was going up to Jerusalem to suffer and to die. You sure couldn’t tell. I think they didn’t want to see it. It didn’t fit in with how they thought about Jesus’ kingship. Jesus knows their thoughts –this cheering mob must certainly mean good things for the days ahead. But Jesus knows just how powerfully their faith was about to be tested. And how miserably they would fail.
Jesus looks at the cheering crowd of which most of them have no clue what all this excitement was all about. Most were just joining the celebration, taking advantage of a time to party. Little did they know all that was about to change. They are hyper excited, just not for the right reasons. Jesus sees disillusioned people hoping this miracle working prophet would free them from the oppressions of the Romans.
Jesus sees the Roman soldiers maintaining order and looking on with distain. He knows their thoughts. This is their king – riding on a donkey? He knows their pride and how the Romans saw themselves as gods here on this earth. They believe a real king would ride into Jerusalem on a mighty stead. He would surround himself with a powerful well-equipped army. Jesus knows He is about to die even for these men who are far from Him, probably wondering if His sacrifice be in vain.
Then there are the religious leaders – probably Jesus’ biggest heartbreak. These are men entrusted with the word of God and administration of the temple and the worship of God’s people. And yet it seems their agenda was almost always only their own. Jesus can see the anger and rage that is welling up in their hearts as Jesus ride by and the people shout Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel – fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah. Oh, the leaders know Jesus is holding Himself up as the fulfillment of that prophecy. And Jesus knows that for them this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back – that they will not rest now until He is dead.
As Jesus rides into Jerusalem, this is what He sees. This is His perspective. These are people for whom He has come to suffer and to die. And at the root of it all, what He really sees is unbelief. Unbelief that disgraces him and the sacrifice He is about to make. It is a miracle isn’t it. That Jesus didn’t just turn that donkey around and ride out of town.
What does Jesus see as He looks out as we sing our hosanna’s? I suspect that just like on that first Palm Sunday, Jesus’ perspective and ours may differ slightly. No doubt everyone in Jerusalem felt they were correct in what they believed about Jesus and how they reacted to Him. But that is the scary thing about being human isn’t it. That we can be absolutely convinced that we are right even when we are so terribly Paul says, “Being of the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Paul isn’t content with just saying God loves you or God saves you. wrong.
Like the disciples, we close our ears sometimes to things that Jesus says to us because we just don’t want to hear it. But if we want to follow Jesus we must take up our cross and follow Him. We must love Him more than whatever we love most in this world – even when, like the crowds in Jerusalem, we only look to Jesus when we want something from Him. We want Jesus to answer our prayers, grant us success, take away our struggles, and pain – even when like the soldiers we are completely enamored by an outward show of strength and wealth and power and prestige and think that these are the things, more than god who is really the answer to our problems.
Even when we, like the religious leaders, feel completely justified in fueling the fires of hatred, discontent and jealousy in our hearts – even when we think we know better than God how people who we think have mistreated us ought to be treated. When Jesus looks at us today, does He relive that first Palm Sunday all over again. Is He disgraced by our rejection of parts of His word of truth, by His will for our lives? Even the thought sends a shiver down my spine, because the only answer I can think of is Lord, we do believe. Please help us overcome our unbelief.
As I read the Bible, I am struck at how God’s faithful people see and respond to sin in their lives. They express shame and are deeply disturbed and distressed by their sin. They see sin as bringing incredible disgrace into their lives.
However, it doesn’t seem to shame us. All too often we are more embarrassed about what other people may think of us if we get caught in our sin, than we are truly appalled at the reality of how deeply every sin grieves the heart of our God. If you were Jesus and you could look deeply into your own heart and you could see what really goes on there from God’s perspective instead of being blinded by Your own, would you be willing to sacrifice your life for the person you see in there.
Here though is the miracle of Palm Sunday – and the miracle of our God. What Jesus saw when he looked into the hearts of that Palm Sunday crowd and what Jesus can see in our hearts as He looked into the future only made Jesus all that much more determined to do what He had come to Jerusalem to accomplish. As the Son of God, Jesus met the disgust of our unbelief and sin with unbelievable grace head-on. He is driven by a love that is so big and powerful that it is stronger than even the shame that our sin brings Him.
We talk about love and grace, but I don’t think we can fathom in this life how much God loves us the way that He does. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians he marvels at what God’s love did for sinners through Jesus. He wants us to ponder for a moment just how low God’s love stooped to make our salvation possible. He outlines the path Jesus took to raise us up out of our sin and shame.
