ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – May 11, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study follow the worship service today.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
TEA PARTY--The Ladies Bible Study is hosting an afternoon Tea Party on Saturday, May 17th at 2 p.m. A sign up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room, as well as invitations for the event. For more information, please speak with Pam Trocha or Barb Whitley.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS—Our one-day Vacation Bible School for all ages is coming soon, on Saturday, June 7th from 9 a.m. to noon, with a BBQ included. Wild Things will also be present to tell us about some amazing animals!
DANGER INSIDE! Could it be that we should put a sign over the doors of our churches: Danger Inside!? Then the worship folder might have a heading that says, “This is a warning. In this service you may actually encounter the holy God who has awesome power, and an intense interest in a relationship with you. You may be totally changed here. You may have to leave your worries and anxieties here.” (Then what will occupy your time?) You may be emboldened to live a courageous, victorious life, fearful of nothing, able for anything.
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 11, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
PIn the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
PIf we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
CBut if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
PLet us then confess our sins to God our Father.
CMost merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
PAlmighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
Service of the Word
IntroitJohn 10:14, 15; Psalm 78:70–72; 79:13
P I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life for the sheep.
He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Kyrie
“This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
PLet us pray.
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First ReadingActs 20:17–35
17Now from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. 32And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
AThis is the Word of the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all]Psalm 23
1The Lord is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for- | ever.
EpistleRevelation 7:9–17
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
AThis is the Word of the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy GospelJohn 10:22–30
PThe Holy Gospel according to St. John, the tenth chapter.
22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
PThis is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Hearing His Voice” John 10:22-30
Apostles’ Creed
CI believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Sit
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
PIt is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
PBlessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
The Words of Our Lord
PAs often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
CAmen. Come, Lord Jesus.
PO Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
COur Father who art in heaven….
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
711 “Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us”
1Savior, like a shepherd lead us;
Much we need Your tender care.
In Your pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Your fold prepare.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have bought us; we are Yours.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have bought us; we are Yours.
2We are Yours; in love befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Your flock, from sin defend us,
Seek us when we go astray.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear us children when we pray.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear us children when we pray.
3You have promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
You have mercy to relieve us,
Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to You.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to You.
4Early let us seek Your favor,
Early let us do Your will;
Blessèd Lord and only Savior,
With Your love our spirits fill.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have loved us, love us still.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have loved us, love us still.
Text: Hymns for the Young, 1836, 4th ed., London, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
ALet us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
BenedictionLSB 166
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
2
Sermon Text
Hearing His Voice – John 10:22-30
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes from the Good Shepherd chapter of the Bible, John chapter 10. The three-year lectionary always selects a reading from the Good Shepherd chapter for the Fourth Sunday of Easter.
In the first year, we learn something about who Good Shepherd Jesus is. He is the door to the sheep fold. He is the only way into eternal safety.
In the second year, we learn something about what Good Shepherd Jesus does. As the Good Shepherd, He lays down His life for the sheep.
In today’s reading, we learn about the benefits of who Good Shepherd Jesus is and what Good Shepherd Jesus does. Jesus our Good Shepherd knows His sheep and His sheep hear His voice and follow Him.
Our text tells us that Jesus was in the temple celebrating the Feast of Dedication. Today, we know this festival as the Feast of Lights or Hanukkah.
Jesus had quite a few enemies among the temple authorities by this time in His ministry. Whenever Jesus made His presence known on the temple grounds, these enemies would seek him out. They wanted Him to say or do something that would hurt His credibility with the people.
In the encounter that we heard about in today’s Gospel, the authorities asked Jesus to clearly state His claim to be the Christ. Jesus, in turn, made it clear that He regularly did exactly that, but the authorities rejected His message. Jesus diagnosed their problem and He used the metaphor of sheep to explain His diagnosis.
Shepherds in the wilderness often worked together to guard sheep. During the night, they brought their flocks together and took turns guarding the sheep. That way, they could get some much needed sleep. In the morning, each shepherd would call to his flock and only the sheep belonging to the shepherd would follow.
During the day, the shepherd would lead the sheep to good pasture and water. He would protect them from predators and care for their injuries. He would talk to them and sing to them and they would learn his voice. It became the only voice they trusted. Another shepherd could call, but each sheep responded only to the voice of that sheep’s shepherd.
Those who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith are like those sheep. Jesus is their shepherd. They hear His voice.
When Jesus said that the Jewish authorities were not part of His flock, He was saying that they resisted the Holy Spirit. They did not have faith. Without faith they could not believe. They did not listen to Him.
Those who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith in Good Shepherd Jesus … that is … those who are part of Jesus’ flock hear Jesus’ voice in a different way. What is that difference?
Perhaps you have heard someone say that all religions are more or less the same. They all lead to the same place. When you ask such a person to explain what they mean with those words, you will hear someone who basically sees religion as a sort of self-improvement project. The objective of religion is for people to make themselves into better people. Then they will point out the fact that almost every religion has a form of the “Golden Rule” … “Do onto others as you would have them do unto you.” Generally speaking, most religions have laws against robbery and murder and other bad actions. Most religions have guidelines for living.
What happens when such a person hears the voice of Jesus? Well, today, we hear the voice of Jesus when we hear God’s Word … the Bible. A person who believes that all religion is about improvement will scour the Bible for guidelines for living. The result is that they will discover the most severe law. For example: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21–22) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28) A person who is not part of the flock of Christ will quickly come to the conclusion that the standards of the Bible are impossible to keep. They will come to hate the voice of Jesus because the law exposes their failings. They will insist that the God of the Bible is cruel and unloving, because He has standards that no one can keep.
What changes when the Holy Spirit brings a person into Jesus’ flock? That is … what happens when the Holy Spirit creates faith in a person? Martin Luther said that the Holy Spirit calls me by the Gospel. The person who is part of the flock of Jesus Christ not only hears the law, but also hears the Gospel. The person who is part of the flock of Jesus Christ understands that the Gospel is the predominate message of the voice of the Good Shepherd … the Bible.
When the Christian hears the law, he also realizes that the law is impossible. But then he hears the voice of the Good Shepherd say, “I have kept the law for you. I give my righteousness to you. It is yours.” Because Good Shepherd Jesus has given you His perfect thoughts, words, and deeds, you are judged as perfect.
When the Christian hears the law, he hears that he deserves punishment both here in time and forever in eternity. But then he hears the voice of the Good Shepherd say, “I have taken this punishment for you. I suffered shame, spitting, beating, flogging, and ultimately death on a cross for you. I endured the Wrath of God for you. Just as I give my righteousness to you, I also take your sin from you.” Your failing, your shortcomings, your weaknesses, your sins are all paid in full. You are judged as sinless.
How does this affect the sheep’s attitude toward the shepherd’s voice? How does this affect the Christian’s attitude toward the Word of God?
Before the Holy Spirit produces faith, the Word of God is a terrifying thing. It is all law. It is all condemnation. It only warns of punishment.
After the Holy Spirit produces faith, the Voice of the Good Shepherd is both law and Gospel. The law still Shows our sin, but the Gospel shows our savior. The Good shepherd’s voice becomes a source of confidence, comfort, joy, peace, safety … His voice reveals a God who loves and serves.
The voice of the Good Shepherd is not only loving and comforting, but it is also strong. With His voice, the Good shepherd even leads us through death into life everlasting. For just as he died, He has also risen. And just as He has risen, He will also raise us from the bed of death to new life … a life that will have no sorrow, pain, or death … a life that will never end.
Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Good Shepherd Jesus sends His call out to all people in all places and in all times. The Holy Spirit works through Christ’s Word, through Holy Absolution, through Holy Baptism, and through His Holy Meal to work faith in people and keep that faith strong. Just as Jesus gives the title of Good Shepherd to Himself, He claims all who believe in Him as His sheep. They are His sheep and know Him as the true Christ.
There will always be those who reject the call of the Good Shepherd. The Holy Spirit will offer the gifts of Jesus Christ to them and they will reject them. They will refuse to see the love of God in Jesus on the cross. They will refuse to see the love of God when Jesus comes to us in His body and blood. The danger for them is greater than a mere loss of life on this earth. The danger is the anguish of the eternal outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The future for those who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith is one of joy. We receive God’s service. We are part of the flock of the Good Shepherd. We are under the protection of both the Father and the Son. Death for us will be only a temporary earthly thing. For, just as our Good Shepherd rose from the dead, we too will rise from the grave and enter into eternal joy where we will continue to experience God’s love into eternity. As the psalmist said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6) Amen.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – May 11, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study follow the worship service today.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
TEA PARTY--The Ladies Bible Study is hosting an afternoon Tea Party on Saturday, May 17th at 2 p.m. A sign up sheet is on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room, as well as invitations for the event. For more information, please speak with Pam Trocha or Barb Whitley.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS—Our one-day Vacation Bible School for all ages is coming soon, on Saturday, June 7th from 9 a.m. to noon, with a BBQ included. Wild Things will also be present to tell us about some amazing animals!
DANGER INSIDE! Could it be that we should put a sign over the doors of our churches: Danger Inside!? Then the worship folder might have a heading that says, “This is a warning. In this service you may actually encounter the holy God who has awesome power, and an intense interest in a relationship with you. You may be totally changed here. You may have to leave your worries and anxieties here.” (Then what will occupy your time?) You may be emboldened to live a courageous, victorious life, fearful of nothing, able for anything.
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 11, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
PIn the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
PIf we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
CBut if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
PLet us then confess our sins to God our Father.
CMost merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
PAlmighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
Service of the Word
IntroitJohn 10:14, 15; Psalm 78:70–72; 79:13
P I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, and I lay down my life for the sheep.
He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
Kyrie
“This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
PLet us pray.
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First ReadingActs 20:17–35
17Now from Miletus [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. 32And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
AThis is the Word of the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all]Psalm 23
1The Lord is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for- | ever.
EpistleRevelation 7:9–17
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
AThis is the Word of the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy GospelJohn 10:22–30
PThe Holy Gospel according to St. John, the tenth chapter.
22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not part of my flock. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
PThis is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Hearing His Voice” John 10:22-30
Apostles’ Creed
CI believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Sit
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
PIt is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
PBlessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
The Words of Our Lord
PAs often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
CAmen. Come, Lord Jesus.
PO Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
COur Father who art in heaven….
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
711 “Savior, like a Shepherd Lead Us”
1Savior, like a shepherd lead us;
Much we need Your tender care.
In Your pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Your fold prepare.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have bought us; we are Yours.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have bought us; we are Yours.
2We are Yours; in love befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Your flock, from sin defend us,
Seek us when we go astray.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear us children when we pray.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear us children when we pray.
3You have promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
You have mercy to relieve us,
Grace to cleanse, and pow’r to free.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to You.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to You.
4Early let us seek Your favor,
Early let us do Your will;
Blessèd Lord and only Savior,
With Your love our spirits fill.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have loved us, love us still.
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
You have loved us, love us still.
Text: Hymns for the Young, 1836, 4th ed., London, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
ALet us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
BenedictionLSB 166
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
2
Sermon Text
Hearing His Voice – John 10:22-30
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes from the Good Shepherd chapter of the Bible, John chapter 10. The three-year lectionary always selects a reading from the Good Shepherd chapter for the Fourth Sunday of Easter.
In the first year, we learn something about who Good Shepherd Jesus is. He is the door to the sheep fold. He is the only way into eternal safety.
In the second year, we learn something about what Good Shepherd Jesus does. As the Good Shepherd, He lays down His life for the sheep.
In today’s reading, we learn about the benefits of who Good Shepherd Jesus is and what Good Shepherd Jesus does. Jesus our Good Shepherd knows His sheep and His sheep hear His voice and follow Him.
Our text tells us that Jesus was in the temple celebrating the Feast of Dedication. Today, we know this festival as the Feast of Lights or Hanukkah.
Jesus had quite a few enemies among the temple authorities by this time in His ministry. Whenever Jesus made His presence known on the temple grounds, these enemies would seek him out. They wanted Him to say or do something that would hurt His credibility with the people.
In the encounter that we heard about in today’s Gospel, the authorities asked Jesus to clearly state His claim to be the Christ. Jesus, in turn, made it clear that He regularly did exactly that, but the authorities rejected His message. Jesus diagnosed their problem and He used the metaphor of sheep to explain His diagnosis.
Shepherds in the wilderness often worked together to guard sheep. During the night, they brought their flocks together and took turns guarding the sheep. That way, they could get some much needed sleep. In the morning, each shepherd would call to his flock and only the sheep belonging to the shepherd would follow.
During the day, the shepherd would lead the sheep to good pasture and water. He would protect them from predators and care for their injuries. He would talk to them and sing to them and they would learn his voice. It became the only voice they trusted. Another shepherd could call, but each sheep responded only to the voice of that sheep’s shepherd.
Those who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith are like those sheep. Jesus is their shepherd. They hear His voice.
When Jesus said that the Jewish authorities were not part of His flock, He was saying that they resisted the Holy Spirit. They did not have faith. Without faith they could not believe. They did not listen to Him.
Those who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith in Good Shepherd Jesus … that is … those who are part of Jesus’ flock hear Jesus’ voice in a different way. What is that difference?
Perhaps you have heard someone say that all religions are more or less the same. They all lead to the same place. When you ask such a person to explain what they mean with those words, you will hear someone who basically sees religion as a sort of self-improvement project. The objective of religion is for people to make themselves into better people. Then they will point out the fact that almost every religion has a form of the “Golden Rule” … “Do onto others as you would have them do unto you.” Generally speaking, most religions have laws against robbery and murder and other bad actions. Most religions have guidelines for living.
What happens when such a person hears the voice of Jesus? Well, today, we hear the voice of Jesus when we hear God’s Word … the Bible. A person who believes that all religion is about improvement will scour the Bible for guidelines for living. The result is that they will discover the most severe law. For example: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21–22) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28) A person who is not part of the flock of Christ will quickly come to the conclusion that the standards of the Bible are impossible to keep. They will come to hate the voice of Jesus because the law exposes their failings. They will insist that the God of the Bible is cruel and unloving, because He has standards that no one can keep.
What changes when the Holy Spirit brings a person into Jesus’ flock? That is … what happens when the Holy Spirit creates faith in a person? Martin Luther said that the Holy Spirit calls me by the Gospel. The person who is part of the flock of Jesus Christ not only hears the law, but also hears the Gospel. The person who is part of the flock of Jesus Christ understands that the Gospel is the predominate message of the voice of the Good Shepherd … the Bible.
When the Christian hears the law, he also realizes that the law is impossible. But then he hears the voice of the Good Shepherd say, “I have kept the law for you. I give my righteousness to you. It is yours.” Because Good Shepherd Jesus has given you His perfect thoughts, words, and deeds, you are judged as perfect.
When the Christian hears the law, he hears that he deserves punishment both here in time and forever in eternity. But then he hears the voice of the Good Shepherd say, “I have taken this punishment for you. I suffered shame, spitting, beating, flogging, and ultimately death on a cross for you. I endured the Wrath of God for you. Just as I give my righteousness to you, I also take your sin from you.” Your failing, your shortcomings, your weaknesses, your sins are all paid in full. You are judged as sinless.
How does this affect the sheep’s attitude toward the shepherd’s voice? How does this affect the Christian’s attitude toward the Word of God?
Before the Holy Spirit produces faith, the Word of God is a terrifying thing. It is all law. It is all condemnation. It only warns of punishment.
After the Holy Spirit produces faith, the Voice of the Good Shepherd is both law and Gospel. The law still Shows our sin, but the Gospel shows our savior. The Good shepherd’s voice becomes a source of confidence, comfort, joy, peace, safety … His voice reveals a God who loves and serves.
The voice of the Good Shepherd is not only loving and comforting, but it is also strong. With His voice, the Good shepherd even leads us through death into life everlasting. For just as he died, He has also risen. And just as He has risen, He will also raise us from the bed of death to new life … a life that will have no sorrow, pain, or death … a life that will never end.
Through the work of the Holy Spirit, Good Shepherd Jesus sends His call out to all people in all places and in all times. The Holy Spirit works through Christ’s Word, through Holy Absolution, through Holy Baptism, and through His Holy Meal to work faith in people and keep that faith strong. Just as Jesus gives the title of Good Shepherd to Himself, He claims all who believe in Him as His sheep. They are His sheep and know Him as the true Christ.
There will always be those who reject the call of the Good Shepherd. The Holy Spirit will offer the gifts of Jesus Christ to them and they will reject them. They will refuse to see the love of God in Jesus on the cross. They will refuse to see the love of God when Jesus comes to us in His body and blood. The danger for them is greater than a mere loss of life on this earth. The danger is the anguish of the eternal outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The future for those who have the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith is one of joy. We receive God’s service. We are part of the flock of the Good Shepherd. We are under the protection of both the Father and the Son. Death for us will be only a temporary earthly thing. For, just as our Good Shepherd rose from the dead, we too will rise from the grave and enter into eternal joy where we will continue to experience God’s love into eternity. As the psalmist said, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:6) Amen.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday of Easter – April 27, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Lay Reader Gena Dillon
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study follow the worship service today.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Ladies afternoon Tea Party has been re-scheduled from Saturday, April 26th to Saturday, May 17th at 2 p.m.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
he Second Sunday of Easter
April 27, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 463 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia”
1 Christ the Lord is ris’n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
Offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
At the paschal victim’s feet. Alleluia!
2 For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
Sinless in the sinner’s stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3 Hail, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
When contending death and life, Alleluia!
Met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!
4 Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
All your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
Text: attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; tr. Jane E. Leeson, 1809–81, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 1 Peter 2:2–3; Psalm 105:1–5, 8
P Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 5:12–20
12Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. 16The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
17But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy 18they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20“Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 148
1Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the | heavens;*
praise him | in the heights!
2Praise him, all his | angels;*
praise him, | all his hosts!
3Praise him, | sun and moon,*
praise him, all you | shining stars!
4Praise him, you highest | heavens,*
and you waters above the | heavens!
5Let them praise the name | of the Lord!*
For he commanded and they were cre- | ated.
6And he established them forever and | ever;*
he gave a decree, and it shall not | pass away.
7Praise the Lord | from the earth,*
you great sea creatures and | all deeps,
8fire and hail, | snow and mist,*
stormy wind fulfill- | ing his word!
9Mountains and | all hills,*
fruit trees and all | cedars!
10Beasts and all | livestock,*
creeping things and | flying birds!
11Kings of the earth and all | peoples,*
princes and all rulers | of the earth!
12Young men and maidens to- | gether,*
old men and | children!
13Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is ex- | alted;*
his majesty is above earth and | heaven.
14He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for | all his saints,*
for the people of Israel who are near to him. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle Revelation 1:4–18
4John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
12Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, 13and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 14The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, 15his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.
17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 20:19-31
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter.
19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 470 “O Sons and Daughters of the King”
1 O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 An angel clad in white they see,
Who sits and speaks unto the three,
“Your Lord will go to Galilee.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 That night the_apostles met in fear;
Among them came their master dear
And said, “My peace be with you here.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 When Thomas first the tidings heard
That they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
6 “My piercèd side, O Thomas, see,
And look upon My hands, My feet;
Not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
7 No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“You are my Lord and God!” he cried.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
8 How blest are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
9 On this most holy day of days
Be laud and jubilee and praise:
To God your hearts and voices raise.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: attr. Jean Tisserand, d. 1494; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Diamonds of Hope” John 20:19-31
Diamonds of Hope
John 20:19-31
Sure enough, here he comes again! Every year, on the Little Easter that follows the Big One, our old friend Thomas steps up, and that old tattletale John, as usual, blows the whistle on him. Have you ever wondered just where poor Thomas was when the Resurrected Lord first appeared to His disciples? My guess is that he had run down to the First Century equivalent of fast food restaurant for eleven fish fillet sandwiches!
The only thing we know for sure is that he was not in the room -- a room, by the way, that the other ten had "locked for fear of the Jews." That alone should tell us something about the absent brother. He certainly was not a coward. Whatever took him away from that room took him into danger and he knew it. Everybody knew it!
As a matter of fact, a few weeks earlier, when Jesus announced that Lazarus had died and that He was going to Bethany and then on to Jerusalem, the disciples did everything they could to keep Jesus from going into obvious danger. Once they realized that Jesus would not be dissuaded, it was Thomas who said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (There is some question about whether the "him" was Lazarus or Jesus, but the threat of death did not keep Thomas on the other side of the Jordan, any more than it kept him in that locked room.)
Jesus showed up in that room on Sunday evening. It is important to remember that the women had already been to the empty tomb. Peter and John had also been there and Mary had already told them that she had "seen the Lord!" John doesn't mention it, but Cleopas and a friend had also seen Jesus on the road and told the story to the disciples. John also, perhaps sheepishly, fails to mention that after hearing from these witnesses, the eleven still did not believe Jesus had risen.
Another whistle-blower, Mark, wrote, "When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she (Mary) had seen Him, they did not believe it." He also wrote that after Cleopas and company told them what had happened on the road to Emmaus, "They did not believe them either." Mark wasn't there, nor was he one of the original gang, so he isn't sheepish about adding that the Lord later "rebuked them for their lack of faith and stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen."
This information sets the stage for Sunday's Gospel Lesson -- there were ten doubters in the room and one out of it! To label poor Thomas as "the" doubter, or to dub him, "Doubting Thomas," is being a bit prejudicial, wouldn’t you say? John tells us that "The disciples were filled with joy at seeing the Lord." Please note, however, that the sentence follows John's earlier report that the Lord had "showed them His hands and His side." Let it be no surprise that, when the ten told the whole thing to Thomas some time later, he wanted to see for himself. They had not believed until they had seen -- why should he?
There are many lessons to be learned from these thirteen verses. For a long time, preachers have been selecting their favorites for this annual occasion. I've had a go at it myself for more than 40+ years. One of the most important lessons is in Jesus' words: "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven." It is of no small significance that, according to John, these are among the first words from the Risen Lord to His chosen bunch, after greeting them with "Peace be with you." Near the top of all the sins needing forgiveness is the incredulity and dullness that keeps disciples and from latching on to the promises of God.
Let's glean three more very fine kernels from this rich and bountiful harvest. The first is to avoid labels and stereotypes for people who are all unique individuals and chosen children of the Almighty and gracious God. Let's be very thankful that Jesus comes to us one on one and accepts us as we are. Let's remember that He even comes again and again to those of us who were at fast food establishment or otherwise "out to lunch" when He came the first time. Let us rejoice in the fact that He dismisses no one on the basis of labels -- not "lepers, lame, blind, poor, doubters, thieves (on crosses or off), prostitutes, tax collectors, publicans," or even "sinners." Thanking Him for His gracious blindness to such labels is good. Following Him and being like Him is even better.
One pastor, The Rev. Earl Feddersen, has what he has dubbed “Feddersen’s Fables.” He has the following moral: "The only good rumor is a dead rumor." The Fifth of Feddersen's Commandments is "You shall not kill anything you don't intend to eat, unless it is a rumor." (Any rumor you might be tempted to gobble up is the most important kind to kill immediately.)
The second kernel, another gem of great price, is to note that before telling His disciples that people's sins are forgiven when they forgive them, Jesus said, "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." The Church must never forget that people's sins are not being forgiven if we are not out there bringing God's forgiveness to them! We are a people with a mission, or we are no people at all. In the words of William Temple, the church "is the only society on earth which exists for the benefit of the non-members." The very moment that ceases to be true is the moment when we revert to a group of doubters for whom the Resurrection is only a rumor, and it is time once again to lock the doors!
Finally, note the words of Jesus to our good friend Honest Thomas: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." After He had seen Jesus, old Tom looked Jesus right in the eye and said, "My Lord and my God." Our temptation is to think that Thomas was particularly blessed by the Lord because Jesus returned so that he could see for himself. Jesus set that record straight. You and I are the ones who are blessed because we have not seen and yet believe!
I have not had the opportunity to look into Jesus' eyes, but He is my Lord and my God. Where my life doesn't show that, it's because I am still in His body shop, in need of additional repairs. God isn't finished with me yet. As a matter of fact, the biggest frustration of my life is that every time I turn around I find another dent that needs to be straightened out. Sometimes I think I must have been left out in a monstrous hailstorm. At the same time, the church is a great body shop. In spite of all our dings and wrinkles we are Christ's Body at work in the world. There is plenty of room yet for all kinds of people -- all those whose lives are broken down with doubts, shattered relationships, addictions and a list of sins that would make the devil blush.
What's more, the Head Mechanic is still sending us back out to find others and tow them in. It is dangerous out there. The chances are someone will back into us if not take us head on. If you are like me, you will probably run over something you should have avoided and wind up flat on the side of the road. But -- and don't take my word on this; don't even take the word of Thomas; take God's Word -- Jesus will come again in His Word and Sacrament to forgive, restore and renew us. Oh, yes, and He will send us out again!
In 1989, at his commencement from the University of Illinois, Paul Henmueller, now an attorney used an illustration that was later adapted by Glendon Harris (an agriculture professor at the University of Georgia) and applied to the church and our mission. Beneath the surface of the earth are vast deposits of diamonds. Almost all are clear or white. One of the most famous diamonds in the world is radiant blue. It is cherished not only for its size and beauty, but for its uncanny ability to conduct electricity -- to energize other objects that it touches. The Hope diamond is the only one of its kind known to the world. Followers of the Risen Christ are sent out to be "diamonds of hope" -- lifting, encouraging, enabling and energizing all others that they contact. We are the only ones in the world, servants of the world's only real and lasting Hope—our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is very much alive and will be forever!
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday of Easter - 27 April 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Glorious Lord, You have worked the salvation of the world through the death and resurrection of Your Son. Give strength to our praise, and let our hearts and mouths be filled with the joy of Your wondrous works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to die for our sins and to rise for our justification. By His holy wounds, bless us with the forgiveness of sins, and bless those sent to serve us in Your name, that Your Church would be built up in our time and in the ages to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, remember those who have wandered from the household of faith. Faithful to Your promises, work all things in their lives to remind them of their need for Your unending grace and steadfast love, that they might return to the faith and delight in Your Son, crucified and raised for them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You sent Your angel to free the apostles from prison, that they would speak of the life of Christ. Send Your holy angels to minister to those imprisoned on account of the testimony of Jesus, and embolden Your whole Church to give a faithful and loving witness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we pray You to lead and guide our president; Congress; our governor; the legislature of our state; and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Protect and defend those within our community who enforce the rule of law, respond in emergency and disaster, and guard our liberty here and abroad. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Great Physician, even the shadows of Your apostles brought healing to the afflicted people of Jerusalem. As we rest under the shadow of Your wings, heal Your afflicted servants, [especially _____________,] that they would rejoice in Your steadfast love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, Your Son greets His disciples with peace despite their sins against Him. Make us confident in His mercy toward us, and gladden our hearts as He comes to us in His body and blood with forgiveness and renewal. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Alpha and Omega, almighty God, who was and is and is to come, with You all the souls of the faithful rest in safety and in the assurance of the resurrection of all flesh. Make safe our way to join them, and bring us with John and all the saints into the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
483 “With High Delight Let Us Unite”
1 With high delight
Let us unite
In songs of great jubilation.
Ye pure in heart,
All bear your part,
Sing Jesus Christ, our salvation.
To set us free
Forever, He
Is ris’n and sends
To all earth’s ends
Good news to save ev’ry nation.
2 True God, He first
From death has burst
Forth into life, all subduing.
His enemy
Doth vanquished lie;
His death has been death’s undoing.
“And yours shall be
Like victory
O’er death and grave,”
Saith He, who gave
His life for us, life renewing.
3 Let praises ring;
Give thanks, and bring
To Christ our Lord adoration.
His honor speed
By word and deed
To ev’ry land, ev’ry nation.
So shall His love
Give us above,
From misery
And death set free,
All joy and full consolation.
Text: Georg Vetter, 1536–99; tr. Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
480 “He’s Risen, He’s Risen”
1 He’s risen, He’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;
He opened death’s prison, the_incarnate, true Word.
Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song
And earth, sea, and mountain their praises prolong.
2 The foe was triumphant when on Calvary
The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear.
3 But short was their triumph; the Savior arose,
And death, hell, and Satan He vanquished, His foes.
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high;
He lives, yes, He lives, and will nevermore die.
4 O, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;
Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.
For all our transgressions His blood does atone;
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.
D 5 Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;
Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.
Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain:
With Father and Spirit He ever shall reign.
Text: C. F. W. Walther, 1811–87, abr.; tr. Anna M. Meyer, 1867–1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 487 “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
1 Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness,
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke
Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
Through the Red Sea waters.
2 ’Tis the spring of souls today:
Christ has burst His prison
And from three days’ sleep in death
As a sun has risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From His light, to whom is giv’n
Laud and praise undying.
3 Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to gladden faithful hearts
Which with true affection
Welcome in unwearied strain
Jesus’ resurrection!
4 For today among His own
Christ appeared, bestowing
His deep peace, which evermore
Passes human knowing.
Neither could the gates of death
Nor the tomb’s dark portal
Nor the watchers nor the seal
Hold Him as a mortal.
5 Alleluia! Now we cry
To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
Of the tomb’s dark portal.
Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness!
Text: John of Damascus, c. 696–c. 754; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Resurrection of Our Lord/Easter – April 20, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Doak Whitley (captain)
AN EASTER BRUNCH is offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Ladies afternoon Tea Party has been re-scheduled from Saturday, April 26th to Saturday, May 17th at 2 p.m.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior? He rose from the dead too!
The Resurrection of Our Lord
April 20, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 457 “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”
1 Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!
2 Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heav’nly king, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!
3 But the pains which He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured; Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s king, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!
D 4 Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!
Praise eternal as His love; Alleluia!
Praise Him, all ye heav’nly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!
Text: tr. Lyra Davidica, 1708, London, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Latin, 14th cent.; (st. 4): Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 65:17–25
L A reading from Isaiah, chapter 65.
17“Behold, I create new heavens
and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
or come into mind.
18But be glad and rejoice forever
in that which I create;
for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
and her people to be a gladness.
19I will rejoice in Jerusalem
and be glad in my people;
no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
and the cry of distress.
20No more shall there be in it
an infant who lives but a few days,
or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for the young man shall die a hundred years old,
and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
21They shall build houses and inhabit them;
they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22They shall not build and another inhabit;
they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23They shall not labor in vain
or bear children for calamity,
for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,
and their descendants with them.
24Before they call I will answer;
while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
and dust shall be the serpent’s food.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading 1 Corinthians 15:19–26
L A reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 15.
19If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Gospel Reading Luke 24:1–12
L A reading from Luke, chapter 24.
1On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8And they remembered his words, 9and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Sit
Sermon Hymn: 461 “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
1 I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living head.
2 He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives all-glorious in the sky;
He lives exalted there on high.
3 He lives to bless me with His love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.
4 He lives to grant me rich supply;
He lives to guide me with His eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint;
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
5 He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.
6 He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
7 He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.
8 He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same;
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
Text: Samuel Medley, 1738–99, abr.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Miracle of Easter” Matthew 28:1-10
The Miracle of Easter
Matthew 28:1–10
Let’s for a moment think of that first Good Friday. From 9 o’clock in the morning until noon there was a lot of activity. Jesus was nailed to the cross at 9 o’clock. Shortly thereafter, He prayed to His heavenly Father asking God to forgive those who had crucified Him. Jesus also heard the cry of the repentant thief and assured him that that day he would be with Him in paradise. Jesus also placed His mother into the care of His disciple John. The chief priests were busy criticizing Pilate’s inscription that said that Jesus was the king of the Jews.
And then noon came. It was at that time when God performed the first miracle of Good Friday. Of it we read: “It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed.” (Luke 23:44–45)
From what we read, we receive the impression that a halt came to all the activity. Silence fell over the crowd. Then Jesus said, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).
As He hung on the cross, Jesus experienced the Father’s just judgment—wrath and punishment upon the sins of the world. A while later, after He had received the punishment for the sins of the world in full, He cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:30).
Then, we read:
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. (Matthew 27:51–53)
This morning, on this Easter Sunday, I would like to direct your attention to the miracle of Easter.
Let us listen to our text from St. Matthew’s Gospel:
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead, and behold, He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see Him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me.” (Matthew 28:1–10)
Late that same day, Jesus met several of His disciples traveling to Emmaus. He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:25–26).
They then turned around and returned to Jerusalem where the other disciples were. Jesus miraculously appeared before them and said, among other things:
These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. (Luke 24:44)
Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46–47)
Fifty days later on Pentecost, St. Peter said to the crowd that had gathered:
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised Him up. (Acts 2:22–24)
Some years later, St. Paul said in Antioch of Pisidia:
[Jesus] whom God raised up did not see corruption. Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:37–39)
About twenty years later, St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Jesus…was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25). About the same time he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, his Resurrection chapter, these words:
I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then He appeared to more than five hundred. (1 Corinthians 15:3–6)
At the very end of our text for this sermon, the risen Christ told His disciples to meet Him in Galilee. St. Matthew concluded his Gospel with that meeting. Many believe that it was at that time when Jesus met with five hundred of His disciples.
St. Matthew wrote:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped Him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (28:16–20)
Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - The Resurrection of Our Lord (Easter) - 20 April 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Holy Lord, mighty God, You have borne the sin of the world and given to us the promise of new and everlasting life. Receive our thanks for the glorious resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Bring us with Him to our own joyful resurrection and the reunion of all Your saints. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have established the Church as the instrument of Your saving purpose and endowed us with the gift of Your Word and Sacrament. Embolden us with the Holy Spirit, that we may be renewed in witness, sustained in trial and refreshed through the Means of Grace. Bless those who bring Your gifts and preach Your Word. Give us willing ears to hear and willing hearts to keep this Easter faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give peace, Lord, to our homes and enliven them by Christ’s resurrected life. Let the forgiveness of sins reign among husbands and wives, parents and children. Assure those who live alone that they, too, are Your children, upheld by Your right hand. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless Donald, our president, and all who make and administer our laws. Frustrate the forces of evil, and do not let our leaders cooperate with them or further their goals. Guard our armed forces as they stand watch for us at home and abroad. Let them serve with honor and integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, Your healing and strength are the hope of all the weary and afflicted. According to Your gracious will, give to all the sick and those who suffer healing and relief [especially _____________]. Grant them patience and hope until that day when they put on new and glorious bodies raised by Christ and receive the end of all afflictions. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most Holy Father, this is the feast of victory, for the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. By Your Spirit, prepare us to receive His body and blood for the strengthening of our faith in this mortal life. Build in us anticipation for the marriage supper of the Lamb, which we and all the people of God shall feast upon in His kingdom without end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, You have not let Your Holy One see corruption, but have raised Him in triumph from the dead, never to die again. Therefore, our hearts are glad and we rejoice, for our flesh also dwells secure. Since You have set Him at Your right hand, lead us to set His resurrection before us at all times, that His path of life and the fullness of joy in His presence may be known to us, until we come also to the eternal pleasures at His right hand, forevermore; for You, O Father, with the Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
482 “This Joyful Eastertide”
1 This joyful Eastertide
Away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the Crucified,
Has sprung to life this morrow: Refrain
ref Had Christ, who once was slain,
Not burst His three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain:
But now has Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen;
But now has Christ arisen!
2 Death’s flood has lost its chill
Since Jesus crossed the river;
Lover of souls, from ill
My passing soul deliver: Refrain
3 My flesh in hope shall rest
And for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
Shall wake the dead in number: Refrain
Text: George R. Woodward, 1848–1934
Text: Public domain
633 “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
1 At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from His piercèd side.
Alleluia!
2 Praise we Him, whose love divine
Gives His sacred blood for wine,
Gives His body for the feast--
Christ the victim, Christ the priest.
Alleluia!
3 Where the paschal blood is poured,
Death’s dread angel sheathes the sword;
Israel’s hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that drowns the foe.
Alleluia!
4 Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, paschal bread;
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.
Alleluia!
5 Mighty Victim from the sky,
Hell’s fierce pow’rs beneath You lie;
You have conquered in the fight,
You have brought us life and light.
Alleluia!
6 Now no more can death appall,
Now no more the grave enthrall;
You have opened paradise,
And Your saints in You shall rise.
Alleluia!
7 Easter triumph, Easter joy!
This alone can sin destroy;
From sin’s pow’r, Lord, set us free,
Newborn souls in You to be.
Alleluia!
D 8 Father, who the crown shall give,
Savior, by whose death we live,
Spirit, guide through all our days:
Three in One, Your name we praise.
Alleluia!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Robert Campbell, 1814–68, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Stand
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 478 “The Day of Resurrection”
1 The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad,
The passover of gladness,
The passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
From sin’s dominion free,
Our Christ has brought us over
With hymns of victory.
2 Let hearts be purged of evil
That we may see aright
The Lord in rays eternal
Of resurrection light
And, list’ning to His accents,
May hear, so calm and plain,
His own “All hail!” and, hearing,
May raise the victor strain.
3 Now let the heav’ns be joyful,
Let earth its song begin,
Let all the world keep triumph
And all that is therein.
Let all things, seen and unseen,
Their notes of gladness blend;
For Christ the Lord has risen,
Our joy that has no end!
D 4 All praise to God the Father,
All praise to God the Son,
All praise to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One!
Let all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne
And honor, pow’r, and glory
Ascribe to God alone!
Text: John of Damascus, c. 696–c. 754; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu – Jesus Lives!+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments / Easter Brunch
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion – April 13, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Lay Reader Randy Peeters
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.
CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
MAUNDY THURSDAY WORSHIP with Holy Communion is this Thursday at 7 p.m.
GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP is at 7 p.m.
ON EASTER, we have one service at our regular service time of 9 a.m., followed by Easter Brunch’
A SPECIAL THANKS to all who volunteered to help at the Easter Festival yesterday.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Ladies afternoon Tea Party has been re-scheduled from Saturday, April 26th to Saturday, May 17th at 2 p.m.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday
April 13, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Procession of Palms
Greeting
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna to the Son of David.
Collect
P Let us pray.
Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Holy Gospel John 12:12–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
P 12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ.
P Let us go forth in peace, C in the name of the Lord.
Processional Hymn: 442 “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”
ref All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
1 You are the King of Israel
And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
Our King and Blessèd One. Refrain
2 The company of angels
Is praising You on high,
And we with all creation
In chorus make reply. Refrain
3 The multitude of pilgrims
With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before You we present. Refrain
4 To You before Your passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise. Refrain
5 As You received their praises,
Accept the prayers we bring,
O Source of ev’ry blessing,
Our good and gracious King. Refrain
Text: Theodulf of Orléans, c. 762–821; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna in the highest
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Stand
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 118:26; Psalm 24:7–10
P Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 32:36–39
36 The Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
and there is none remaining, bond or free.
37Then he will say, “Where are their gods,
the rock in which they took refuge,
38who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you;
let them be your protection!
39“See now that I, even I, am he,
and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm Psalm 31:5, 9–16
9Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am | in distress;*
my eye is wasted from grief;
my soul and my body | also.
10For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with | sighing;*
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and my bones | waste away.
11Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my ac- | quaintances;*
those who see me in the street | flee from me.
12I have been forgotten like one | who is dead;*
I have become like a broken | vessel.
13For I hear the whispering of many--
terror on | every side!—*
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to | take my life.
14But I trust in you, | O Lord;*
I say, “You | are my God.”
15My times are | in your hand;*
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my perse- | cutors!
16Make your face shine on your | servant;*
save me in your | steadfast love!
Epistle Philippians 2:5–11
5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 23:1–56
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-third chapter.
1Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
6When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
13Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16I will therefore punish and release him.”
18But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
26And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
44It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
50Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 441 “Ride On, Ride On in Majesty”
1 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
2 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.
3 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see the_approaching sacrifice.
4 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
Awaits His own anointed Son.
5 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy pow’r and reign.
Text: Henry H. Milman, 1791–1868, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Hosanna Tears of Misunderstanding” portions of Luke 19
“Hosanna Tears of Misunderstanding” (portions of Luke 19)
The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day.
“Hosanna, Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Those are the words of the first Christians, spoken that very first Palm Sunday. Those are also the words of contemporary Christians; words that we still joyously speak and sing today wherever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name. I don’t know about you, but for me the very word itself—“hosanna”—immediately evokes this great sense of joy and elation, especially when you consider the fact that these joyous words are proclaimed loud and proud after five weeks of Lenten somberness and that constant doom-and-gloom Lenten call for us to repent and turn from our sin. These Palm Sunday praises burst forth with a joy that pierces all that Lenten gloom and despair. It’s almost like it’s a pep rally for Easter. “It’s getting to be that time. Let’s get up and get motivated! We only have one week before Easter!”
Now, I know that some of you are sitting there and thinking, “That’s not right. Palm Sunday isn’t a mere warm-up act for Easter.” You’re absolutely correct in this assessment. However, might there be a chance that our loud and joyous hosannas could still be misdirected and misunderstood? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that this was the case. In fact, in St. Luke’s Gospel chapter 19, verse 37, Luke records that those first Christians who were singing and praising and raining down loud hosannas upon Jesus were rejoicing over the mighty works they had seen. Hmm…that doesn’t sound very good and faithful, does it? You almost get the sense that this crowd was so elated and worked up and chomping at the bit because they thought even bigger and better things were about to go down. “Just look at all the mighty and miraculous things Jesus did before. Now He’s getting ready to really pull the trigger. He’s entering into our capital city on a donkey as King. Now is our time! Hosanna! The shackles of Roman oppression; the shackles of being considered second-class citizens by the rest of the world, they’re all coming off! Just wait until Jesus starts acting as King! Hosanna!”
Do you know what “hosanna” means? “Hosanna” is a Hebrew word of praise meaning, “save us now.” I want you to think about that for a moment. Think about what is being said. “Save us now!” It’s a praise-filled word precisely because it is directed at the one who can do just that—save us now. It’s a proclamation of recognition. “You are our savior and deliverer! Thank God you’re here! Save us! Save us now! Hosanna!”
With this in mind, consider again those first hosannas on that first Palm Sunday. I have no doubt that the people wanted saving, but saving from what? I have no doubt that they recognized Jesus as a savior and deliverer, but savior and deliverer from what? From Roman occupation? From a life of squalor and oppression? From a life of second-class citizenry?
And before we go any further, we need to ask these same questions of ourselves. We, too, cry out our hosannas all the time. That’s what faithful Christians do, right? But what are we crying out for? What are we asking to be saved from? From a bad day? From a tight checkbook? From a strained relationship? You know as well as I do that people sometimes view “church” as nothing more than a quick-fix panacea. Most of the phone messages left on the church answering machine are people that want “help” of sorts. They see us as the place to come for free therapy. They call in the hopes of getting their pantry stocked. They come hoping to get with their rent, or gas money or a little help with the electric bill. They come to church to find lonely singles. “Hosanna! Save me, Jesus! Save me from my troubles! Save me from these crosses I bear!” And even churches and pastors can fall into this trap. “Hosanna, Jesus! Save us! Save us from low offerings! Save us from poor attendance! Save us from the Voters’ Assembly! Save us from our budget woes!” Not exactly true to the meaning of the word, is it?
That’s why I purposefully included verses 41 &42 in Luke chapter 19: “And when Jesus drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!’” Let that sink in a bit. All the loud hosannas; all the shouts of joy and palm leaves; the street covered over in cloaks to pave the way for the object/subject and recipient of all those calls for salvation and deliverance…and Jesus weeps because no one seems to get it.
Now, I know that some of you are probably thinking that Jesus is weeping over the city full of Pharisees and “bad people.” This is true…but could not the same thing be said of all those around Him waving those palm branches and shouting their loud hosannas? “Would that you had known the things that make for peace.” Remember: Every one of those people, including Jesus’ own apostles, saw Jesus’ arrest, suffering, and crucifixion as total abject failure. When the going got tough, they got going. Their Shepherd was struck, and the flock scattered. “We thought He was the One, but then He was put to death.” “Would that you had known the things that make for peace.”
And this is where we come in. We do know the rest of the story, don’t we? We have a distinct advantage that those first Palm Sunday Christians didn’t have. We know that Jesus is processing into Jerusalem on that first day of the week for the sole purpose of bringing His Father’s plan of salvation to completion. We know that peace—God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding—is only realized in the bitter sufferings and death of Him who was holy and without sin. We know that at the end of that procession; at the end of that week is a bloody cross; a gruesome death and hellish divine wrath and forsakenness for the sins of the entire world…for the salvation and deliverance of the entire world. We know all these things that those first Palm Sunday Christians didn’t. And yet…do our “hosannas” often ring just as hollow? Can we be accused of crying out “hosanna” for all the wrong things? Can we still be accused of not knowing or recognizing (or even shunning) the things that make for true peace?
We know the answers to these questions, don’t we? The answers aren’t pretty either. In fact, they’re rather ugly and stained with sin. Repent! Cry out your Kyrie. “Lord, have mercy!” Cry out your hosanna. “Save me. Deliver me.” Repent and turn to the sole source of your forgiveness, your deliverance, your salvation. Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Fellow redeemed: This is precisely our Palm Sunday joy and peace this very day! Here is every reason to rejoice and cry out with a loud and thankful “Hosanna!” Here is Christ Jesus, keeping His Word and Promise, abiding with us always. Here He is, coming to us still in very meek and lowly forms, coming to us by means of ordinary Word, ordinary water, ordinary bread and wine. Yes, these are very ordinary and lowly and unassuming means. They’re easy to overlook. They’re even easier to dismiss and disregard as ineffective or insufficient for peace. But, oh, the peace they bring and impart to us! It truly is beyond all understanding. In fact, it can only be understood in faith. Here is Christ! Here are His unconditional and absolutely free gifts of grace, mercy, and peace that surpasses all understanding! Here is the true and complete answer to our “hosanna!”
Understood in the cross-shaped light of your complete justification in Christ alone and because of Christ alone, the trials, tribulations, and crosses we daily bear in this fallen and sinful world really have a way of getting put into proper perspective, don’t they? The tears we shed as we cry out in the midst of our suffering and pain and sorrow; as we cry out for deliverance, are tears that God Himself turns to tears of joy through the working of His Holy Spirit in His Word; Word which proclaims to us the truth and the joy of our being completely redeemed and forgiven in the all-redeeming suffering, death, and resurrection of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ in the flesh. Whether we live or whether we die, we belong to Christ. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Brothers and sisters in Christ: Here’s good news--our “hosannas” have been answered. Christ Jesus has suffered, died, and risen again for you. It is finished, once and for all. The one and only thing that makes for true peace has been brought to completion. It is finished! The peace that surpasses all understanding—God’s divine and Fatherly peace—is yours right now. The angelic proclamation at Christ’s birth finds its fulfillment in Christ’s passion and resurrection. That truth and reality of that angelic proclamation rings loud and clear for us today. “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth!” It is finished, in Christ and because of Christ. Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
May your hearts, minds, and souls be filled with this Christ-centered joy and peace all your remaining days. Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
“Hosanna in the highest!” That ancient song we sing; For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heav’n our King. Oh, may we ever praise Him
With heart and life and voice, And in His blissful presence Eternally rejoice!
LSB 443:3
AMEN
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) - 13 April 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of hosts, Your Son entered into Jerusalem amid shouts of “hosanna” and people waving palms. Give us hearts full of His mercy, and join our voices to theirs in these holy days, that we would humbly bow our knees at His holy name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord God, You have revealed the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. Guard Your Church against all her enemies. Empower her in the proclamation of the saving Gospel and in the works of mercy that make known Your love to those still in darkness and the shadow of death. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You sacrificed Your own Son on the cross, that we may be called Your children. Increase the faith of all Christian fathers, that receiving Jesus and trusting in His atoning sacrifice, they may be enlivened to sacrificial love for their children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You establish governments and appoint leaders to exercise Your justice, promote virtue and protect the weak. Bless our president, the Congress, our governor, the legislature of this state, all judges and magistrates, and those who protect our liberty at home and abroad. Give us the will and desire to be good and faithful citizens, that we may not dishonor You by our words or conduct. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we bring before You the sick, distressed and needy [especially _____________]. Give Your abiding comfort in every circumstance, that in Christ we shall not die, but live and declare His works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed are You, O Lord, and blessed is Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came in Your name to save us from sin and death. As He visits us this day with His body and blood under the bread and wine, give us penitent hearts that worthily welcome His coming and rejoice in His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We praise You, Father, that You have sent Your Son not in wrath but in mercy. As we enter this most holy week and ponder together the mysteries of Your great salvation, show us the answer to Your people’s prayers of “hosanna” in the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame by the tree of the garden might likewise by the tree of the cross be overcome. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
444 “No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet”
1 No tramp of soldiers’ marching feet
With banners and with drums,
No sound of music’s martial beat:
“The King of glory comes!”
To greet what pomp of kingly pride
No bells in triumph ring,
No city gates swing open wide:
“Behold, behold your King!”
2 And yet He comes. The children cheer;
With palms His path is strown.
With ev’ry step the cross draws near:
The King of glory’s throne.
Astride a colt He passes by
As loud hosannas ring,
Or else the very stones would cry
“Behold, behold your King!”
3 What fading flow’rs His road adorn;
The palms, how soon laid down!
No bloom or leaf but only thorn
The King of glory’s crown.
The soldiers mock, the rabble cries,
The streets with tumult ring,
As Pilate to the mob replies,
“Behold, behold your King!”
4 Now He who bore for mortals’ sake
The cross and all its pains
And chose a servant’s form to take,
The King of glory reigns.
Hosanna to the Savior’s name
Till heaven’s rafters ring,
And all the ransomed host proclaim
“Behold, behold your King!”
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926–2024
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
437 “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed”
1 Alas! And did my Savior bleed,
And did my sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
2 Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!
3 Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in
When God, the mighty maker, died
For His own creatures’ sin.
4 Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.
5 But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away:
’Tis all that I can do.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 443 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,
The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple
The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.
2 From Olivet they followed
Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving
And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children
Should on His bidding wait.
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing;
For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him
With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence
Eternally rejoice!
Text: Jeannette Threlfall, 1821–80, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion – April 13, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Lay Reader Randy Peeters
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.
CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
MAUNDY THURSDAY WORSHIP with Holy Communion is this Thursday at 7 p.m.
GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP is at 7 p.m.
ON EASTER, we have one service at our regular service time of 9 a.m., followed by Easter Brunch’
A SPECIAL THANKS to all who volunteered to help at the Easter Festival yesterday.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Ladies afternoon Tea Party has been re-scheduled from Saturday, April 26th to Saturday, May 17th at 2 p.m.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Sunday of the Passion/Palm Sunday
April 13, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Procession of Palms
Greeting
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna to the Son of David.
Collect
P Let us pray.
Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Holy Gospel John 12:12–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
P 12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ.
P Let us go forth in peace, C in the name of the Lord.
Processional Hymn: 442 “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”
ref All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
1 You are the King of Israel
And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
Our King and Blessèd One. Refrain
2 The company of angels
Is praising You on high,
And we with all creation
In chorus make reply. Refrain
3 The multitude of pilgrims
With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before You we present. Refrain
4 To You before Your passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise. Refrain
5 As You received their praises,
Accept the prayers we bring,
O Source of ev’ry blessing,
Our good and gracious King. Refrain
Text: Theodulf of Orléans, c. 762–821; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna in the highest
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Stand
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 118:26; Psalm 24:7–10
P Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 32:36–39
36 The Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone
and there is none remaining, bond or free.
37Then he will say, “Where are their gods,
the rock in which they took refuge,
38who ate the fat of their sacrifices
and drank the wine of their drink offering?
Let them rise up and help you;
let them be your protection!
39“See now that I, even I, am he,
and there is no god beside me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm Psalm 31:5, 9–16
9Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am | in distress;*
my eye is wasted from grief;
my soul and my body | also.
10For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with | sighing;*
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
and my bones | waste away.
11Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,
especially to my neighbors,
and an object of dread to my ac- | quaintances;*
those who see me in the street | flee from me.
12I have been forgotten like one | who is dead;*
I have become like a broken | vessel.
13For I hear the whispering of many--
terror on | every side!—*
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to | take my life.
14But I trust in you, | O Lord;*
I say, “You | are my God.”
15My times are | in your hand;*
rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my perse- | cutors!
16Make your face shine on your | servant;*
save me in your | steadfast love!
Epistle Philippians 2:5–11
5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 23:1–56
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-third chapter.
1Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king.” 3And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 4Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.”
6When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.
13Pilate then called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been done by him. 16I will therefore punish and release him.”
18But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. 20Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, 21but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” 23But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. 25He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will.
26And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. 27And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. 28But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ 31For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 36The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
44It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
50Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, 51who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid. 54It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. 55The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid. 56Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments.
On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 441 “Ride On, Ride On in Majesty”
1 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
2 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.
3 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see the_approaching sacrifice.
4 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
Awaits His own anointed Son.
5 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy pow’r and reign.
Text: Henry H. Milman, 1791–1868, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Hosanna Tears of Misunderstanding” portions of Luke 19
“Hosanna Tears of Misunderstanding” (portions of Luke 19)
The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day.
“Hosanna, Hosanna! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” Those are the words of the first Christians, spoken that very first Palm Sunday. Those are also the words of contemporary Christians; words that we still joyously speak and sing today wherever two or three are gathered in Christ’s name. I don’t know about you, but for me the very word itself—“hosanna”—immediately evokes this great sense of joy and elation, especially when you consider the fact that these joyous words are proclaimed loud and proud after five weeks of Lenten somberness and that constant doom-and-gloom Lenten call for us to repent and turn from our sin. These Palm Sunday praises burst forth with a joy that pierces all that Lenten gloom and despair. It’s almost like it’s a pep rally for Easter. “It’s getting to be that time. Let’s get up and get motivated! We only have one week before Easter!”
Now, I know that some of you are sitting there and thinking, “That’s not right. Palm Sunday isn’t a mere warm-up act for Easter.” You’re absolutely correct in this assessment. However, might there be a chance that our loud and joyous hosannas could still be misdirected and misunderstood? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that this was the case. In fact, in St. Luke’s Gospel chapter 19, verse 37, Luke records that those first Christians who were singing and praising and raining down loud hosannas upon Jesus were rejoicing over the mighty works they had seen. Hmm…that doesn’t sound very good and faithful, does it? You almost get the sense that this crowd was so elated and worked up and chomping at the bit because they thought even bigger and better things were about to go down. “Just look at all the mighty and miraculous things Jesus did before. Now He’s getting ready to really pull the trigger. He’s entering into our capital city on a donkey as King. Now is our time! Hosanna! The shackles of Roman oppression; the shackles of being considered second-class citizens by the rest of the world, they’re all coming off! Just wait until Jesus starts acting as King! Hosanna!”
Do you know what “hosanna” means? “Hosanna” is a Hebrew word of praise meaning, “save us now.” I want you to think about that for a moment. Think about what is being said. “Save us now!” It’s a praise-filled word precisely because it is directed at the one who can do just that—save us now. It’s a proclamation of recognition. “You are our savior and deliverer! Thank God you’re here! Save us! Save us now! Hosanna!”
With this in mind, consider again those first hosannas on that first Palm Sunday. I have no doubt that the people wanted saving, but saving from what? I have no doubt that they recognized Jesus as a savior and deliverer, but savior and deliverer from what? From Roman occupation? From a life of squalor and oppression? From a life of second-class citizenry?
And before we go any further, we need to ask these same questions of ourselves. We, too, cry out our hosannas all the time. That’s what faithful Christians do, right? But what are we crying out for? What are we asking to be saved from? From a bad day? From a tight checkbook? From a strained relationship? You know as well as I do that people sometimes view “church” as nothing more than a quick-fix panacea. Most of the phone messages left on the church answering machine are people that want “help” of sorts. They see us as the place to come for free therapy. They call in the hopes of getting their pantry stocked. They come hoping to get with their rent, or gas money or a little help with the electric bill. They come to church to find lonely singles. “Hosanna! Save me, Jesus! Save me from my troubles! Save me from these crosses I bear!” And even churches and pastors can fall into this trap. “Hosanna, Jesus! Save us! Save us from low offerings! Save us from poor attendance! Save us from the Voters’ Assembly! Save us from our budget woes!” Not exactly true to the meaning of the word, is it?
That’s why I purposefully included verses 41 &42 in Luke chapter 19: “And when Jesus drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace!’” Let that sink in a bit. All the loud hosannas; all the shouts of joy and palm leaves; the street covered over in cloaks to pave the way for the object/subject and recipient of all those calls for salvation and deliverance…and Jesus weeps because no one seems to get it.
Now, I know that some of you are probably thinking that Jesus is weeping over the city full of Pharisees and “bad people.” This is true…but could not the same thing be said of all those around Him waving those palm branches and shouting their loud hosannas? “Would that you had known the things that make for peace.” Remember: Every one of those people, including Jesus’ own apostles, saw Jesus’ arrest, suffering, and crucifixion as total abject failure. When the going got tough, they got going. Their Shepherd was struck, and the flock scattered. “We thought He was the One, but then He was put to death.” “Would that you had known the things that make for peace.”
And this is where we come in. We do know the rest of the story, don’t we? We have a distinct advantage that those first Palm Sunday Christians didn’t have. We know that Jesus is processing into Jerusalem on that first day of the week for the sole purpose of bringing His Father’s plan of salvation to completion. We know that peace—God’s peace, which surpasses all understanding—is only realized in the bitter sufferings and death of Him who was holy and without sin. We know that at the end of that procession; at the end of that week is a bloody cross; a gruesome death and hellish divine wrath and forsakenness for the sins of the entire world…for the salvation and deliverance of the entire world. We know all these things that those first Palm Sunday Christians didn’t. And yet…do our “hosannas” often ring just as hollow? Can we be accused of crying out “hosanna” for all the wrong things? Can we still be accused of not knowing or recognizing (or even shunning) the things that make for true peace?
We know the answers to these questions, don’t we? The answers aren’t pretty either. In fact, they’re rather ugly and stained with sin. Repent! Cry out your Kyrie. “Lord, have mercy!” Cry out your hosanna. “Save me. Deliver me.” Repent and turn to the sole source of your forgiveness, your deliverance, your salvation. Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Fellow redeemed: This is precisely our Palm Sunday joy and peace this very day! Here is every reason to rejoice and cry out with a loud and thankful “Hosanna!” Here is Christ Jesus, keeping His Word and Promise, abiding with us always. Here He is, coming to us still in very meek and lowly forms, coming to us by means of ordinary Word, ordinary water, ordinary bread and wine. Yes, these are very ordinary and lowly and unassuming means. They’re easy to overlook. They’re even easier to dismiss and disregard as ineffective or insufficient for peace. But, oh, the peace they bring and impart to us! It truly is beyond all understanding. In fact, it can only be understood in faith. Here is Christ! Here are His unconditional and absolutely free gifts of grace, mercy, and peace that surpasses all understanding! Here is the true and complete answer to our “hosanna!”
Understood in the cross-shaped light of your complete justification in Christ alone and because of Christ alone, the trials, tribulations, and crosses we daily bear in this fallen and sinful world really have a way of getting put into proper perspective, don’t they? The tears we shed as we cry out in the midst of our suffering and pain and sorrow; as we cry out for deliverance, are tears that God Himself turns to tears of joy through the working of His Holy Spirit in His Word; Word which proclaims to us the truth and the joy of our being completely redeemed and forgiven in the all-redeeming suffering, death, and resurrection of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ in the flesh. Whether we live or whether we die, we belong to Christ. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Brothers and sisters in Christ: Here’s good news--our “hosannas” have been answered. Christ Jesus has suffered, died, and risen again for you. It is finished, once and for all. The one and only thing that makes for true peace has been brought to completion. It is finished! The peace that surpasses all understanding—God’s divine and Fatherly peace—is yours right now. The angelic proclamation at Christ’s birth finds its fulfillment in Christ’s passion and resurrection. That truth and reality of that angelic proclamation rings loud and clear for us today. “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth!” It is finished, in Christ and because of Christ. Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.
May your hearts, minds, and souls be filled with this Christ-centered joy and peace all your remaining days. Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
“Hosanna in the highest!” That ancient song we sing; For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heav’n our King. Oh, may we ever praise Him
With heart and life and voice, And in His blissful presence Eternally rejoice!
LSB 443:3
AMEN
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Sunday of the Passion (Palm Sunday) - 13 April 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of hosts, Your Son entered into Jerusalem amid shouts of “hosanna” and people waving palms. Give us hearts full of His mercy, and join our voices to theirs in these holy days, that we would humbly bow our knees at His holy name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord God, You have revealed the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations. Guard Your Church against all her enemies. Empower her in the proclamation of the saving Gospel and in the works of mercy that make known Your love to those still in darkness and the shadow of death. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You sacrificed Your own Son on the cross, that we may be called Your children. Increase the faith of all Christian fathers, that receiving Jesus and trusting in His atoning sacrifice, they may be enlivened to sacrificial love for their children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You establish governments and appoint leaders to exercise Your justice, promote virtue and protect the weak. Bless our president, the Congress, our governor, the legislature of this state, all judges and magistrates, and those who protect our liberty at home and abroad. Give us the will and desire to be good and faithful citizens, that we may not dishonor You by our words or conduct. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we bring before You the sick, distressed and needy [especially _____________]. Give Your abiding comfort in every circumstance, that in Christ we shall not die, but live and declare His works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed are You, O Lord, and blessed is Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came in Your name to save us from sin and death. As He visits us this day with His body and blood under the bread and wine, give us penitent hearts that worthily welcome His coming and rejoice in His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We praise You, Father, that You have sent Your Son not in wrath but in mercy. As we enter this most holy week and ponder together the mysteries of Your great salvation, show us the answer to Your people’s prayers of “hosanna” in the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame by the tree of the garden might likewise by the tree of the cross be overcome. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
444 “No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet”
1 No tramp of soldiers’ marching feet
With banners and with drums,
No sound of music’s martial beat:
“The King of glory comes!”
To greet what pomp of kingly pride
No bells in triumph ring,
No city gates swing open wide:
“Behold, behold your King!”
2 And yet He comes. The children cheer;
With palms His path is strown.
With ev’ry step the cross draws near:
The King of glory’s throne.
Astride a colt He passes by
As loud hosannas ring,
Or else the very stones would cry
“Behold, behold your King!”
3 What fading flow’rs His road adorn;
The palms, how soon laid down!
No bloom or leaf but only thorn
The King of glory’s crown.
The soldiers mock, the rabble cries,
The streets with tumult ring,
As Pilate to the mob replies,
“Behold, behold your King!”
4 Now He who bore for mortals’ sake
The cross and all its pains
And chose a servant’s form to take,
The King of glory reigns.
Hosanna to the Savior’s name
Till heaven’s rafters ring,
And all the ransomed host proclaim
“Behold, behold your King!”
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926–2024
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
437 “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed”
1 Alas! And did my Savior bleed,
And did my sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
2 Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!
3 Well might the sun in darkness hide
And shut his glories in
When God, the mighty maker, died
For His own creatures’ sin.
4 Thus might I hide my blushing face
While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.
5 But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away:
’Tis all that I can do.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 443 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,
The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple
The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.
2 From Olivet they followed
Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving
And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children
Should on His bidding wait.
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing;
For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him
With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence
Eternally rejoice!
Text: Jeannette Threlfall, 1821–80, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday in Lent – April 6, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Dave Dixon
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THIS WEDNESDAY, April 9th, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. A sign-up sheet for the soup supper is on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miraculous Faith of the Roman Soldiers,” based on Matthew 27:54. [Note: This is the final soup supper for our midweek Lenten cycle this year.]
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
HOPPIN’ DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL Easter Festival/Community Outreach event is this Saturday, April 12th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. There will be activities for all. The day includes egg hunts, petting zoo, balloon artist, airbrush tattoos, carnival games, crafts, prizes, snacks AND a visit from the Easter Bunny. If you would like to give candy for the Easter egg hunts, please place your items in the box located in the Fellowship Room. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
April 6, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 912 “Christ Is Our Cornerstone”
1 Christ is our cornerstone,
On Him alone we build;
With His true saints alone
The courts of heav’n are filled.
On His great love
Our hopes we place
Of present grace
And joys above.
2 Here may we gain from heav’n
The grace which we implore,
And may that grace, once giv’n,
Be with us evermore
Until that day
When all the blest
To endless rest
Are called away.
D 3 Oh, then, with hymns of praise
These hallowed courts shall ring;
Our voices we will raise
The Three in One to sing
And thus proclaim
In joyful song,
Both loud and long,
That glorious name.
Text: Latin, c. 8th cent.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 3:8, 3–6
P Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sus- tained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me | all around.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 43:16–21
16Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 126
1When the Lord restored the fortunes of | Zion,*
we were like | those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with | laughter,*
and our tongue with | shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great | things for them.”*
3The Lord has done great things for us; | we are glad.
4Restore our fortunes, | O Lord,*
like streams in the | Negeb!
5Those who | sow in tears*
shall reap with | shouts of joy!
6He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for | sowing,*
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his | sheaves with him.
Epistle Philippians 3:8–14
8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 20:9–20
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twentieth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
9[Jesus] began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
19The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 430 “My Song Is Love Unknown”
1 My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?
2 He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend,
My friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend!
3 Sometimes they strew His way
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry.
4 Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
Yet they at these
Themselves displease
And ’gainst Him rise.
5 They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suff’ring goes
That He His foes
From thence might free.
6 In life no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was His home
But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay.
7 Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend!
Text: Samuel Crossman, c. 1624–1683
Text: Public domain
Sermon “What One Rejects Saves Another” Luke 20:9-20
What One Rejects Saves Another – Luke 20:9-20
Today's Gospel is an account of another parable. This parable is tragic on many levels. The parable itself tells of the tragedy of a son's death at the hands of evil people. The meaning of the parable illustrates a horrible tragedy in Israel. Worst of all, the people who had the most to gain from this parable rejected it and as they rejected it, they were doomed to commit the very crime illustrated in the parable.
Jesus told this parable during holy week. It was probably the Tuesday after the first Palm Sunday. Jesus is no longer teaching in the Galilean countryside. Now He is teaching in the temple. The temple should be a sacred place, but it has become the headquarters of the religious corruption that plagues Israel.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey amidst the praise of the Passover Pilgrims. Then He cleansed the Court of the Gentiles of the money changers and those who sold. His teaching was bringing people back to God's Word. In short, He was a problem for the corrupt authorities in Jerusalem.
Those authorities wanted to get rid of Jesus, but they couldn't figure out how to do it. They had to come up with a plan that got rid of Jesus but did not expose their corruption. For the time being, all they could do was debate with Jesus and hope that He would make a mistake. They tried every trick that they knew, but Jesus always had an answer that was solidly based on the Word of God.
Jesus told the parable in today's Gospel to illustrate the corruption that always attacks those who remain faithful to the Word of God.
The economic arrangements in the parable are still very common today. It is not at all unusual for a farmer to rent land from a landowner in exchange for a share of the harvest. It is also not unusual for the landowner to send an agent to collect his share at harvest time. These are just about the only normal elements in this story.
Renters in the real world knew that there would be swift punishment for those who withheld a fair share and beat up the owner's agents. There is no way that real world renters would consider themselves heirs if the son died. The thought processes of the renters in the parable illustrate incredible foolishness and utter evil.
The landowner does unusual things as well. He sent multiple servants into a dangerous situation. Then, when the tenants have thoroughly demonstrated their evil and cruelty, he sent his son? That is definitely not normal.
Jesus based this parable on a poem from the prophet Isaiah. [Isaiah 5:1-3, 7] “My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!”
Since this was a well-known portion of Scripture, the hearers immediately knew that the vineyard represented the land of Israel. The LORD of hosts is the landowner. The renters represented the people of Israel. The servants who came to collect were the prophets who were looking for the fruit of repentance. The Son would therefore be the Son of God Himself.
The hearers also knew the horrible history of God's prophets in Israel. Instead of listening to the prophets, they put the prophets in prison, tortured them, and killed them. Only a hand full of prophets died of natural causes in Israel. The rest were all murdered simply because they proclaimed the message that God gave them to proclaim. The hearers knew that the history Jesus illustrated with His parable was absolutely true and they were rightly ashamed of this history. In addition to all this, the parable told the people that they would even kill the Son of God, the promised Messiah Himself.
The judgment they earned with their treachery is severe. They will lose their land, their heritage, and worst of all, their relationship with God.
This is one of those rare times when the meaning of a parable is immediately crystal clear to its hearers. It is crystal clear, and it is terrifying. The people respond in horror, "Surely not!"
The scribes and the chief priests couldn't help but overhear as Jesus taught the people. They were also horrified. They were horrified that they were going to lose their positions of authority. The Gospel according to John makes this very clear. [John 11:47-48] “The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’"
The renters in the parable sound like idiots when they say, "This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours." There is no way that an inheritance would ever go to the murderers of the legitimate heir. Nevertheless, that is exactly what the scribes and the chief priests decide to do with Jesus. In a few days, they will back Pontius Pilate into a corner and coerce him into crucifying Jesus. In this way they hope to preserve their positions of authority in Jerusalem. How foolish!
C.F.W. Walther, the first president of the Missouri Synod said, [Law & Gospel: Thesis XII] "… As soon as my word is proclaimed, people will split into two camps. Some will receive it with joy; others will be offended by it and will begin to hate and persecute those who receive it. …the church is not a kingdom that can be built up in peace. It is located within the domain of the devil, the prince of this world. Accordingly, the church has no choice but to be at war. It is the Church Militant and will remain such until the blessed end. Whenever a church appears to be not a militant church but a church at ease, that is a false church. You can rely on it."
Jesus ended this story of the vineyard with the father returning in anger, destroying the evil tenants, and giving the vineyard to others. There will come a day when those who abused God's servants will have to face a very angry judge.
Fortunately, Jesus did not stop teaching at the end of the parable of the wicked tenants. He continued with a quote from Psalm 118. [Psalm 118:22] “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” With these words, Jesus taught the people that He is the cornerstone … the one upon whom the church will stand. He also taught that before He can become that cornerstone, the authorities must reject Him.
Jesus will live out the meaning of these words a few days later. Just as the builders rejected the stone in the Psalm, so the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as the Christ. They rejected Him with extreme prejudice. They tried Him, sentenced Him, and handed Him over to Pilate to carry out the execution.
Nevertheless, God raised Jesus from the dead and Jesus became the cornerstone of the church. Unlike the son in the parable who stayed dead, Jesus Christ, the stone, who was rejected, didn't stay dead. Although his friends put Jesus in the grave on Friday, Jesus left the grave under His own power on Sunday. He became the cornerstone - the cornerstone upon which God builds His church.
Jesus, who was the rejected stone, conquered sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy life, His suffering, His death on a cross, and His resurrection from the dead. He is now the living cornerstone for me, for you and for all who believe.
The parable of the wicked tenants shows us as sinners who reject the Word of God at every opportunity. It also shows us that God is a God of great patience, a God who wants all people to be saved. It shows us a God who is willing to send His own Son to a certain death in order to save us from our own sin.
The rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone shows us that all is not lost. We have a savior who suffered extreme rejection for us and is now alive and the true object of saving faith. His is the only truth that saves. Jesus is the cornerstone that establishes the church forever. Amen.
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday in Lent - 6 April 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, Your Son spoke the truth before His enemies even as they sought to trap Him in His words and deliver Him up to death. Rescue Your people from fear, and grant them courage to confess the truth, assuring them of deliverance in time of trouble. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You gave Your Son to be rejected by sinners, that we may be welcomed into Your kingdom. Preserve Your Church in this life won by Christ, crucified and risen. Give faithfulness to the preaching of Your Word and the administration of Your Sacraments, and let Your people receive these gifts with penitence and faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, salvation belongs to You. Your blessing be on Your people. Endow parents with every good gift to teach their children Your ways, that they may live in the confidence of Your grace and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You shield us and lift our heads. Provide for us civil authorities who discourage evil and encourage good, but keep us ever mindful that our hope is in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, show Your compassion to [_____________ and] all who suffer in our midst. Remind them continually of Your benefits, forgive all their iniquities, heal all their diseases and crown them with steadfast love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, St. Paul counted all things as rubbish in order that he might gain Christ. Give us repentant hearts, that we would abandon all confidence in our flesh and so receive Your Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, help us to count all things as loss except Jesus and Him crucified. Draw us to Him through Word and Sacrament, that rejoicing in the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus, we may forget what lies behind us and press on toward the goal. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, in Baptism You have shared Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection with us, that we might be raised from the dead. Preserve us from taking His sacrifice for granted. Encourage us to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, until we attain the resurrection from the dead; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
At Your command, Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain; yet, in mercy You provided a ram as a substitute. We give You thanks that on Calvary You spared not Your only Son but sent Him to offer His life as a ransom for many.
As we eat and drink His body and blood, grant us, like Abraham our father, to trust in Your promise now fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
543 “What Wondrous Love Is This”
1 What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
2 When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
3 To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
4 And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free,
I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.
Text: A General Selection of . . . Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1811, Lynchburg, alt.
Text: Public domain
425 “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
1 When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
3 See, from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4 Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 433 “Glory Be to Jesus”
1 Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!
2 Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
3 Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torment
Did the world redeem!
4 Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
5 Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
6 Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!
Text: Italian, c. 18th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday in Lent – April 6, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Dave Dixon
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THIS WEDNESDAY, April 9th, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. A sign-up sheet for the soup supper is on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miraculous Faith of the Roman Soldiers,” based on Matthew 27:54. [Note: This is the final soup supper for our midweek Lenten cycle this year.]
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
HOPPIN’ DOWN THE BUNNY TRAIL Easter Festival/Community Outreach event is this Saturday, April 12th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.. There will be activities for all. The day includes egg hunts, petting zoo, balloon artist, airbrush tattoos, carnival games, crafts, prizes, snacks AND a visit from the Easter Bunny. If you would like to give candy for the Easter egg hunts, please place your items in the box located in the Fellowship Room. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
April 6, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 912 “Christ Is Our Cornerstone”
1 Christ is our cornerstone,
On Him alone we build;
With His true saints alone
The courts of heav’n are filled.
On His great love
Our hopes we place
Of present grace
And joys above.
2 Here may we gain from heav’n
The grace which we implore,
And may that grace, once giv’n,
Be with us evermore
Until that day
When all the blest
To endless rest
Are called away.
D 3 Oh, then, with hymns of praise
These hallowed courts shall ring;
Our voices we will raise
The Three in One to sing
And thus proclaim
In joyful song,
Both loud and long,
That glorious name.
Text: Latin, c. 8th cent.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 3:8, 3–6
P Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!
But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sus- tained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me | all around.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 43:16–21
16Thus says the Lord,
who makes a way in the sea,
a path in the mighty waters,
17who brings forth chariot and horse,
army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:
18“Remember not the former things,
nor consider the things of old.
19Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
20The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
21the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 126
1When the Lord restored the fortunes of | Zion,*
we were like | those who dream.
2Then our mouth was filled with | laughter,*
and our tongue with | shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great | things for them.”*
3The Lord has done great things for us; | we are glad.
4Restore our fortunes, | O Lord,*
like streams in the | Negeb!
5Those who | sow in tears*
shall reap with | shouts of joy!
6He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for | sowing,*
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his | sheaves with him.
Epistle Philippians 3:8–14
8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 20:9–20
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twentieth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
9[Jesus] began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
19The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 430 “My Song Is Love Unknown”
1 My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?
2 He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend,
My friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend!
3 Sometimes they strew His way
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry.
4 Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
Yet they at these
Themselves displease
And ’gainst Him rise.
5 They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suff’ring goes
That He His foes
From thence might free.
6 In life no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was His home
But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay.
7 Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend!
Text: Samuel Crossman, c. 1624–1683
Text: Public domain
Sermon “What One Rejects Saves Another” Luke 20:9-20
What One Rejects Saves Another – Luke 20:9-20
Today's Gospel is an account of another parable. This parable is tragic on many levels. The parable itself tells of the tragedy of a son's death at the hands of evil people. The meaning of the parable illustrates a horrible tragedy in Israel. Worst of all, the people who had the most to gain from this parable rejected it and as they rejected it, they were doomed to commit the very crime illustrated in the parable.
Jesus told this parable during holy week. It was probably the Tuesday after the first Palm Sunday. Jesus is no longer teaching in the Galilean countryside. Now He is teaching in the temple. The temple should be a sacred place, but it has become the headquarters of the religious corruption that plagues Israel.
Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey amidst the praise of the Passover Pilgrims. Then He cleansed the Court of the Gentiles of the money changers and those who sold. His teaching was bringing people back to God's Word. In short, He was a problem for the corrupt authorities in Jerusalem.
Those authorities wanted to get rid of Jesus, but they couldn't figure out how to do it. They had to come up with a plan that got rid of Jesus but did not expose their corruption. For the time being, all they could do was debate with Jesus and hope that He would make a mistake. They tried every trick that they knew, but Jesus always had an answer that was solidly based on the Word of God.
Jesus told the parable in today's Gospel to illustrate the corruption that always attacks those who remain faithful to the Word of God.
The economic arrangements in the parable are still very common today. It is not at all unusual for a farmer to rent land from a landowner in exchange for a share of the harvest. It is also not unusual for the landowner to send an agent to collect his share at harvest time. These are just about the only normal elements in this story.
Renters in the real world knew that there would be swift punishment for those who withheld a fair share and beat up the owner's agents. There is no way that real world renters would consider themselves heirs if the son died. The thought processes of the renters in the parable illustrate incredible foolishness and utter evil.
The landowner does unusual things as well. He sent multiple servants into a dangerous situation. Then, when the tenants have thoroughly demonstrated their evil and cruelty, he sent his son? That is definitely not normal.
Jesus based this parable on a poem from the prophet Isaiah. [Isaiah 5:1-3, 7] “My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!”
Since this was a well-known portion of Scripture, the hearers immediately knew that the vineyard represented the land of Israel. The LORD of hosts is the landowner. The renters represented the people of Israel. The servants who came to collect were the prophets who were looking for the fruit of repentance. The Son would therefore be the Son of God Himself.