Paul says Jesus would consider it an honor and a privilege to set aside all of the advantages of him being the Son of God and to face the disgrace of the cross in our place. God demonstrates His own love for us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Love and grace in place of disgrace. That is why Jesus refused to turn that donkey around.
What could have been powerful enough to move the heart of the Father to allow His Son to go through that kind of suffering on the cross. The answer is His love for you. His desire to be in a relationship with you. Even in the midst of the suffering we are experiencing with the Covid-19 virus. God wants your heart see things from His perspective.
Now let’s not forget how Paul closes our lesson. With the cross behind him, God the Father raised Jesus up from the dead. He would return now to heaven with more honor and glory than before. Not only as the Son of God but as the Savior of the world, as the Lord before whom every tongue will be silenced, and every knee will bow. And we who believe in him will be raised up and be honored alongside Him forever.
In a way Paul echoes Jesus’ Palm Sunday thoughts when He says: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” I pray that all of this gives us new meaning and fresh perspective as we enter holy week. In a sense the disciples were right when they thought nothing was going to stop Jesus now, and that is what makes this a truly triumphant day for us as God’s people. Amen.
CREED Apostles Creed
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the Life + everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: Let us pray … through Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:9–13
People: 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
BENEDICTION Hebrews 12:2
Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
Numbers 6:24–26
People: Amen.
Adapted from Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Quarter 2. Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Sunday 3/29/20
THE FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT
March 29, 2020
In this, our last Sunday in the season of Lent prior to Holy Week, we are given the truth of the life the Lord has come to bring. Ezekiel sees a vision of dry bones brought to life by the breath and power of God. In the Epistle to the Romans, we hear of our life in Christ through the Spirit, and in that life to live not of the flesh. In the Holy Gospel, we hear the greatest sign through which our Lord foreshadows His own resurrection, bringing a dead and decaying Lazarus back to life, which also foreshadows the resurrection and eternal life for all who believe.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Psalm 116:1–9; Ezekiel 37:13–14, adapted
Pastor: I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
People: Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long
as I live.
Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
The Lord will open the graves and put His Spirit within His people, and they shall live. God, in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and through His death brought life and immortality to light. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 116:1–4, 8; antiphon: v. 15
All: Precious in the sight of the Lord is
the death of his saints.
I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning,
is now and forever will be. Amen.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is
the death of his saints.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen
X WORD X
OLD TESTAMENT READING Ezekiel 37:1–14 (The valley of dry bones)
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL John 11:1–53 (Jesus is the resurrection and the life.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eleventh chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
March 29, 2020
In this, our last Sunday in the season of Lent prior to Holy Week, we are given the truth of the life the Lord has come to bring. Ezekiel sees a vision of dry bones brought to life by the breath and power of God. In the Epistle to the Romans, we hear of our life in Christ through the Spirit, and in that life to live not of the flesh. In the Holy Gospel, we hear the greatest sign through which our Lord foreshadows His own resurrection, bringing a dead and decaying Lazarus back to life, which also foreshadows the resurrection and eternal life for all who believe.
INVOCATION
Pastor: In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION Psalm 116:1–9; Ezekiel 37:13–14, adapted
Pastor: I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
People: Because He inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call on Him as long
as I live.
Pastor: Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
People: Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
Pastor: Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, He saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. For You have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling; I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
The Lord will open the graves and put His Spirit within His people, and they shall live. God, in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and through His death brought life and immortality to light. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the † Son and of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
INTROIT Psalm 116:1–4, 8; antiphon: v. 15
All: Precious in the sight of the Lord is
the death of his saints.
I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”
For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning,
is now and forever will be. Amen.
Precious in the sight of the Lord is
the death of his saints.
SALUTATION AND COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen
X WORD X
OLD TESTAMENT READING Ezekiel 37:1–14 (The valley of dry bones)
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.
HOLY GOSPEL John 11:1–53 (Jesus is the resurrection and the life.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eleventh chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
Pastor: This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
Sermon: Lord! Where Were You?
John 11:1-45 (Ezekiel 37:1-14) Grace Lutheran Church 3/29/2020
Lord, If Only You Were Here
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Those are pretty strong criticisms both Mary and Martha spoke to Jesus. He didn’t come fast enough to suit them in their hour of need. They had sent for Him because their brother Lazarus was still sick, and they knew Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cleansed lepers, and healed all kinds of other diseases. And they were His close friends. Surely, He would come and heal their brother. Surely, He would be there for them when they really needed Him.