The hearers also knew the horrible history of God's prophets in Israel. Instead of listening to the prophets, they put the prophets in prison, tortured them, and killed them. Only a hand full of prophets died of natural causes in Israel. The rest were all murdered simply because they proclaimed the message that God gave them to proclaim. The hearers knew that the history Jesus illustrated with His parable was absolutely true and they were rightly ashamed of this history. In addition to all this, the parable told the people that they would even kill the Son of God, the promised Messiah Himself.
The judgment they earned with their treachery is severe. They will lose their land, their heritage, and worst of all, their relationship with God.
This is one of those rare times when the meaning of a parable is immediately crystal clear to its hearers. It is crystal clear, and it is terrifying. The people respond in horror, "Surely not!"
The scribes and the chief priests couldn't help but overhear as Jesus taught the people. They were also horrified. They were horrified that they were going to lose their positions of authority. The Gospel according to John makes this very clear. [John 11:47-48] “The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.’"
The renters in the parable sound like idiots when they say, "This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours." There is no way that an inheritance would ever go to the murderers of the legitimate heir. Nevertheless, that is exactly what the scribes and the chief priests decide to do with Jesus. In a few days, they will back Pontius Pilate into a corner and coerce him into crucifying Jesus. In this way they hope to preserve their positions of authority in Jerusalem. How foolish!
C.F.W. Walther, the first president of the Missouri Synod said, [Law & Gospel: Thesis XII] "… As soon as my word is proclaimed, people will split into two camps. Some will receive it with joy; others will be offended by it and will begin to hate and persecute those who receive it. …the church is not a kingdom that can be built up in peace. It is located within the domain of the devil, the prince of this world. Accordingly, the church has no choice but to be at war. It is the Church Militant and will remain such until the blessed end. Whenever a church appears to be not a militant church but a church at ease, that is a false church. You can rely on it."
Jesus ended this story of the vineyard with the father returning in anger, destroying the evil tenants, and giving the vineyard to others. There will come a day when those who abused God's servants will have to face a very angry judge.
Fortunately, Jesus did not stop teaching at the end of the parable of the wicked tenants. He continued with a quote from Psalm 118. [Psalm 118:22] “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” With these words, Jesus taught the people that He is the cornerstone … the one upon whom the church will stand. He also taught that before He can become that cornerstone, the authorities must reject Him.
Jesus will live out the meaning of these words a few days later. Just as the builders rejected the stone in the Psalm, so the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus as the Christ. They rejected Him with extreme prejudice. They tried Him, sentenced Him, and handed Him over to Pilate to carry out the execution.
Nevertheless, God raised Jesus from the dead and Jesus became the cornerstone of the church. Unlike the son in the parable who stayed dead, Jesus Christ, the stone, who was rejected, didn't stay dead. Although his friends put Jesus in the grave on Friday, Jesus left the grave under His own power on Sunday. He became the cornerstone - the cornerstone upon which God builds His church.
Jesus, who was the rejected stone, conquered sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy life, His suffering, His death on a cross, and His resurrection from the dead. He is now the living cornerstone for me, for you and for all who believe.
The parable of the wicked tenants shows us as sinners who reject the Word of God at every opportunity. It also shows us that God is a God of great patience, a God who wants all people to be saved. It shows us a God who is willing to send His own Son to a certain death in order to save us from our own sin.
The rejected stone that becomes the cornerstone shows us that all is not lost. We have a savior who suffered extreme rejection for us and is now alive and the true object of saving faith. His is the only truth that saves. Jesus is the cornerstone that establishes the church forever. Amen.
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday in Lent - 6 April 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, Your Son spoke the truth before His enemies even as they sought to trap Him in His words and deliver Him up to death. Rescue Your people from fear, and grant them courage to confess the truth, assuring them of deliverance in time of trouble. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You gave Your Son to be rejected by sinners, that we may be welcomed into Your kingdom. Preserve Your Church in this life won by Christ, crucified and risen. Give faithfulness to the preaching of Your Word and the administration of Your Sacraments, and let Your people receive these gifts with penitence and faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, salvation belongs to You. Your blessing be on Your people. Endow parents with every good gift to teach their children Your ways, that they may live in the confidence of Your grace and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You shield us and lift our heads. Provide for us civil authorities who discourage evil and encourage good, but keep us ever mindful that our hope is in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, show Your compassion to [_____________ and] all who suffer in our midst. Remind them continually of Your benefits, forgive all their iniquities, heal all their diseases and crown them with steadfast love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, St. Paul counted all things as rubbish in order that he might gain Christ. Give us repentant hearts, that we would abandon all confidence in our flesh and so receive Your Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, help us to count all things as loss except Jesus and Him crucified. Draw us to Him through Word and Sacrament, that rejoicing in the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus, we may forget what lies behind us and press on toward the goal. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, in Baptism You have shared Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection with us, that we might be raised from the dead. Preserve us from taking His sacrifice for granted. Encourage us to forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead, until we attain the resurrection from the dead; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
At Your command, Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain; yet, in mercy You provided a ram as a substitute. We give You thanks that on Calvary You spared not Your only Son but sent Him to offer His life as a ransom for many.
As we eat and drink His body and blood, grant us, like Abraham our father, to trust in Your promise now fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
543 “What Wondrous Love Is This”
1 What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this
That caused the Lord of bliss
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
To bear the dreadful curse for my soul!
2 When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down, sinking down,
When I was sinking down
Beneath God’s righteous frown,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside His crown for my soul.
3 To God and to the Lamb I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
Who is the great I AM,
While millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing,
While millions join the theme, I will sing.
4 And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on.
And when from death I’m free,
I’ll sing His love for me,
And through eternity I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on,
And through eternity I’ll sing on.
Text: A General Selection of . . . Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1811, Lynchburg, alt.
Text: Public domain
425 “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
1 When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride.
2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
3 See, from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
4 Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a tribute far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 433 “Glory Be to Jesus”
1 Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!
2 Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
3 Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torment
Did the world redeem!
4 Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
5 Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
6 Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!
Text: Italian, c. 18th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday in Lent - March 30, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Steve Broach
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THIS WEDNESDAY, April 2nd, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miraculous Raising of the Saints from Death,” Matthew 27:52-53. [Note: The final soup supper is April 9th.]
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS-- As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday in Lent - March 30, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Steve Broach
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THIS WEDNESDAY, April 2nd, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miraculous Raising of the Saints from Death,” Matthew 27:52-53. [Note: The final soup supper is April 9th.]
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS-- As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourth Sunday in Lent –March 30, 2025
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 569, “In Adam We Have All Been One”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning, and though we have in no way deserved Your goodness, You still abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul. Give us, we pray, Your Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 12:1-6
1You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
2“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”
3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
6Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
EPISTLE LESSON 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus]. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3So he told them this parable: . . .
“There was a man who had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 609, “Jesus, Sinners Doth Receive”
Lost BUT Found – Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Today's Gospel comes from the great "Lost & Found" chapter of the Bible … a chapter with one giant parable of three individual stories. The first story is the story of the lost sheep: [Luke 15:4] "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?" Then there is the story of the lost coin: [Luke 15:8] "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?" Finally, we have the story in today's Gospel: "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them." These three stories are a matched set and it is too bad that we have such a short church service that we don't have time to study all three stories together.
Jesus told this triple parable in response to the arrogance of the Pharisees and the scribes. The Pharisees and the scribes just don't seem to get the point. When they say, "This man receives sinners and eats with them," they are saying that Jesus is doing what He is supposed to be doing. They keep saying this as though Jesus should be ashamed of it when rescuing sinners is the whole point of Jesus' ministry. Jesus Himself said, [Luke 5:31-32] "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
This massive parable comforts the sinners with whom Jesus ate and instructs the scribes and Pharisees who criticized Him. In each of the first two stories, something was lost. In both cases, someone had to go looking for the lost item. In both cases the finder rejoiced over the recovery. In both cases, Jesus spoke of the joy in heaven over the one sinner who repents. The point of these two parables is that it is God's will to draw sinners into repentance and so bring them back into God's family. How comforting this must have been to the tax collectors and sinners who heard these gracious words. How comforting this should be for us. For we also sin daily and deserve eternal punishment.
These two stories set the stage for the third story. They illustrate the worth of sinners in God's eyes and the joy of heaven over those who repent. The third story brings this teaching into a human family, a father and two sons.
When the younger [son] said to his father, "Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me," he was basically saying, "Dad, I wish you were dead so that I could have your stuff." The normal response would be for the father to explode in rage, throw the son out of the house, and disown him. The father should declare that his son is dead to him. He is to be treated as a stranger.
Nevertheless, Jesus tells us that the father divided his property between them. This is absolutely crazy insane. If this were real life, the culture would think about locking up the father for his own protection.
Jesus then takes the younger son down into the pit of despair. The son converted his inheritance into cash and used it to run away. Then he burned through the money in foolish and wasteful ways. Finally, a drought hit and he was desperately poor for the first time in his life. Jesus takes this youth down into the depths of desperation by portraying him as caring for a herd of ceremonially unclean animals. The pigs were walking reminders of the filth of his very soul. The young rebel even hungered for the pods that the hogs grubbed up from the earth. Yuch!
At the same time, the audience would think that the youth was only getting what he deserved for his disrespect. He had shamed his father, his family, and even the village where his family lived. A quick death was too good for this young man. Let him starve to death among the pigs. That would be justice.
It is in this deepest depth of despair that this son works out one last plan. He will return to his father, but not as his son. Instead, he will simply ask to be hired as an ordinary worker. Perhaps his father would overlook the shame and mortification he had brought to his family and allow him to be a lowly laborer. His shame would be enormous, but at least he would be alive.
Farmers in first century Israel lived together in villages with other farmers and not on the land they farmed. When this son returns, He not only has to endure the rebuke of his father and family, but he must also endure the rebuke of the community. The young man will be mocked by a crowd that will gather spontaneously as word of his return flashes around the village. This mocking might even be physically dangerous.
Here we see the father throw his dignity out the window. Jesus said, "While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him."
Now, we are used to seeing people jog for their health … or just for fun. In first century Israel, men wore robes, not jogging outfits. If you want to run in a robe, you have to lift it up so it doesn't trip you. So, think old guy with his robes hiked up just a bit … spindly legs sticking out and flailing away … sandals flapping on the ground … hair and beard fluttering in the wind. It's embarrassing. The people who saw the father run would be thinking something like, "Look at that old coot with his robes flapping in the breeze like that. His family really needs to find a way to keep him from going out in public." Maybe his friends would look the other way and pretend they didn't see him. His servants would be following along wondering why this guy can't act his age.
As the son approached the village, he prepared for the gauntlet of ridicule and hatred he must endure as he makes his way through the village. The villagers might even decide to shame him with spit and stones on his way to his father's house. Then, what did he see? His own father … running the gauntlet of shame in reverse … taking the shame and embarrassment of the village onto himself. He furthered demeaned himself by embracing and kissing this rebellious son.
Then the father said to his servants, "Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." This is more than just a father concerned about the wellbeing of his son. By instructing the servants to dress his son, he is reinstating the son as master over the servants. The father's every activity works to honor this wayward son. Now, instead of walking through the village in shame, the son walks in honor at his father's side. Let the party begin!
Here we have an illustration of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our sin showed utter disrespect for God. We shamed and embarrassed Him. We deserved eternal separation from Him. Nevertheless, He was willing to undergo a lot more shame than running with his robes flapping in the breeze. He endured spitting and beating and flogging. Then He hung naked on a cross for all the world to see. He endured the forsakenness of our sin. He did all this so that we could live in honor forever at His side. His embarrassment and shame earned eternal life for us. That is what this story has taught us so far. Here is God willing to undergo any shame in order to bring us back into His family.
But the story isn't over. What about the older son? Although the older son stayed home, he really had no respect for his father. He should have gone in immediately to join his father as host. Instead, he showed suspicion by asking an outsider what was happening. Even though his father humiliated himself by coming out to him, the older son refused to come to the party. The older son further shamed his father by arguing with him within ear shot of the guests. The older son is now the one who has embarrassed his father. He is in the process of bringing shame on himself, his father, his family, and the village. Although he has not run off, he is not all that different than the younger son.
Once again, the father humiliates himself in order to restore the relationship with his older son. According to the culture, he should go nuclear. Instead, he begs him to join the party … to welcome back his brother. A father should not have to beg his son. The son should be willing to serve the father. Instead, the father is ready to serve the son.
Jesus didn't say what the older brother did. You see the facts that Jesus illustrated with this story are still going on. The older brother represented the Pharisees and anyone who resents it when the Holy Spirit brings sinners into the family of God. Some of those Pharisees will reconsider and rejoice that Jesus receives sinners and eats with them. Other Pharisees will turn away in rejection and plot to kill Jesus. In the terms of the parable: sometimes the older son will join the party and other times the older son will kill the father.
Not only does that older brother represent the scribes and the Pharisees, but he also represents many people who live today. This story even causes us to ask some hard questions about ourselves. How does our pride make us like the older brother? Are we willing to miss out on God's gifts because we don't get our own way? Do we actually think that our agenda is superior to God's agenda? Is the agenda of the culture around us more important than the agenda laid out in God's Word? How will the story end for us?
We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior from sin know how the story turns out for us. As God the Son serves us with His Divine Service, He brings heaven to earth. He Himself is the host and the feast as He gives us His body and blood. We regularly join the heavenly hosts at the feast of the Lord's Table and look forward to the day when we will never leave the eternal feast of the Lamb of God. For those older brothers who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we can literally end this story with the words, "And he went in with joy to celebrate with his Father and brother and they lived …" not "happily ever after," but "happily forever and ever." Amen
SERMON “Lost BUT Found!” Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away, Our faith increase.
Have mercy on us all, Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
562, “All Mankind Fell in Adam’s Fall”
571, “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 422, “On My Heart Imprint Your Image”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS, ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
The Fourth Sunday in Lent –March 30, 2025
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 569, “In Adam We Have All Been One”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning, and though we have in no way deserved Your goodness, You still abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul. Give us, we pray, Your Holy Spirit that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness toward us, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 12:1-6
1You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
2“Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”
3With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
6Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
EPISTLE LESSON 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
1Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear [Jesus]. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
3So he told them this parable: . . .
“There was a man who had two sons. 12And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. 13Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. 14And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
17“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
25“Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 609, “Jesus, Sinners Doth Receive”
Lost BUT Found – Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Today's Gospel comes from the great "Lost & Found" chapter of the Bible … a chapter with one giant parable of three individual stories. The first story is the story of the lost sheep: [Luke 15:4] "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?" Then there is the story of the lost coin: [Luke 15:8] "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it?" Finally, we have the story in today's Gospel: "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them." These three stories are a matched set and it is too bad that we have such a short church service that we don't have time to study all three stories together.
Jesus told this triple parable in response to the arrogance of the Pharisees and the scribes. The Pharisees and the scribes just don't seem to get the point. When they say, "This man receives sinners and eats with them," they are saying that Jesus is doing what He is supposed to be doing. They keep saying this as though Jesus should be ashamed of it when rescuing sinners is the whole point of Jesus' ministry. Jesus Himself said, [Luke 5:31-32] "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance."
This massive parable comforts the sinners with whom Jesus ate and instructs the scribes and Pharisees who criticized Him. In each of the first two stories, something was lost. In both cases, someone had to go looking for the lost item. In both cases the finder rejoiced over the recovery. In both cases, Jesus spoke of the joy in heaven over the one sinner who repents. The point of these two parables is that it is God's will to draw sinners into repentance and so bring them back into God's family. How comforting this must have been to the tax collectors and sinners who heard these gracious words. How comforting this should be for us. For we also sin daily and deserve eternal punishment.
These two stories set the stage for the third story. They illustrate the worth of sinners in God's eyes and the joy of heaven over those who repent. The third story brings this teaching into a human family, a father and two sons.
When the younger [son] said to his father, "Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me," he was basically saying, "Dad, I wish you were dead so that I could have your stuff." The normal response would be for the father to explode in rage, throw the son out of the house, and disown him. The father should declare that his son is dead to him. He is to be treated as a stranger.
Nevertheless, Jesus tells us that the father divided his property between them. This is absolutely crazy insane. If this were real life, the culture would think about locking up the father for his own protection.
Jesus then takes the younger son down into the pit of despair. The son converted his inheritance into cash and used it to run away. Then he burned through the money in foolish and wasteful ways. Finally, a drought hit and he was desperately poor for the first time in his life. Jesus takes this youth down into the depths of desperation by portraying him as caring for a herd of ceremonially unclean animals. The pigs were walking reminders of the filth of his very soul. The young rebel even hungered for the pods that the hogs grubbed up from the earth. Yuch!
At the same time, the audience would think that the youth was only getting what he deserved for his disrespect. He had shamed his father, his family, and even the village where his family lived. A quick death was too good for this young man. Let him starve to death among the pigs. That would be justice.
It is in this deepest depth of despair that this son works out one last plan. He will return to his father, but not as his son. Instead, he will simply ask to be hired as an ordinary worker. Perhaps his father would overlook the shame and mortification he had brought to his family and allow him to be a lowly laborer. His shame would be enormous, but at least he would be alive.
Farmers in first century Israel lived together in villages with other farmers and not on the land they farmed. When this son returns, He not only has to endure the rebuke of his father and family, but he must also endure the rebuke of the community. The young man will be mocked by a crowd that will gather spontaneously as word of his return flashes around the village. This mocking might even be physically dangerous.
Here we see the father throw his dignity out the window. Jesus said, "While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him."
Now, we are used to seeing people jog for their health … or just for fun. In first century Israel, men wore robes, not jogging outfits. If you want to run in a robe, you have to lift it up so it doesn't trip you. So, think old guy with his robes hiked up just a bit … spindly legs sticking out and flailing away … sandals flapping on the ground … hair and beard fluttering in the wind. It's embarrassing. The people who saw the father run would be thinking something like, "Look at that old coot with his robes flapping in the breeze like that. His family really needs to find a way to keep him from going out in public." Maybe his friends would look the other way and pretend they didn't see him. His servants would be following along wondering why this guy can't act his age.
As the son approached the village, he prepared for the gauntlet of ridicule and hatred he must endure as he makes his way through the village. The villagers might even decide to shame him with spit and stones on his way to his father's house. Then, what did he see? His own father … running the gauntlet of shame in reverse … taking the shame and embarrassment of the village onto himself. He furthered demeaned himself by embracing and kissing this rebellious son.
Then the father said to his servants, "Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." This is more than just a father concerned about the wellbeing of his son. By instructing the servants to dress his son, he is reinstating the son as master over the servants. The father's every activity works to honor this wayward son. Now, instead of walking through the village in shame, the son walks in honor at his father's side. Let the party begin!
Here we have an illustration of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our sin showed utter disrespect for God. We shamed and embarrassed Him. We deserved eternal separation from Him. Nevertheless, He was willing to undergo a lot more shame than running with his robes flapping in the breeze. He endured spitting and beating and flogging. Then He hung naked on a cross for all the world to see. He endured the forsakenness of our sin. He did all this so that we could live in honor forever at His side. His embarrassment and shame earned eternal life for us. That is what this story has taught us so far. Here is God willing to undergo any shame in order to bring us back into His family.
But the story isn't over. What about the older son? Although the older son stayed home, he really had no respect for his father. He should have gone in immediately to join his father as host. Instead, he showed suspicion by asking an outsider what was happening. Even though his father humiliated himself by coming out to him, the older son refused to come to the party. The older son further shamed his father by arguing with him within ear shot of the guests. The older son is now the one who has embarrassed his father. He is in the process of bringing shame on himself, his father, his family, and the village. Although he has not run off, he is not all that different than the younger son.
Once again, the father humiliates himself in order to restore the relationship with his older son. According to the culture, he should go nuclear. Instead, he begs him to join the party … to welcome back his brother. A father should not have to beg his son. The son should be willing to serve the father. Instead, the father is ready to serve the son.
Jesus didn't say what the older brother did. You see the facts that Jesus illustrated with this story are still going on. The older brother represented the Pharisees and anyone who resents it when the Holy Spirit brings sinners into the family of God. Some of those Pharisees will reconsider and rejoice that Jesus receives sinners and eats with them. Other Pharisees will turn away in rejection and plot to kill Jesus. In the terms of the parable: sometimes the older son will join the party and other times the older son will kill the father.
Not only does that older brother represent the scribes and the Pharisees, but he also represents many people who live today. This story even causes us to ask some hard questions about ourselves. How does our pride make us like the older brother? Are we willing to miss out on God's gifts because we don't get our own way? Do we actually think that our agenda is superior to God's agenda? Is the agenda of the culture around us more important than the agenda laid out in God's Word? How will the story end for us?
We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior from sin know how the story turns out for us. As God the Son serves us with His Divine Service, He brings heaven to earth. He Himself is the host and the feast as He gives us His body and blood. We regularly join the heavenly hosts at the feast of the Lord's Table and look forward to the day when we will never leave the eternal feast of the Lamb of God. For those older brothers who repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we can literally end this story with the words, "And he went in with joy to celebrate with his Father and brother and they lived …" not "happily ever after," but "happily forever and ever." Amen
SERMON “Lost BUT Found!” Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away, Our faith increase.
Have mercy on us all, Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
562, “All Mankind Fell in Adam’s Fall”
571, “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 422, “On My Heart Imprint Your Image”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS, ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Lent - March 23, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Carla Lanz
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE IS A VOTERS’ MEETING T-O-D-A-Y after the service.
THIS WEDNESDAY, March 26th, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miracle of the Splitting Rocks,” Matthew 27:51c.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
A QUOTE TO PONDER:
Some scholars today suggest that Jesus didn’t plan to go to the cross. They picture Jesus as a revolutionary with a dream, a vision of peace and brotherhood, who got cut down in His prime by His enemies. For these scholars, the cross is the end of the story. The Gospel is a tragedy, not a romance. God sees things differently. From God’s perspective, the cross stands at the very center of His story about saving people from their sin. Without the cross there could be no forgiveness for anyone. Everyone would face an eternity of God’s righteous anger. God’s justice requires payment for sin, and the payment the Law requires is a person’s life. The cross has always been God’s plan for saving people.—taken from a Concordia Publishing House LifeLight Study on the Gospel of John.
The Third Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 421 “Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing”
1 Jesus, grant that balm and healing
In Your holy wounds I find,
Ev’ry hour that I am feeling
Pains of body and of mind.
Should some evil thought within
Tempt my treach’rous heart to sin,
Show the peril, and from sinning
Keep me from its first beginning.
2 Should some lust or sharp temptation
Fascinate my sinful mind,
Draw me to Your cross and passion,
And new courage I shall find.
Or should Satan press me hard,
Let me then be on my guard,
Saying, “Christ for me was wounded,”
That the tempter flee confounded.
3 If the world my heart entices
With the broad and easy road,
With seductive, sinful vices,
Let me weigh the awful load
You were willing to endure.
Help me flee all thoughts impure
And to master each temptation,
Calm in prayer and meditation.
4 Ev’ry wound that pains or grieves me
By Your wounds, Lord, is made whole;
When I’m faint, Your cross revives me,
Granting new life to my soul.
Yes, Your comfort renders sweet
Ev’ry bitter cup I meet;
For Your all-atoning passion
Has procured my soul’s salvation.
5 O my God, my rock and tower,
Grant that in Your death I trust,
Knowing death has lost its power
Since You crushed it in the dust.
Savior, let Your agony
Ever help and comfort me;
When I die be my protection,
Light and life and resurrection.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. composite, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 1:6, 5:4–8
P For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. For you are not a God who delights in wicked-ness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand be- | fore your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 33:7–20
7“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
10“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ 11Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
12“And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. 13Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.
17“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. 18When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. 19And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by them. 20Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 85
1Lord, you were favorable | to your land;*
you restored the fortunes of | Jacob.
2You forgave the iniquity of your | people;*
you covered | all their sin.
3You withdrew | all your wrath;*
you turned from your hot | anger.
4Restore us again, O God of our sal- | vation,*
and put away your indignation | toward us!
5Will you be angry with us for- | ever?*
Will you prolong your anger to all gener- | ations?
6Will you not revive | us again,*
that your people may re- | joice in you?
7Show us your steadfast love, | O Lord,*
and grant us your sal- | vation.
8Let me hear what God the | Lord will speak,*
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to | folly.
9Surely his salvation is near to those who | fear him,*
that glory may dwell | in our land.
10Steadfast love and faith- | fulness meet;*
righteousness and peace kiss each | other.
11Faithfulness springs up | from the ground,*
and righteousness looks down | from the sky.
12Yes, the Lord will give | what is good,*
and our land will yield its | increase.
13Righteousness will go be- | fore him*
and make his foot- | steps a way.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 10:1–13
1I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 13:1–9
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the thirteenth chapter.
1There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
6And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 704 “Renew Me, O Eternal Light”
1 Renew me, O eternal Light,
And let my heart and soul be bright,
Illumined with the light of grace
That issues from Your holy face.
2 Remove the pow’r of sin from me
And cleanse all my impurity
That I may have the strength and will
Temptations of the flesh to still.
3 Create in me a new heart, Lord,
That gladly I obey Your Word.
Let what You will be my desire,
And with new life my soul inspire.
4 Grant that I only You may love
And seek those things which are above
Till I behold You face to face,
O Light eternal, through Your grace.
Text: Johann Friedrich Ruopp, 1672–1708; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Our God of Love” Luke 13:1-9
Our God of Love – Luke 13:1-9
We live in a dangerous world. Every day the headlines tell us of the evil in the world. Nature is dangerous and people are dangerous. We do not even need the Bible to tell us this. We can learn this from our own experience.
The danger of nature is obvious. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanos, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and so forth all threaten lives around the world. Yes, there is the beauty of sunsets and sunrises, the stars in the sky, views from mountaintops and ocean beaches, and so forth, but nature also has its violent side as well … a violent side that brings pain and death to many.
The human race is just as bad. Every day we learn about murder and mayhem on the individual level as well as the level of conflicts and wars between nations. Gunman, bombers, and knife wielding lunatics attack schools, shopping malls, subways, buses, and neighborhoods. The depravity of the human race is something that is obvious just from experience.
In this morning’s Gospel, we heard about some people who came to Jesus with this exact same problem of evil in the world. There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (Luke 13:1) These people wanted Jesus to explain why God allows such evil in this world. Instead of bringing comfort to them, Jesus brought another example to their attention. He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2–5) Jesus was telling them that, sooner or later, everyone will come to the end of his time in this world. It might be sudden like these people, or it might come after a long life. Either way, if you come to that end without repentance, you will perish eternally. The implication is that with repentance … that is with the faith that trusts in God’s promises of the forgiveness of sins, you will be ready for such tragedies.
Many people wonder why God allows such evil in this world. In fact, many people insist that the existence of evil is inconsistent with the God of the Bible. A God who loves would hate evil and want to get rid of it. A God who is almighty would have the resources to rid the world of evil. So, if God is almighty and loving, then there should be no evil. The evil in the world suggests that if God is almighty, then He doesn’t care, or if He does care and evil bothers Him, then He can’t be almighty. In either case, this does not match the Bible’s description of God.
The answer to this problem comes in several parts. The first part is to realize that God is not the source of evil. The Bible clearly states that “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) God created a good earth and gave it to us as a home. However, we soon discover that the first people, Adam and Eve, fell into sin. When they fell, they broke God’s perfect creation. They let evil into the world and they passed that evil down to us through all our generations. As the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Paul, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
The Bible also teaches that when Adam and Eve sinned, they didn’t just mess up the human race, but they also messed up creation. The Lord God Himself gave this diagnosis to Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17–19) These words explain the reason that nature fights our efforts. These words teach that even the disasters of nature are the result of the rebellion of humanity.
A reasonable person will see that the God described in the Bible is not the source of evil in the world. Instead, it is the creatures that God created that are the source of evil … first the fallen angels, and then, Adam and Eve. But this causes us to ask another question. Why did God create beings who could be so evil? Why didn’t He make us so that we could never sin?
The answer to this question actually shows us a God of love. The God who is love created us with the ability to enjoy the blessings of love as well. The thing about love is that it cannot exist without free will. For genuine love to exist, there must be the possibility of rejection.
Suppose God had created us with no choice, but to do what He commanded. Then we would be like machines running computer programs. A clever computer programmer could write a program that would give this machine the appearance of love … the appearance that it really cared for others. Of course the machine wouldn’t really love anyone. It would just be executing code. The love would not be real. In fact, the machine wouldn’t have a choice. It would simply be following its programming. That is not real love.
God did not create robots. He created us in His image. The God who is love created us with the ability to love. Therefore, He created us with free will … a free will that can fail. An almighty God of love is consistent with the existence of evil … on the basis of the free will … we need … in order to experience love. The Bible teaches exactly that … that God created us with the ability to love, but we used the free will … that comes with love … to do evil instead. The evil in the world does not indicate that God does not love us. Instead, it shows that it is the human race who has rejected God’s love and chosen evil instead.
But then the question becomes, “Is that it? Is there no more? Are human beings doomed because they used their free will to sin instead of love?” Here is where the God of love transcends the evil choices of His creatures.
Even though He already knew that we would rebel, He still created us. He already had a plan in place to save us from our own evil choices. Even though we are sinners, God sent His only begotten Son to die for us as the Apostle Paul said, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
The natural consequences of our evil would have destroyed the human race long ago. Our own evil should have caused our own extinction, but God put His plan of salvation into effect. He limited the consequences of sin until the time was right for Him to send His Own Son to take up our human flesh and take our place under the judgment of the law.
Jesus, as both true God and true man, took the eternal consequences of our sin onto Himself and He suffered the punishment for them as He hung on the cross and died for us. As the Apostle Peter said, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18–19)
Through Jesus, God the Father not only relieved us of our eternal suffering, but He has also assured us of eternal life. For Jesus did not remain in the grave after He died on the cross, but He returned to life in an immortal body.
In this resurrection, God has given us eternal life as He promised through the Apostle Paul, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–23)
Not only has God given us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, but He has also transformed the evil consequences of this world. In the parable of the fig tree, the vinedresser pleaded with the landowner, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” (Luke 13:8–9) The evil things of this world, like digging around the root and applying manure, discipline us and make us stronger. God transforms them from curses into gifts for our blessing.
Just as the gardener worked with the tree in the parable, God the Holy Spirit also works with us. He overcomes the evil in this world and uses it to strengthen us. He works to produce repentance and faith in us. That faith receives the gift of the forgiveness of sins that Jesus earned for us. Jesus earned that forgiveness when He suffered and died for us on the cross. Jesus allowed all those bad things to happen to Him so that He could give His good things to us. Through His life, suffering, death, and resurrection, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday in Lent - 23 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You order and number our days according to Your wisdom. Give us repentant hearts, lest we perish with this world of violence and suffering. Let us hold fast to Christ for life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desire that they turn from evil and live. Give pastors courage to warn of sin and death. Give all Christians strength to defend that message. Turn sinners to life by the proclamation of Christ, who delivers from all unrighteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, guard Your people against sexual immorality. Grant that our homes would be havens of godly instruction and chastity, and fill marriages with fidelity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all, You establish justice not through the desires of sinners but by Your Law, which is for all. Enlighten the authorities of this and every nation, that they might rule justly for true good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Faithful God, protect us when we are tempted. Guard us especially from pride that justifies sin and from doubting that You provide the way of escape. Strengthen us with penitent hearts to endure until You deliver us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, remember Your people who cry to You for mercy in a world where towers fall and sinners work evil. Deliver those in need of healing and comfort, [especially _____________,] and strengthen them to look to You for help in their time of affliction. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of compassion, through the abundance of Your steadfast love You gather us into Your house and to Your Supper. Give all who commune this day a holy fear of Your wrath and faith in Your promises, that they would receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, You have brought us into Your vineyard and appointed us to bear good fruit. Receive our thanks for Your patience, and grant that we would show Your love and grace in all that we say and do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
765 “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”
1 God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
2 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
Faith sees a smiling face.
3 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev’ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.
4 Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
5 You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head.
Text: William Cowper, 1731–1800, alt.
Text: Public domain
691 “Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing”
1 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.
2 Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.
3 Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self-control.
4 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926–2024
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Lent - March 23, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Carla Lanz
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE IS A VOTERS’ MEETING T-O-D-A-Y after the service.
THIS WEDNESDAY, March 26th, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miracle of the Splitting Rocks,” Matthew 27:51c.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
A QUOTE TO PONDER:
Some scholars today suggest that Jesus didn’t plan to go to the cross. They picture Jesus as a revolutionary with a dream, a vision of peace and brotherhood, who got cut down in His prime by His enemies. For these scholars, the cross is the end of the story. The Gospel is a tragedy, not a romance. God sees things differently. From God’s perspective, the cross stands at the very center of His story about saving people from their sin. Without the cross there could be no forgiveness for anyone. Everyone would face an eternity of God’s righteous anger. God’s justice requires payment for sin, and the payment the Law requires is a person’s life. The cross has always been God’s plan for saving people.—taken from a Concordia Publishing House LifeLight Study on the Gospel of John.
The Third Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 421 “Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing”
1 Jesus, grant that balm and healing
In Your holy wounds I find,
Ev’ry hour that I am feeling
Pains of body and of mind.
Should some evil thought within
Tempt my treach’rous heart to sin,
Show the peril, and from sinning
Keep me from its first beginning.
2 Should some lust or sharp temptation
Fascinate my sinful mind,
Draw me to Your cross and passion,
And new courage I shall find.
Or should Satan press me hard,
Let me then be on my guard,
Saying, “Christ for me was wounded,”
That the tempter flee confounded.
3 If the world my heart entices
With the broad and easy road,
With seductive, sinful vices,
Let me weigh the awful load
You were willing to endure.
Help me flee all thoughts impure
And to master each temptation,
Calm in prayer and meditation.
4 Ev’ry wound that pains or grieves me
By Your wounds, Lord, is made whole;
When I’m faint, Your cross revives me,
Granting new life to my soul.
Yes, Your comfort renders sweet
Ev’ry bitter cup I meet;
For Your all-atoning passion
Has procured my soul’s salvation.
5 O my God, my rock and tower,
Grant that in Your death I trust,
Knowing death has lost its power
Since You crushed it in the dust.
Savior, let Your agony
Ever help and comfort me;
When I die be my protection,
Light and life and resurrection.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. composite, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 1:6, 5:4–8
P For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. For you are not a God who delights in wicked-ness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand be- | fore your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.
I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 33:7–20
7“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
10“And you, son of man, say to the house of Israel, Thus have you said: ‘Surely our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we rot away because of them. How then can we live?’ 11Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?
12“And you, son of man, say to your people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him when he transgresses, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall by it when he turns from his wickedness, and the righteous shall not be able to live by his righteousness when he sins. 13Though I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, yet if he trusts in his righteousness and does injustice, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered, but in his injustice that he has done he shall die. 14Again, though I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ yet if he turns from his sin and does what is just and right, 15if the wicked restores the pledge, gives back what he has taken by robbery, and walks in the statutes of life, not doing injustice, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 16None of the sins that he has committed shall be remembered against him. He has done what is just and right; he shall surely live.
17“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just,’ when it is their own way that is not just. 18When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. 19And when the wicked turns from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by them. 20Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 85
1Lord, you were favorable | to your land;*
you restored the fortunes of | Jacob.
2You forgave the iniquity of your | people;*
you covered | all their sin.
3You withdrew | all your wrath;*
you turned from your hot | anger.
4Restore us again, O God of our sal- | vation,*
and put away your indignation | toward us!
5Will you be angry with us for- | ever?*
Will you prolong your anger to all gener- | ations?
6Will you not revive | us again,*
that your people may re- | joice in you?
7Show us your steadfast love, | O Lord,*
and grant us your sal- | vation.
8Let me hear what God the | Lord will speak,*
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to | folly.
9Surely his salvation is near to those who | fear him,*
that glory may dwell | in our land.
10Steadfast love and faith- | fulness meet;*
righteousness and peace kiss each | other.
11Faithfulness springs up | from the ground,*
and righteousness looks down | from the sky.
12Yes, the Lord will give | what is good,*
and our land will yield its | increase.
13Righteousness will go be- | fore him*
and make his foot- | steps a way.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 10:1–13
1I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3and all ate the same spiritual food, 4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
6Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 13No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 13:1–9
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the thirteenth chapter.
1There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
6And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ 8And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. 9Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 704 “Renew Me, O Eternal Light”
1 Renew me, O eternal Light,
And let my heart and soul be bright,
Illumined with the light of grace
That issues from Your holy face.
2 Remove the pow’r of sin from me
And cleanse all my impurity
That I may have the strength and will
Temptations of the flesh to still.
3 Create in me a new heart, Lord,
That gladly I obey Your Word.
Let what You will be my desire,
And with new life my soul inspire.
4 Grant that I only You may love
And seek those things which are above
Till I behold You face to face,
O Light eternal, through Your grace.
Text: Johann Friedrich Ruopp, 1672–1708; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Our God of Love” Luke 13:1-9
Our God of Love – Luke 13:1-9
We live in a dangerous world. Every day the headlines tell us of the evil in the world. Nature is dangerous and people are dangerous. We do not even need the Bible to tell us this. We can learn this from our own experience.
The danger of nature is obvious. Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanos, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and so forth all threaten lives around the world. Yes, there is the beauty of sunsets and sunrises, the stars in the sky, views from mountaintops and ocean beaches, and so forth, but nature also has its violent side as well … a violent side that brings pain and death to many.
The human race is just as bad. Every day we learn about murder and mayhem on the individual level as well as the level of conflicts and wars between nations. Gunman, bombers, and knife wielding lunatics attack schools, shopping malls, subways, buses, and neighborhoods. The depravity of the human race is something that is obvious just from experience.
In this morning’s Gospel, we heard about some people who came to Jesus with this exact same problem of evil in the world. There were some present at that very time who told [Jesus] about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (Luke 13:1) These people wanted Jesus to explain why God allows such evil in this world. Instead of bringing comfort to them, Jesus brought another example to their attention. He answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:2–5) Jesus was telling them that, sooner or later, everyone will come to the end of his time in this world. It might be sudden like these people, or it might come after a long life. Either way, if you come to that end without repentance, you will perish eternally. The implication is that with repentance … that is with the faith that trusts in God’s promises of the forgiveness of sins, you will be ready for such tragedies.
Many people wonder why God allows such evil in this world. In fact, many people insist that the existence of evil is inconsistent with the God of the Bible. A God who loves would hate evil and want to get rid of it. A God who is almighty would have the resources to rid the world of evil. So, if God is almighty and loving, then there should be no evil. The evil in the world suggests that if God is almighty, then He doesn’t care, or if He does care and evil bothers Him, then He can’t be almighty. In either case, this does not match the Bible’s description of God.
The answer to this problem comes in several parts. The first part is to realize that God is not the source of evil. The Bible clearly states that “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31) God created a good earth and gave it to us as a home. However, we soon discover that the first people, Adam and Eve, fell into sin. When they fell, they broke God’s perfect creation. They let evil into the world and they passed that evil down to us through all our generations. As the Holy Spirit spoke through the Apostle Paul, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
The Bible also teaches that when Adam and Eve sinned, they didn’t just mess up the human race, but they also messed up creation. The Lord God Himself gave this diagnosis to Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:17–19) These words explain the reason that nature fights our efforts. These words teach that even the disasters of nature are the result of the rebellion of humanity.