But Jesus doesn’t show up until Lazarus was dead for four days. He didn’t even make it in time for the funeral. Others had come from Jerusalem to mourn with them, but no Jesus. So, when Martha hears that He’s almost there, she goes out to meet Him and cries, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It is hard to tell, was that faith or accusation? Sadness or anger? Or maybe all of them.
But that question isn’t just the question of Martha or Mary, but of many people today. Maybe you. It is spoken in hospital rooms, at accident sites, and in times of tragedy. Lord, if you had been here . . . Why weren’t you here for us when we needed you the most? Lord, if you had been here that accident wouldn’t have happened, that fire wouldn’t have happened, that earthquake wouldn’t have happened. Lord, if you had been here maybe we wouldn’t be experiencing the likes of this corona virus – people wouldn’t be getting sick or dying from it. Our investments wouldn’t be tanking. . . Lord, why weren’t you here for us? Why weren’t you here for us when we needed you the most?
Well the truth is, He was and is. True, Jesus was not there that day in Bethany when Lazarus was sick or when He died, and Jesus was not there when Martha and Mary wanted Him to be there, but to be here for us in our greatest need is why Jesus came at all. It is why the Son of God came down from heaven and was made man. To be here for us. To rescue us from sin and death.
Sin is the reason why our loved ones get taken from us, and often taken from us before we’re ready. It’s not God’s fault - it’s sin’s fault. And it’s been that way from the beginning, from the very first sin, when Adam lost his son Abel way before he wanted and way before he was ready. And he knew why. It was his fault. And I wonder what kind regret he felt, just like we often feel regret and after the fact wonder what more we could have done, or have done differently. And so for Adam: if only he hadn’t eaten that stupid fruit! Now, one son’s dead and other son’s a murderer.
And still today: sinful people do sinful things. Sinful temptations overcome us causing us to hurt ourselves and others. Mental illnesses cause people to act in erratic and often unpredictable ways. Diseases infect and assault our bodies. Creation is groaning in the throes of sin. And the wage of sin is death. And Jesus doesn’t like it any more than you do. At the tomb of Lazarus, He wept. Those tears you cry, He cries them too.
But while we are powerless to do anything about the sin in the world and the death that results from it, there is One who can. And He is there. And so He speaks words of comfort and hope to Martha: Your brother will rise again, He says. Death is not the end of him.
Which Martha knows. Yes Lord, she says. I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. But what Martha doesn’t know yet is that she isn’t going to have to wait until the last day - the last day has, in a sense, in a small way, come to her! And so Jesus says to her: I AM the resurrection and the life. Or in other words, don’t look to the Last Day for your hope, look to ME now for your hope. Where Jesus is, there is resurrection and life. Even in a world overcome with sin and death.
So, at the tomb of Lazarus - there is resurrection and life. When lepers come, when the sick come and the dying are brought to Him, when He encounters the lame and blind and deaf such as we have encountered throughout Lent to date - great sinners who are so outcast that they feel dead both inside and out - there is resurrection and life. The Father sent His only Son to come in mercy and grace and love and undo what sin has done. To give hope, to give faith, to forgive sin, and to raise the dead.
But not just then! He gives that same hope when we meet Jesus at the baptismal font - there is resurrection and life. So it is today when you confess your sin - there is resurrection and life.
So it is today when Jesus’ word is proclaimed in the world - there is resurrection and life. So it is today when Jesus encounters those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and for the gifts here in His Supper. In His Body and Blood - there is resurrection and life.
And what that means is just as Jesus called forth Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death by His Word, so He has called and raised you from your sin and death by His Word. Just as dry bones are given skin and breath and life through the Word of the Lord spoken through Ezekiel, so you have breath and life through the Word of the Lord spoken by a man. That you may live and not die. What I was talking about in our midweek lessons is where the marks of the church are, where His Word and Sacraments are, where Jesus is, there is resurrection and life.
And so Jesus continues His catechesis: “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” The fact is that for all of us, our life in this world will come to an end, unless Jesus comes again first. All people, including Christians are sinners. But what Jesus actually said there is not “shall never die.” The Greek actually says, “you will in no way, absolutely not, never die forever. What Jesus is telling you there is that while all Christians will die, death is not the end for them. Though you die, yet shall you live. Connected to Christ by faith, your death here will be for but a moment. It is now, because of Jesus, simply the gate to everlasting life (Psalm 118).
And that’s so because the resurrection and life isn’t just who Jesus is, but what He did. And that’s what this whole Lenten season is about - the death and resurrection of our Lord. But not just His death and resurrection, but His death and resurrection for you. He dies and rises and lives so that you who sin and die will also rise with Him and live. That like Lazarus, the grave not be able to hold you when Jesus calls you forth to life.
But just like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, you don’t have to wait for the Last Day for that freedom - for that life. Remember: the One who is the resurrection and the life has brought that life here to you already. For He has raised you to life in Baptism, given you His Word of life in Absolution, and fed you and will feed you again with the bread of life in His Supper when we gather again. The joy of the Last Day is part of your life here and now. Jesus gives you that new life. A life no longer sequestered in regret and shame, no longer filled with sin and captive to death, no longer filled with doubt and fear - but a life of confidence and joy in the victory and forgiveness of Jesus. His death is for your death, and His resurrection is the start of your life. A Christ life, a loving life, a forgiveness life.
So what happened to Lazarus that day is a picture of what Jesus had come to do - a foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection, and a picture of what Jesus has done for you. That though you sin and die in this world, yet shall you live. We don’t say “Lord, if you had been here . . .” For your Lord is here for you now, your resurrection and the life. Amen.
Lord, If Only You Were Here
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Those are pretty strong criticisms both Mary and Martha spoke to Jesus. He didn’t come fast enough to suit them in their hour of need. They had sent for Him because their brother Lazarus was still sick, and they knew Jesus healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, cleansed lepers, and healed all kinds of other diseases. And they were His close friends. Surely, He would come and heal their brother. Surely, He would be there for them when they really needed Him.
But Jesus doesn’t show up until Lazarus was dead for four days. He didn’t even make it in time for the funeral. Others had come from Jerusalem to mourn with them, but no Jesus. So, when Martha hears that He’s almost there, she goes out to meet Him and cries, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It is hard to tell, was that faith or accusation? Sadness or anger? Or maybe all of them.
But that question isn’t just the question of Martha or Mary, but of many people today. Maybe you. It is spoken in hospital rooms, at accident sites, and in times of tragedy. Lord, if you had been here . . . Why weren’t you here for us when we needed you the most? Lord, if you had been here that accident wouldn’t have happened, that fire wouldn’t have happened, that earthquake wouldn’t have happened. Lord, if you had been here maybe we wouldn’t be experiencing the likes of this corona virus – people wouldn’t be getting sick or dying from it. Our investments wouldn’t be tanking. . . Lord, why weren’t you here for us? Why weren’t you here for us when we needed you the most?
Well the truth is, He was and is. True, Jesus was not there that day in Bethany when Lazarus was sick or when He died, and Jesus was not there when Martha and Mary wanted Him to be there, but to be here for us in our greatest need is why Jesus came at all. It is why the Son of God came down from heaven and was made man. To be here for us. To rescue us from sin and death.
Sin is the reason why our loved ones get taken from us, and often taken from us before we’re ready. It’s not God’s fault - it’s sin’s fault. And it’s been that way from the beginning, from the very first sin, when Adam lost his son Abel way before he wanted and way before he was ready. And he knew why. It was his fault. And I wonder what kind regret he felt, just like we often feel regret and after the fact wonder what more we could have done, or have done differently. And so for Adam: if only he hadn’t eaten that stupid fruit! Now, one son’s dead and other son’s a murderer.
And still today: sinful people do sinful things. Sinful temptations overcome us causing us to hurt ourselves and others. Mental illnesses cause people to act in erratic and often unpredictable ways. Diseases infect and assault our bodies. Creation is groaning in the throes of sin. And the wage of sin is death. And Jesus doesn’t like it any more than you do. At the tomb of Lazarus, He wept. Those tears you cry, He cries them too.
But while we are powerless to do anything about the sin in the world and the death that results from it, there is One who can. And He is there. And so He speaks words of comfort and hope to Martha: Your brother will rise again, He says. Death is not the end of him.
Which Martha knows. Yes Lord, she says. I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. But what Martha doesn’t know yet is that she isn’t going to have to wait until the last day - the last day has, in a sense, in a small way, come to her! And so Jesus says to her: I AM the resurrection and the life. Or in other words, don’t look to the Last Day for your hope, look to ME now for your hope. Where Jesus is, there is resurrection and life. Even in a world overcome with sin and death.
So, at the tomb of Lazarus - there is resurrection and life. When lepers come, when the sick come and the dying are brought to Him, when He encounters the lame and blind and deaf such as we have encountered throughout Lent to date - great sinners who are so outcast that they feel dead both inside and out - there is resurrection and life. The Father sent His only Son to come in mercy and grace and love and undo what sin has done. To give hope, to give faith, to forgive sin, and to raise the dead.