A reasonable person will see that the God described in the Bible is not the source of evil in the world. Instead, it is the creatures that God created that are the source of evil … first the fallen angels, and then, Adam and Eve. But this causes us to ask another question. Why did God create beings who could be so evil? Why didn’t He make us so that we could never sin?
The answer to this question actually shows us a God of love. The God who is love created us with the ability to enjoy the blessings of love as well. The thing about love is that it cannot exist without free will. For genuine love to exist, there must be the possibility of rejection.
Suppose God had created us with no choice, but to do what He commanded. Then we would be like machines running computer programs. A clever computer programmer could write a program that would give this machine the appearance of love … the appearance that it really cared for others. Of course the machine wouldn’t really love anyone. It would just be executing code. The love would not be real. In fact, the machine wouldn’t have a choice. It would simply be following its programming. That is not real love.
God did not create robots. He created us in His image. The God who is love created us with the ability to love. Therefore, He created us with free will … a free will that can fail. An almighty God of love is consistent with the existence of evil … on the basis of the free will … we need … in order to experience love. The Bible teaches exactly that … that God created us with the ability to love, but we used the free will … that comes with love … to do evil instead. The evil in the world does not indicate that God does not love us. Instead, it shows that it is the human race who has rejected God’s love and chosen evil instead.
But then the question becomes, “Is that it? Is there no more? Are human beings doomed because they used their free will to sin instead of love?” Here is where the God of love transcends the evil choices of His creatures.
Even though He already knew that we would rebel, He still created us. He already had a plan in place to save us from our own evil choices. Even though we are sinners, God sent His only begotten Son to die for us as the Apostle Paul said, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
The natural consequences of our evil would have destroyed the human race long ago. Our own evil should have caused our own extinction, but God put His plan of salvation into effect. He limited the consequences of sin until the time was right for Him to send His Own Son to take up our human flesh and take our place under the judgment of the law.
Jesus, as both true God and true man, took the eternal consequences of our sin onto Himself and He suffered the punishment for them as He hung on the cross and died for us. As the Apostle Peter said, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18–19)
Through Jesus, God the Father not only relieved us of our eternal suffering, but He has also assured us of eternal life. For Jesus did not remain in the grave after He died on the cross, but He returned to life in an immortal body.
In this resurrection, God has given us eternal life as He promised through the Apostle Paul, “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:20–23)
Not only has God given us eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, but He has also transformed the evil consequences of this world. In the parable of the fig tree, the vinedresser pleaded with the landowner, “Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” (Luke 13:8–9) The evil things of this world, like digging around the root and applying manure, discipline us and make us stronger. God transforms them from curses into gifts for our blessing.
Just as the gardener worked with the tree in the parable, God the Holy Spirit also works with us. He overcomes the evil in this world and uses it to strengthen us. He works to produce repentance and faith in us. That faith receives the gift of the forgiveness of sins that Jesus earned for us. Jesus earned that forgiveness when He suffered and died for us on the cross. Jesus allowed all those bad things to happen to Him so that He could give His good things to us. Through His life, suffering, death, and resurrection, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday in Lent - 23 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You order and number our days according to Your wisdom. Give us repentant hearts, lest we perish with this world of violence and suffering. Let us hold fast to Christ for life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desire that they turn from evil and live. Give pastors courage to warn of sin and death. Give all Christians strength to defend that message. Turn sinners to life by the proclamation of Christ, who delivers from all unrighteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, guard Your people against sexual immorality. Grant that our homes would be havens of godly instruction and chastity, and fill marriages with fidelity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all, You establish justice not through the desires of sinners but by Your Law, which is for all. Enlighten the authorities of this and every nation, that they might rule justly for true good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Faithful God, protect us when we are tempted. Guard us especially from pride that justifies sin and from doubting that You provide the way of escape. Strengthen us with penitent hearts to endure until You deliver us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, remember Your people who cry to You for mercy in a world where towers fall and sinners work evil. Deliver those in need of healing and comfort, [especially _____________,] and strengthen them to look to You for help in their time of affliction. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of compassion, through the abundance of Your steadfast love You gather us into Your house and to Your Supper. Give all who commune this day a holy fear of Your wrath and faith in Your promises, that they would receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, You have brought us into Your vineyard and appointed us to bear good fruit. Receive our thanks for Your patience, and grant that we would show Your love and grace in all that we say and do; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
765 “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”
1 God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
2 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
Faith sees a smiling face.
3 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev’ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.
4 Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
5 You fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and will break
In blessings on your head.
Text: William Cowper, 1731–1800, alt.
Text: Public domain
691 “Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing”
1 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.
2 Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.
3 Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self-control.
4 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926–2024
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Lent - March 16, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Devra Eisert
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL will meet on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
THIS WEDNESDAY, March 19th, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miraculous Earthquake” recorded in Matthew 27:51c.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THERE IS A VOTERS’ MEETING next Sunday after the service.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." [This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.]
The Second Sunday in Lent
March 16, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 435 “Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain”
1 Come to Calv’ry’s holy mountain,
Sinners, ruined by the fall;
Here a pure and healing fountain
Flows for you, for me, for all,
In a full, perpetual tide,
Opened when our Savior died.
2 Come in poverty and meanness,
Come defiled, without, within;
From infection and uncleanness,
From the leprosy of sin,
Wash your robes and make them white;
Ye shall walk with God in light.
3 Come in sorrow and contrition,
Wounded, impotent, and blind;
Here the guilty, free remission,
Here the troubled, peace may find.
Health this fountain will restore;
They that drink shall thirst no more.
4 They that drink shall live forever;
’Tis a soul-renewing flood.
God is faithful; God will never
Break His covenant of blood,
Signed when our Redeemer died,
Sealed when He was glorified.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 26:8–15
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 26.
8When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. 11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Philippians 3:17—4:1
L A reading from Philippians, chapter 3.
17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
1Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Luke 13:31–35
L A reading from Luke, chapter 13.
31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 35Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Lent)
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 666 “O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe”
1 O little flock, fear not the foe
Who madly seeks your overthrow;
Dread not his rage and pow’r.
And though your courage sometimes faints,
His seeming triumph o’er God’s saints
Lasts but a little hour.
2 Be of good cheer; your cause belongs
To Him who can avenge your wrongs;
Leave it to Him, our Lord.
Though hidden yet from mortal eyes,
His Gideon shall for you arise,
Uphold you and His Word.
3 As true as God’s own Word is true,
Not earth nor hell’s satanic crew
Against us shall prevail.
Their might? A joke, a mere facade!
God is with us and we with God--
Our vict’ry cannot fail.
4 Amen, Lord Jesus, grant our prayer;
Great Captain, now Thine arm make bare,
Fight for us once again!
So shall Thy saints and martyrs raise
A mighty chorus to Thy praise
Forevermore. Amen.
Text: Jacob Fabricius, 1593–1654; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “It’s Worth Talking About” Luke 13:31-35
It’s Worth Talking About – Luke 13:31-35
What would you think if you told your friends about the coming of the Messiah and they had you arrested? What would you think if people said you were not very smart because you told people about the Messiah? What if people killed you for telling them about the Messiah? Would you expect people to accuse you of being narrow minded when you told them about the Messiah? Would you expect people to say things like, “They should really shut their mouths. They don’t know what they are talking about?”
Welcome to the world of the prophet. Such behavior on the part of others would exactly describe the insanity that faces the prophet, the apostle, and all the messengers of God. God wants to cover us in His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation and for some reason, that makes people angry.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34, ESV) God wanted to rain blessings down on Israel. He sent hundreds if not thousands of prophets to them. These prophets told of God’s love and warned about the dangers of rejecting that love. They told how God wanted to serve Israel and care for her. As God said through the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)
One might expect that people would receive this good news with great joy and celebration. Don’t count on it. Look at what happened to Jeremiah in today’s Old Testament Lesson. The people wanted to kill him. Most of the prophets died at the hands of those whom God wanted to bless. The people not only rejected the prophets and their message, but they also killed many of them. Many of God’s prophets also spent a large part of their ministry in prison. Those who managed to remain free and die natural deaths did so because God protected them in supernatural ways.
What Jesus said about Jerusalem in His day, we can say about the church today. In Jesus’ day, God revealed His presence in Jerusalem. Today, God reveals His presence in His church. They had the Books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. We have those books plus the additional revelation of the New Testament. They had the sacrifices and the temple. We have Holy Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar. They, more than anyone, should have understood and rejoiced at the message of the prophets. We too, should be eager to hear God’s message, to study it, to learn it, and to meditate on it.
I am sure that everyone here would admit that the forgiveness of sins is worth more than any earthly treasure. It is worth infinitely more than a million, a billion, or any amount of wealth this world could ever produce. It is worth the life and death of God’s only begotten Son.
Why then do we despise this priceless gift? We would never despise a million dollars. Why then do we despise a gift that is worth infinitely more? Why do we despise God’s Word when it is the means by which we receive a treasure that is beyond any price?
It is in our nature to reject God. We inherited that nature from our ancestors all the way back to Adam and Eve who sinned and lost their innocence. We are all born as enemies of God with hatred for Him and His gifts. That is the reason the people of ancient Jerusalem killed the prophets and stoned those whom God sent to them. That is also the reason it is so difficult to get to church on Sunday mornings and other times of worship. That is the reason we sometimes stay home to get a little work done around the house. That is the reason we treat the priceless treasures of God like worthless pieces of junk.
Fortunately, God loved us even while we hated Him. Jesus is God’s Son sent to rescue us. The events of today’s Gospel happened while Jesus was on His way to complete that rescue. He was taking His farewell tour of Israel before He went to Jerusalem to offer Himself up as a sacrifice for us. That is the reason He said, “It cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’” (Luke 13:33, ESV) That is also the reason He had no fear of Herod. He knew that His death would take place in Jerusalem, not in Galilee.
As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem His ministry focused on those upcoming events. He taught and healed as He usually did on these journeys, but He also spent more time preparing His followers for His upcoming suffering and death in Jerusalem.
After He arrived in Jerusalem, His journey would continue. At the end of that journey, He would carry a cross to Calvary. He would also carry our sins. Jerusalem is the place He would complete His journey. It is the place where He would proclaim, “It is finished,” as He finished His mission to pay the penalty for our sins.
Jerusalem is also the location of an empty tomb. It is the place where His friends laid Jesus’ body after He died on the cross. It is also the place that angels said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:5–7, ESV) Jesus did not remain in the grave, but rose to live again. Jerusalem is the place of the resurrection from the dead that promises us eternal life.
There are times that we Christians feel like joining Jesus in His lament. It is easy to be discouraged with the low attendance at Divine Service, the lack of interest in Bible Class, the lack of respect for the Sacraments, and a general apathy toward God’s Word. There are times that we want to scream out, “Don’t you people understand the priceless nature of God’s gifts? Don’t you understand that God wants to gather us together under His protection?”
When we have these feelings we can remember that we don’t make Christians. The Holy Spirit does that. Instead, God asks His church to remain faithful to His Word, proclaim the forgiveness of sins, administer the sacraments according to His command, and teach all the things that Jesus has taught us. We can rejoice that God has blessed us with all these gifts and rely on Him to sustain His Holy Christian Church until the end. That is certainly worth more than all the treasures of this earth. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Lent - 16 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Remember the congregations of Your Church, O Lord, which You have purchased with the holy blood of Your Son. Strengthen and defend all pastors and church workers, giving them every good gift as they attend to Your people. Cause us rightly to fear Your anger and rejoice in Your redemption. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember us in a world convulsed by the wages of sin. As we watch nations falter, remind us that our eternal citizenship is in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, who will subject all things to Himself. As we watch our own bodies fail, remind us that Christ will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember the households of this congregation, O Lord. Provide help and companionship to those who live alone, and foster love between husbands and wives, parents and children, that our homes would not be places to worship our bellies, glory in shame or set our minds on earthly things, but a refuge while here and a foretaste of our heavenly home. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember our nation and those You have placed in authority, O Lord. Give them wisdom and integrity, and grant that neither they nor the citizens of our land would hinder Your Church or despise Your call to repentance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember the sick and afflicted, O Lord [especially _____________]. Deliver them for the sake of Christ, who cast out demons and performed cures on His way to the cross. Strengthen their faith to hold fast to Him, who rose again to raise them also. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember this household of faith, O Lord, and gather us together at Your altar as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Unite us in true confession of Your Word, sincere repentance for our sins, and joyful confidence in Your Son’s body and blood for our forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember us, O Lord, for the sake of Your Son, who suffered the reproach of mankind as He bore our sins to the cross. Strengthen us gladly to bear reproach in Your name and declare Your salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
730 “What Is the World to Me”
1 What is the world to me
With all its vaunted pleasure
When You, and You alone,
Lord Jesus, are my treasure!
You only, dearest Lord,
My soul’s delight shall be;
You are my peace, my rest.
What is the world to me!
2 The world seeks to be praised
And honored by the mighty
Yet never once reflects
That they are frail and flighty.
But what I truly prize
Above all things is He,
My Jesus, He alone.
What is the world to me!
3 The world seeks after wealth
And all that mammon offers
Yet never is content
Though gold should fill its coffers.
I have a higher good,
Content with it I’ll be:
My Jesus is my wealth.
What is the world to me!
4 What is the world to me!
My Jesus is my treasure,
My life, my health, my wealth,
My friend, my love, my pleasure,
My joy, my crown, my all,
My bliss eternally.
Once more, then, I declare:
What is the world to me!
Text: Georg Michael Pfefferkorn, 1645–1732; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
945 “Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved”
1 Cantor:
O God, Father in heaven,
have mercy upon us.
Congregation:
Your heart, O God, is grieved, we know,
By ev’ry evil, ev’ry woe;
Upon Your cross-forsaken Son
Our death is laid, and peace is won.
2 Cantor:
O Son of God, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Congregation:
Your arms extend, O Christ, to save
From sting of death and grasp of grave;
Your scars before the Father move
His heart to mercy at such love.
3 Cantor:
O God, Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Congregation:
O lavish Giver, come to aid
The feeble child Your grace has made.
Now make us grow and help us pray;
Bring joy and comfort; come to stay.
Text: Juraj Tranovský, 1591–1637; tr. Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008
Text: © 1970 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 825 “Rise, Shine, You People”
1 Rise, shine, you people! Christ the Lord has entered
Our human story; God in Him is centered.
He comes to us, by death and sin surrounded,
With grace unbounded.
2 See how He sends the pow’rs of evil reeling;
He brings us freedom, light and life and healing.
All men and women, who by guilt are driven,
Now are forgiven.
3 Come, celebrate, your banners high unfurling,
Your songs and prayers against the darkness hurling.
To all the world go out and tell the story
Of Jesus’ glory.
4 Tell how the Father sent His Son to save us.
Tell of the Son, who life and freedom gave us.
Tell how the Spirit calls from ev’ry nation
His new creation.
Text: Ronald A. Klug, 1939–2021, alt.
Text: © 1974 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Lent - March 16, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today! We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Isaiah 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Devra Eisert
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL will meet on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
THIS WEDNESDAY, March 19th, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. The sermon theme is “The Miraculous Earthquake” recorded in Matthew 27:51c.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THERE IS A VOTERS’ MEETING next Sunday after the service.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." [This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.]
The Second Sunday in Lent
March 16, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 435 “Come to Calvary’s Holy Mountain”
1 Come to Calv’ry’s holy mountain,
Sinners, ruined by the fall;
Here a pure and healing fountain
Flows for you, for me, for all,
In a full, perpetual tide,
Opened when our Savior died.
2 Come in poverty and meanness,
Come defiled, without, within;
From infection and uncleanness,
From the leprosy of sin,
Wash your robes and make them white;
Ye shall walk with God in light.
3 Come in sorrow and contrition,
Wounded, impotent, and blind;
Here the guilty, free remission,
Here the troubled, peace may find.
Health this fountain will restore;
They that drink shall thirst no more.
4 They that drink shall live forever;
’Tis a soul-renewing flood.
God is faithful; God will never
Break His covenant of blood,
Signed when our Redeemer died,
Sealed when He was glorified.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 26:8–15
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 26.
8When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
10When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. 11Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death, because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”
12Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard. 13Now therefore mend your ways and your deeds, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will relent of the disaster that he has pronounced against you. 14But as for me, behold, I am in your hands. Do with me as seems good and right to you. 15Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Philippians 3:17—4:1
L A reading from Philippians, chapter 3.
17Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
1Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Luke 13:31–35
L A reading from Luke, chapter 13.
31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to [Jesus], “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32And he said to them, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I finish my course. 33Nevertheless, I must go on my way today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’ 34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 35Behold, your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Lent)
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 666 “O Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe”
1 O little flock, fear not the foe
Who madly seeks your overthrow;
Dread not his rage and pow’r.
And though your courage sometimes faints,
His seeming triumph o’er God’s saints
Lasts but a little hour.
2 Be of good cheer; your cause belongs
To Him who can avenge your wrongs;
Leave it to Him, our Lord.
Though hidden yet from mortal eyes,
His Gideon shall for you arise,
Uphold you and His Word.
3 As true as God’s own Word is true,
Not earth nor hell’s satanic crew
Against us shall prevail.
Their might? A joke, a mere facade!
God is with us and we with God--
Our vict’ry cannot fail.
4 Amen, Lord Jesus, grant our prayer;
Great Captain, now Thine arm make bare,
Fight for us once again!
So shall Thy saints and martyrs raise
A mighty chorus to Thy praise
Forevermore. Amen.
Text: Jacob Fabricius, 1593–1654; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “It’s Worth Talking About” Luke 13:31-35
It’s Worth Talking About – Luke 13:31-35
What would you think if you told your friends about the coming of the Messiah and they had you arrested? What would you think if people said you were not very smart because you told people about the Messiah? What if people killed you for telling them about the Messiah? Would you expect people to accuse you of being narrow minded when you told them about the Messiah? Would you expect people to say things like, “They should really shut their mouths. They don’t know what they are talking about?”
Welcome to the world of the prophet. Such behavior on the part of others would exactly describe the insanity that faces the prophet, the apostle, and all the messengers of God. God wants to cover us in His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation and for some reason, that makes people angry.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34, ESV) God wanted to rain blessings down on Israel. He sent hundreds if not thousands of prophets to them. These prophets told of God’s love and warned about the dangers of rejecting that love. They told how God wanted to serve Israel and care for her. As God said through the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)
One might expect that people would receive this good news with great joy and celebration. Don’t count on it. Look at what happened to Jeremiah in today’s Old Testament Lesson. The people wanted to kill him. Most of the prophets died at the hands of those whom God wanted to bless. The people not only rejected the prophets and their message, but they also killed many of them. Many of God’s prophets also spent a large part of their ministry in prison. Those who managed to remain free and die natural deaths did so because God protected them in supernatural ways.
What Jesus said about Jerusalem in His day, we can say about the church today. In Jesus’ day, God revealed His presence in Jerusalem. Today, God reveals His presence in His church. They had the Books of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. We have those books plus the additional revelation of the New Testament. They had the sacrifices and the temple. We have Holy Baptism and the Sacrament of the Altar. They, more than anyone, should have understood and rejoiced at the message of the prophets. We too, should be eager to hear God’s message, to study it, to learn it, and to meditate on it.
I am sure that everyone here would admit that the forgiveness of sins is worth more than any earthly treasure. It is worth infinitely more than a million, a billion, or any amount of wealth this world could ever produce. It is worth the life and death of God’s only begotten Son.
Why then do we despise this priceless gift? We would never despise a million dollars. Why then do we despise a gift that is worth infinitely more? Why do we despise God’s Word when it is the means by which we receive a treasure that is beyond any price?
It is in our nature to reject God. We inherited that nature from our ancestors all the way back to Adam and Eve who sinned and lost their innocence. We are all born as enemies of God with hatred for Him and His gifts. That is the reason the people of ancient Jerusalem killed the prophets and stoned those whom God sent to them. That is also the reason it is so difficult to get to church on Sunday mornings and other times of worship. That is the reason we sometimes stay home to get a little work done around the house. That is the reason we treat the priceless treasures of God like worthless pieces of junk.
Fortunately, God loved us even while we hated Him. Jesus is God’s Son sent to rescue us. The events of today’s Gospel happened while Jesus was on His way to complete that rescue. He was taking His farewell tour of Israel before He went to Jerusalem to offer Himself up as a sacrifice for us. That is the reason He said, “It cannot be that a prophet should perish away from Jerusalem.’” (Luke 13:33, ESV) That is also the reason He had no fear of Herod. He knew that His death would take place in Jerusalem, not in Galilee.
As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem His ministry focused on those upcoming events. He taught and healed as He usually did on these journeys, but He also spent more time preparing His followers for His upcoming suffering and death in Jerusalem.
After He arrived in Jerusalem, His journey would continue. At the end of that journey, He would carry a cross to Calvary. He would also carry our sins. Jerusalem is the place He would complete His journey. It is the place where He would proclaim, “It is finished,” as He finished His mission to pay the penalty for our sins.
Jerusalem is also the location of an empty tomb. It is the place where His friends laid Jesus’ body after He died on the cross. It is also the place that angels said, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:5–7, ESV) Jesus did not remain in the grave, but rose to live again. Jerusalem is the place of the resurrection from the dead that promises us eternal life.
There are times that we Christians feel like joining Jesus in His lament. It is easy to be discouraged with the low attendance at Divine Service, the lack of interest in Bible Class, the lack of respect for the Sacraments, and a general apathy toward God’s Word. There are times that we want to scream out, “Don’t you people understand the priceless nature of God’s gifts? Don’t you understand that God wants to gather us together under His protection?”
When we have these feelings we can remember that we don’t make Christians. The Holy Spirit does that. Instead, God asks His church to remain faithful to His Word, proclaim the forgiveness of sins, administer the sacraments according to His command, and teach all the things that Jesus has taught us. We can rejoice that God has blessed us with all these gifts and rely on Him to sustain His Holy Christian Church until the end. That is certainly worth more than all the treasures of this earth. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Lent - 16 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Remember the congregations of Your Church, O Lord, which You have purchased with the holy blood of Your Son. Strengthen and defend all pastors and church workers, giving them every good gift as they attend to Your people. Cause us rightly to fear Your anger and rejoice in Your redemption. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember us in a world convulsed by the wages of sin. As we watch nations falter, remind us that our eternal citizenship is in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ, who will subject all things to Himself. As we watch our own bodies fail, remind us that Christ will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember the households of this congregation, O Lord. Provide help and companionship to those who live alone, and foster love between husbands and wives, parents and children, that our homes would not be places to worship our bellies, glory in shame or set our minds on earthly things, but a refuge while here and a foretaste of our heavenly home. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember our nation and those You have placed in authority, O Lord. Give them wisdom and integrity, and grant that neither they nor the citizens of our land would hinder Your Church or despise Your call to repentance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember the sick and afflicted, O Lord [especially _____________]. Deliver them for the sake of Christ, who cast out demons and performed cures on His way to the cross. Strengthen their faith to hold fast to Him, who rose again to raise them also. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember this household of faith, O Lord, and gather us together at Your altar as a hen gathers her brood under her wings. Unite us in true confession of Your Word, sincere repentance for our sins, and joyful confidence in Your Son’s body and blood for our forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember us, O Lord, for the sake of Your Son, who suffered the reproach of mankind as He bore our sins to the cross. Strengthen us gladly to bear reproach in Your name and declare Your salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
730 “What Is the World to Me”
1 What is the world to me
With all its vaunted pleasure
When You, and You alone,
Lord Jesus, are my treasure!
You only, dearest Lord,
My soul’s delight shall be;
You are my peace, my rest.
What is the world to me!
2 The world seeks to be praised
And honored by the mighty
Yet never once reflects
That they are frail and flighty.
But what I truly prize
Above all things is He,
My Jesus, He alone.
What is the world to me!
3 The world seeks after wealth
And all that mammon offers
Yet never is content
Though gold should fill its coffers.
I have a higher good,
Content with it I’ll be:
My Jesus is my wealth.
What is the world to me!
4 What is the world to me!
My Jesus is my treasure,
My life, my health, my wealth,
My friend, my love, my pleasure,
My joy, my crown, my all,
My bliss eternally.
Once more, then, I declare:
What is the world to me!
Text: Georg Michael Pfefferkorn, 1645–1732; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
945 “Your Heart, O God, Is Grieved”
1 Cantor:
O God, Father in heaven,
have mercy upon us.
Congregation:
Your heart, O God, is grieved, we know,
By ev’ry evil, ev’ry woe;
Upon Your cross-forsaken Son
Our death is laid, and peace is won.
2 Cantor:
O Son of God, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Congregation:
Your arms extend, O Christ, to save
From sting of death and grasp of grave;
Your scars before the Father move
His heart to mercy at such love.
3 Cantor:
O God, Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Congregation:
O lavish Giver, come to aid
The feeble child Your grace has made.
Now make us grow and help us pray;
Bring joy and comfort; come to stay.
Text: Juraj Tranovský, 1591–1637; tr. Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008
Text: © 1970 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 825 “Rise, Shine, You People”
1 Rise, shine, you people! Christ the Lord has entered
Our human story; God in Him is centered.
He comes to us, by death and sin surrounded,
With grace unbounded.
2 See how He sends the pow’rs of evil reeling;
He brings us freedom, light and life and healing.
All men and women, who by guilt are driven,
Now are forgiven.
3 Come, celebrate, your banners high unfurling,
Your songs and prayers against the darkness hurling.
To all the world go out and tell the story
Of Jesus’ glory.
4 Tell how the Father sent His Son to save us.
Tell of the Son, who life and freedom gave us.
Tell how the Spirit calls from ev’ry nation
His new creation.
Text: Ronald A. Klug, 1939–2021, alt.
Text: © 1974 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday in Lent - March 9, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THIS WEDNESDAY, March 12, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
“To be sure, we have problems in our country that good politicians have the responsibility to address. It is good to pray to God and ask for good and faithful leaders and to vote for them when they run for office. Yet we do so while remembering that bigger than any problem a politician might address is the problem of sin and death. Jesus is the only one who’s done something about that. Jesus died, rose again, and now lives and reigns for all time. Jesus is our true king.” – quote from “Jesus Vs. Caesar” by Kendall Davis in the January 2025 Lutheran Witness.
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The First Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 423 “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary”
1 Jesus, refuge of the weary,
Blest Redeemer, whom we love,
Fountain in life’s desert dreary,
Savior from the world above:
Often have Your eyes, offended,
Gazed upon the sinner’s fall;
Yet upon the cross extended,
You have borne the pain of all.
2 Do we pass that cross unheeding,
Breathing no repentant vow,
Though we see You wounded, bleeding,
See Your thorn-encircled brow?
Yet Your sinless death has brought us
Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what Your grace has taught us
Calms the sinner’s deep distress.
3 Jesus, may our hearts be burning
With more fervent love for You;
May our eyes be ever turning
To behold Your cross anew
Till in glory, parted never
From the blessèd Savior’s side,
Graven in our hearts forever,
Dwell the cross, the Crucified.
Text: Girolamo Savonarola, 1452–98; tr. Jane F. Wilde, 1826–96, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 91:9–13, 15–16
P When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will sat- isfy him and show him my salvation. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge--
no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 26:1–11
1“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.
5“And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 91:1–13
1He who dwells in the shelter of the | Most High*
will abide in the shadow of the Al- | mighty.
2I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my | fortress,*
my God, in | whom I trust.”
3For he will deliver you from the snare of the | fowler*
and from the deadly | pestilence.
4He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find | refuge;*
his faithfulness is a shield and | buckler.
5You will not fear the terror | of the night,*
nor the arrow that | flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in | darkness,*
nor the destruction that wastes at | noonday.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your | right hand,*
but it will not come | near you.
8You will only look | with your eyes*
and see the recompense of the | wicked.
9Because you have made the Lord your | dwelling place—*
the Most High, who is my | refuge--
10no evil shall be allowed to be- | fall you,*
no plague come | near your tent.
11For he will command his angels con- | cerning you*
to guard you in | all your ways.
12On their hands they will | bear you up,*
lest you strike your foot a- | gainst a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the | adder;*
the young lion and the serpent you will trample | underfoot.
Epistle Romans 10:8b–13
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 4:1–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fourth chapter.
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”
9And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
11and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
12And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Is Tempted” Luke 4:1-13
Jesus Is Tempted – Luke 4:1-13
Every year, the gospel for the First Sunday in Lent tells us about the time that the devil personally tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Last year, we heard the story from Mark. Next year, we will hear the story from Matthew. This year, it is Luke’s turn to tell us the story.
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4:1–2) That little phrase, returned from the Jordan, reminds us that the temptation happened right after Jesus was baptized. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) This was not only an amazing epiphany to John the Baptist and the other people who witnessed Jesus’ baptism, but it was also a message to the devil and all his evil angels. God the Son has taken up human flesh. He is bringing the battle to the earth. This is the one who will crush the serpent’s head. Not long after the Holy Spirit descended on [Jesus] in bodily form, like a dove; this very same Spirit led Jesus in the wilderness for forty days of temptation.
And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. (Luke 4:2) My first response to this little nugget of knowledge was, “Well of course He was hungry. I can’t go without food for forty hours without complaining. Who knows how crazy I would be after forty days without food? Isn’t this just common sense?”
But there is a difference here. Jesus is not only true man, but He is also true God. I have heard more than one person say, “Jesus on the cross is no big thing. All He had to do was administer a little divine anesthetic and the cross would not hurt a bit.” That phrase “he was hungry” is one of many clues that tell us that Jesus did not always use His divine power. It tells us that when Jesus took our place under the law, He did not use any resources that we ourselves do not have. The Holy Spirit working through Luke wants us to understand that Jesus endured the temptations of the devil and the tortures of the cross without using His divine power in any way.
The first temptation is very subtle. Sooner or later most people will wonder what the big deal is about converting stones into bread. The Gospels record two accounts of Jesus multiplying loaves in order to feed thousands of people. What could possibly be so terrible about making a little bread out in the wilderness where no one else even needed to see what Jesus did?
The bread itself isn’t the problem. The problem is doubt … lack of faith. Jesus is living in our place. Therefore, just as we should trust God to give us all things, so also Jesus should trust God as well.
The devil tried to plant doubt in Jesus’ mind. God has forgotten you. He is willing to let you die of hunger. Back when you were baptized, He said that you were His beloved son, but did He really mean it? After all, what loving father would allow his son to wander around hungry in the wilderness? His promises mean nothing to you. Your concern is for bread; forget about God’s Word. Take matters into your own hands. Don’t rely on God. The devil hoped that thoughts like these would enter Jesus’ mind when he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” (Luke 4:3) You can see doubt at work in all three of the temptations recorded in today’s Gospel.
Now let’s consider the next temptation that Luke recorded. The devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5–7)
The devil’s words “it has been delivered to me” remind us of the tragedy of Adam and Eve’s surrender to the devil in Eden. Here the devil would try to convince Jesus that the world belongs to him ever since Adam and Eve fell. You made them stewards over the world and they gave the stewardship to me. Now it is mine.
Then the devil offered Jesus a deal: “That voice who claimed to be your loving father wants you to suffer and die in order get this world back. What kind of loving father would do that? I’ve got an idea that is so much better. You don’t have to go through all the shame and pain of suffering and death to win back the world. There could be peace between us now. It’s a win-win situation – a real no-brainer. I would be willing to give this world back to you. All I ask in return is that you would worship me just one time. That’s all. I’m not asking for much at all and you would receive so much in return. Why can’t we just get along?”
This temptation is still around today. The devil readily tells us that we can be at peace with all people. All we need do is surrender our faithfulness to God’s Word. So what if not everyone agrees with the Bible one hundred per cent. The important thing is that we all get along, right? As long as we make this a better world where everyone is happy, we’re all good, right? That’s the important thing … worshipping the true god is not really that important.
In the final temptation, the devil put on the robes of the preacher. He quoted from the Word of God, but He only quoted the words that suited his purpose. And He took [Jesus] to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” (Luke 4:9–11) the devil quoted from the very psalm that we used in the Introit for today, but he left out words that change the meaning of the passage. In this way, the devil changed the psalm from God’s promise to protect us into God’s permission to do stupid things … like jump from the pinnacle of a very tall building.
False preachers still do this sort of thing. They pick and choose which words they will use and which words they will discard. Even though Jesus said, ‘This is my body;’ ‘This is my blood,’ what He really meant was, ‘This represents my body;’ ‘This represents my blood.’” Even though Jesus told the church to teach all that He commanded, we only need to learn enough … and we decide what is enough. We simply forget that telling God that we don’t need any more of His word is the same as telling Him that we don’t need any more of Him.
Sadly, we must all confess that we do not listen to the Word of God as we should. We often let the devil, the world, or our own sinful nature pick and choose the words of God that we will hear. The devil and the world seduce us with the words that we want to hear, and we have especially made ourselves into false gods by listening to our words instead of God’s Words. We all deserve punishment both here in time and forever in eternity for listening to the words we like instead of the words we need.
We regularly fall to the devil’s lies, but Jesus never did. Jesus fought back with a strategy that is available to all of us. He quoted from the Word of God. Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (Luke 4:4) from Deuteronomy 8. Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” (Luke 4:8) from Deuteronomy 6. Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12) also from Deuteronomy 6. God’s Word is the weapon Jesus used to stop the devil. It is the weapon God has given us. How sad it is that we often doubt this weapon and fail to use it as we should.
Today’s Gospel tells us that when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13) This means that the devil did not depart forever, but only until an opportune time. The devil tempted Jesus over and over again. He did not quit until Jesus was dead.
Even while Jesus was on the cross, we hear the devil speak through his servants saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) There is that phrase of doubt once again: “If you are the Son of God …” Even at the cross, the devil still tried to sow seeds of doubt. Even as Jesus died, He fought off the temptation with the word of God. His last words were a psalm: “Into your hand I commit my spirit. (Psalm 31:5)
We often fall to the devil’s lies, but Jesus never did. Jesus withstood the devil’s temptation on our behalf. He is our champion. He never sinned. He stayed on the hard road to the cross.
Eventually, the World was His again, but not through compromise. Jesus fulfilled every promise God made. Jesus withstood the devil himself in the wilderness of hunger. He endured temptation even to the cross. Jesus never wavered. In the end, Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil. He rose from the dead. He bought us back with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death that we might be His own and live under Him in His Eternal Kingdom.
With His victory on the cross, Jesus earned forgiveness for us. The Holy Spirit brings that forgiveness to us as He works faith in us through Word and Sacrament. The Holy Spirit will aid us in our struggle with the devil’s temptations including the temptation to compromise God’s Word. The Holy Spirit will strengthen our faith and bring us home to Life Everlasting. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday in Lent - 9 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord Most High, You are the dwelling place of Your people. Be our refuge for the sake of Christ, who suffered temptation and death for our redemption. Preserve us from every evil and plague, and strengthen us in faith, that we may be satisfied with Your salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all nations, You make no distinction between Jew and Greek, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Protect and provide for the missionaries of Your Church as they proclaim the Word of faith and bring it near to all who will hear, so that more would confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that You raised Him from the dead. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, You bestow Your riches on all who call upon You. Bless parents with all wisdom as they teach their children Your ways, that all in the household may confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, govern the kingdoms of this world according to Your holy and gracious will. Protect authorities from every temptation of the devil, who falsely claims sovereignty over them. Equip them to curb what is evil and promote what is good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all mercy, You answer those who call upon You. Hear our prayers for all people in need of healing and restoration [especially _____________]. Be with them in their trouble, and rescue them according to Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, everyone who believes that Jesus is Lord will not be put to shame. Unite Your people in a right confession of Your Word, and free them from disagreement over Your truth. Bring us with penitent hearts to receive the great riches of Your Son’s body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, as You brought Your people to the Promised Land and gave them an inheritance of abundance, so You give us all that we have. Preserve us from greed, and grant us thankful hearts to declare Your goodness and gladly support what You will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, see how the adversary continually afflicts us and walks about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. We implore You for the sake of the suffering and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to help us by the grace of the Holy Spirit and strengthen our hearts by Your Word, that our enemy would not prevail over us, but instead that we may abide evermore in Your grace and be preserved to life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
521 “Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken”
1 Christ, the Lord of hosts, unshaken
By the devil’s seething rage,
Thwarts the plan of Satan’s minions;
Wins the strife from age to age;
Conquers sin and death forever;
Slams them in their steely cage.
2 Michael fought the heav’nly battle,
Godly angels by his side;
Warred against the ancient serpent,
Foiled the beast, so full of pride,
Cast him earthbound with his angels;
Now he prowls, unsatisfied.
3 Long on earth the battle rages,
Since the serpent’s first deceit;
Twisted God’s command to Adam,
Made forbidden fruit look sweet.
Then the curse of God was spoken:
“You’ll lie crushed beneath His feet!”
4 Jesus came, this word fulfilling,
Trampled Satan, death defied;
Bore the brunt of our temptation,
On the wretched tree He died.
Yet to life was raised victorious;
By His life our life supplied.
5 Swift as lightning falls the tyrant
From his heav’nly perch on high,
As the word of Jesus’ vict’ry
Floods the earth and fills the sky.
Wounded by a wound eternal
Now his judgment has drawn nigh!
6 Jesus, send Your angel legions
When the foe would us enslave.
Hold us fast when sin assaults us;
Come, then, Lord, Your people save.
Overthrow at last the dragon;
Send him to his fiery grave.
Text: Peter M. Prange, 1972
Text: © Peter M. Prange. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
424 “O Christ, You Walked the Road”
1 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
You faced with us temptation’s pow’r
And fought our ancient foe.
2 No bread of earth alone
Can fill our hung’ring hearts.
Lord, help us seek Your living Word,
The food Your grace imparts.
3 No blinding sign we ask,
No wonder from above.
Lord, help us place our trust alone
In Your unswerving love.
4 When lures of easy gain
With promise brightly shine,
Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first;
Our wills with Yours align.
5 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
Stay with us through temptation’s hour
To fight our ancient foe.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 418 “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days”
1 O Lord, throughout these forty days
You prayed and kept the fast;
Inspire repentance for our sin,
And free us from our past.
2 You strove with Satan, and You won;
Your faithfulness endured;
Lend us Your nerve, Your skill and trust
In God’s eternal Word.
3 Though parched and hungry, yet You prayed
And fixed Your mind above;
So teach us to deny ourselves,
Since we have known God’s love.
4 Be with us through this season, Lord,
And all our earthly days,
That when the final Easter dawns,
We join in heaven’s praise.
Text: based on Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838–98; para. Gilbert E. Doan, 1930–2024
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday in Lent - March 9, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THIS WEDNESDAY, March 12, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. followed by worship at 7 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the soup suppers for Lent are on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
“To be sure, we have problems in our country that good politicians have the responsibility to address. It is good to pray to God and ask for good and faithful leaders and to vote for them when they run for office. Yet we do so while remembering that bigger than any problem a politician might address is the problem of sin and death. Jesus is the only one who’s done something about that. Jesus died, rose again, and now lives and reigns for all time. Jesus is our true king.” – quote from “Jesus Vs. Caesar” by Kendall Davis in the January 2025 Lutheran Witness.