But not just then! He gives that same hope when we meet Jesus at the baptismal font - there is resurrection and life. So it is today when you confess your sin - there is resurrection and life.
So it is today when Jesus’ word is proclaimed in the world - there is resurrection and life. So it is today when Jesus encounters those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and for the gifts here in His Supper. In His Body and Blood - there is resurrection and life.
And what that means is just as Jesus called forth Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from death by His Word, so He has called and raised you from your sin and death by His Word. Just as dry bones are given skin and breath and life through the Word of the Lord spoken through Ezekiel, so you have breath and life through the Word of the Lord spoken by a man. That you may live and not die. What I was talking about in our midweek lessons is where the marks of the church are, where His Word and Sacraments are, where Jesus is, there is resurrection and life.
And so Jesus continues His catechesis: “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” The fact is that for all of us, our life in this world will come to an end, unless Jesus comes again first. All people, including Christians are sinners. But what Jesus actually said there is not “shall never die.” The Greek actually says, “you will in no way, absolutely not, never die forever. What Jesus is telling you there is that while all Christians will die, death is not the end for them. Though you die, yet shall you live. Connected to Christ by faith, your death here will be for but a moment. It is now, because of Jesus, simply the gate to everlasting life (Psalm 118).
And that’s so because the resurrection and life isn’t just who Jesus is, but what He did. And that’s what this whole Lenten season is about - the death and resurrection of our Lord. But not just His death and resurrection, but His death and resurrection for you. He dies and rises and lives so that you who sin and die will also rise with Him and live. That like Lazarus, the grave not be able to hold you when Jesus calls you forth to life.
But just like Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, you don’t have to wait for the Last Day for that freedom - for that life. Remember: the One who is the resurrection and the life has brought that life here to you already. For He has raised you to life in Baptism, given you His Word of life in Absolution, and fed you and will feed you again with the bread of life in His Supper when we gather again. The joy of the Last Day is part of your life here and now. Jesus gives you that new life. A life no longer sequestered in regret and shame, no longer filled with sin and captive to death, no longer filled with doubt and fear - but a life of confidence and joy in the victory and forgiveness of Jesus. His death is for your death, and His resurrection is the start of your life. A Christ life, a loving life, a forgiveness life.
So what happened to Lazarus that day is a picture of what Jesus had come to do - a foreshadowing of His own death and resurrection, and a picture of what Jesus has done for you. That though you sin and die in this world, yet shall you live. We don’t say “Lord, if you had been here . . .” For your Lord is here for you now, your resurrection and the life. Amen.
CREED Apostles Creed
All: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life (†) everlasting. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: … through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
LORD’S PRAYER
All: 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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
People: Amen.
BENEDICTION
Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and X give you peace.
People: Amen.
Adapted from Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Quarter 2. Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Sunday 3/22/20
THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT
March 22, 2020
It’s said that darkness is nothing more than the absence of light. Darkness and blindness are words often used throughout Scripture to describe our sinfulness—the absence of the true Light. In our continued Lenten journey, we prepare our hearts for the dark afternoon of Good Friday at the cross. Yet even in that darkness, Jesus Christ brings the light of life. In our times of spiritual blindness and comfort in the darkness of this world, we gather again today to see His light through our vision of Spirit-given faith, that our eyes may look to Him who is the light of the world—the light no darkness can overcome.
THE INVOCATION
Pastor: We begin in the name of the Father & of the † Son & of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
THE SALUTATION & THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we remain in darkness without Your light, and we walk in blindness if You do not lead. Even in our times of comfort in the darkness, and times of willful blindness, You shine Your light of truth and call us Your children of light that we may see and live in Your grace. Help us to acknowledge Your goodness, give thanks for all Your blessings, and with eyes of faith look to You always that we serve You and others in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
READING
THE HOLY GOSPEL John 9:1–7, 13-17, 34-39 (Jesus heals a man born blind.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 9th chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of our Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
THE CREED
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life (†) everlasting. Amen.
March 22, 2020
It’s said that darkness is nothing more than the absence of light. Darkness and blindness are words often used throughout Scripture to describe our sinfulness—the absence of the true Light. In our continued Lenten journey, we prepare our hearts for the dark afternoon of Good Friday at the cross. Yet even in that darkness, Jesus Christ brings the light of life. In our times of spiritual blindness and comfort in the darkness of this world, we gather again today to see His light through our vision of Spirit-given faith, that our eyes may look to Him who is the light of the world—the light no darkness can overcome.
THE INVOCATION
Pastor: We begin in the name of the Father & of the † Son & of the Holy Spirit.
People: Amen.
THE SALUTATION & THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
Pastor: The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Pastor: Let us pray. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, we remain in darkness without Your light, and we walk in blindness if You do not lead. Even in our times of comfort in the darkness, and times of willful blindness, You shine Your light of truth and call us Your children of light that we may see and live in Your grace. Help us to acknowledge Your goodness, give thanks for all Your blessings, and with eyes of faith look to You always that we serve You and others in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
People: Amen.
READING
THE HOLY GOSPEL John 9:1–7, 13-17, 34-39 (Jesus heals a man born blind.)
Pastor: The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 9th chapter.
People: Glory to You, O Lord.
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
Pastor: This is the Gospel of our Lord.
People: Praise to You, O Christ.
THE CREED
People: I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only, Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
And sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life (†) everlasting. Amen.
Sermon
John 9:1-41 Grace Lutheran Church 3/29/2020
Are We Also Blind?
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
There’s an old adage which says, “Don’t ask the question if you’re not ready to hear the answer.” It goes right along with that other saying, “The truth hurts.” I think lately we are becoming leerier of asking questions as our nation continues to hunker down amidst the spread of the Corona Virus because – do we really want to know where this is going?
You see, a lot of people would rather not hear the truth. When you stick your head in the sand trying to shut the world out, we usually call that living in denial. The truth just might expose the fact that your opinion had been wrong. So, unless you are ready and willing to hear and accept the straight answer, don’t ask the question.
That is what happened in our reading today as Jesus encounters a man born blind, whose . And Jesus used the occasion of His healing to speak about the matters of spiritual blindness and sight. This is what He said: “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
The Pharisees were eavesdropping and asked Jesus if His words were directed at them. “Are we also blind?” inquiring minds wanted to know. (Don’t ask the question if you’re not ready to hear the answer.) Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” What did He mean by that?
Jesus knew people were born sinful and have no spiritual life. No doubt, that news invokes the same reaction in you that it did with the Pharisees today. The fact that so many people are creating their own religious belief systems would seem to imply that most people are very spiritual in one way or another.
But there is a vast difference between true faith—and everything else that merely masquerades as faith. You can believe with your whole heart in a false god, but that doesn’t make your faith genuine. Just as you can’t pray to sticks and stones and expect anything to happen.
According to God’s Word, all people come into this world spiritually dead in their transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1). They have no interest or actual faith in the one true God. The apostle Paul put it this way, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned,”(1 Cor. 2:14).
And true faith begins with that recognition—that we are, in fact, blind. That is a conviction which can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit, Who is the only one Who can open our eyes with the gift of genuine saving faith so that we can be able to trust in the one true God Who has shown His love to us through Jesus Christ.
That is why you can’t argue people into becoming Christians – even though we try. We want people - especially people near and dear to us - to believe in the saving work of Christ. We desperately want them to know what we have been blessed to know by God’s grace. But it simply doesn’t work that way.
Only God the Holy Spirit can open their eyes to see the truth. And until that takes place, those without genuine faith will live as though they’re already as enlightened as they need to be.
Some will consider themselves worldly wise – not seeing a need for “organized religion”, as they put it. Others, who do profess some religious beliefs, will want to give themselves credit, not only for making a decision to invite God into their lives but, also, for making themselves worthy of God’s love.
Listen to the Pharisees in our lesson: “Are you saying that we also are blind?” The irony was that Jesus actually was saying the exact opposite was their problem. He said, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” Or, to put it another way, they would have been closer to the truth if they would have admitted they were unworthy before God… sinful… helpless… spiritually deficient… so that they would have had no other choice than to plead for God’s mercy.
But Noooo!, They would have none of that. They would not acknowledge their need for a Savior. The Son of God had come to take away the sins of the world, but they rejected God’s gift. And so, their guilt remained upon them.
And this, more than anything else, is the greatest danger we face in being led away from the truth. The day that we stop thinking that we aren’t in need of God’s mercy every single moment - that, somehow, we have know all there is to know about what God is telling us in His word, is the day closed our eyes to truth.
Do we really need the repeated blessings of grace that God offers? Don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer. Because you know the answer is going to be, ‘yes!’ And we can only arrive at that conclusion if we first come to grips with that other question: “Are we also blind?”