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The First Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 423 “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary”
1 Jesus, refuge of the weary,
Blest Redeemer, whom we love,
Fountain in life’s desert dreary,
Savior from the world above:
Often have Your eyes, offended,
Gazed upon the sinner’s fall;
Yet upon the cross extended,
You have borne the pain of all.
2 Do we pass that cross unheeding,
Breathing no repentant vow,
Though we see You wounded, bleeding,
See Your thorn-encircled brow?
Yet Your sinless death has brought us
Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what Your grace has taught us
Calms the sinner’s deep distress.
3 Jesus, may our hearts be burning
With more fervent love for You;
May our eyes be ever turning
To behold Your cross anew
Till in glory, parted never
From the blessèd Savior’s side,
Graven in our hearts forever,
Dwell the cross, the Crucified.
Text: Girolamo Savonarola, 1452–98; tr. Jane F. Wilde, 1826–96, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 91:9–13, 15–16
P When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will sat- isfy him and show him my salvation. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge--
no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 26:1–11
1“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance and have taken possession of it and live in it, 2you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name to dwell there. 3And you shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, ‘I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our fathers to give us.’ 4Then the priest shall take the basket from your hand and set it down before the altar of the Lord your God.
5“And you shall make response before the Lord your God, ‘A wandering Aramean was my father. And he went down into Egypt and sojourned there, few in number, and there he became a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6And the Egyptians treated us harshly and humiliated us and laid on us hard labor. 7Then we cried to the Lord, the God of our fathers, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. 8And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great deeds of terror, with signs and wonders. 9And he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10And behold, now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, which you, O Lord, have given me.’ And you shall set it down before the Lord your God and worship before the Lord your God. 11And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house, you, and the Levite, and the sojourner who is among you.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 91:1–13
1He who dwells in the shelter of the | Most High*
will abide in the shadow of the Al- | mighty.
2I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my | fortress,*
my God, in | whom I trust.”
3For he will deliver you from the snare of the | fowler*
and from the deadly | pestilence.
4He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find | refuge;*
his faithfulness is a shield and | buckler.
5You will not fear the terror | of the night,*
nor the arrow that | flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in | darkness,*
nor the destruction that wastes at | noonday.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your | right hand,*
but it will not come | near you.
8You will only look | with your eyes*
and see the recompense of the | wicked.
9Because you have made the Lord your | dwelling place—*
the Most High, who is my | refuge--
10no evil shall be allowed to be- | fall you,*
no plague come | near your tent.
11For he will command his angels con- | cerning you*
to guard you in | all your ways.
12On their hands they will | bear you up,*
lest you strike your foot a- | gainst a stone.
13You will tread on the lion and the | adder;*
the young lion and the serpent you will trample | underfoot.
Epistle Romans 10:8b–13
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Luke 4:1–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fourth chapter.
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. 3The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” 4And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” 5And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” 8And Jesus answered him, “It is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God,
and him only shall you serve.’”
9And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, 10for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
to guard you,’
11and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
12And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Is Tempted” Luke 4:1-13
Jesus Is Tempted – Luke 4:1-13
Every year, the gospel for the First Sunday in Lent tells us about the time that the devil personally tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Last year, we heard the story from Mark. Next year, we will hear the story from Matthew. This year, it is Luke’s turn to tell us the story.
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4:1–2) That little phrase, returned from the Jordan, reminds us that the temptation happened right after Jesus was baptized. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22) This was not only an amazing epiphany to John the Baptist and the other people who witnessed Jesus’ baptism, but it was also a message to the devil and all his evil angels. God the Son has taken up human flesh. He is bringing the battle to the earth. This is the one who will crush the serpent’s head. Not long after the Holy Spirit descended on [Jesus] in bodily form, like a dove; this very same Spirit led Jesus in the wilderness for forty days of temptation.
And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. (Luke 4:2) My first response to this little nugget of knowledge was, “Well of course He was hungry. I can’t go without food for forty hours without complaining. Who knows how crazy I would be after forty days without food? Isn’t this just common sense?”
But there is a difference here. Jesus is not only true man, but He is also true God. I have heard more than one person say, “Jesus on the cross is no big thing. All He had to do was administer a little divine anesthetic and the cross would not hurt a bit.” That phrase “he was hungry” is one of many clues that tell us that Jesus did not always use His divine power. It tells us that when Jesus took our place under the law, He did not use any resources that we ourselves do not have. The Holy Spirit working through Luke wants us to understand that Jesus endured the temptations of the devil and the tortures of the cross without using His divine power in any way.
The first temptation is very subtle. Sooner or later most people will wonder what the big deal is about converting stones into bread. The Gospels record two accounts of Jesus multiplying loaves in order to feed thousands of people. What could possibly be so terrible about making a little bread out in the wilderness where no one else even needed to see what Jesus did?
The bread itself isn’t the problem. The problem is doubt … lack of faith. Jesus is living in our place. Therefore, just as we should trust God to give us all things, so also Jesus should trust God as well.
The devil tried to plant doubt in Jesus’ mind. God has forgotten you. He is willing to let you die of hunger. Back when you were baptized, He said that you were His beloved son, but did He really mean it? After all, what loving father would allow his son to wander around hungry in the wilderness? His promises mean nothing to you. Your concern is for bread; forget about God’s Word. Take matters into your own hands. Don’t rely on God. The devil hoped that thoughts like these would enter Jesus’ mind when he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” (Luke 4:3) You can see doubt at work in all three of the temptations recorded in today’s Gospel.
Now let’s consider the next temptation that Luke recorded. The devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5–7)
The devil’s words “it has been delivered to me” remind us of the tragedy of Adam and Eve’s surrender to the devil in Eden. Here the devil would try to convince Jesus that the world belongs to him ever since Adam and Eve fell. You made them stewards over the world and they gave the stewardship to me. Now it is mine.
Then the devil offered Jesus a deal: “That voice who claimed to be your loving father wants you to suffer and die in order get this world back. What kind of loving father would do that? I’ve got an idea that is so much better. You don’t have to go through all the shame and pain of suffering and death to win back the world. There could be peace between us now. It’s a win-win situation – a real no-brainer. I would be willing to give this world back to you. All I ask in return is that you would worship me just one time. That’s all. I’m not asking for much at all and you would receive so much in return. Why can’t we just get along?”
This temptation is still around today. The devil readily tells us that we can be at peace with all people. All we need do is surrender our faithfulness to God’s Word. So what if not everyone agrees with the Bible one hundred per cent. The important thing is that we all get along, right? As long as we make this a better world where everyone is happy, we’re all good, right? That’s the important thing … worshipping the true god is not really that important.
In the final temptation, the devil put on the robes of the preacher. He quoted from the Word of God, but He only quoted the words that suited his purpose. And He took [Jesus] to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ and “ ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ” (Luke 4:9–11) the devil quoted from the very psalm that we used in the Introit for today, but he left out words that change the meaning of the passage. In this way, the devil changed the psalm from God’s promise to protect us into God’s permission to do stupid things … like jump from the pinnacle of a very tall building.
False preachers still do this sort of thing. They pick and choose which words they will use and which words they will discard. Even though Jesus said, ‘This is my body;’ ‘This is my blood,’ what He really meant was, ‘This represents my body;’ ‘This represents my blood.’” Even though Jesus told the church to teach all that He commanded, we only need to learn enough … and we decide what is enough. We simply forget that telling God that we don’t need any more of His word is the same as telling Him that we don’t need any more of Him.
Sadly, we must all confess that we do not listen to the Word of God as we should. We often let the devil, the world, or our own sinful nature pick and choose the words of God that we will hear. The devil and the world seduce us with the words that we want to hear, and we have especially made ourselves into false gods by listening to our words instead of God’s Words. We all deserve punishment both here in time and forever in eternity for listening to the words we like instead of the words we need.
We regularly fall to the devil’s lies, but Jesus never did. Jesus fought back with a strategy that is available to all of us. He quoted from the Word of God. Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (Luke 4:4) from Deuteronomy 8. Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” (Luke 4:8) from Deuteronomy 6. Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Luke 4:12) also from Deuteronomy 6. God’s Word is the weapon Jesus used to stop the devil. It is the weapon God has given us. How sad it is that we often doubt this weapon and fail to use it as we should.
Today’s Gospel tells us that when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13) This means that the devil did not depart forever, but only until an opportune time. The devil tempted Jesus over and over again. He did not quit until Jesus was dead.
Even while Jesus was on the cross, we hear the devil speak through his servants saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:40) There is that phrase of doubt once again: “If you are the Son of God …” Even at the cross, the devil still tried to sow seeds of doubt. Even as Jesus died, He fought off the temptation with the word of God. His last words were a psalm: “Into your hand I commit my spirit. (Psalm 31:5)
We often fall to the devil’s lies, but Jesus never did. Jesus withstood the devil’s temptation on our behalf. He is our champion. He never sinned. He stayed on the hard road to the cross.
Eventually, the World was His again, but not through compromise. Jesus fulfilled every promise God made. Jesus withstood the devil himself in the wilderness of hunger. He endured temptation even to the cross. Jesus never wavered. In the end, Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil. He rose from the dead. He bought us back with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death that we might be His own and live under Him in His Eternal Kingdom.
With His victory on the cross, Jesus earned forgiveness for us. The Holy Spirit brings that forgiveness to us as He works faith in us through Word and Sacrament. The Holy Spirit will aid us in our struggle with the devil’s temptations including the temptation to compromise God’s Word. The Holy Spirit will strengthen our faith and bring us home to Life Everlasting. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday in Lent - 9 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord Most High, You are the dwelling place of Your people. Be our refuge for the sake of Christ, who suffered temptation and death for our redemption. Preserve us from every evil and plague, and strengthen us in faith, that we may be satisfied with Your salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all nations, You make no distinction between Jew and Greek, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Protect and provide for the missionaries of Your Church as they proclaim the Word of faith and bring it near to all who will hear, so that more would confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in their hearts that You raised Him from the dead. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, You bestow Your riches on all who call upon You. Bless parents with all wisdom as they teach their children Your ways, that all in the household may confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, govern the kingdoms of this world according to Your holy and gracious will. Protect authorities from every temptation of the devil, who falsely claims sovereignty over them. Equip them to curb what is evil and promote what is good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all mercy, You answer those who call upon You. Hear our prayers for all people in need of healing and restoration [especially _____________]. Be with them in their trouble, and rescue them according to Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, everyone who believes that Jesus is Lord will not be put to shame. Unite Your people in a right confession of Your Word, and free them from disagreement over Your truth. Bring us with penitent hearts to receive the great riches of Your Son’s body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, as You brought Your people to the Promised Land and gave them an inheritance of abundance, so You give us all that we have. Preserve us from greed, and grant us thankful hearts to declare Your goodness and gladly support what You will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, see how the adversary continually afflicts us and walks about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. We implore You for the sake of the suffering and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to help us by the grace of the Holy Spirit and strengthen our hearts by Your Word, that our enemy would not prevail over us, but instead that we may abide evermore in Your grace and be preserved to life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
521 “Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken”
1 Christ, the Lord of hosts, unshaken
By the devil’s seething rage,
Thwarts the plan of Satan’s minions;
Wins the strife from age to age;
Conquers sin and death forever;
Slams them in their steely cage.
2 Michael fought the heav’nly battle,
Godly angels by his side;
Warred against the ancient serpent,
Foiled the beast, so full of pride,
Cast him earthbound with his angels;
Now he prowls, unsatisfied.
3 Long on earth the battle rages,
Since the serpent’s first deceit;
Twisted God’s command to Adam,
Made forbidden fruit look sweet.
Then the curse of God was spoken:
“You’ll lie crushed beneath His feet!”
4 Jesus came, this word fulfilling,
Trampled Satan, death defied;
Bore the brunt of our temptation,
On the wretched tree He died.
Yet to life was raised victorious;
By His life our life supplied.
5 Swift as lightning falls the tyrant
From his heav’nly perch on high,
As the word of Jesus’ vict’ry
Floods the earth and fills the sky.
Wounded by a wound eternal
Now his judgment has drawn nigh!
6 Jesus, send Your angel legions
When the foe would us enslave.
Hold us fast when sin assaults us;
Come, then, Lord, Your people save.
Overthrow at last the dragon;
Send him to his fiery grave.
Text: Peter M. Prange, 1972
Text: © Peter M. Prange. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
424 “O Christ, You Walked the Road”
1 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
You faced with us temptation’s pow’r
And fought our ancient foe.
2 No bread of earth alone
Can fill our hung’ring hearts.
Lord, help us seek Your living Word,
The food Your grace imparts.
3 No blinding sign we ask,
No wonder from above.
Lord, help us place our trust alone
In Your unswerving love.
4 When lures of easy gain
With promise brightly shine,
Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first;
Our wills with Yours align.
5 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
Stay with us through temptation’s hour
To fight our ancient foe.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 418 “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days”
1 O Lord, throughout these forty days
You prayed and kept the fast;
Inspire repentance for our sin,
And free us from our past.
2 You strove with Satan, and You won;
Your faithfulness endured;
Lend us Your nerve, Your skill and trust
In God’s eternal Word.
3 Though parched and hungry, yet You prayed
And fixed Your mind above;
So teach us to deny ourselves,
Since we have known God’s love.
4 Be with us through this season, Lord,
And all our earthly days,
That when the final Easter dawns,
We join in heaven’s praise.
Text: based on Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838–98; para. Gilbert E. Doan, 1930–2024
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Transfiguration of Our Lord - March 2, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ASH WEDNESDAY is this Wednesday! We will have a service at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the Imposition of Ashes will be offered. It will also be a communion service. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Your holy passion, with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
“To be sure, we have problems in our country that good politicians have the responsibility to address. It is good to pray to God and ask for good and faithful leaders and to vote for them when they run for office. Yet we do so while remembering that bigger than any problem a politician might address is the problem of sin and death. Jesus is the only one who’s done something about that. Jesus died, rose again, and now lives and reigns for all time. Jesus is our true king.” – quote from “Jesus Vs. Caesar” by Kendall Davis in January 2025 Lutheran Witness.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
“But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.”
The Transfiguration of Our Lord
March 2, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 415 “Jesus on the Mountain Peak”
1 Jesus on the mountain peak
Stands alone in glory blazing;
Let us, if we dare to speak,
Join the saints and angels praising.
Alleluia!
2 Trembling at His feet we saw
Moses and Elijah speaking.
All the prophets and the law
Shout through them their joyful greeting:
Alleluia!
3 Swift the cloud of glory came:
God proclaiming in its thunder
Jesus as the Son by name!
Nations, cry aloud in wonder,
Alleluia!
4 This is God’s belovèd Son!
Law and prophets sing before Him,
First and Last and only One.
All creation shall adore Him!
Alleluia!
Text: Brian Wren, 1936
Text: © 1977 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 84:4, 1–2, 9, 11
P Blessèd are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 34:1–12
1Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
9And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 99
1The Lord reigns; let the peoples | tremble!*
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the | earth quake!
2The Lord is great in | Zion;*
he is exalted over all the | peoples.
3Let them praise your great and | awesome name!*
Ho- | ly is he!
4The King in his might loves | justice.*
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in | Jacob.
5Exalt the Lord our God;
worship at his | footstool!*
Ho- | ly is he!
6Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called up- | on his name.*
They called to the Lord, and he | answered them.
7In the pillar of the cloud he | spoke to them;*
they kept his testimonies
and the statute that he | gave them.
8O Lord our God, you | answered them;*
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrong- | doings.
9Exalt the Lord our God,
and worship at his holy | mountain;*
for the Lord our God is | holy!
Epistle Hebrews 3:1–6
1Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. 3For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 9:28–36
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the ninth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
28Now about eight days after these sayings [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 414 “’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here”
1 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.
2 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.
3 Fulfiller of the past
And hope of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see.
4 Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.
5 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain.
Text: Joseph A. Robinson, 1858–1933, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “It is Good….Incoherent or Ignorant?” Luke 9:28-36
IT IS GOOD…INCOHERENT OR IGNORANT?
Luke 9:28-36
The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day.
Have you ever been around someone experiencing a stroke or going into diabetic shock? Have you ever been around someone who was high on drugs or alcohol? In all of these instances, one of the first tip-offs that something isn't right is the fact that the person is speaking incoherently. They're saying things that just don't make sense. This can be a very distressing time; a very scary and confusing time. "What's wrong here? What's going on? Are they going to be alright?" As many of you well know, this can also be a very trying, difficult time, especially when you're attempting to get important information from the person in distress. "When was the last time you've eaten anything? What medications are you taking? Have you taken your medications today? What family member do I need to call? What's their phone number?" You're trying to get to the bottom of a very serious problem and the patient is off in la-la land, babbling incoherently about leprechauns and grandma's catfish recipe.
It is with this concrete understanding of incoherent babbling that we turn our attention to the Gospel lesson for this morning. "And as Moses and Elijah were parting from Jesus, Peter said, 'Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah'—for he didn't know what he was saying." He didn't know what he was saying. It's amazing how many different explanations have been given regarding these words of Peter. Not surprisingly, the number-one explanation is that Peter was babbling incoherently, either because of fear or because of drowsiness or because of a combination of the two. I have to admit: babbling incoherently, either out of fear or a lack of sleep or a combination of the two is not exactly a bad hypothesis. After all, Matthew and Mark are very upfront in stating that the disciples were terrified over the miraculous events transpiring before their very eyes. Luke tells us matter-of-factly in his Gospel that the men were heavy with sleep. It is interesting to note that the Greek word Luke uses to speak of extreme drowsiness is also used elsewhere in Scripture (e.g. Daniel 8) to refer to the heavy sleep that comes about because of sheer terror and fear; the sleep of fainting or passing out and becoming like a dead man because you've just been shocked with fear and terror.
Alright…problem solved, right? Peter, James, and John were rightly scared out of their minds and had basically passed out because of the intense fear over being in the presence and glory of Almighty God. As they were coming to, they realized that being in the presence and glory of God was a good thing that they didn't want to end so Peter starts running at the lips, but due to grogginess and mental cobwebs, his words don't make much sense and he's basically babbling incoherently. "Hey…I have a great idea! Let's build tents for the three of you!"
This sounds like a nice and neat explanation, but it's not entirely correct. Yes—the men were scared. Wouldn't you be too? Yes—the men were heavy with sleep, which means that they probably did faint out of fear. Perhaps you’ve seen people pass out over a lot less terrifying sights! However…all of this doesn't mean that Peter was babbling incoherently. If you read the text carefully it says that Peter didn't know what he was saying. There is a difference between speaking ignorantly and babbling incoherently; a huge, theological difference.
Look at how the passage begins. We're told that about eight days "after these sayings" Jesus took the three men up to the mountain to pray. "Those sayings" that are referred to here were very important in terms of faith and trust. Jesus was preparing these men for the painful and tumultuous events that were still in store for them. Unfortunately, the disciples let the words go in one ear and out the other. They heard their Lord talking, but they didn't listen. Just a few days earlier Jesus had asked the disciples who they say He is. Peter responds with one of the most profound confessions of faith ever recorded: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus immediately teaches the disciples what that means.
Being the Christ—the Messiah—means that Jesus will necessarily have to suffer persecution and even crucifixion. He has to die! Without His death there is no atonement; there is no redemption. Without His sacrifice the ransom for our lives and our salvation is not paid. He will rise again three days later in victory, but in order to rise from the dead, He must first die. Jesus was very clear in teaching these men that His victory—their victory and our victory—over sin, death, and damnation included a bloody cross. In fact, that was the only way victory could be achieved. Jesus also didn't sugar-coat the cost of following Him to His cross and beyond. In this same timeframe of teaching Jesus was very blunt in stating that those who follow Him will bear crosses as well. Discipleship in Christ doesn't mean easy street. In fact, it means the exact opposite. "The world will hate you because they first hated Me."
Now, with these sayings in mind, you would think that something would have stuck in Peter's mind as, just a few days later, he was listening to Moses and Elijah, the representatives of all the Law and the Prophets, talking to Jesus about His impending exodus. Yes…I said "exodus." That's the original Greek word that Luke records for us here in describing the divine conversation between Christ and Moses and Elijah. Let’s think about that for a moment. They were talking about Jesus Christ—Son of God and Messiah—willingly going into our proverbial sinful Egypt for the purpose of suffering our deadly bondage and death. Christ's salvific exodus also included a victorious procession out of the bonds of sin, death, and damnation and into life eternal in our heavenly promised land; an exodus He still leads us on through His Word and His sacraments. However, you can't have exodus out of bondage unless you're first in bondage.
This is why Luke tells us that Peter didn't know what he was saying when he offered to build the three tents. He wanted that glorious mountaintop experience to never end. He didn't want to have anything to do with the Good Friday mountaintop experience. He wanted the victory without having to run the race. He wanted the empty tomb of Easter Sunday without having to go through the bloody cross of Good Friday. As I said earlier, it doesn't work this way. This is not God's way. This is how we would write the script, but this is not the way of the cross.
Now comes the big question: What about us? It's easy to look down our noses at Peter's faithless—not incoherent—ramblings, but it's quite another thing to look in the mirror and recognize the same sort of foolishness staring back at us, isn't it? Truth be told, we all fall prey to this same faithless "theology of glory" from time to time. Nobody wants to suffer. Nobody wants misery in their lives. Are there people who "deserve" some pain and suffering? Sure, we reason, but that's not us! We're good, God-fearing Lutherans, right?! This isn't how it's supposed to work out! Life is supposed to be great and wonderful and peaceful, free of all pain and suffering and crosses to bear. Says who? Not Christ—not ever! You know what, though? I'm not going to belabor this point. We all have our moments. We all have those times when—yes—we, too, don't know what we're saying. I don't need to beat this to death.
Instead, as we now prepare to close out this season of Epiphany and enter into the solemn, penitential season of Lent—our exodus to Calvary—I simply point you to Almighty God's own Word, which tells us, just like Peter, to stop talking and listen to what Christ is saying. As I've said before, listening doesn't mean simply waiting quietly for your turn to talk. Listening means not talking so that you can hear and inwardly digest what the other person is saying.
May God, through the working of His Holy Spirit in His almighty and life-giving Word, keep you steadfast in the one, true faith unto life everlasting, even when your world seems to be crumbling all around you and things aren't working out the way you planned. May He open your ears of saving faith so that you may be able to not only hear, but truly listen to the words of your Lord and Savior, which assure and comfort you with the sure and certain knowledge that your salvation—your victory—is found right here in the cross of Jesus Christ. For when this faithful listening takes place, faithful proclamation is sure to follow. As Jesus said before, "what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart."
As we sang: “‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Thy glory fills the night; Thy face and garments, like the sun, Shine with unborrowed light.” Yes, “‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain; But since Thou bidst us leave the mount, Come with us to the plain.”
May your heart, mind, and soul be filled with the peace that surpasses all understanding; the peace of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected for you.
AMEN
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Prayer of the Church - The Transfiguration of Our Lord - 2 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, in prayer Your Son, Jesus, revealed His glory to Peter, James and John. Grant that we, also gathered in prayer, would see Him by faith and receive from Him the redemption He has accomplished for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You bestow honor and favor on all who dwell in Your house and withhold no good thing from them. Give us faith in Your promises, that we who worship You here may come to dwell in Your heavenly house. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, as You appointed Moses of old to lead Your people, so You sent Your Son, Jesus, to found and lead Your Church. Sustain us from age to age, and grant us teachers of righteousness to guide us in the days to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, by the blood of Your Christ, He has purified His Bride, the Church. Strengthen her and give her unity of doctrine and piety. Bless this holy house, that those who enter here may do so in faith, reverence and fear of You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, all authority is given by You and our times are in Your hands. Give wisdom to our president and those in public office, that they may govern according to Your good will. Bless the work of this congregation to reach the lost of this city. Grant favorable weather and an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and prosper all honorable vocations, businesses and industries. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most merciful God, as we follow the way of Your apostles into Your presence, You join our prayers to the ceaseless petitions of Your dear Son. Hear us for the sake of the troubled, the sick and the dying [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, we praise You, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Give us ears to hear Your voice speaking through Your Word, holy lips to receive Christ’s blessed Sacrament with repentance and faith, and holy awe at Your glory granted to us in the Means of Grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember on this day the glorious manifestation of Your Son’s divinity on the Mount of Transfiguration. Teach us to listen to Jesus and ever fix our eyes on Him and His innocent suffering and death for our forgiveness. By Your grace and mercy, strengthen us to remain faithful in all circumstances of trial, temptation and persecution. Preserve us to the end, that we may die a blessed death believing in Your beloved Son with whom You are well pleased; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
413 “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair”
1 O wondrous type! O vision fair
Of glory that the Church may share,
Which Christ upon the mountain shows,
Where brighter than the sun He glows!
2 With Moses and Elijah nigh
The_incarnate Lord holds converse high;
And from the cloud the Holy One
Bears record to the only Son.
3 With shining face and bright array
Christ deigns to manifest today
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.
4 And faithful hearts are raised on high
By this great vision’s mystery,
For which in joyful strains we raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.
D 5 O Father, with the_eternal Son
And Holy Spirit ever one,
We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace
To see Thy glory face to face.
Text: Sarum Breviary, 1495, Salisbury; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
402 “The Only Son from Heaven”
1 The only Son from heaven,
Foretold by ancient seers,
By God the Father given,
In human form appears.
No sphere His light confining,
No star so brightly shining
As He, our Morning Star.
2 O time of God appointed,
O bright and holy morn!
He comes, the king anointed,
The Christ, the virgin-born,
Grim death to vanquish for us,
To open heav’n before us
And bring us life again.
3 O Lord, our hearts awaken
To know and love You more,
In faith to stand unshaken,
In spirit to adore,
That we, through this world moving,
Each glimpse of heaven proving,
May reap its fullness there.
D 4 O Father, here before You
With God the Holy Ghost
And Jesus, we adore You,
O pride of angel host:
Before You mortals lowly
Cry, “Holy, holy, holy,
O blessèd Trinity!”
Text (sts. 1–3): Elisabeth Cruciger, c. 1500–1535; (sts. 1–3): tr. Arthur T. Russell, 1806–74, alt.; (st. 4): Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 417 “Alleluia, Song of Gladness”
1 Alleluia, song of gladness,
Voice of joy that cannot die;
Alleluia is the anthem
Ever raised by choirs on high;
In the house of God abiding
Thus they sing eternally.
2 Alleluia, thou resoundest,
True Jerusalem and free;
Alleluia, joyful mother,
All thy children sing with thee,
But by Babylon’s sad waters
Mourning exiles now are we.
3 Alleluia cannot always
Be our song while here below;
Alleluia, our transgressions
Make us for a while forgo;
For the solemn time is coming
When our tears for sin must flow.
4 Therefore in our hymns we pray Thee,
Grant us, blessèd Trinity,
At the last to keep Thine Easter
With Thy faithful saints on high;
There to Thee forever singing
Alleluia joyfully.
Text: Latin, c. 11th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria
Announcements, Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Transfiguration of Our Lord - March 2, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters,
Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ASH WEDNESDAY is this Wednesday! We will have a service at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the Imposition of Ashes will be offered. It will also be a communion service. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Your holy passion, with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
“To be sure, we have problems in our country that good politicians have the responsibility to address. It is good to pray to God and ask for good and faithful leaders and to vote for them when they run for office. Yet we do so while remembering that bigger than any problem a politician might address is the problem of sin and death. Jesus is the only one who’s done something about that. Jesus died, rose again, and now lives and reigns for all time. Jesus is our true king.” – quote from “Jesus Vs. Caesar” by Kendall Davis in January 2025 Lutheran Witness.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
“But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.”
The Transfiguration of Our Lord
March 2, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 415 “Jesus on the Mountain Peak”
1 Jesus on the mountain peak
Stands alone in glory blazing;
Let us, if we dare to speak,
Join the saints and angels praising.
Alleluia!
2 Trembling at His feet we saw
Moses and Elijah speaking.
All the prophets and the law
Shout through them their joyful greeting:
Alleluia!
3 Swift the cloud of glory came:
God proclaiming in its thunder
Jesus as the Son by name!
Nations, cry aloud in wonder,
Alleluia!
4 This is God’s belovèd Son!
Law and prophets sing before Him,
First and Last and only One.
All creation shall adore Him!
Alleluia!
Text: Brian Wren, 1936
Text: © 1977 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 84:4, 1–2, 9, 11
P Blessèd are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 34:1–12
1Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, 2all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. 4And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” 5So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, 6and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. 7Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. 8And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
9And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11none like him for all the signs and the wonders that the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land, 12and for all the mighty power and all the great deeds of terror that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 99
1The Lord reigns; let the peoples | tremble!*
He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the | earth quake!
2The Lord is great in | Zion;*
he is exalted over all the | peoples.
3Let them praise your great and | awesome name!*
Ho- | ly is he!
4The King in his might loves | justice.*
You have established equity;
you have executed justice
and righteousness in | Jacob.
5Exalt the Lord our God;
worship at his | footstool!*
Ho- | ly is he!
6Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel also was among those who called up- | on his name.*
They called to the Lord, and he | answered them.
7In the pillar of the cloud he | spoke to them;*
they kept his testimonies
and the statute that he | gave them.
8O Lord our God, you | answered them;*
you were a forgiving God to them,
but an avenger of their wrong- | doings.
9Exalt the Lord our God,
and worship at his holy | mountain;*
for the Lord our God is | holy!
Epistle Hebrews 3:1–6
1Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2who was faithful to him who appointed him, just as Moses also was faithful in all God’s house. 3For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4(For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) 5Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 9:28–36
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the ninth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
28Now about eight days after these sayings [Jesus] took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” 36And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 414 “’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here”
1 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.
2 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.
3 Fulfiller of the past
And hope of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see.
4 Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.
5 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain.
Text: Joseph A. Robinson, 1858–1933, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “It is Good….Incoherent or Ignorant?” Luke 9:28-36
IT IS GOOD…INCOHERENT OR IGNORANT?
Luke 9:28-36
The grace, mercy, and peace of Christ Jesus rest upon each and every one of you this day.
Have you ever been around someone experiencing a stroke or going into diabetic shock? Have you ever been around someone who was high on drugs or alcohol? In all of these instances, one of the first tip-offs that something isn't right is the fact that the person is speaking incoherently. They're saying things that just don't make sense. This can be a very distressing time; a very scary and confusing time. "What's wrong here? What's going on? Are they going to be alright?" As many of you well know, this can also be a very trying, difficult time, especially when you're attempting to get important information from the person in distress. "When was the last time you've eaten anything? What medications are you taking? Have you taken your medications today? What family member do I need to call? What's their phone number?" You're trying to get to the bottom of a very serious problem and the patient is off in la-la land, babbling incoherently about leprechauns and grandma's catfish recipe.
It is with this concrete understanding of incoherent babbling that we turn our attention to the Gospel lesson for this morning. "And as Moses and Elijah were parting from Jesus, Peter said, 'Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah'—for he didn't know what he was saying." He didn't know what he was saying. It's amazing how many different explanations have been given regarding these words of Peter. Not surprisingly, the number-one explanation is that Peter was babbling incoherently, either because of fear or because of drowsiness or because of a combination of the two. I have to admit: babbling incoherently, either out of fear or a lack of sleep or a combination of the two is not exactly a bad hypothesis. After all, Matthew and Mark are very upfront in stating that the disciples were terrified over the miraculous events transpiring before their very eyes. Luke tells us matter-of-factly in his Gospel that the men were heavy with sleep. It is interesting to note that the Greek word Luke uses to speak of extreme drowsiness is also used elsewhere in Scripture (e.g. Daniel 8) to refer to the heavy sleep that comes about because of sheer terror and fear; the sleep of fainting or passing out and becoming like a dead man because you've just been shocked with fear and terror.
Alright…problem solved, right? Peter, James, and John were rightly scared out of their minds and had basically passed out because of the intense fear over being in the presence and glory of Almighty God. As they were coming to, they realized that being in the presence and glory of God was a good thing that they didn't want to end so Peter starts running at the lips, but due to grogginess and mental cobwebs, his words don't make much sense and he's basically babbling incoherently. "Hey…I have a great idea! Let's build tents for the three of you!"
This sounds like a nice and neat explanation, but it's not entirely correct. Yes—the men were scared. Wouldn't you be too? Yes—the men were heavy with sleep, which means that they probably did faint out of fear. Perhaps you’ve seen people pass out over a lot less terrifying sights! However…all of this doesn't mean that Peter was babbling incoherently. If you read the text carefully it says that Peter didn't know what he was saying. There is a difference between speaking ignorantly and babbling incoherently; a huge, theological difference.
Look at how the passage begins. We're told that about eight days "after these sayings" Jesus took the three men up to the mountain to pray. "Those sayings" that are referred to here were very important in terms of faith and trust. Jesus was preparing these men for the painful and tumultuous events that were still in store for them. Unfortunately, the disciples let the words go in one ear and out the other. They heard their Lord talking, but they didn't listen. Just a few days earlier Jesus had asked the disciples who they say He is. Peter responds with one of the most profound confessions of faith ever recorded: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus immediately teaches the disciples what that means.
Being the Christ—the Messiah—means that Jesus will necessarily have to suffer persecution and even crucifixion. He has to die! Without His death there is no atonement; there is no redemption. Without His sacrifice the ransom for our lives and our salvation is not paid. He will rise again three days later in victory, but in order to rise from the dead, He must first die. Jesus was very clear in teaching these men that His victory—their victory and our victory—over sin, death, and damnation included a bloody cross. In fact, that was the only way victory could be achieved. Jesus also didn't sugar-coat the cost of following Him to His cross and beyond. In this same timeframe of teaching Jesus was very blunt in stating that those who follow Him will bear crosses as well. Discipleship in Christ doesn't mean easy street. In fact, it means the exact opposite. "The world will hate you because they first hated Me."
Now, with these sayings in mind, you would think that something would have stuck in Peter's mind as, just a few days later, he was listening to Moses and Elijah, the representatives of all the Law and the Prophets, talking to Jesus about His impending exodus. Yes…I said "exodus." That's the original Greek word that Luke records for us here in describing the divine conversation between Christ and Moses and Elijah. Let’s think about that for a moment. They were talking about Jesus Christ—Son of God and Messiah—willingly going into our proverbial sinful Egypt for the purpose of suffering our deadly bondage and death. Christ's salvific exodus also included a victorious procession out of the bonds of sin, death, and damnation and into life eternal in our heavenly promised land; an exodus He still leads us on through His Word and His sacraments. However, you can't have exodus out of bondage unless you're first in bondage.
This is why Luke tells us that Peter didn't know what he was saying when he offered to build the three tents. He wanted that glorious mountaintop experience to never end. He didn't want to have anything to do with the Good Friday mountaintop experience. He wanted the victory without having to run the race. He wanted the empty tomb of Easter Sunday without having to go through the bloody cross of Good Friday. As I said earlier, it doesn't work this way. This is not God's way. This is how we would write the script, but this is not the way of the cross.
Now comes the big question: What about us? It's easy to look down our noses at Peter's faithless—not incoherent—ramblings, but it's quite another thing to look in the mirror and recognize the same sort of foolishness staring back at us, isn't it? Truth be told, we all fall prey to this same faithless "theology of glory" from time to time. Nobody wants to suffer. Nobody wants misery in their lives. Are there people who "deserve" some pain and suffering? Sure, we reason, but that's not us! We're good, God-fearing Lutherans, right?! This isn't how it's supposed to work out! Life is supposed to be great and wonderful and peaceful, free of all pain and suffering and crosses to bear. Says who? Not Christ—not ever! You know what, though? I'm not going to belabor this point. We all have our moments. We all have those times when—yes—we, too, don't know what we're saying. I don't need to beat this to death.
Instead, as we now prepare to close out this season of Epiphany and enter into the solemn, penitential season of Lent—our exodus to Calvary—I simply point you to Almighty God's own Word, which tells us, just like Peter, to stop talking and listen to what Christ is saying. As I've said before, listening doesn't mean simply waiting quietly for your turn to talk. Listening means not talking so that you can hear and inwardly digest what the other person is saying.
May God, through the working of His Holy Spirit in His almighty and life-giving Word, keep you steadfast in the one, true faith unto life everlasting, even when your world seems to be crumbling all around you and things aren't working out the way you planned. May He open your ears of saving faith so that you may be able to not only hear, but truly listen to the words of your Lord and Savior, which assure and comfort you with the sure and certain knowledge that your salvation—your victory—is found right here in the cross of Jesus Christ. For when this faithful listening takes place, faithful proclamation is sure to follow. As Jesus said before, "what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart."
As we sang: “‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Thy glory fills the night; Thy face and garments, like the sun, Shine with unborrowed light.” Yes, “‘Tis good, Lord, to be here! Yet we may not remain; But since Thou bidst us leave the mount, Come with us to the plain.”
May your heart, mind, and soul be filled with the peace that surpasses all understanding; the peace of Jesus Christ crucified and resurrected for you.
AMEN
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Prayer of the Church - The Transfiguration of Our Lord - 2 March 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, in prayer Your Son, Jesus, revealed His glory to Peter, James and John. Grant that we, also gathered in prayer, would see Him by faith and receive from Him the redemption He has accomplished for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You bestow honor and favor on all who dwell in Your house and withhold no good thing from them. Give us faith in Your promises, that we who worship You here may come to dwell in Your heavenly house. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, as You appointed Moses of old to lead Your people, so You sent Your Son, Jesus, to found and lead Your Church. Sustain us from age to age, and grant us teachers of righteousness to guide us in the days to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, by the blood of Your Christ, He has purified His Bride, the Church. Strengthen her and give her unity of doctrine and piety. Bless this holy house, that those who enter here may do so in faith, reverence and fear of You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, all authority is given by You and our times are in Your hands. Give wisdom to our president and those in public office, that they may govern according to Your good will. Bless the work of this congregation to reach the lost of this city. Grant favorable weather and an abundance of the fruits of the earth, and prosper all honorable vocations, businesses and industries. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most merciful God, as we follow the way of Your apostles into Your presence, You join our prayers to the ceaseless petitions of Your dear Son. Hear us for the sake of the troubled, the sick and the dying [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, we praise You, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Give us ears to hear Your voice speaking through Your Word, holy lips to receive Christ’s blessed Sacrament with repentance and faith, and holy awe at Your glory granted to us in the Means of Grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember on this day the glorious manifestation of Your Son’s divinity on the Mount of Transfiguration. Teach us to listen to Jesus and ever fix our eyes on Him and His innocent suffering and death for our forgiveness. By Your grace and mercy, strengthen us to remain faithful in all circumstances of trial, temptation and persecution. Preserve us to the end, that we may die a blessed death believing in Your beloved Son with whom You are well pleased; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
413 “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair”
1 O wondrous type! O vision fair
Of glory that the Church may share,
Which Christ upon the mountain shows,
Where brighter than the sun He glows!
2 With Moses and Elijah nigh
The_incarnate Lord holds converse high;
And from the cloud the Holy One
Bears record to the only Son.