Because, unless we are willing to admit to that fact, we will never see the need to return here again and again. When we celebrate the Divine Service in the church, we begin our confession with the words: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” We could say it another way, “if we imagine that we are not blinded by our sin, we make ourselves—and God—out to be liars.”
Last week we ended our worship serviced with the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” and the words, “but now I see.” The simple fact is that we couldn’t sing those words without first admitting, “I once was blind.” Otherwise, the miracle of spiritual sight means nothing. There is no need for a Savior Whose blood and Spirit can heal us.
Luke records Jesus saying, “Those who are well have no need of a physician,” (Luke 5:1). And then He followed those words up by saying, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah in our Old Testament reading assigned for today, and said, concerning the coming Messiah, “Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord?’ (Isaiah 42:19). That blindness was placed upon Christ even as He took all of our sin upon Himself. And He continues to be faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It’s not simply a case where we were “once blind.” No, the blindness continues. Otherwise, St. Paul would not have had to tell us to be sure that we, “walk as children of the light.” We always need to be reminded of our weaknesses and helplessness. I believe, especially in times such as these, we need constantly to hear the good news that we have a loving and merciful God, Who recognized our lost vulnerable condition before we ever could, and sent His Son Jesus into this world to bring light to our darkness.
His desire is that we not only walk as children of the light, but that we continue steadfast in that confession and faith all the way to the city of God, where, St. John says, “[there is] no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb,” (Rev. 21:23).
“Are we also blind?” Don’t ever shy away from asking yourself that question. For, in Christ Jesus, we will always possess the faithful answer that we have Someone Who has done and can continue to do something about our condition; even He who is the Light of the World. Amen
Are We Also Blind?
Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
There’s an old adage which says, “Don’t ask the question if you’re not ready to hear the answer.” It goes right along with that other saying, “The truth hurts.” I think lately we are becoming leerier of asking questions as our nation continues to hunker down amidst the spread of the Corona Virus because – do we really want to know where this is going?
You see, a lot of people would rather not hear the truth. When you stick your head in the sand trying to shut the world out, we usually call that living in denial. The truth just might expose the fact that your opinion had been wrong. So, unless you are ready and willing to hear and accept the straight answer, don’t ask the question.
That is what happened in our reading today as Jesus encounters a man born blind, whose . And Jesus used the occasion of His healing to speak about the matters of spiritual blindness and sight. This is what He said: “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”
The Pharisees were eavesdropping and asked Jesus if His words were directed at them. “Are we also blind?” inquiring minds wanted to know. (Don’t ask the question if you’re not ready to hear the answer.) Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” What did He mean by that?
Jesus knew people were born sinful and have no spiritual life. No doubt, that news invokes the same reaction in you that it did with the Pharisees today. The fact that so many people are creating their own religious belief systems would seem to imply that most people are very spiritual in one way or another.
But there is a vast difference between true faith—and everything else that merely masquerades as faith. You can believe with your whole heart in a false god, but that doesn’t make your faith genuine. Just as you can’t pray to sticks and stones and expect anything to happen.
According to God’s Word, all people come into this world spiritually dead in their transgressions and sins (Eph. 2:1). They have no interest or actual faith in the one true God. The apostle Paul put it this way, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned,”(1 Cor. 2:14).
And true faith begins with that recognition—that we are, in fact, blind. That is a conviction which can only be brought about by the Holy Spirit, Who is the only one Who can open our eyes with the gift of genuine saving faith so that we can be able to trust in the one true God Who has shown His love to us through Jesus Christ.
That is why you can’t argue people into becoming Christians – even though we try. We want people - especially people near and dear to us - to believe in the saving work of Christ. We desperately want them to know what we have been blessed to know by God’s grace. But it simply doesn’t work that way.
Only God the Holy Spirit can open their eyes to see the truth. And until that takes place, those without genuine faith will live as though they’re already as enlightened as they need to be.
Some will consider themselves worldly wise – not seeing a need for “organized religion”, as they put it. Others, who do profess some religious beliefs, will want to give themselves credit, not only for making a decision to invite God into their lives but, also, for making themselves worthy of God’s love.
Listen to the Pharisees in our lesson: “Are you saying that we also are blind?” The irony was that Jesus actually was saying the exact opposite was their problem. He said, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.” Or, to put it another way, they would have been closer to the truth if they would have admitted they were unworthy before God… sinful… helpless… spiritually deficient… so that they would have had no other choice than to plead for God’s mercy.