3 With shining face and bright array
Christ deigns to manifest today
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.
4 And faithful hearts are raised on high
By this great vision’s mystery,
For which in joyful strains we raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.
D 5 O Father, with the_eternal Son
And Holy Spirit ever one,
We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace
To see Thy glory face to face.
Text: Sarum Breviary, 1495, Salisbury; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
402 “The Only Son from Heaven”
1 The only Son from heaven,
Foretold by ancient seers,
By God the Father given,
In human form appears.
No sphere His light confining,
No star so brightly shining
As He, our Morning Star.
2 O time of God appointed,
O bright and holy morn!
He comes, the king anointed,
The Christ, the virgin-born,
Grim death to vanquish for us,
To open heav’n before us
And bring us life again.
3 O Lord, our hearts awaken
To know and love You more,
In faith to stand unshaken,
In spirit to adore,
That we, through this world moving,
Each glimpse of heaven proving,
May reap its fullness there.
D 4 O Father, here before You
With God the Holy Ghost
And Jesus, we adore You,
O pride of angel host:
Before You mortals lowly
Cry, “Holy, holy, holy,
O blessèd Trinity!”
Text (sts. 1–3): Elisabeth Cruciger, c. 1500–1535; (sts. 1–3): tr. Arthur T. Russell, 1806–74, alt.; (st. 4): Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 417 “Alleluia, Song of Gladness”
1 Alleluia, song of gladness,
Voice of joy that cannot die;
Alleluia is the anthem
Ever raised by choirs on high;
In the house of God abiding
Thus they sing eternally.
2 Alleluia, thou resoundest,
True Jerusalem and free;
Alleluia, joyful mother,
All thy children sing with thee,
But by Babylon’s sad waters
Mourning exiles now are we.
3 Alleluia cannot always
Be our song while here below;
Alleluia, our transgressions
Make us for a while forgo;
For the solemn time is coming
When our tears for sin must flow.
4 Therefore in our hymns we pray Thee,
Grant us, blessèd Trinity,
At the last to keep Thine Easter
With Thy faithful saints on high;
There to Thee forever singing
Alleluia joyfully.
Text: Latin, c. 11th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria
Announcements, Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2025 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany - February 23, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given by the Tallmans in remembrance of Robert Haase (Coleen’s father) and Cheriese Vega (the Tallman’s daughter), and in celebration of their daughter Dawn’s 50th birthday.
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
TODAY, Feb. 23rd, the Concordia University Irvine Choir will be at Faith, Fair Oaks for a 4 p.m. concert. Please consult the church bulletin board for more information.
FROM March 1st to 3rd, the Concordia Theological Seminary Kantorei choir will be in Northern California. Please consult the bulletin for times and locations. The concerts nearest to us will be in Rocklin, Grass Valley and Sacramento.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
February 23, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 37:1–5, 7a, b
P Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Genesis 45:3–15
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm Psalm 103:1–13
1Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and all that is within me,
bless his | holy name!
2Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and forget not all his | benefits,
3who forgives all your in- | iquity,*
who heals all your dis- | eases,
4who redeems your life | from the pit,*
who crowns you with steadfast love and | mercy,
5who satisfies | you with good*
so that your youth is renewed like the | eagle’s.
6The Lord works | righteousness*
and justice for all who | are oppressed.
7He made known his ways to | Moses,*
his acts to the people of | Israel.
8The Lord is merciful and | gracious,*
slow to anger and abounding in | steadfast love.
9He will not | always chide,*
nor will he keep his anger for- | ever.
10He does not deal with us according | to our sins,*
nor repay us according to our in- | iquities.
11For as high as the heavens are a- | bove the earth,*
so great is his steadfast love toward those who | fear him;
12as far as the east is | from the west,*
so far does he remove our transgres- | sions from us.
13As a father shows compassion to his | children,*
so the Lord shows compassion to those who | fear him.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:21–26, 30–42
21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. . . .
30Why am I in danger every hour? 31I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 6:27–38
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the sixth chapter.
27[Jesus said:] “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
37“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 820 “My Soul, Now Praise Your Maker”
1 My soul, now praise your Maker!
Let all within me bless His name
Who makes you full partaker
Of mercies more than you dare claim.
Forget Him not whose meekness
Still bears with all your sin,
Who heals your ev’ry weakness,
Renews your life within;
Whose grace and care are endless
And saved you through the past;
Who leaves no suff’rer friendless
But rights the wronged at last.
2 He offers all His treasure
Of justice, truth, and righteousness,
His love beyond all measure,
His yearning pity o’er distress;
Nor treats us as we merit
But sets His anger by.
The poor and contrite spirit
Finds His compassion nigh;
And high as heav’n above us,
As dawn from close of day,
So far, since He has loved us,
He puts our sins away.
3 For as a tender father
Has pity on his children here,
God in His arms will gather
All who are His in childlike fear.
He knows how frail our powers,
Who but from dust are made.
We flourish like the flowers,
And even so we fade;
The wind but through them passes,
And all their bloom is o’er.
We wither like the grasses;
Our place knows us no more.
4 His grace remains forever,
And children’s children yet shall prove
That God forsakes them never
Who in true fear shall seek His love.
In heav’n is fixed His dwelling,
His rule is over all;
O hosts with might excelling,
With praise before Him fall.
Praise Him forever reigning,
All you who hear His Word--
Our life and all sustaining.
My soul, O praise the Lord!
Text: Johann Gramann, 1487–1541; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Loving Your Enemies and People You Don’t Like”
Luke 6:27-38
Loving Your Enemies and People You Don’t Like – Luke 6:27-38
Can you sing two octaves higher than your vocal range? What a strange question to ask, but I want you to think about it. That is, I would like you to try to sing the highest note that you can possibly sing. Stretch your vocal chords and squeak out the highest note you can. Your vocal chords break and you sound like a scratchy record. Now, try to sing two octaves higher than that. Impossible. Try to go up first one octave, another eight notes. And then another octave higher. Another eight notes. You cannot do it. You cannot sing or shout or make a noise two octaves higher than your range. It is impossible and it is impossible for anyone to sing the high moral standards of the Sermon on the Mount. Those notes are way high, way outside of our range of possibility.
So it is with the Sermon on the Mount, as it is called in Matthew, or the Sermon on the Plain as it is called in Luke. Jesus’ moral teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount or Plain are way too high for anyone us to sing.
Or, to change the analogy--How high is Mount Everest? 29,000 feet. Mount Rainier is only some 14,000 feet. Can you climb Mount Rainier? 99.9% of us can’t. Can you climb Mount Everest that is twice as high as Mount Rainier? 99.99% of us cannot. We cannot do this. Likewise, we cannot climb the moral heights that Jesus lays out for us in the Sermon on the Mount. It is too high for us. Oh yes, you can break the analogy and say that some rare sherpas and a few other people can climb Mount Everest. But the point is: nobody has ever climbed to the top of the Sermon on the Mount. No human being can do that. The mountain top is above us to inspire us, to point us up, to motivate us, but none of us can actually climb the highest moral mountain of the Sermon on the Mount.
Just like none of us can sing two octaves above our range. But those high notes can be found on the piano or a finely tuned violin. The high notes on the piano or violin inspire us and point us up to God and his highest moral law that no one can obey and live out. These high notes are outside the range of the human voice. Except for Jesus.
If you actually read the Sermon on the Mountain or Sermon on the Plain in Matthew and Luke, you will not be able to name one person that you personally know who could actually live such a noble, inspiring life.
The title of the sermon today, as well as being “Loving Your Enemies and People You Don’t Like” could easily be “Be merciful (or compassionate) as your heavenly Father is compassionate.” You have already heard the text read: “Love your enemies. Do not resist evil people. Be good to such people and pray for them. If someone hits you on the right cheek, offer them your left cheek. If someone sues you for your shirt, give that person your coat as well. If someone forces you to carry a bucket of water for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who beg. Instead of hating your enemies, love them, pray for them, do good to them. Be compassionate to your enemies even as your heavenly father is compassionate to you. Be immeasurably forgiving to your enemies and God will be immeasurably forgiving to you as well.”
What do these words actually mean, to love your enemies, to do good to those you hate you, not to resist evil, if somebody slaps you on one cheek, offer the other? What do these words mean?
This passage in the Sermon on the Mount is crucial for us to understand. As we hear the Sermon on the Mount, it is crucial to understand that there are more Aramaic hyperbole or exaggerations than in any other part of the Bible. You are not to take these moral sayings or Aramaic hyperbole literally. You have to think like a Hebrew; you have to think like a first century Jewish person. You have to understand Jewish slang. … Like when I say, in American slang, “go jump in the lake,” that does not mean for you to actually go and jump into lake water. If I say to you, “go fly a kite,” that does not mean for you to go and actually fly a kite in the heavy winds. If I say to you, “get lost,” that does not mean you should go out into the woods and actually get lost. These words are American slang and you need to understand American slang to understand what I said. Likewise with the Sermon on the Mount. There is much Jewish slang or Aramaic slang in the Sermon on the Mount, none of which is to be taken literally. You get into trouble if you take it literally. You have to understand Aramaic or Jewish slang in order to understand what was being said.
The key verse is this: “Be merciful, be compassionate as your heavenly father is compassionate.” Be compassionate to evil and sinful people as your heavenly father is compassionate to you. All the verses from this section are to be interpreted through the lens of this key verse. Seventeen times in the Sermon on the Mount God is called “father” and Jesus teaches us to think of God as the most loving, compassionate, intimate father that is possible. Then Jesus gives us several examples from every day Jewish life and what it means to be compassionate. Jesus teaches us that we are to do good to our attackers.
If somebody slaps you on the right cheek, offer that person the left cheek as well. Again, this is Jewish slang. It is not to be taken literally. A mugger beats you up on one side of the body; offer the mugger your other side to be beaten. This is Jewish slang much as we have American slang, “go jump in the lake, go fly a kite, go get lost.” You are not actually to literally do these things. You need to understand the meaning behind the phrase. Likewise, “slapping you on the right cheek” was Hebrew slang for exchanging insults. If somebody insults you, don’t insult them back. Don’t exchange insults. Don’t trade insult for insult. Be compassionate to them. Be good to your insulters. That is what this Aramaic phrase means. It doesn’t have anything to do with exchange harsh blows to the face.
A second example of Jewish or Aramaic slang--If somebody sues you for your shirt, give them your outer coat as well. Jewish people had many shirts, but usually only one coat or heavy garment. These words are not to be taken literally. Rather, when someone is taking advantage of you economically, be compassionate to that person. If somebody steals from you, don’t steal from them. If somebody rips you off, don’t you rip off them back. If someone is dealing shadily with you economically, don’t do the same to them. Deal compassionately with that person in a spirit of love. Do something good for them. These words are Aramaic slang for daily economic transactions and bartering that were a normal part of Jewish life.
A third example--If somebody forces you to walk one mile, then go two miles. Here is another example of everyday Jewish life. The Jews were an occupied nation. The occupying troops were the Romans, and these Roman troops were persistently ordering the citizens to carry a bucket of water a mile for them. Rather than grumble about carrying a bucket of water for a mile for an enemy occupying Roman soldier, be compassionate to that soldier. Go two miles. Be kind to that soldier. This teaching was part of their daily moral life.
A fourth example from everyday Jewish life was begging. There were all kinds of beggars who were part of everyday Jewish life. Jesus said to give to everyone who begs from you. If someone borrow from you and does not return it, treat them with compassion. Be compassionate and generous to the beggars of your daily life. Be compassionate and generous to the people who borrow and don’t pay back. These forms of Jewish slang are not to be taken literally (e.g. give to every beggar and lend your pots and pans to everyone and not expect the borrowers to return them). Rather, these words are an invitation for the early disciples to be generous to beggars and people who borrow pots and pans, plows and harnesses.
A fifth example found in Matthew’s gospel is the phrase: “Do not resist one who is evil.” Take those words literally and you cannot be an effective school teacher, policeman or soldier. Everyday teachers, police and soldiers encounter what could be called “bad apples” or “people who are having problems.” If the teachers or cops let these rowdy people have their way and not resist them, the world would be chaos. Teachers are not to resist kids out of control? Policeman are not to resist drug dealers? Soldiers are not to resist Hitler? If you take this Aramaic teaching of Jesus literally, you get it all messed up. You cannot take these words literally or you may get the opposite result that is desired.
So in this section of the Sermon of the Mount, we have five examples of being encouraged to be compassionate to people who would take advantage of us. We have five examples of Jewish hyperbole that need to be interpreted and not taken literally, just as we know that we are not to take American slang literally. You need to understand the meaning behind the slang-expression.
When I was a younger pastor and studied the Sermon of the Mount, I was not aware of the degree of “Aramaisms” in the Sermon on the Mount. But I now know that there are more “Aramaisms” in the Sermon on the Mount than in any other section of Scripture.
Some scholars may suggest that to see the use of Jewish exaggeration or hyperbole in these moral teachings is to weaken them, water them down, and make them more rational. I disagree. To take these Jewish colloquialisms literally is to misinterpret the teachings of Jesus. You miss the point of American slang or Aramaic slang if you take it literally. You need to get underneath the literalism to finally hear the meaning. That is definitely true in the Sermon of the Mount.
Jesus is inviting his disciples to be generously compassionate and forgiving as his heavenly Father is generously compassionate and forgiving. In the five examples, Christians were not to retaliate, but instead, were to do something good to their attacker.
Such an idea was very radical. Do good to those that hate you.
To be compassionate to someone who is insulting me? To be compassionate to someone who is cheating me economically? To be compassionate to an enemy soldier who demands a favor from me? To be compassionate to someone who borrows my tools and does not return them? To be compassionate to someone who is essentially evil to me? To do good to these kinds of people? Yes, these are the moral standards that Jesus presented to his disciples.
To be honest, these moral standards are so high that I cannot sing them; they are outside my range. These ethical standards are like a high moral mountain that is far too high for us to climb. Even so, Jesus’ words live on. They inspire us, motivate us, lift us up to be much more compassionate to those who hurt us, just as God is compassionate to people like us. To those people who do us evil, we return an act of kindness rather than an act of revenge.
And with such a high moral standard that we cannot keep, we thank our gracious God through our Savior Jesus Christ, for being “perfect” for us, taking our sins to Himself and dying for them on the cross, and three days rising again so that we may be his redeemed, restored forgiven people through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, and through his rising to life be heirs of our home with him in heaven. As a result, we can’t but praise our pardoning God!
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.)
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany - 23 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, Your servant Joseph endured hardship and struggle, yet he believed it would come to good. Give us such tested faith, and bring all things to completion according to Your purposes in Christ, the new Adam, who has brought hope to the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve and unite Your Church, O Lord. Bring an end to her earthly divisions, which grieve You. Give her the true unity of doctrine and faith in Your Word. Bless and sustain our leaders in our Synod, district, circuit and this congregation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son, our Lord, commanded us to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us. We implore You, by Your gracious visitation, lead our enemies to true repentance and to have the same love, be of one accord, and share one mind and heart with us and with Your whole Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, give us guidance amid the changes and chances of this mortal life. Deliver us from the pangs of doubt and the paralysis of fear. Let us know our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the power of His resurrection with joy, that we may not surrender to anxiety or despair. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Righteous Lord, uphold civil authority and those responsible for the welfare of our nation, state and community. Help them steadfastly to pursue the cause of justice and protect life from beginning to natural end. Guard all first responders, and protect those who defend us here or abroad. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, according to Your will grant healing to the sick and infirm [especially _____________]. Grant them patience to endure their time of suffering, and crown their days with Your mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the gift of this blessed Sacrament, O Lord. Give us a right heart as we prepare to eat and drink Christ’s true body and blood, that by it we would be equipped to love You above all and our neighbors as ourselves. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we confess that we are poor, miserable sinners with no good in us. Our hearts and our flesh and blood are so corrupted by sin that we are never without sinful desires in this life. Therefore, we implore You, forgive us our sins. Let Your Holy Spirit so cleanse our hearts that we would love Your Word, abide by it and, by Your grace, be saved forever; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
562 “All Mankind Fell in Adam’s Fall”
1 All mankind fell in Adam’s fall;
One common sin infects us all.
From one to all the curse descends,
And over all God’s wrath impends.
2 Through all our pow’rs corruption creeps
And us in dreadful bondage keeps;
In guilt we draw our infant breath
And reap its fruits of woe and death.
3 From hearts depraved, to evil prone,
Flow thoughts and deeds of sin alone;
God’s image lost, the darkened soul
Seeks not nor finds its heav’nly goal.
4 But Christ, the second Adam, came
To bear our sin and woe and shame,
To be our life, our light, our way,
Our only hope, our only stay.
5 As by one man all mankind fell
And, born in sin, was doomed to hell,
So by one Man, who took our place,
We all were justified by grace.
6 We thank You, Christ; new life is ours,
New light, new hope, new strength, new pow’rs.
This grace our ev’ry way attend
Until we reach our journey’s end.
Text: Lazarus Spengler, 1479–1534; tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain
845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
1 Where charity and love prevail
There God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love
By love are we thus bound.
2 With grateful joy and holy fear
His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul
Now love Him in return.
3 Forgive we now each other’s faults
As we our faults confess,
And let us love each other well
In Christian holiness.
4 Let strife among us be unknown;
Let all contention cease;
Be God’s the glory that we seek;
Be ours His holy peace.
5 Let us recall that in our midst
Dwells Christ, His only Son;
As members of His body joined
We are in Him made one.
6 For love excludes no race or clan
That names the Savior’s name;
His family embraces all
Whose Father is the same.
Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Text: © 1960 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis LSB 199
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 843 “Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive”
1 “Forgive our sins as we forgive,”
You taught us, Lord, to pray;
But You alone can grant us grace
To live the words we say.
2 How can Your pardon reach and bless
The unforgiving heart
That broods on wrongs and will not let
Old bitterness depart?
3 In blazing light Your cross reveals
The truth we dimly knew:
What trivial debts are owed to us,
How great our debt to You!
4 Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls
And bid resentment cease;
Then, bound to all in bonds of love,
Our lives will spread Your peace.
Text: Rosamond E. Herklots, 1905–87, alt.
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany - February 23, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given by the Tallmans in remembrance of Robert Haase (Coleen’s father) and Cheriese Vega (the Tallman’s daughter), and in celebration of their daughter Dawn’s 50th birthday.
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
TODAY, Feb. 23rd, the Concordia University Irvine Choir will be at Faith, Fair Oaks for a 4 p.m. concert. Please consult the church bulletin board for more information.
FROM March 1st to 3rd, the Concordia Theological Seminary Kantorei choir will be in Northern California. Please consult the bulletin for times and locations. The concerts nearest to us will be in Rocklin, Grass Valley and Sacramento.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
The Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
February 23, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 37:1–5, 7a, b
P Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way. Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Genesis 45:3–15
3 Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed at his presence.
4So Joseph said to his brothers, “Come near to me, please.” And they came near. And he said, “I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. 5And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life. 6For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. 7And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. 8So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. 9Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; do not tarry. 10You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. 11There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household, and all that you have, do not come to poverty.’ 12And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see, that it is my mouth that speaks to you. 13You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt, and of all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here.” 14Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept upon his neck. 15And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that his brothers talked with him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm Psalm 103:1–13
1Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and all that is within me,
bless his | holy name!
2Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and forget not all his | benefits,
3who forgives all your in- | iquity,*
who heals all your dis- | eases,
4who redeems your life | from the pit,*
who crowns you with steadfast love and | mercy,
5who satisfies | you with good*
so that your youth is renewed like the | eagle’s.
6The Lord works | righteousness*
and justice for all who | are oppressed.
7He made known his ways to | Moses,*
his acts to the people of | Israel.
8The Lord is merciful and | gracious,*
slow to anger and abounding in | steadfast love.
9He will not | always chide,*
nor will he keep his anger for- | ever.
10He does not deal with us according | to our sins,*
nor repay us according to our in- | iquities.
11For as high as the heavens are a- | bove the earth,*
so great is his steadfast love toward those who | fear him;
12as far as the east is | from the west,*
so far does he remove our transgres- | sions from us.
13As a father shows compassion to his | children,*
so the Lord shows compassion to those who | fear him.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:21–26, 30–42
21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. . . .
30Why am I in danger every hour? 31I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
35But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.
42So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 6:27–38
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the sixth chapter.
27[Jesus said:] “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
32“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
37“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 820 “My Soul, Now Praise Your Maker”
1 My soul, now praise your Maker!
Let all within me bless His name
Who makes you full partaker
Of mercies more than you dare claim.
Forget Him not whose meekness
Still bears with all your sin,
Who heals your ev’ry weakness,
Renews your life within;
Whose grace and care are endless
And saved you through the past;
Who leaves no suff’rer friendless
But rights the wronged at last.
2 He offers all His treasure
Of justice, truth, and righteousness,
His love beyond all measure,
His yearning pity o’er distress;
Nor treats us as we merit
But sets His anger by.
The poor and contrite spirit
Finds His compassion nigh;
And high as heav’n above us,
As dawn from close of day,
So far, since He has loved us,
He puts our sins away.
3 For as a tender father
Has pity on his children here,
God in His arms will gather
All who are His in childlike fear.
He knows how frail our powers,
Who but from dust are made.
We flourish like the flowers,
And even so we fade;
The wind but through them passes,
And all their bloom is o’er.
We wither like the grasses;
Our place knows us no more.
4 His grace remains forever,
And children’s children yet shall prove
That God forsakes them never
Who in true fear shall seek His love.
In heav’n is fixed His dwelling,
His rule is over all;
O hosts with might excelling,
With praise before Him fall.
Praise Him forever reigning,
All you who hear His Word--
Our life and all sustaining.
My soul, O praise the Lord!
Text: Johann Gramann, 1487–1541; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Loving Your Enemies and People You Don’t Like”
Luke 6:27-38
Loving Your Enemies and People You Don’t Like – Luke 6:27-38
Can you sing two octaves higher than your vocal range? What a strange question to ask, but I want you to think about it. That is, I would like you to try to sing the highest note that you can possibly sing. Stretch your vocal chords and squeak out the highest note you can. Your vocal chords break and you sound like a scratchy record. Now, try to sing two octaves higher than that. Impossible. Try to go up first one octave, another eight notes. And then another octave higher. Another eight notes. You cannot do it. You cannot sing or shout or make a noise two octaves higher than your range. It is impossible and it is impossible for anyone to sing the high moral standards of the Sermon on the Mount. Those notes are way high, way outside of our range of possibility.
So it is with the Sermon on the Mount, as it is called in Matthew, or the Sermon on the Plain as it is called in Luke. Jesus’ moral teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount or Plain are way too high for anyone us to sing.
Or, to change the analogy--How high is Mount Everest? 29,000 feet. Mount Rainier is only some 14,000 feet. Can you climb Mount Rainier? 99.9% of us can’t. Can you climb Mount Everest that is twice as high as Mount Rainier? 99.99% of us cannot. We cannot do this. Likewise, we cannot climb the moral heights that Jesus lays out for us in the Sermon on the Mount. It is too high for us. Oh yes, you can break the analogy and say that some rare sherpas and a few other people can climb Mount Everest. But the point is: nobody has ever climbed to the top of the Sermon on the Mount. No human being can do that. The mountain top is above us to inspire us, to point us up, to motivate us, but none of us can actually climb the highest moral mountain of the Sermon on the Mount.
Just like none of us can sing two octaves above our range. But those high notes can be found on the piano or a finely tuned violin. The high notes on the piano or violin inspire us and point us up to God and his highest moral law that no one can obey and live out. These high notes are outside the range of the human voice. Except for Jesus.
If you actually read the Sermon on the Mountain or Sermon on the Plain in Matthew and Luke, you will not be able to name one person that you personally know who could actually live such a noble, inspiring life.
The title of the sermon today, as well as being “Loving Your Enemies and People You Don’t Like” could easily be “Be merciful (or compassionate) as your heavenly Father is compassionate.” You have already heard the text read: “Love your enemies. Do not resist evil people. Be good to such people and pray for them. If someone hits you on the right cheek, offer them your left cheek. If someone sues you for your shirt, give that person your coat as well. If someone forces you to carry a bucket of water for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who beg. Instead of hating your enemies, love them, pray for them, do good to them. Be compassionate to your enemies even as your heavenly father is compassionate to you. Be immeasurably forgiving to your enemies and God will be immeasurably forgiving to you as well.”
What do these words actually mean, to love your enemies, to do good to those you hate you, not to resist evil, if somebody slaps you on one cheek, offer the other? What do these words mean?
This passage in the Sermon on the Mount is crucial for us to understand. As we hear the Sermon on the Mount, it is crucial to understand that there are more Aramaic hyperbole or exaggerations than in any other part of the Bible. You are not to take these moral sayings or Aramaic hyperbole literally. You have to think like a Hebrew; you have to think like a first century Jewish person. You have to understand Jewish slang. … Like when I say, in American slang, “go jump in the lake,” that does not mean for you to actually go and jump into lake water. If I say to you, “go fly a kite,” that does not mean for you to go and actually fly a kite in the heavy winds. If I say to you, “get lost,” that does not mean you should go out into the woods and actually get lost. These words are American slang and you need to understand American slang to understand what I said. Likewise with the Sermon on the Mount. There is much Jewish slang or Aramaic slang in the Sermon on the Mount, none of which is to be taken literally. You get into trouble if you take it literally. You have to understand Aramaic or Jewish slang in order to understand what was being said.
The key verse is this: “Be merciful, be compassionate as your heavenly father is compassionate.” Be compassionate to evil and sinful people as your heavenly father is compassionate to you. All the verses from this section are to be interpreted through the lens of this key verse. Seventeen times in the Sermon on the Mount God is called “father” and Jesus teaches us to think of God as the most loving, compassionate, intimate father that is possible. Then Jesus gives us several examples from every day Jewish life and what it means to be compassionate. Jesus teaches us that we are to do good to our attackers.
If somebody slaps you on the right cheek, offer that person the left cheek as well. Again, this is Jewish slang. It is not to be taken literally. A mugger beats you up on one side of the body; offer the mugger your other side to be beaten. This is Jewish slang much as we have American slang, “go jump in the lake, go fly a kite, go get lost.” You are not actually to literally do these things. You need to understand the meaning behind the phrase. Likewise, “slapping you on the right cheek” was Hebrew slang for exchanging insults. If somebody insults you, don’t insult them back. Don’t exchange insults. Don’t trade insult for insult. Be compassionate to them. Be good to your insulters. That is what this Aramaic phrase means. It doesn’t have anything to do with exchange harsh blows to the face.
A second example of Jewish or Aramaic slang--If somebody sues you for your shirt, give them your outer coat as well. Jewish people had many shirts, but usually only one coat or heavy garment. These words are not to be taken literally. Rather, when someone is taking advantage of you economically, be compassionate to that person. If somebody steals from you, don’t steal from them. If somebody rips you off, don’t you rip off them back. If someone is dealing shadily with you economically, don’t do the same to them. Deal compassionately with that person in a spirit of love. Do something good for them. These words are Aramaic slang for daily economic transactions and bartering that were a normal part of Jewish life.
A third example--If somebody forces you to walk one mile, then go two miles. Here is another example of everyday Jewish life. The Jews were an occupied nation. The occupying troops were the Romans, and these Roman troops were persistently ordering the citizens to carry a bucket of water a mile for them. Rather than grumble about carrying a bucket of water for a mile for an enemy occupying Roman soldier, be compassionate to that soldier. Go two miles. Be kind to that soldier. This teaching was part of their daily moral life.
A fourth example from everyday Jewish life was begging. There were all kinds of beggars who were part of everyday Jewish life. Jesus said to give to everyone who begs from you. If someone borrow from you and does not return it, treat them with compassion. Be compassionate and generous to the beggars of your daily life. Be compassionate and generous to the people who borrow and don’t pay back. These forms of Jewish slang are not to be taken literally (e.g. give to every beggar and lend your pots and pans to everyone and not expect the borrowers to return them). Rather, these words are an invitation for the early disciples to be generous to beggars and people who borrow pots and pans, plows and harnesses.
A fifth example found in Matthew’s gospel is the phrase: “Do not resist one who is evil.” Take those words literally and you cannot be an effective school teacher, policeman or soldier. Everyday teachers, police and soldiers encounter what could be called “bad apples” or “people who are having problems.” If the teachers or cops let these rowdy people have their way and not resist them, the world would be chaos. Teachers are not to resist kids out of control? Policeman are not to resist drug dealers? Soldiers are not to resist Hitler? If you take this Aramaic teaching of Jesus literally, you get it all messed up. You cannot take these words literally or you may get the opposite result that is desired.
So in this section of the Sermon of the Mount, we have five examples of being encouraged to be compassionate to people who would take advantage of us. We have five examples of Jewish hyperbole that need to be interpreted and not taken literally, just as we know that we are not to take American slang literally. You need to understand the meaning behind the slang-expression.
When I was a younger pastor and studied the Sermon of the Mount, I was not aware of the degree of “Aramaisms” in the Sermon on the Mount. But I now know that there are more “Aramaisms” in the Sermon on the Mount than in any other section of Scripture.
Some scholars may suggest that to see the use of Jewish exaggeration or hyperbole in these moral teachings is to weaken them, water them down, and make them more rational. I disagree. To take these Jewish colloquialisms literally is to misinterpret the teachings of Jesus. You miss the point of American slang or Aramaic slang if you take it literally. You need to get underneath the literalism to finally hear the meaning. That is definitely true in the Sermon of the Mount.
Jesus is inviting his disciples to be generously compassionate and forgiving as his heavenly Father is generously compassionate and forgiving. In the five examples, Christians were not to retaliate, but instead, were to do something good to their attacker.
Such an idea was very radical. Do good to those that hate you.
To be compassionate to someone who is insulting me? To be compassionate to someone who is cheating me economically? To be compassionate to an enemy soldier who demands a favor from me? To be compassionate to someone who borrows my tools and does not return them? To be compassionate to someone who is essentially evil to me? To do good to these kinds of people? Yes, these are the moral standards that Jesus presented to his disciples.
To be honest, these moral standards are so high that I cannot sing them; they are outside my range. These ethical standards are like a high moral mountain that is far too high for us to climb. Even so, Jesus’ words live on. They inspire us, motivate us, lift us up to be much more compassionate to those who hurt us, just as God is compassionate to people like us. To those people who do us evil, we return an act of kindness rather than an act of revenge.
And with such a high moral standard that we cannot keep, we thank our gracious God through our Savior Jesus Christ, for being “perfect” for us, taking our sins to Himself and dying for them on the cross, and three days rising again so that we may be his redeemed, restored forgiven people through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross, and through his rising to life be heirs of our home with him in heaven. As a result, we can’t but praise our pardoning God!
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.)
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany - 23 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, Your servant Joseph endured hardship and struggle, yet he believed it would come to good. Give us such tested faith, and bring all things to completion according to Your purposes in Christ, the new Adam, who has brought hope to the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve and unite Your Church, O Lord. Bring an end to her earthly divisions, which grieve You. Give her the true unity of doctrine and faith in Your Word. Bless and sustain our leaders in our Synod, district, circuit and this congregation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son, our Lord, commanded us to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us and pray for those who persecute us. We implore You, by Your gracious visitation, lead our enemies to true repentance and to have the same love, be of one accord, and share one mind and heart with us and with Your whole Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, give us guidance amid the changes and chances of this mortal life. Deliver us from the pangs of doubt and the paralysis of fear. Let us know our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the power of His resurrection with joy, that we may not surrender to anxiety or despair. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Righteous Lord, uphold civil authority and those responsible for the welfare of our nation, state and community. Help them steadfastly to pursue the cause of justice and protect life from beginning to natural end. Guard all first responders, and protect those who defend us here or abroad. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, according to Your will grant healing to the sick and infirm [especially _____________]. Grant them patience to endure their time of suffering, and crown their days with Your mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the gift of this blessed Sacrament, O Lord. Give us a right heart as we prepare to eat and drink Christ’s true body and blood, that by it we would be equipped to love You above all and our neighbors as ourselves. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we confess that we are poor, miserable sinners with no good in us. Our hearts and our flesh and blood are so corrupted by sin that we are never without sinful desires in this life. Therefore, we implore You, forgive us our sins. Let Your Holy Spirit so cleanse our hearts that we would love Your Word, abide by it and, by Your grace, be saved forever; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
562 “All Mankind Fell in Adam’s Fall”
1 All mankind fell in Adam’s fall;
One common sin infects us all.
From one to all the curse descends,
And over all God’s wrath impends.
2 Through all our pow’rs corruption creeps
And us in dreadful bondage keeps;
In guilt we draw our infant breath
And reap its fruits of woe and death.
3 From hearts depraved, to evil prone,
Flow thoughts and deeds of sin alone;
God’s image lost, the darkened soul
Seeks not nor finds its heav’nly goal.
4 But Christ, the second Adam, came
To bear our sin and woe and shame,
To be our life, our light, our way,
Our only hope, our only stay.
5 As by one man all mankind fell
And, born in sin, was doomed to hell,
So by one Man, who took our place,
We all were justified by grace.
6 We thank You, Christ; new life is ours,
New light, new hope, new strength, new pow’rs.
This grace our ev’ry way attend
Until we reach our journey’s end.
Text: Lazarus Spengler, 1479–1534; tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain
845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
1 Where charity and love prevail
There God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love
By love are we thus bound.
2 With grateful joy and holy fear
His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul
Now love Him in return.
3 Forgive we now each other’s faults
As we our faults confess,
And let us love each other well
In Christian holiness.
4 Let strife among us be unknown;
Let all contention cease;
Be God’s the glory that we seek;
Be ours His holy peace.
5 Let us recall that in our midst
Dwells Christ, His only Son;
As members of His body joined
We are in Him made one.
6 For love excludes no race or clan
That names the Savior’s name;
His family embraces all
Whose Father is the same.
Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Text: © 1960 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis LSB 199
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 843 “Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive”
1 “Forgive our sins as we forgive,”
You taught us, Lord, to pray;
But You alone can grant us grace
To live the words we say.
2 How can Your pardon reach and bless
The unforgiving heart
That broods on wrongs and will not let
Old bitterness depart?
3 In blazing light Your cross reveals
The truth we dimly knew:
What trivial debts are owed to us,
How great our debt to You!
4 Lord, cleanse the depths within our souls
And bid resentment cease;
Then, bound to all in bonds of love,
Our lives will spread Your peace.
Text: Rosamond E. Herklots, 1905–87, alt.
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany - February 16, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON Sunday Feb. 23rd, the Concordia University Irvine Choir will be at Faith, Fair Oaks for a 4 p.m. concert. Please consult the church bulletin board for more information.
FROM March 1st to 3rd, the Concordia Theological Seminary Kantorei choir will be in Northern California. Please consult the bulletin for times and locations. The concerts nearest to us will be in Rocklin, Grass Valley and Sacramento.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge on Judgement Day. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 16, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 17:5–8
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 17.
5Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
7“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Corinthians 15:12–20
L A reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 15.
12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Luke 6:17–26
L A reading from Luke, chapter 6.
17[Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
24“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 932 “Jesus Sat with His Disciples”
1 Jesus sat with His disciples
On a mountainside one day;
As the crowds of people gathered,
He began to teach and say:
“Blessèd are the poor in spirit,
Heaven’s kingdom they will share.
Blessèd are the sad and mourning,
Joy and comfort will be theirs.
2 “Blessèd are the meek and humble,
All the earth to them is willed.
Those who hunger to be holy,
They are bless’d and will be filled.
Yes, the merciful are blessèd,
Mercy will to them be shown.
And the pure in heart are blessèd,
They have eyes for God alone.
3 “Blessèd are God’s sons and daughters,
Making peace where there is strife.
Blessèd are the persecuted,
Who for righteousness lose life;
Their reward is great in heaven,
In the kingdom up above--
So be glad to share My suff’ring
And rejoice to know My love.”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1997 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Blessed Are You” Luke 6:17-26
Blessed Are You – Luke 6:17-26
Blessed are you this day, on this Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, for the Lord has come to you this day, announcing to you that your heavenly Father has forgiven you. He has come to you this day to bring you tidings of comfort and joy. Blessed are you, for the Lord brings you this day the kingdom of God. He fills your hungry souls with His Word and will turn your tears of sorrow into tears of joy. The Lord did exactly these things as He, with His disciples, came down from the mountain to the people who were in need of His healing and His Word. They came from all over the region to hear Him and to be healed by Him. What the Lord did in our text He also does in His liturgy: He came down to His people, even as He comes down to us. He healed them with His touch. He heals us with the touch of His Word. He brings us His Word, that we would receive healing for our souls. He gives us His Word, that we would hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it, for He says, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (11:28). Yes, blessed are you who hear the Word of God this day. And by the Holy Spirit creating and sustaining saving faith in Christ within you, blessed are you for keeping God's Word, for it is only by the Holy Spirit that we may confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and it is only by Him that we may act in Christian love, that our good works may truly be good, and that we are truly blessed. Apart from him, our lives are lived in woe.
"Woe to you who are rich," Jesus says, "for you have received your consolation" (v. 24). Our problem is not with whatever riches we have, but it is the importance we place upon what we have. When we teach our catechumens the First Commandment, we explain to them what a god is, namely, that it is whatever we make number one in our lives, whatever it is that holds the highest place of importance for us. The Lord Himself commands that we shall have no other gods before Him, and He says through the prophet Isaiah, "I am the LORD, that is My Name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images" (Is. 42:8). And again our Lord says in St. Luke's Gospel, "No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (16:13). This is not a call to shun material goods, but it is a reminder from the Lord that we remember who gave us all that we have, that we remember the Lord, that we thank the Father for everything He has given us. Woe to us if we rely on our possessions for true happiness and blessedness, for such will not be found there…only emptiness and eternal destruction. As the Blessed Virgin Mary said in the Magnificat when the child in Elizabeth's womb, the one who would become St. John the Baptizer, leapt for joy, "He [the Lord] has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones…" (1:51-52a).
"Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger," says the Lord (v. 25a). Woe to those who fill themselves on their sinful pride and on their possessions for their hope, for they will find themselves on the Last Day hungering and thirsting for forgiveness and eternal life, and they will find none, and their stomachs shall burn, they shall weep, and they shall gnash their teeth. Woe to all of us who seek our salvation apart from God and where He offers His gifts. Woe to those who despise the Word and Sacraments, the means by which God gives His gifts, for God will not give them the gift of eternal life. Woe to those who make a mockery of the Lord's Means of Grace, for the Lord will make them objects of scorn and ridicule. Woe to those who do not wish to taste and see that the Lord is good, for they will only taste death in the judgment to come. "He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty," as Mary sang in the Magnificat.