But Noooo!, They would have none of that. They would not acknowledge their need for a Savior. The Son of God had come to take away the sins of the world, but they rejected God’s gift. And so, their guilt remained upon them.
And this, more than anything else, is the greatest danger we face in being led away from the truth. The day that we stop thinking that we aren’t in need of God’s mercy every single moment - that, somehow, we have know all there is to know about what God is telling us in His word, is the day closed our eyes to truth.
Do we really need the repeated blessings of grace that God offers? Don’t ask the question if you don’t want to hear the answer. Because you know the answer is going to be, ‘yes!’ And we can only arrive at that conclusion if we first come to grips with that other question: “Are we also blind?”
Because, unless we are willing to admit to that fact, we will never see the need to return here again and again. When we celebrate the Divine Service in the church, we begin our confession with the words: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” We could say it another way, “if we imagine that we are not blinded by our sin, we make ourselves—and God—out to be liars.”
Last week we ended our worship serviced with the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” and the words, “but now I see.” The simple fact is that we couldn’t sing those words without first admitting, “I once was blind.” Otherwise, the miracle of spiritual sight means nothing. There is no need for a Savior Whose blood and Spirit can heal us.
Luke records Jesus saying, “Those who are well have no need of a physician,” (Luke 5:1). And then He followed those words up by saying, “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah in our Old Testament reading assigned for today, and said, concerning the coming Messiah, “Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the Lord?’ (Isaiah 42:19). That blindness was placed upon Christ even as He took all of our sin upon Himself. And He continues to be faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
It’s not simply a case where we were “once blind.” No, the blindness continues. Otherwise, St. Paul would not have had to tell us to be sure that we, “walk as children of the light.” We always need to be reminded of our weaknesses and helplessness. I believe, especially in times such as these, we need constantly to hear the good news that we have a loving and merciful God, Who recognized our lost vulnerable condition before we ever could, and sent His Son Jesus into this world to bring light to our darkness.
His desire is that we not only walk as children of the light, but that we continue steadfast in that confession and faith all the way to the city of God, where, St. John says, “[there is] no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb,” (Rev. 21:23).
“Are we also blind?” Don’t ever shy away from asking yourself that question. For, in Christ Jesus, we will always possess the faithful answer that we have Someone Who has done and can continue to do something about our condition; even He who is the Light of the World. Amen
THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
Pastor: Blessed Lord, You give sight to the blind, You open the ears of the deaf, and You make the lame to walk. As we come before You this day, we humbly as You to hear the prayers of Your people.
It is in the darkness of sin and its death, we cry to You, O Lord. Our hearts and mind are troubled over the impact this Corona Virus is having in our world. In the midst of the darkness we find ourselves in we ask You to open our ears by Your Word, our minds by Your Spirit, and our hearts by Your grace, that we may know and be thankful for all the blessings You have given to us in Christ, our Lord, especially the gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. Strengthen us in faith, that even during these troubled times we may serve You with all our body, mind, soul and strength.
Walk with those You have put over us to lead us. It seems we criticize some decisions made and we applaud others. We just ask that they be good and faithful leaders who will honor the cause of justice in our land, preserve the precious gift of liberty, and protect the lives of those least able to defend themselves. Bless the members of our armed forces and protect them as they defend us, and grant Your blessing to all medical and emergency workers who come to our aid in time of need.
O Lord, during this tumultuous time, You Church has a chance to shine like a beacon in the darkness. Give us generous hearts, that we may continue the work You have given us to be proclaimers of Your Gospel and share with those in need for the common good of all. Be with those who are unemployed, who have been laid off or furloughed, and also be with those in search of honest labor, and especially the homeless who are seeking basic shelter for their families.
Knowing Your healing will and gifts, we pray You, O Lord, to remember the sick in their afflictions, to calm those troubled in mind, and to keep steadfast the dying. [especially for _____.] O Lord, sustain those who are afflicted in body or mind until that day when You will bestow upon us new bodies fit for the eternal life You have prepared for us in Christ.
Ever mindful of Your promise, O Lord, we ask You to comfort those who grieve and to build up those who mourn with hope for the resurrection. Remembering the faithful who have died in Christ, we pray You to bring us at last to be with them in Your nearer presence, looking forward to that day when we shall join in the marriage supper of the Lamb in His Kingdom without end.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, as we pray the prayer He has taught us:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.
Amen.
THE BENEDICTION
Pastor: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and † give you peace.
People: Amen, and Amen.
Creative Worship for the Lutheran Parish, Series A, Quarter 2. Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.