"Woe to you who laugh now," the Lord says to us, "for you shall mourn and weep" (v. 25b). Woe to those who are wrapped up in the merriment of the moment and do not have an eye on the life to come. Woe to those of us who are secure in our sins and are in glee over our God-displeasing lives. The Lord pronounced these woes to warn the people, especially the Pharisees and scribes, of the judgment to come and the impending destruction of Jerusalem. He warns us of the impending judgment on the Last Day. Woe to us who say to our souls: "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry" (12:19). As we hear from the prophet Isaiah: "And in that day the LORD God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!' Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, 'Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death,' says the Lord GOD of hosts. Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts… 'Indeed, the Lord will throw you away violently, O mighty man, and will surely seize you. He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you shall die and your glorious chariots shall be the shame of your master's house'" (Is. 22:12-15a, 17-18). Again the Lord Almighty says, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" (12:20). Woe indeed!
"Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (v. 26). The Lord is speaking directly to the Pharisees and scribes, the teachers of the Law and the elders. You see, these people were less about the work of the Lord than they were about gaining status and power in the community. They lusted after power. They wanted everyone to think well of them. To that end, they either watered down the teachings of the Torah, or they taught things contrary to the Word of God. The Pharisees even added their own code of 613 rules and regulations, ceremonial requirements, for the people to follow. It was more important for these so-called religious leaders that the people obey the code than it was for them to obey the Ten Commandments. Throughout the course of history, people have rebelled against the true teachings and, therefore, the true prophets and have yearned for the false prophets. Why are false prophets hailed as they are? False prophets give the people what they want to hear. They want to hear that they are nice people and that everything will be all right. They want the false prophets to scratch their itching ears. They revile true prophets because true prophets scratch not itching ears but fragile egos and sinful pride, and we do not like it when that happens because we are not hearing what we want to hear. They are not saying what we want them to say. We do not want to hear of the coming wrath of God because we do not like hearing God's Law accuse us of being poor, miserable sinners. So we seek to exclude the true prophets from the community. We spread rumors about them, wagging our tongues, and reviling them. This wickedness that takes place now is nothing new. In Matthew 23, our Lord pronounces a long list of woes upon the scribes and Pharisees, woes such as those found in our text. The Lord said to them and says to us today: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!'" (Mt. 23:29-39).
Yes, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Blessed is He who comes to us today in His holy Word. Blessed is He who continues to send prophets to His people in the Year of Our Lord 2025. And blessed are those who speak in the Name of the Lord and speak truthfully and with great boldness, even when they are hated and reviled and hear their names cast out as evil for the Son of Man's sake. Even as the true prophets of God, then and now, have faced persecution for His Name's sake, those who have remained faithful even unto death now rest from their labors and forever praise His Name at the eternal Feast, as will His prophets now and to come. To this end He sends His Holy Spirit to give strength and courage to His undershepherds, that they would continue to faithfully proclaim the whole will and Word of God, that His Word will not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish what He pleases and prosper in the thing for which He sends it, namely, to bring about repentance and faith so that God would add them to His kingdom through the living water of Holy Baptism.
"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh," our Lord assures us (v. 21b). Blessed are you who weep now due to the sins that attack your conscience. Blessed are you who weep now from the accusations made by the great accuser, Satan. Blessed are you who weep as if you have no way out, for I have good news for you. The Lord is with you. He will not let your foot slip; neither will He let you be afraid. Blessed are you, for your Savior comes to you this day and invites you to cast all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh and sing at the great Feast into all eternity. As we sing in the hymn: "Tho' we sow in tears of sorrow, We shall reap in heav'nly joy; And the fears that now annoy / Shall be laughter on the morrow. Christ, I suffer here with Thee; There, oh, share Thy joy with me!" (TLH 409:2).
"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled" (v. 21a). Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for forgiveness of sins. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for eternal life. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for salvation. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you are now being filled, filled with the Word of God. Blessed are you who are being filled with the Word of God, for you are being fed with the Bread of Life. Jesus says, "I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and He who believes in Me shall never thirst" (Jn. 6:35). Blessed are you who hunger now, for you are being fed now on the Bread of Life as He speaks His Word in your hearing.
"Blessed," Jesus says, "are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (v. 20b). He tells you who are destitute, who have been beaten down by the troubles and travesties of this world, who are mired in the misery of their many and manifest sins and hungry for the bread that gives life, that you are indeed blessed for yours is the kingdom of God. That is to say, that the kingdom of God comes to you, making you rich with the forgiveness of sins that He brings, and giving you the promise of eternal life in heaven with the King of heaven. Yes, blessed are you, for it is by grace that you possess the kingdom of heaven through the blood of Jesus Christ. The One who blesses you is the One who took your woe upon Himself on the cross. Woe to Him who died on the tree, for it was your woe that He bore and your sin that He paid for. Woe to Him who suffered total separation from His heavenly Father so that we through faith would not face it but be united with Him through Jesus' blood, so that we would be truly blessed. Blessed are you that you have a God who loves you so much that He sent His only-begotten Son to die for you, that by believing in Him you would not perish but have everlasting life. Though we die, death is not the end; it is a new beginning. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…that they may rest from their labors…" (Rev. 14:13).
Blessed be the firstborn from the dead, Jesus Christ, for He has conquered death by His resurrection. Blessed is He who has put all things under His feet. Blessed is He who is not dead but is risen, so that we would have life with Him forever! "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Blessed are you who believe in Him. Blessed are you who confess His Name. Blessed are you who come to Him to receive His gifts with thankful hearts. It is more than merely being happy. Happiness is a fast-fleeting emotion. Blessedness is a state of being, for you know and you believe in whom is your hope, Jesus Christ. Blessed are you, for the Lord will soon place His Name upon you again as the Lord blesses you and keeps you, as He makes His face shine upon you and is gracious unto you, as He lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you peace. Blessed are you in the Name of the Lord. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.)
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - 16 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, Your kingdom has been made manifest in the preaching and miracles of Jesus Christ. Gather together a great multitude from every Gentile nation and from Judea’s remnant, that many may know Wisdom come in our flesh. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant, O Lord, that Your people may always hold fast to the Word that has been preached to them and not believe it in vain. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You bestow favor and honor and withhold nothing from those who walk uprightly. Bless parents and those who teach children Your ways, that generations to come would love Your promises, walk in Your truth and dwell in Your house. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, preserve us from the ways of the wicked, and prosper us in Your paths. We commend to You all who bear office in our land and ask You to make them a blessing to those they serve. Grant to us every joy in the calling You have given to us, that we would render service to You in our works of love toward our neighbor. Remember those in need of honest labor and daily bread, and give them gainful employment according to Your good and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, hear our prayer for those who are troubled by any unclean spirit, memory or thought; for the sick; and for all who need Your healing [especially _____________]. Send forth Your power in the name of Christ Jesus, that they would hear Your Word and be cured. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all who trust in You and come to eat the holy body and precious blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins in the blessed Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is risen from the dead and has promised that He is the firstfruits from among those who sleep. Preserve us in Christ Jesus with hope beyond this life. Comfort those who mourn [especially _____________] with the certainty of Christ’s resurrection, and grant us to live in confident expectation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, plant us as trees by the stream of Christ, our Savior. Root us securely in His Word and wisdom. Do not let us turn from You, nor put our trust in man and this flesh, which fail. Preserve us from all anxiety, and take our fears away through right fear of You. Cause us, by Your Holy Spirit, to bear much fruit and, when affliction and persecution come, to stand firm and rejoice at the great reward that is laid up for those who trust in You; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
684 “Come unto Me, Ye Weary”
1 “Come unto Me, ye weary,
And I will give you rest.”
O blessèd voice of Jesus,
Which comes to hearts oppressed!
It tells of benediction,
Of pardon, grace, and peace,
Of joy that hath no ending,
Of love that cannot cease.
2 “Come unto Me, ye wand’rers,
And I will give you light.”
O loving voice of Jesus,
Which comes to cheer the night!
Our hearts were filled with sadness,
And we had lost our way;
But Thou hast brought us gladness
And songs at break of day.
3 “Come unto Me, ye fainting,
And I will give you life.”
O cheering voice of Jesus,
Which comes to aid our strife!
The foe is stern and eager,
The fight is fierce and long;
But Thou hast made us mighty
And stronger than the strong.
4 “And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out.”
O patient love of Jesus,
Which drives away our doubt,
Which, though we be unworthy
Of love so great and free,
Invites us very sinners
To come, dear Lord, to Thee!
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 553 “O Christ, Our Hope, Our Hearts’ Desire”
1 O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire,
Creation’s mighty Lord,
Redeemer of the fallen world,
By holy love outpoured:
2 How vast Your mercy to accept
The burden of our sin
And bow Your head in cruel death
To make us clean within.
3 But now the bonds of death are burst,
The ransom has been paid;
You now ascend the Father’s throne
In robes of light arrayed.
4 O let Your mighty love prevail
To purge us of our pride
That we may stand before Your throne
By mercy purified.
5 Christ Jesus, be our present joy,
Our future great reward;
Our only glory, may it be
To glory in the Lord!
D 6 All praise to You, ascended Lord;
All glory ever be
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Through all eternity!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, adapt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany - February 16, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON Sunday Feb. 23rd, the Concordia University Irvine Choir will be at Faith, Fair Oaks for a 4 p.m. concert. Please consult the church bulletin board for more information.
FROM March 1st to 3rd, the Concordia Theological Seminary Kantorei choir will be in Northern California. Please consult the bulletin for times and locations. The concerts nearest to us will be in Rocklin, Grass Valley and Sacramento.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge on Judgement Day. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 16, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 17:5–8
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 17.
5Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
7“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
8He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Corinthians 15:12–20
L A reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 15.
12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Luke 6:17–26
L A reading from Luke, chapter 6.
17[Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, 18who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all.
20And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
24“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.
25“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.
“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
26“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 932 “Jesus Sat with His Disciples”
1 Jesus sat with His disciples
On a mountainside one day;
As the crowds of people gathered,
He began to teach and say:
“Blessèd are the poor in spirit,
Heaven’s kingdom they will share.
Blessèd are the sad and mourning,
Joy and comfort will be theirs.
2 “Blessèd are the meek and humble,
All the earth to them is willed.
Those who hunger to be holy,
They are bless’d and will be filled.
Yes, the merciful are blessèd,
Mercy will to them be shown.
And the pure in heart are blessèd,
They have eyes for God alone.
3 “Blessèd are God’s sons and daughters,
Making peace where there is strife.
Blessèd are the persecuted,
Who for righteousness lose life;
Their reward is great in heaven,
In the kingdom up above--
So be glad to share My suff’ring
And rejoice to know My love.”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1997 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Blessed Are You” Luke 6:17-26
Blessed Are You – Luke 6:17-26
Blessed are you this day, on this Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, for the Lord has come to you this day, announcing to you that your heavenly Father has forgiven you. He has come to you this day to bring you tidings of comfort and joy. Blessed are you, for the Lord brings you this day the kingdom of God. He fills your hungry souls with His Word and will turn your tears of sorrow into tears of joy. The Lord did exactly these things as He, with His disciples, came down from the mountain to the people who were in need of His healing and His Word. They came from all over the region to hear Him and to be healed by Him. What the Lord did in our text He also does in His liturgy: He came down to His people, even as He comes down to us. He healed them with His touch. He heals us with the touch of His Word. He brings us His Word, that we would receive healing for our souls. He gives us His Word, that we would hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it, for He says, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (11:28). Yes, blessed are you who hear the Word of God this day. And by the Holy Spirit creating and sustaining saving faith in Christ within you, blessed are you for keeping God's Word, for it is only by the Holy Spirit that we may confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and it is only by Him that we may act in Christian love, that our good works may truly be good, and that we are truly blessed. Apart from him, our lives are lived in woe.
"Woe to you who are rich," Jesus says, "for you have received your consolation" (v. 24). Our problem is not with whatever riches we have, but it is the importance we place upon what we have. When we teach our catechumens the First Commandment, we explain to them what a god is, namely, that it is whatever we make number one in our lives, whatever it is that holds the highest place of importance for us. The Lord Himself commands that we shall have no other gods before Him, and He says through the prophet Isaiah, "I am the LORD, that is My Name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images" (Is. 42:8). And again our Lord says in St. Luke's Gospel, "No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (16:13). This is not a call to shun material goods, but it is a reminder from the Lord that we remember who gave us all that we have, that we remember the Lord, that we thank the Father for everything He has given us. Woe to us if we rely on our possessions for true happiness and blessedness, for such will not be found there…only emptiness and eternal destruction. As the Blessed Virgin Mary said in the Magnificat when the child in Elizabeth's womb, the one who would become St. John the Baptizer, leapt for joy, "He [the Lord] has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones…" (1:51-52a).
"Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger," says the Lord (v. 25a). Woe to those who fill themselves on their sinful pride and on their possessions for their hope, for they will find themselves on the Last Day hungering and thirsting for forgiveness and eternal life, and they will find none, and their stomachs shall burn, they shall weep, and they shall gnash their teeth. Woe to all of us who seek our salvation apart from God and where He offers His gifts. Woe to those who despise the Word and Sacraments, the means by which God gives His gifts, for God will not give them the gift of eternal life. Woe to those who make a mockery of the Lord's Means of Grace, for the Lord will make them objects of scorn and ridicule. Woe to those who do not wish to taste and see that the Lord is good, for they will only taste death in the judgment to come. "He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty," as Mary sang in the Magnificat.
"Woe to you who laugh now," the Lord says to us, "for you shall mourn and weep" (v. 25b). Woe to those who are wrapped up in the merriment of the moment and do not have an eye on the life to come. Woe to those of us who are secure in our sins and are in glee over our God-displeasing lives. The Lord pronounced these woes to warn the people, especially the Pharisees and scribes, of the judgment to come and the impending destruction of Jerusalem. He warns us of the impending judgment on the Last Day. Woe to us who say to our souls: "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry" (12:19). As we hear from the prophet Isaiah: "And in that day the LORD God of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!' Then it was revealed in my hearing by the LORD of hosts, 'Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, even to your death,' says the Lord GOD of hosts. Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts… 'Indeed, the Lord will throw you away violently, O mighty man, and will surely seize you. He will surely turn violently and toss you like a ball into a large country; there you shall die and your glorious chariots shall be the shame of your master's house'" (Is. 22:12-15a, 17-18). Again the Lord Almighty says, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" (12:20). Woe indeed!
"Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets" (v. 26). The Lord is speaking directly to the Pharisees and scribes, the teachers of the Law and the elders. You see, these people were less about the work of the Lord than they were about gaining status and power in the community. They lusted after power. They wanted everyone to think well of them. To that end, they either watered down the teachings of the Torah, or they taught things contrary to the Word of God. The Pharisees even added their own code of 613 rules and regulations, ceremonial requirements, for the people to follow. It was more important for these so-called religious leaders that the people obey the code than it was for them to obey the Ten Commandments. Throughout the course of history, people have rebelled against the true teachings and, therefore, the true prophets and have yearned for the false prophets. Why are false prophets hailed as they are? False prophets give the people what they want to hear. They want to hear that they are nice people and that everything will be all right. They want the false prophets to scratch their itching ears. They revile true prophets because true prophets scratch not itching ears but fragile egos and sinful pride, and we do not like it when that happens because we are not hearing what we want to hear. They are not saying what we want them to say. We do not want to hear of the coming wrath of God because we do not like hearing God's Law accuse us of being poor, miserable sinners. So we seek to exclude the true prophets from the community. We spread rumors about them, wagging our tongues, and reviling them. This wickedness that takes place now is nothing new. In Matthew 23, our Lord pronounces a long list of woes upon the scribes and Pharisees, woes such as those found in our text. The Lord said to them and says to us today: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the LORD!'" (Mt. 23:29-39).
Yes, blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. Blessed is He who comes to us today in His holy Word. Blessed is He who continues to send prophets to His people in the Year of Our Lord 2025. And blessed are those who speak in the Name of the Lord and speak truthfully and with great boldness, even when they are hated and reviled and hear their names cast out as evil for the Son of Man's sake. Even as the true prophets of God, then and now, have faced persecution for His Name's sake, those who have remained faithful even unto death now rest from their labors and forever praise His Name at the eternal Feast, as will His prophets now and to come. To this end He sends His Holy Spirit to give strength and courage to His undershepherds, that they would continue to faithfully proclaim the whole will and Word of God, that His Word will not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish what He pleases and prosper in the thing for which He sends it, namely, to bring about repentance and faith so that God would add them to His kingdom through the living water of Holy Baptism.
"Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh," our Lord assures us (v. 21b). Blessed are you who weep now due to the sins that attack your conscience. Blessed are you who weep now from the accusations made by the great accuser, Satan. Blessed are you who weep as if you have no way out, for I have good news for you. The Lord is with you. He will not let your foot slip; neither will He let you be afraid. Blessed are you, for your Savior comes to you this day and invites you to cast all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh and sing at the great Feast into all eternity. As we sing in the hymn: "Tho' we sow in tears of sorrow, We shall reap in heav'nly joy; And the fears that now annoy / Shall be laughter on the morrow. Christ, I suffer here with Thee; There, oh, share Thy joy with me!" (TLH 409:2).
"Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled" (v. 21a). Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for forgiveness of sins. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for eternal life. Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for salvation. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you are now being filled, filled with the Word of God. Blessed are you who are being filled with the Word of God, for you are being fed with the Bread of Life. Jesus says, "I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and He who believes in Me shall never thirst" (Jn. 6:35). Blessed are you who hunger now, for you are being fed now on the Bread of Life as He speaks His Word in your hearing.
"Blessed," Jesus says, "are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (v. 20b). He tells you who are destitute, who have been beaten down by the troubles and travesties of this world, who are mired in the misery of their many and manifest sins and hungry for the bread that gives life, that you are indeed blessed for yours is the kingdom of God. That is to say, that the kingdom of God comes to you, making you rich with the forgiveness of sins that He brings, and giving you the promise of eternal life in heaven with the King of heaven. Yes, blessed are you, for it is by grace that you possess the kingdom of heaven through the blood of Jesus Christ. The One who blesses you is the One who took your woe upon Himself on the cross. Woe to Him who died on the tree, for it was your woe that He bore and your sin that He paid for. Woe to Him who suffered total separation from His heavenly Father so that we through faith would not face it but be united with Him through Jesus' blood, so that we would be truly blessed. Blessed are you that you have a God who loves you so much that He sent His only-begotten Son to die for you, that by believing in Him you would not perish but have everlasting life. Though we die, death is not the end; it is a new beginning. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on…that they may rest from their labors…" (Rev. 14:13).
Blessed be the firstborn from the dead, Jesus Christ, for He has conquered death by His resurrection. Blessed is He who has put all things under His feet. Blessed is He who is not dead but is risen, so that we would have life with Him forever! "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Blessed are you who believe in Him. Blessed are you who confess His Name. Blessed are you who come to Him to receive His gifts with thankful hearts. It is more than merely being happy. Happiness is a fast-fleeting emotion. Blessedness is a state of being, for you know and you believe in whom is your hope, Jesus Christ. Blessed are you, for the Lord will soon place His Name upon you again as the Lord blesses you and keeps you, as He makes His face shine upon you and is gracious unto you, as He lifts up His countenance upon you and gives you peace. Blessed are you in the Name of the Lord. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.)
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany - 16 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, Your kingdom has been made manifest in the preaching and miracles of Jesus Christ. Gather together a great multitude from every Gentile nation and from Judea’s remnant, that many may know Wisdom come in our flesh. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant, O Lord, that Your people may always hold fast to the Word that has been preached to them and not believe it in vain. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You bestow favor and honor and withhold nothing from those who walk uprightly. Bless parents and those who teach children Your ways, that generations to come would love Your promises, walk in Your truth and dwell in Your house. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, preserve us from the ways of the wicked, and prosper us in Your paths. We commend to You all who bear office in our land and ask You to make them a blessing to those they serve. Grant to us every joy in the calling You have given to us, that we would render service to You in our works of love toward our neighbor. Remember those in need of honest labor and daily bread, and give them gainful employment according to Your good and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, hear our prayer for those who are troubled by any unclean spirit, memory or thought; for the sick; and for all who need Your healing [especially _____________]. Send forth Your power in the name of Christ Jesus, that they would hear Your Word and be cured. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all who trust in You and come to eat the holy body and precious blood of Christ for the forgiveness of their sins in the blessed Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is risen from the dead and has promised that He is the firstfruits from among those who sleep. Preserve us in Christ Jesus with hope beyond this life. Comfort those who mourn [especially _____________] with the certainty of Christ’s resurrection, and grant us to live in confident expectation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, plant us as trees by the stream of Christ, our Savior. Root us securely in His Word and wisdom. Do not let us turn from You, nor put our trust in man and this flesh, which fail. Preserve us from all anxiety, and take our fears away through right fear of You. Cause us, by Your Holy Spirit, to bear much fruit and, when affliction and persecution come, to stand firm and rejoice at the great reward that is laid up for those who trust in You; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
684 “Come unto Me, Ye Weary”
1 “Come unto Me, ye weary,
And I will give you rest.”
O blessèd voice of Jesus,
Which comes to hearts oppressed!
It tells of benediction,
Of pardon, grace, and peace,
Of joy that hath no ending,
Of love that cannot cease.
2 “Come unto Me, ye wand’rers,
And I will give you light.”
O loving voice of Jesus,
Which comes to cheer the night!
Our hearts were filled with sadness,
And we had lost our way;
But Thou hast brought us gladness
And songs at break of day.
3 “Come unto Me, ye fainting,
And I will give you life.”
O cheering voice of Jesus,
Which comes to aid our strife!
The foe is stern and eager,
The fight is fierce and long;
But Thou hast made us mighty
And stronger than the strong.
4 “And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out.”
O patient love of Jesus,
Which drives away our doubt,
Which, though we be unworthy
Of love so great and free,
Invites us very sinners
To come, dear Lord, to Thee!
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 553 “O Christ, Our Hope, Our Hearts’ Desire”
1 O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire,
Creation’s mighty Lord,
Redeemer of the fallen world,
By holy love outpoured:
2 How vast Your mercy to accept
The burden of our sin
And bow Your head in cruel death
To make us clean within.
3 But now the bonds of death are burst,
The ransom has been paid;
You now ascend the Father’s throne
In robes of light arrayed.
4 O let Your mighty love prevail
To purge us of our pride
That we may stand before Your throne
By mercy purified.
5 Christ Jesus, be our present joy,
Our future great reward;
Our only glory, may it be
To glory in the Lord!
D 6 All praise to You, ascended Lord;
All glory ever be
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Through all eternity!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, adapt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - February 9, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ Him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to Him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Prov. 3:5
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 9, 2025
Pre-Service Music and Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 507 “Holy, Holy, Holy”
1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 71:12, 15–18
P O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God. I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 6:1–8
1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 138
1I give you thanks, O Lord, with | my whole heart;*
before the gods I | sing your praise;
2I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your | faithfulness,*
for you have exalted above all things
your name | and your word.
3On the day I called, you | answered me;*
my strength of soul | you increased.
4All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, | O Lord,*
for they have heard the words | of your mouth,
5and they shall sing of the ways | of the Lord,*
for great is the glory | of the Lord.
6For though the Lord is high, he regards the | lowly,*
but the haughty he knows | from afar.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you pre- | serve my life;*
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand de- | livers me.
8The Lord will fulfill his pur- | pose for me;*
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work | of your hands.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 14:12b–20
Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
13Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 5:1–11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fifth chapter.
1On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on [Jesus] to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “An Encounter with the Living God”
Isaiah. 6:1-8 and Luke 5:1-11
An Encounter with the Living God – Isaiah 6:1-8 and Luke 5:1-11
At first glance, there may not seem to be a whole lot of similarity between the Old Testament reading and the Gospel for today. Isaiah finds himself in the temple. Peter is out at the lake. Isaiah has angels and smoke. Peter has a crowd of people and an ordinary sky. Isaiah sees the Lord God sitting on His throne. Peter sees Jesus sitting in a boat. At first glance, these two scenes don't seem to have a lot in common.
In fact, when we examine these two events a little more closely, we find many similarities. Both Isaiah and Peter have an encounter with the living God. They both experience the terror of God's holy presence. They both receive forgiveness. Then, they both receive a commission from God to take God's message to the people. In both cases, we see that God has special ways of choosing and sending His messengers.
Isaiah saw God's glory. He saw the Lord on a throne. He saw angels flying in God's presence. He heard the voices of the angels proclaim the holiness of God. The proclamation was so powerful that the foundations of the temple shook.
There are many who would say, "How awesome to see the Lord in this way," but what was Isaiah's reaction? "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" He was absolutely terrified.
Then there is Peter. His vision of God was a little bit different. [God] said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." The command didn't make sense, but Peter did it anyway. Peter answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. This is not angels making the temple foundations shake with song, but it is the glory of God nevertheless. It is God in control over his creation.
Again there are many who would say, "How awesome to be there when these men brought their catches to shore," but what was Peter's reaction? He fell down at Jesus' knees saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Peter, like Isaiah, was terrified.
You see, there is no pain, no terror, nor any other experience in this world that even comes close to the horrible experience of coming into God's holy presence with our sin still intact. Adam and Eve ran away and hid. Moses was afraid to look at the burning bush. The Children of Israel were terrified at Mount Sinai. Daniel fell on his face and did not have the strength to rise. The guards who came to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane and those who guarded the tomb of the risen Lord became like dead men. The presence of the Holy God is terrifying to all those who are not holy - to all those who are sinful.
The holiness we need to come into God's presence is something that only He provides. No amount of work on our part can make us holy. In fact, all our effort only makes us more sinful. Any effort we put forward to improve our standing in God's eyes is actually an insult to Him. Our holiness must originate with Him.
An angel brought God's forgiveness to Isaiah. One of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
The coal from the altar in the temple was a coal used to burn the sacrifice. This coal pointed forward to the incredible suffering that Jesus would endure for Isaiah on the cross. Like the fire in Moses' burning bush, this coal touched Isaiah's lips, but it did not burn them. Instead, it made Isaiah guiltless and holy in the eyes of the Lord. This coal was the holiness that Jesus earned with His perfect life, and the forgiveness Jesus earned with His death on the cross.
Peter received the same forgiveness. He received it directly from the mouth of the Lord. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." Peter then experienced three years in the seminary of Jesus Christ and was a witness to the life and death of Jesus - the perfect life and the sacrificial death that saved Peter from his own sin. Peter witnessed the salvation of our God with his eyes and heard it with his ears.
God extended His call to both Isaiah and Peter only after they had experienced the terror of their sin in the presence of the holy God and then experienced the relief of God's blessed forgiveness. It is the terror of sin and the relief of forgiveness that they in turn will preach to their fellow men.
Now that Isaiah has forgiveness he has fellowship with God. He can hear God's voice. I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" God's forgiveness changed Isaiah. Isaiah wants to become God's servant and carry God's message to the people. Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
God shared the most beautiful promises of the savior through Isaiah: [Isaiah 7:14] “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” [Isaiah 9:6] “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” [Isaiah 12:13; 13:4-6] “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.” And from chapter 53 - “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” God gave all these words about Jesus to Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born.
Jesus changed Peter the same way. Peter was terrified, but Jesus comforted him with a call for service. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." Peter would one day become the leader of the Church. God would work through him to save thousands of souls.
God saves us in the same way that He saved Isaiah and Peter. He sent his only son, Jesus to sacrifice Himself on the altar of the cross. Jesus shed his blood so that we can have fellowship with God once again. Jesus not only died to forgive us all our sins, but he also rose. That resurrection gives us the promise of eternal life with Him in heaven. Just as Christ lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we too will live with them forever.
That life doesn't start far in the future, but it is already with us. Every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper we hear these words, "therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.” These are the words that we heard in the Old Testament lesson. These are the words the angels sing in heaven. Together we join with all the people in heaven and praise God. Then we join them in a meal. In this meal we share the body and blood of our savior along with all our loved ones in heaven.
God sends his servants, our parents, teachers, pastors, and other friends, to share the good news of salvation with us. Every faithful servant of God begins his ministry on his face in terror confessing his sin. Isaiah confessing his filthy lips, Peter confessing his sin, Moses begging God to send somebody else, Daniel on his face unable to even move, and the list goes on and on. Every prophet, every apostle, every faithful pastor and teacher knows for a fact that he is unworthy to stand before God's people and hand out the gifts that God has for them. Every faithful servant of God knows that Jesus had to die on the cross and rise from the dead in order for them to climb into a pulpit to preach or stand behind a lectern to read. I would have no business standing behind this pulpit if Jesus had not given His life for me and then risen up from the dead, but Christ has given His life and risen from the dead.
All those who believe in Jesus Christ are like Isaiah and Peter. We have already met God in Word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. God has already showed Himself to us and cleansed us from sin. We have experienced the terror of our own sin and the relief of God's forgiveness. Now, like Isaiah and Peter, He works through us to share His story with others. God works through us so that we can say, "Yes, I know that I am not perfect, but Jesus is. He paid for my sin on the cross and now I belong to Him. He rose from the dead and so I will also rise from the dead and live with Him forever. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior." In this simple way, we can proclaim God's salvation to the people we meet in our lives every day.
God will ask some, like Peter and Isaiah, to abandon everything and rely totally on the Gospel for their living. Others, like Zebedee, the father of James and John will remain at their trade and proclaim God's salvation in their everyday lives.
In our day and age, we also have the opportunity to share God's salvation with people around the world. Resources abound to do so. All we need to do is remember this--“Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness, we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
God has given us relief from the terror of sin through the forgiveness that Jesus worked for us. Now we can share that Gospel with people in our lives as well as people around the world. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.)
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - 9 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father of all joy, You have taught us to believe in Your righteous acts and deeds of salvation from our youth. Teach us now to proclaim Your might to the next generation, that they, too, may rejoice in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of hosts, sustain those called to be fishers of men in Christ’s Church. Grant that they would not be discouraged when they toil all night and take nothing, but continue to let down their nets at His Word according to that calling. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, give us faith to let down the nets of Your Word in our daily vocations and to trust Your Son to do His gracious work through poor sinners like us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, build up Your Church and manifest Your Spirit among us with wisdom and knowledge. Let our words be measured and intelligible to our fellow Christians and to those outside Your Church, that we may utter our “Amens” confidently in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, be not far from us. As You have worked deeds of salvation in Christ Jesus, so make haste to help us now in every trouble. Give healing to the sick, strength to the weak and comfort to the afflicted [especially _____________]. Do not forsake us nor the generations to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Send from Your altar, O Lord, the body and blood of Christ. Cleanse us and our lips by this blessed Sacrament and deliver to us the atonement Christ has won for us, that we may be worthy to stand before You now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, never depart from us. Though we are unworthy of You and Your bounty, You are pleased to receive our meager thanks and reluctant obedience for the sake of Christ’s perfect obedience. Let Your Word rule us and Your Spirit revive us to leave behind pride and anxiety alike, that we may follow You in all we do; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
609 “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive”
1 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Oh, may all this saying ponder
Who in sin’s delusions live
And from God and heaven wander!
Here is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
2 We deserve but grief and shame,
Yet His words, rich grace revealing,
Pardon, peace, and life proclaim;
Here our ills have perfect healing.
Firmly in these words believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
3 Sheep that from the fold did stray
No true shepherd e’er forsaketh;
Weary souls that lost their way
Christ, the Shepherd, gently taketh
In His arms that they may live:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
4 I, a sinner, come to Thee
With a penitent confession.
Savior, mercy show to me;
Grant for all my sins remission.
Let these words my soul relieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
5 Oh, how blest it is to know:
Were as scarlet my transgression,
It shall be as white as snow
By Thy blood and bitter passion;
For these words I now believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
6 Now my conscience is at peace;
From the Law I stand acquitted.
Christ hath purchased my release
And my ev’ry sin remitted.
Naught remains my soul to grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
7 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Also I have been forgiven;
And when I this earth must leave,
I shall find an open heaven.
Dying, still to Him I cleave:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756
Text: Public domain
621 “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand
Christ our God to earth descending
Comes our homage to demand.
2 King of kings yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.
3 Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way
As the Light of Light, descending
From the realms of endless day,
Comes the pow’rs of hell to vanquish
As the darkness clears away.
4 At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, Lord Most High!”
Text: Liturgy of St. James, 5th cent.; tr. Gerard Moultrie, 1829–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 856 “O Christ, Who Called the Twelve”
1 O Christ, who called the Twelve
To rise and follow You,
Forsaking old, familiar ways
For ventures bold and new:
Grant us to hear Your call
To risk security
And, bound in heart and will to You,
Find perfect liberty.
2 O Christ, who taught the Twelve
The truth for ages sealed,
Whose words and works awakened faith,
The ways of God revealed:
Instruct us now, we pray,
By Your empow’ring Word.
True teacher, be for all who seek
Their light, their life, their Lord.
3 O Christ, who led the Twelve
Among the desolate
And broke as bread of life for all
Your love compassionate:
Lead us along the ways
Where hope has nearly died
And help us climb the lonely hills
Where love is crucified.
4 O Christ, who sent the Twelve
On roads they’d never trod
To serve, to suffer, teach, proclaim
The nearer reign of God:
Send us on ways where faith
Transcends timidity,
Where love informs and hope sustains
Both life and ministry.
5 O Christ, the_apostles’ Lord,
The martyrs’ strength and song,
The crucified and risen King
To whom the saints belong:
Though generations pass,
Our tribute still we bring,
Our hymns a sacrifice of praise,
Our lives an offering.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany - February 9, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ Him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to Him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Prov. 3:5
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 9, 2025
Pre-Service Music and Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 507 “Holy, Holy, Holy”
1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 71:12, 15–18
P O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God. I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 6:1–8
1In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 138
1I give you thanks, O Lord, with | my whole heart;*
before the gods I | sing your praise;
2I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your | faithfulness,*
for you have exalted above all things
your name | and your word.
3On the day I called, you | answered me;*
my strength of soul | you increased.
4All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, | O Lord,*
for they have heard the words | of your mouth,
5and they shall sing of the ways | of the Lord,*
for great is the glory | of the Lord.
6For though the Lord is high, he regards the | lowly,*
but the haughty he knows | from afar.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you pre- | serve my life;*
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand de- | livers me.
8The Lord will fulfill his pur- | pose for me;*
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work | of your hands.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 14:12b–20
Since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
13Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. 14For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 5:1–11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fifth chapter.
1On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on [Jesus] to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “An Encounter with the Living God”
Isaiah. 6:1-8 and Luke 5:1-11
An Encounter with the Living God – Isaiah 6:1-8 and Luke 5:1-11
At first glance, there may not seem to be a whole lot of similarity between the Old Testament reading and the Gospel for today. Isaiah finds himself in the temple. Peter is out at the lake. Isaiah has angels and smoke. Peter has a crowd of people and an ordinary sky. Isaiah sees the Lord God sitting on His throne. Peter sees Jesus sitting in a boat. At first glance, these two scenes don't seem to have a lot in common.
In fact, when we examine these two events a little more closely, we find many similarities. Both Isaiah and Peter have an encounter with the living God. They both experience the terror of God's holy presence. They both receive forgiveness. Then, they both receive a commission from God to take God's message to the people. In both cases, we see that God has special ways of choosing and sending His messengers.
Isaiah saw God's glory. He saw the Lord on a throne. He saw angels flying in God's presence. He heard the voices of the angels proclaim the holiness of God. The proclamation was so powerful that the foundations of the temple shook.
There are many who would say, "How awesome to see the Lord in this way," but what was Isaiah's reaction? "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" He was absolutely terrified.
Then there is Peter. His vision of God was a little bit different. [God] said to Simon, "Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." The command didn't make sense, but Peter did it anyway. Peter answered, "Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets." And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. This is not angels making the temple foundations shake with song, but it is the glory of God nevertheless. It is God in control over his creation.
Again there are many who would say, "How awesome to be there when these men brought their catches to shore," but what was Peter's reaction? He fell down at Jesus' knees saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Peter, like Isaiah, was terrified.
You see, there is no pain, no terror, nor any other experience in this world that even comes close to the horrible experience of coming into God's holy presence with our sin still intact. Adam and Eve ran away and hid. Moses was afraid to look at the burning bush. The Children of Israel were terrified at Mount Sinai. Daniel fell on his face and did not have the strength to rise. The guards who came to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane and those who guarded the tomb of the risen Lord became like dead men. The presence of the Holy God is terrifying to all those who are not holy - to all those who are sinful.
The holiness we need to come into God's presence is something that only He provides. No amount of work on our part can make us holy. In fact, all our effort only makes us more sinful. Any effort we put forward to improve our standing in God's eyes is actually an insult to Him. Our holiness must originate with Him.
An angel brought God's forgiveness to Isaiah. One of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for."
The coal from the altar in the temple was a coal used to burn the sacrifice. This coal pointed forward to the incredible suffering that Jesus would endure for Isaiah on the cross. Like the fire in Moses' burning bush, this coal touched Isaiah's lips, but it did not burn them. Instead, it made Isaiah guiltless and holy in the eyes of the Lord. This coal was the holiness that Jesus earned with His perfect life, and the forgiveness Jesus earned with His death on the cross.
Peter received the same forgiveness. He received it directly from the mouth of the Lord. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." Peter then experienced three years in the seminary of Jesus Christ and was a witness to the life and death of Jesus - the perfect life and the sacrificial death that saved Peter from his own sin. Peter witnessed the salvation of our God with his eyes and heard it with his ears.
God extended His call to both Isaiah and Peter only after they had experienced the terror of their sin in the presence of the holy God and then experienced the relief of God's blessed forgiveness. It is the terror of sin and the relief of forgiveness that they in turn will preach to their fellow men.
Now that Isaiah has forgiveness he has fellowship with God. He can hear God's voice. I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" God's forgiveness changed Isaiah. Isaiah wants to become God's servant and carry God's message to the people. Then I said, "Here am I! Send me."
God shared the most beautiful promises of the savior through Isaiah: [Isaiah 7:14] “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” [Isaiah 9:6] “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” [Isaiah 12:13; 13:4-6] “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.” And from chapter 53 - “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” God gave all these words about Jesus to Isaiah 700 years before Jesus was born.
Jesus changed Peter the same way. Peter was terrified, but Jesus comforted him with a call for service. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." Peter would one day become the leader of the Church. God would work through him to save thousands of souls.
God saves us in the same way that He saved Isaiah and Peter. He sent his only son, Jesus to sacrifice Himself on the altar of the cross. Jesus shed his blood so that we can have fellowship with God once again. Jesus not only died to forgive us all our sins, but he also rose. That resurrection gives us the promise of eternal life with Him in heaven. Just as Christ lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, we too will live with them forever.
That life doesn't start far in the future, but it is already with us. Every time we celebrate the Lord's Supper we hear these words, "therefore with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.” These are the words that we heard in the Old Testament lesson. These are the words the angels sing in heaven. Together we join with all the people in heaven and praise God. Then we join them in a meal. In this meal we share the body and blood of our savior along with all our loved ones in heaven.
God sends his servants, our parents, teachers, pastors, and other friends, to share the good news of salvation with us. Every faithful servant of God begins his ministry on his face in terror confessing his sin. Isaiah confessing his filthy lips, Peter confessing his sin, Moses begging God to send somebody else, Daniel on his face unable to even move, and the list goes on and on. Every prophet, every apostle, every faithful pastor and teacher knows for a fact that he is unworthy to stand before God's people and hand out the gifts that God has for them. Every faithful servant of God knows that Jesus had to die on the cross and rise from the dead in order for them to climb into a pulpit to preach or stand behind a lectern to read. I would have no business standing behind this pulpit if Jesus had not given His life for me and then risen up from the dead, but Christ has given His life and risen from the dead.
All those who believe in Jesus Christ are like Isaiah and Peter. We have already met God in Word, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. God has already showed Himself to us and cleansed us from sin. We have experienced the terror of our own sin and the relief of God's forgiveness. Now, like Isaiah and Peter, He works through us to share His story with others. God works through us so that we can say, "Yes, I know that I am not perfect, but Jesus is. He paid for my sin on the cross and now I belong to Him. He rose from the dead and so I will also rise from the dead and live with Him forever. Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior." In this simple way, we can proclaim God's salvation to the people we meet in our lives every day.
God will ask some, like Peter and Isaiah, to abandon everything and rely totally on the Gospel for their living. Others, like Zebedee, the father of James and John will remain at their trade and proclaim God's salvation in their everyday lives.
In our day and age, we also have the opportunity to share God's salvation with people around the world. Resources abound to do so. All we need to do is remember this--“Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness, we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
God has given us relief from the terror of sin through the forgiveness that Jesus worked for us. Now we can share that Gospel with people in our lives as well as people around the world. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.)
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany - 9 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father of all joy, You have taught us to believe in Your righteous acts and deeds of salvation from our youth. Teach us now to proclaim Your might to the next generation, that they, too, may rejoice in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of hosts, sustain those called to be fishers of men in Christ’s Church. Grant that they would not be discouraged when they toil all night and take nothing, but continue to let down their nets at His Word according to that calling. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, give us faith to let down the nets of Your Word in our daily vocations and to trust Your Son to do His gracious work through poor sinners like us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, build up Your Church and manifest Your Spirit among us with wisdom and knowledge. Let our words be measured and intelligible to our fellow Christians and to those outside Your Church, that we may utter our “Amens” confidently in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, be not far from us. As You have worked deeds of salvation in Christ Jesus, so make haste to help us now in every trouble. Give healing to the sick, strength to the weak and comfort to the afflicted [especially _____________]. Do not forsake us nor the generations to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Send from Your altar, O Lord, the body and blood of Christ. Cleanse us and our lips by this blessed Sacrament and deliver to us the atonement Christ has won for us, that we may be worthy to stand before You now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, never depart from us. Though we are unworthy of You and Your bounty, You are pleased to receive our meager thanks and reluctant obedience for the sake of Christ’s perfect obedience. Let Your Word rule us and Your Spirit revive us to leave behind pride and anxiety alike, that we may follow You in all we do; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
609 “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive”
1 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Oh, may all this saying ponder
Who in sin’s delusions live
And from God and heaven wander!
Here is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
2 We deserve but grief and shame,
Yet His words, rich grace revealing,
Pardon, peace, and life proclaim;
Here our ills have perfect healing.
Firmly in these words believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
3 Sheep that from the fold did stray
No true shepherd e’er forsaketh;
Weary souls that lost their way
Christ, the Shepherd, gently taketh
In His arms that they may live:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
4 I, a sinner, come to Thee
With a penitent confession.
Savior, mercy show to me;
Grant for all my sins remission.
Let these words my soul relieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
5 Oh, how blest it is to know:
Were as scarlet my transgression,
It shall be as white as snow
By Thy blood and bitter passion;
For these words I now believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
6 Now my conscience is at peace;
From the Law I stand acquitted.
Christ hath purchased my release
And my ev’ry sin remitted.
Naught remains my soul to grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
7 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Also I have been forgiven;
And when I this earth must leave,
I shall find an open heaven.
Dying, still to Him I cleave:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756
Text: Public domain
621 “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand
Christ our God to earth descending
Comes our homage to demand.
2 King of kings yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.
3 Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way
As the Light of Light, descending
From the realms of endless day,
Comes the pow’rs of hell to vanquish
As the darkness clears away.
4 At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, Lord Most High!”
Text: Liturgy of St. James, 5th cent.; tr. Gerard Moultrie, 1829–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 856 “O Christ, Who Called the Twelve”
1 O Christ, who called the Twelve
To rise and follow You,
Forsaking old, familiar ways
For ventures bold and new:
Grant us to hear Your call
To risk security
And, bound in heart and will to You,
Find perfect liberty.
2 O Christ, who taught the Twelve
The truth for ages sealed,
Whose words and works awakened faith,
The ways of God revealed:
Instruct us now, we pray,
By Your empow’ring Word.
True teacher, be for all who seek
Their light, their life, their Lord.
3 O Christ, who led the Twelve
Among the desolate
And broke as bread of life for all
Your love compassionate:
Lead us along the ways
Where hope has nearly died
And help us climb the lonely hills
Where love is crucified.
4 O Christ, who sent the Twelve
On roads they’d never trod
To serve, to suffer, teach, proclaim
The nearer reign of God:
Send us on ways where faith
Transcends timidity,
Where love informs and hope sustains
Both life and ministry.
5 O Christ, the_apostles’ Lord,
The martyrs’ strength and song,
The crucified and risen King
To whom the saints belong:
Though generations pass,
Our tribute still we bring,
Our hymns a sacrifice of praise,
Our lives an offering.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Presentation of Our Lord and Purification of Mary
February 2, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
IT IS TIME
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Prov. 3:5
The Presentation of Our Lord and Purification of Mary
February 2, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 367 “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
1 Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth. Refrain
ref Come and worship, come and worship;
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
2 Shepherds in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing,
Yonder shines the Infant Light. Refrain
3 Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star. Refrain
4 Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear. Refrain
D 5 All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To the_eternal Three in One. Refrain
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–4): James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.; (st. 5): Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, Salisbury, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 48:1–3, 8, 9
P We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty and ever-living God, as Your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, grant that we may be presented to You with pure and clean hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Samuel 1:21–28
21The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 84
1How lovely is your | dwelling place,*
O | Lord of hosts!
2My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts | of the Lord;*
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the | living God.
3Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may | lay her young,*
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King | and my God.
4Blessèd are those who dwell | in your house,*
ever sing- | ing your praise!
5Blessèd are those whose strength is | in you,*
in whose heart are the highways to | Zion.
6As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a | place of springs;*
the early rain also covers | it with pools.
7They go from | strength to strength;*
each one appears before God in | Zion.
8O Lord God of hosts, | hear my prayer;*
give ear, O God of | Jacob!
9Behold our shield, | O God;*
look on the face of your a- | nointed!
10For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand | elsewhere.*
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of | wickedness.
11For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and | honor.*
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk up- | rightly.
12O | Lord of hosts,*
blessèd is the one who | trusts in you!
Epistle Hebrews 2:14–18
14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 2:22–32
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 519 “In His Temple Now Behold Him”
1 In His temple now behold Him,
See the long-expected Lord;
Ancient prophets had foretold Him,
God has now fulfilled His word.
Now to praise Him, His redeemèd
Shall break forth with one accord.
2 In the arms of her who bore Him,
Virgin pure, behold Him lie
While His aged saints adore Him
Ere in perfect faith they die.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Lo, the_incarnate God Most High!
3 Jesus, by Your presentation,
When they blessed You, weak and poor,
Make us see Your great salvation,
Seal us with Your promise sure;
And present us in Your glory
To Your Father, cleansed and pure.
Text: Henry J. Pye, c. 1825–1903, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Simeon’s Song” Luke 2:22-32
Simeon’s Song – Luke 2:22-35
The Apostle Paul had quite a battle on his hands when he took the Gospel to the Gentiles. False teachers followed him everywhere he went. These false teachers constantly insisted that a person had to convert to the Jewish faith before they could become a Christian. So it is that Paul wrote to the Colossians and said, [Colossians 2:16–17] “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” These words teach us that the old Jewish ceremonial law was a mere shadow. Christ is the substance that cast that shadow. Therefore, once Christ fulfilled the law, we no longer need to keep the shadow. We can rely directly on Christ.
Today’s Gospel tells of Jesus going to the temple to fulfill the rite of purification. You can find the instructions for the rite of purification in Leviticus 12. It is kind of long and some of the descriptive words a bit graphic. The main points are: If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. When the days of her purifying are completed, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean. (see Leviticus 12:1–8)
Because Jesus was Mary’s first born, His parents were to consecrate Him to the Lord. One of the many places you may find the instructions for consecration is in Exodus 13. The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. ” (see Exodus 13)
These passages along with others mean that there are all kinds of wonderful things we can say about today’s Gospel. Here is the substance of the living temple of flesh and blood coming into the shadow of the temple of stone. Here are Mary and joseph performing the shadow of redemption for the One who will one day provide the substance of redemption for them. Mary is the mother of the one who will provide the substance of purification for the entire world. Nevertheless, she must perform the shadow of the rite of purification with the sacrifice of birds … a shadow sacrifice that points forward to the substance of her son’s sacrifice on the cross. Here is an event full of the substance of the Christ fulfilling the shadow of the ceremonial law.
The Son is not the only one who fulfills promises on this day. The Holy Spirit also has a part to play. He promised to reveal the Lord’s Christ to Simeon and has called him to the temple to witness the substance of the Christ in the midst of the shadow of the temple.
Simeon was already in the temple waiting for the Christ when Joseph brought Mary and her son into the temple. His first action was to embrace the substance of the Lord’s salvation. He gathered the infant Christ up into his arms and gave thanks to God. Now he had everything he needed for a blessed end. He was ready for His Father in Heaven to graciously take him from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
After Simeon sang his song of praise and thanksgiving, the Holy Spirit gave him words to share with Mary. His words for Mary stand in stark contrast to his song of praise: “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Here we see another expression of what it means to be the Christ. This child shall produce profound changes in Israel. Those changes will come at a grave price. Sorrow will pierce Mary’s heart like a sword. Those of us, who know the rest of the story, know that 33 years later Mary will witness the death of this child … her son … on a cross.
Simeon gave praise to God for the salvation he carried in his arms, but the salvation that is good for us came at a terrible price. The Messiah … the Christ … the anointed one … will unite some and divide others. Many will reject Him. It is by the torture of His suffering and death on a cross that He will be the Lord’s Salvation. His suffering and sacrifice will bring great sorrow on His mother and on His followers.
Mary is the most blessed of all of God’s creatures, for she is the mother of God. At the same time, it is a terrible burden. A sword will pierce her soul. She will come to know that her son suffers for her sin. As she witnesses His death, she sees the price He must pay. This is what justice demands for sin … a man betrayed and abandoned by His friends … tortured, nailed to a cross, hanging naked and dying, and, in the midst of it all … forsaken by God, a torture worse than all the others combined.
Fortunately, Mary’s heart was divided in grief for just a few days. The sword that pierced her heart withdrew when she saw her son alive again. For on the third day of her heart’s division, her son rose from the dead. Jesus had defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil. By doing this, He had taken away her sin and the sin of the whole world.
In a way, the sword also pierces the soul of the church, for we must also meditate on the suffering of the cross. We must also consider the price justice demands for our sin. We must come to understand that this is the punishment we deserve for our sins.
Nevertheless, we are not the ones who pay this price. Christ has suffered and paid it all. His resurrection shows us that He has truly conquered death. It is by this resurrection that we know that Jesus has taken away the sin of the world.
Simeon’s words to Mary tell us that we will rise or fall based on what we believe about Jesus. Those who receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith in Jesus will rise. They will receive the salvation that Simeon spoke of in today’s Gospel. Those who reject this faith will fall. They will never experience the salvation God has prepared for them in Jesus Christ. Instead, they will experience everlasting torment.
So it is that the church can join Simeon in his song. Simeon’s hymn is an expression of trust in the Lord’s provision at the end of the day and at the end of life. Simeon trusted that Jesus would make our death into nothing more than an extended sleep while we await the day of our resurrection. Because Jesus paid for our sins, we know that we, like Simeon, are ready for death to come. Death no longer holds the terror of eternal punishment. Instead, we rest in the peace of Jesus and go to our death as though going to sleep.
Like Simeon we also see and hold our salvation. The only difference is that we hold our salvation in our mouths as we eat our savior’s body and drink His blood. Jesus has promised to come to us in the bread and wine of the Holy Supper so that we do indeed hold our salvation just as much as Simeon held his salvation in the temple long ago. The Holy Spirit enabled Simeon to recognize that the baby hidden in humble flesh and carried in Mary’s arms was the Lord, the Creator and Redeemer of the world. The Holy Spirit has enlightened your eyes to recognize the Savior of the world hidden in humble bread and wine. The Lord let Simeon go in peace. At each Divine Service the Lord lets us go in peace. The pastor says, “Go in peace,” but it is the Lord himself who frees us to do so.
The Bible does not tell us when Simeon died. It may be that the Lord gave him many years of life after he saw the infant savior in the temple. It may also be that Simeon died soon after He saw his salvation. We don’t know. What we do know is that he was ready for death whenever it came. He was ready for death because he was certain of his salvation … the salvation he held in his arms in the temple.
We are like Simeon in that we do not know when we will leave this world. We might leave this world when the Lord returns in judgment … a judgment that might happen today or may not happen for centuries. If the Lord delays His return, then we shall leave this world in death … a death that could happen at any time. Either way, we don’t know the day or the hour. What we do know is that we are ready for our end whenever it comes. We are ready because we have seen, heard, felt, and even tasted our salvation. We can be certain because the same Jesus, the very Son of God, who took on our human flesh and sacrificed Himself for us … that same Jesus still comes to us today in Word and Sacrament. We have the substance of the Lord’s Christ in our ears and in our mouths. This substance is just as real as the substance that Simeon held in his arms. Amen
Prayer of the Church (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.)
Prayer of the Church - The Purification of Mary and Presentation of Our Lord - 2 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Everlasting God, we remember how Simeon faithfully trusted Your promise that he would not die until he had seen the Savior. Grant us the same trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, that having received His body and blood and beholding Him by faith, we would be prepared for the day we meet Him face to face. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in the depth of love for creation, You brought Your Son to the temple and placed Him in the hands of blessed St. Simeon. Abide with those placed in the Office of the Holy Ministry, that their hands would be ever ready to deliver Your gifts to Your people and their lips bold to speak Your Gospel. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, You placed Your Son into the home of Mary and Joseph. Bless our homes, that they would be places where truth is taught and confessed. Like Joseph took Mary to be his wife, make all husbands courageous and compassionate in their love for their wives. As Mary submitted to Joseph, grant all wives grace for respectful submission to their husbands. Bless the work of parents as they instruct their children in Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Ruler of the nations, bless those placed in authority over us. Grant that they would serve with integrity and honor, having the welfare of all in mind. Look favorably on our country, that division, conflict and strife would give way to unity, peace and quietness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as Your Son has become our faithful High Priest, making propitiation for the sins of all people, hear His intercession for His Bride, the Church. Grant that the suffering, sick and sorrowful [especially _____________] would be blessed by Your loving visitation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of lasting peace, show mercy to those who receive the Lord’s Supper this day, that they would behold their salvation in the very body and blood of Christ given for them and, with St. Simeon, be well prepared to depart in peace according to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Join these, our prayers and praises, with those of Your faithful people of all times and places, and unite them in the ceaseless petitions of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, until He comes again in glory as victorious Lord of all. Through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
332 “Savior of the Nations, Come”
1 Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
2 Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh--
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.
3 Here a maid was found with child,
Yet remained a virgin mild.
In her womb this truth was shown:
God was there upon His throne.
4 Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.
5 God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.
6 For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.
7 From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.
D 8 Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.
Text: attr. Ambrose of Milan, 340–397; German version, Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (sts. 1–2): tr. William M. Reynolds, 1812–76; (sts. 3, 6): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006; (sts. 4–5, 8): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001; (st. 7): tr. Gifford A. Grobien, 1973
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (sts. 3, 6–7): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 4–5, 8): © 1978 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
937” Lord, Bid Your Servant Go in Peace”
1 Lord, bid Your servant go in peace,
Your word is now fulfilled.
These eyes have seen salvation’s dawn,
This child so long foretold.
2 This is the Savior of the world,
The Gentiles’ promised light,
God’s glory dwelling in our midst,
The joy of Israel.
D 3 With saints of old, with saints to come,
To You we lift our voice;
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest
Be honor, love, and praise.
Text (sts. 1–2): James Quinn, 1919–2010; (st. 3): Henry V. Gerike, 1948
Text (sts. 1–2): © 1969, 1989 OCP Publications; (st. 3): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis – Simeon’s Song
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 855 “For All the Faithful Women” sts. 1,8,3-4
1 For all the faithful women
Who served in days of old,
To You shall thanks be given;
To all, their story told.
They served with strength and gladness
In tasks Your wisdom gave.
To You their lives bore witness,
Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.
8 We sing of Mary, mother,
Fair maiden, full of grace.
She bore the Christ, our brother,
Who came to save our race.
May we, with her, surrender
Ourselves to Your command
And lay upon Your altar
Our gifts of heart and hand.
3 O God, for saints and servants,
Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
Our lives may sing Your praise.
D 4 All praise to God the Father!
All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
And strive to do Your will.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007, alt.
Text: © 1993, 1997, 2003 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Presentation of Our Lord and Purification of Mary
February 2, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
We are celebrating Holy Communion today. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
IT IS TIME
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Prov. 3:5
The Presentation of Our Lord and Purification of Mary
February 2, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 367 “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
1 Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story,
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth. Refrain
ref Come and worship, come and worship;
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
2 Shepherds in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing,
Yonder shines the Infant Light. Refrain
3 Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen His natal star. Refrain
4 Saints before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear. Refrain
D 5 All creation, join in praising
God the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To the_eternal Three in One. Refrain
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–4): James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.; (st. 5): Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, Salisbury, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 48:1–3, 8, 9
P We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
Within her citadels God has made himself known as a fortress. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God will establish forever.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty and ever-living God, as Your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in the substance of our flesh, grant that we may be presented to You with pure and clean hearts; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Samuel 1:21–28
21The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 84
1How lovely is your | dwelling place,*
O | Lord of hosts!
2My soul longs, yes, faints
for the courts | of the Lord;*
my heart and flesh sing for joy
to the | living God.
3Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may | lay her young,*
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King | and my God.
4Blessèd are those who dwell | in your house,*
ever sing- | ing your praise!
5Blessèd are those whose strength is | in you,*
in whose heart are the highways to | Zion.
6As they go through the Valley of Baca
they make it a | place of springs;*
the early rain also covers | it with pools.
7They go from | strength to strength;*
each one appears before God in | Zion.
8O Lord God of hosts, | hear my prayer;*
give ear, O God of | Jacob!
9Behold our shield, | O God;*
look on the face of your a- | nointed!
10For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand | elsewhere.*
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of | wickedness.
11For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and | honor.*
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk up- | rightly.
12O | Lord of hosts,*
blessèd is the one who | trusts in you!
Epistle Hebrews 2:14–18
14Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 2:22–32
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 519 “In His Temple Now Behold Him”
1 In His temple now behold Him,
See the long-expected Lord;
Ancient prophets had foretold Him,
God has now fulfilled His word.
Now to praise Him, His redeemèd
Shall break forth with one accord.
2 In the arms of her who bore Him,
Virgin pure, behold Him lie
While His aged saints adore Him
Ere in perfect faith they die.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Lo, the_incarnate God Most High!
3 Jesus, by Your presentation,
When they blessed You, weak and poor,
Make us see Your great salvation,
Seal us with Your promise sure;
And present us in Your glory
To Your Father, cleansed and pure.
Text: Henry J. Pye, c. 1825–1903, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Simeon’s Song” Luke 2:22-32
Simeon’s Song – Luke 2:22-35
The Apostle Paul had quite a battle on his hands when he took the Gospel to the Gentiles. False teachers followed him everywhere he went. These false teachers constantly insisted that a person had to convert to the Jewish faith before they could become a Christian. So it is that Paul wrote to the Colossians and said, [Colossians 2:16–17] “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” These words teach us that the old Jewish ceremonial law was a mere shadow. Christ is the substance that cast that shadow. Therefore, once Christ fulfilled the law, we no longer need to keep the shadow. We can rely directly on Christ.
Today’s Gospel tells of Jesus going to the temple to fulfill the rite of purification. You can find the instructions for the rite of purification in Leviticus 12. It is kind of long and some of the descriptive words a bit graphic. The main points are: If a woman conceives and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days. Then she shall continue for thirty-three days in the blood of her purifying. When the days of her purifying are completed, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and if she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves or two pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. And the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean. (see Leviticus 12:1–8)
Because Jesus was Mary’s first born, His parents were to consecrate Him to the Lord. One of the many places you may find the instructions for consecration is in Exodus 13. The Lord said to Moses, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine. Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. ” (see Exodus 13)
These passages along with others mean that there are all kinds of wonderful things we can say about today’s Gospel. Here is the substance of the living temple of flesh and blood coming into the shadow of the temple of stone. Here are Mary and joseph performing the shadow of redemption for the One who will one day provide the substance of redemption for them. Mary is the mother of the one who will provide the substance of purification for the entire world. Nevertheless, she must perform the shadow of the rite of purification with the sacrifice of birds … a shadow sacrifice that points forward to the substance of her son’s sacrifice on the cross. Here is an event full of the substance of the Christ fulfilling the shadow of the ceremonial law.
The Son is not the only one who fulfills promises on this day. The Holy Spirit also has a part to play. He promised to reveal the Lord’s Christ to Simeon and has called him to the temple to witness the substance of the Christ in the midst of the shadow of the temple.
Simeon was already in the temple waiting for the Christ when Joseph brought Mary and her son into the temple. His first action was to embrace the substance of the Lord’s salvation. He gathered the infant Christ up into his arms and gave thanks to God. Now he had everything he needed for a blessed end. He was ready for His Father in Heaven to graciously take him from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
After Simeon sang his song of praise and thanksgiving, the Holy Spirit gave him words to share with Mary. His words for Mary stand in stark contrast to his song of praise: “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Here we see another expression of what it means to be the Christ. This child shall produce profound changes in Israel. Those changes will come at a grave price. Sorrow will pierce Mary’s heart like a sword. Those of us, who know the rest of the story, know that 33 years later Mary will witness the death of this child … her son … on a cross.
Simeon gave praise to God for the salvation he carried in his arms, but the salvation that is good for us came at a terrible price. The Messiah … the Christ … the anointed one … will unite some and divide others. Many will reject Him. It is by the torture of His suffering and death on a cross that He will be the Lord’s Salvation. His suffering and sacrifice will bring great sorrow on His mother and on His followers.
Mary is the most blessed of all of God’s creatures, for she is the mother of God. At the same time, it is a terrible burden. A sword will pierce her soul. She will come to know that her son suffers for her sin. As she witnesses His death, she sees the price He must pay. This is what justice demands for sin … a man betrayed and abandoned by His friends … tortured, nailed to a cross, hanging naked and dying, and, in the midst of it all … forsaken by God, a torture worse than all the others combined.
Fortunately, Mary’s heart was divided in grief for just a few days. The sword that pierced her heart withdrew when she saw her son alive again. For on the third day of her heart’s division, her son rose from the dead. Jesus had defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil. By doing this, He had taken away her sin and the sin of the whole world.
In a way, the sword also pierces the soul of the church, for we must also meditate on the suffering of the cross. We must also consider the price justice demands for our sin. We must come to understand that this is the punishment we deserve for our sins.
Nevertheless, we are not the ones who pay this price. Christ has suffered and paid it all. His resurrection shows us that He has truly conquered death. It is by this resurrection that we know that Jesus has taken away the sin of the world.
Simeon’s words to Mary tell us that we will rise or fall based on what we believe about Jesus. Those who receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith in Jesus will rise. They will receive the salvation that Simeon spoke of in today’s Gospel. Those who reject this faith will fall. They will never experience the salvation God has prepared for them in Jesus Christ. Instead, they will experience everlasting torment.
So it is that the church can join Simeon in his song. Simeon’s hymn is an expression of trust in the Lord’s provision at the end of the day and at the end of life. Simeon trusted that Jesus would make our death into nothing more than an extended sleep while we await the day of our resurrection. Because Jesus paid for our sins, we know that we, like Simeon, are ready for death to come. Death no longer holds the terror of eternal punishment. Instead, we rest in the peace of Jesus and go to our death as though going to sleep.
Like Simeon we also see and hold our salvation. The only difference is that we hold our salvation in our mouths as we eat our savior’s body and drink His blood. Jesus has promised to come to us in the bread and wine of the Holy Supper so that we do indeed hold our salvation just as much as Simeon held his salvation in the temple long ago. The Holy Spirit enabled Simeon to recognize that the baby hidden in humble flesh and carried in Mary’s arms was the Lord, the Creator and Redeemer of the world. The Holy Spirit has enlightened your eyes to recognize the Savior of the world hidden in humble bread and wine. The Lord let Simeon go in peace. At each Divine Service the Lord lets us go in peace. The pastor says, “Go in peace,” but it is the Lord himself who frees us to do so.
The Bible does not tell us when Simeon died. It may be that the Lord gave him many years of life after he saw the infant savior in the temple. It may also be that Simeon died soon after He saw his salvation. We don’t know. What we do know is that he was ready for death whenever it came. He was ready for death because he was certain of his salvation … the salvation he held in his arms in the temple.
We are like Simeon in that we do not know when we will leave this world. We might leave this world when the Lord returns in judgment … a judgment that might happen today or may not happen for centuries. If the Lord delays His return, then we shall leave this world in death … a death that could happen at any time. Either way, we don’t know the day or the hour. What we do know is that we are ready for our end whenever it comes. We are ready because we have seen, heard, felt, and even tasted our salvation. We can be certain because the same Jesus, the very Son of God, who took on our human flesh and sacrificed Himself for us … that same Jesus still comes to us today in Word and Sacrament. We have the substance of the Lord’s Christ in our ears and in our mouths. This substance is just as real as the substance that Simeon held in his arms. Amen
Prayer of the Church (P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.)
Prayer of the Church - The Purification of Mary and Presentation of Our Lord - 2 February 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Everlasting God, we remember how Simeon faithfully trusted Your promise that he would not die until he had seen the Savior. Grant us the same trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, that having received His body and blood and beholding Him by faith, we would be prepared for the day we meet Him face to face. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in the depth of love for creation, You brought Your Son to the temple and placed Him in the hands of blessed St. Simeon. Abide with those placed in the Office of the Holy Ministry, that their hands would be ever ready to deliver Your gifts to Your people and their lips bold to speak Your Gospel. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, You placed Your Son into the home of Mary and Joseph. Bless our homes, that they would be places where truth is taught and confessed. Like Joseph took Mary to be his wife, make all husbands courageous and compassionate in their love for their wives. As Mary submitted to Joseph, grant all wives grace for respectful submission to their husbands. Bless the work of parents as they instruct their children in Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Ruler of the nations, bless those placed in authority over us. Grant that they would serve with integrity and honor, having the welfare of all in mind. Look favorably on our country, that division, conflict and strife would give way to unity, peace and quietness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as Your Son has become our faithful High Priest, making propitiation for the sins of all people, hear His intercession for His Bride, the Church. Grant that the suffering, sick and sorrowful [especially _____________] would be blessed by Your loving visitation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of lasting peace, show mercy to those who receive the Lord’s Supper this day, that they would behold their salvation in the very body and blood of Christ given for them and, with St. Simeon, be well prepared to depart in peace according to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Join these, our prayers and praises, with those of Your faithful people of all times and places, and unite them in the ceaseless petitions of our great High Priest, Jesus Christ, until He comes again in glory as victorious Lord of all. Through Him, with Him and in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, almighty Father, forever and ever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
332 “Savior of the Nations, Come”
1 Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
2 Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh--
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.
3 Here a maid was found with child,
Yet remained a virgin mild.
In her womb this truth was shown:
God was there upon His throne.
4 Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.
5 God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.
6 For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.
7 From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.
D 8 Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.
Text: attr. Ambrose of Milan, 340–397; German version, Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (sts. 1–2): tr. William M. Reynolds, 1812–76; (sts. 3, 6): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006; (sts. 4–5, 8): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001; (st. 7): tr. Gifford A. Grobien, 1973
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (sts. 3, 6–7): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 4–5, 8): © 1978 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
937” Lord, Bid Your Servant Go in Peace”
1 Lord, bid Your servant go in peace,
Your word is now fulfilled.
These eyes have seen salvation’s dawn,
This child so long foretold.
2 This is the Savior of the world,
The Gentiles’ promised light,
God’s glory dwelling in our midst,
The joy of Israel.
D 3 With saints of old, with saints to come,
To You we lift our voice;
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest
Be honor, love, and praise.
Text (sts. 1–2): James Quinn, 1919–2010; (st. 3): Henry V. Gerike, 1948
Text (sts. 1–2): © 1969, 1989 OCP Publications; (st. 3): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis – Simeon’s Song
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 855 “For All the Faithful Women” sts. 1,8,3-4
1 For all the faithful women
Who served in days of old,
To You shall thanks be given;
To all, their story told.
They served with strength and gladness
In tasks Your wisdom gave.
To You their lives bore witness,
Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.
8 We sing of Mary, mother,
Fair maiden, full of grace.
She bore the Christ, our brother,
Who came to save our race.
May we, with her, surrender
Ourselves to Your command
And lay upon Your altar
Our gifts of heart and hand.
3 O God, for saints and servants,
Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
Our lives may sing Your praise.
D 4 All praise to God the Father!
All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
And strive to do Your will.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007, alt.
Text: © 1993, 1997, 2003 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday after Epiphany – January 26, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Trust in the Lord;
don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 26, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 577 “Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast”
1 Almighty God, Your Word is cast
Like seed into the ground;
Now let the dew of heav’n descend
And righteous fruits abound.
2 Let not the sly satanic foe
This holy seed remove,
But give it root in ev’ry heart
To bring forth fruits of love.
3 Let not the world’s deceitful cares
The rising plant destroy,
But let it yield a hundredfold
The fruits of peace and joy.
4 So when the precious seed is sown,
Life-giving grace bestow
That all whose souls the truth receive
Its saving pow’r may know.
Text: John Cawood, 1775–1852, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 102:13, 18–22
P You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LorD.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Nehemiah 8:1–3, 5–6, 8–10
1 All the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. . . .
5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. . . .
8They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm Psalm 19:7–14
7The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviv- | ing the soul;*
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the | simple;
8the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing | the heart;*
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening | the eyes;
9the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring for- | ever;*
the just decrees of the Lord are true,
and righteous alto- | gether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
even | much fine gold;*
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the | honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is your | servant warned;*
in keeping them there is | great reward.
12Who can dis- | cern his errors?*
Declare me innocent from | hidden faults.
13Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion | over me!*
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great trans- | gression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable | in your sight,*
O Lord, my rock and my re- | deemer.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 12:12–31a
12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 4:16–30
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fourth chapter.
16[Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30But passing through their midst, he went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Him” Luke 4:16-30
The Spirit of the Lord Is upon Him – Luke 4:16-30
So far, it has been a happy Epiphany season. The magi worshiped the Christ-child. John the Baptist and his followers witnessed an epiphany of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism with the Son in the water, the Spirit descended as a dove, and the Father proclaimed Jesus as His Beloved Son. Jesus revealed Himself as He transformed water into wine. So far, Epiphany has been about worshippers, followers, and believers.
Today is different. Today, we hear that Jesus’ Epiphany angered the people of Nazareth so much that they tried to throw Him over a cliff to His death. We learn that while some people rejoice in God’s epiphany, others react in anger and extreme prejudice.
Jesus began teaching in the synagogues of Galilee and the quality of His teaching caused the report of His teaching to spread. Naturally, when He returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the people expected Him to teach in their synagogue as well.
The message began well enough. As Jesus rose to read, the attendant handed Him the roll of Isaiah. It was open to the reading for the day. This reading was a Gospel message based on the Year of the Lord which was also known as the Year of Jubilee.
The Year of Jubilee was a financial reset that God commanded every fifty years. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. 13 “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. 39 “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: 40 he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. 41 Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. (Leviticus 25:10, 13, 39-41) This was a big deal. All the land reverted to its original owners and all the Hebrew slaves went free.
Isaiah stated that God was preparing a Year of the Lord that would be like the Year of Jubilee. In this case, the Lord would free people from sin.
If you examine the context of these words in Isaiah, you will notice that even though Isaiah ministered over 700 years before Jesus was even born, He still followed Jesus’ instructions to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Isaiah gave an account of the many sins of Israel, and he called them to repent. Then, in chapter 60, Isaiah began a proclamation of forgiveness. The captives and the prisoners in this prophecy are not just the captives and prisoners of the political enemies of Israel, but they are also the captives and prisoners of sin. So the words that Jesus read that day were from the middle of that great proclamation of the forgiveness of sin that Isaiah proclaimed to all of Israel.
[Jesus] rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:20–21, ESV) Basically, Jesus pointed to Himself as the fulfillment of this prophecy of forgiveness. Jesus is the bearer of good news. Jesus is the binder of the broken heart. Jesus is the liberator of the captive. Jesus is the opener of the prison. Jesus is the bringer of the Year of Jubilee. Jesus identified Himself as the forgiveness that Isaiah, by the power of the Holy Spirit, spoke of in his message to Israel. Jesus identified Himself as the Kingdom of God come down to earth to save people from sin.
Those who heard these words responded in amazed confusion. All spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. (Luke 4:22, ESV) All their lives they had heard rabbis speak of the one who would come and set the captives free. Now, this Jesus guy walks in and says, “I am the fulfillment of this prophecy. I am here to set you free.” The crowd is in shock. At first, Jesus’ teaching style impressed them, but then they became suspicious.
And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22, ESV) Can’t you just imagine someone saying, “My wife used to babysit him.” OR “I remember when he and his father Joseph used to build houses together.” “He’s just a local kid. Who does he think he is saying that he is the fulfillment of prophecy?”
Jesus knew what they were thinking and He called them on it. He said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.” (Luke 4:24, ESV) He then gave them the examples of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah stayed with a Gentile widow during a great famine. Elisha healed a general of the Gentile Syrians who were the sworn enemies of Israel. In both cases Israel rejected the prophets of God, and in both cases God sent His prophets to bless Gentiles.
The men of Nazareth very quickly followed the examples of their ancestors. Instead of recognizing their own hardness of heart and repenting, they acted to kill Jesus. That is when they tried to throw Him from the cliff.
While Jesus came into this world to die, He came to die at a specific time and a specific place. Nazareth was not the place, nor was this the time. But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:30, ESV)
Those last three words, he went away, are very sad. Jesus had given an epiphany to the people of Nazareth and they rejected it. He offered salvation and freedom from sin to them and they tried to throw Him over a cliff.
Humanity has a sad, sad history of rebellion against God’s grace. The Old Testament is full of rebellion … some of which was utterly obscene.
One of the saddest passages of the Old Testament involves the prophet Ezekiel. The Lord allowed the Babylonians to carry him into exile, but then the Holy Spirit gave him a vision of the temple. In this vision, God Himself gave Ezekiel a tour of the abominations that Israel practiced within the very temple courts … worship of animals, the sun, the return of spring, and so forth for chapter after chapter.
Eventually, God stood on the threshold to the temple. Then God left the temple and ascended to the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. Then the Lord left Jerusalem altogether. The people had rejected God’s care for them. Therefore, God left. Jerusalem was without protection. It would not be long until Babylon would return once again to destroy Jerusalem and the temple.
In more modern times, we have Martin Luther’s warning to the councilmen of the cities of Germany. “You should know that God’s word and grace is like a passing shower of rain which does not return where it has once been. It has been with the Jews, but when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have nothing. Paul brought it to the Greeks; but again when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have the Turk. Rome and the Latins also had it; but when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have the pope. And you Germans need not think that you will have it forever, for ingratitude and contempt will not make it stay. Therefore, seize it and hold it fast, whoever can; for lazy hands are bound to have a lean year.”
The most destructive theme in history is the theme of the rejection of God’s salvation. For after a time of rejection, God will leave. Will you reject His gifts until He leaves you? May this never be!
The Year of Jubilee is an object lesson in the history of the nation of Israel. The prophet Isaiah used it to point to Jesus. Just as Israel was to free the slaves during the Jubilee, so also Jesus came to free the slaves. In His case, He came to free those who were slaves to sin. He did this by letting Roman soldiers nail Him to a cross. As He hung on that cross, He earned the freedom of the Jubilee Year for the sins of all mankind.
Jesus wants to give us the gifts that He purchased for us with His holy life, His suffering, and His death. He wants to give the gifts that He authenticated with His resurrection from the dead. He wants to tell us how His death on the cross has freed us from our captivity, opened our eyes to His salvation, and liberated us from sin’s oppression.
Jesus truly is the fulfillment of God’s promises. He is the Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah. He has preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He has shown us the light of His salvation. With His life, suffering, and death on the cross, He has freed those oppressed by sin. With His resurrection, He offers the Lord’s favor to us. He gives these things to us through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. God has promised all these things to us and today they are fulfilled in your hearing. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday after the Epiphany - 26 January 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God of Zion, we give You thanks that You have arisen to show pity to our fallen world and set us free from sin and death. In Christ the appointed time of favor has come for all people. Cause Your name to be declared among all peoples, that Your grace may not be rejected in our time but received with delight in every place. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your people in the days of Ezra the priest returned to Your Word with attentive ears. Give us eagerness to hear Your Word with understanding, that our days may be sanctified and Your commandments put into practice among us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Giver of the Holy Spirit, You bless Your servants with a variety of gifts from one and the same Spirit. Grant that each of us may use these gifts for the common good of Your people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give wisdom and courage to all who govern our communities and country, that they may lead well, following Your will rather than man’s whims. Grant us willingness to support them with our prayers and encouragement. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious and compassionate Lord, comfort those who mourn [especially _____________]. As our Great Physician, mend the bodies and uplift the spirits of all in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son has come with favor to deliver us, and in His blessed Sacrament He brings cleansing and strength. Give us faith that we would not despise our Savior and this Holy Communion. Do not pass through us and go away as at Nazareth, but dwell among us graciously. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven….Amen
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930–2024, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
706 “Love in Christ Is Strong and Living”
1 Love in Christ is strong and living,
Binding faithful hearts in one;
Love in Christ is true and giving.
May His will in us be done.
2 Love is patient and forbearing,
Clothed in Christ’s humility,
Gentle, selfless, kind, and caring,
Reaching out in charity.
3 Love in Christ abides forever,
Fainting not when ills attend;
Love, forgiving and forgiven,
Shall endure until life’s end.
Text: Dorothy R. Schultz, 1934
Text: © 1979 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 401 “From God the Father, Virgin-Born”
1 From God the Father, virgin-born
To us the only Son came down;
By death the font to consecrate,
The faithful to regenerate.
2 Beginning from His home on high,
In human flesh He came to die;
Creation by His death restored,
And shed new joys of life abroad.
3 Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring
The gift of healing on Your wing;
To ev’ry dull and clouded sense
The clearness of Your light dispense.
4 Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;
The gloom of darkness chase away;
Your work of healing, Lord, begin,
And take away the stain of sin.
5 Lord, once You came to earth’s domain
And, we believe, shall come again;
Be with us on the battlefield,
From ev’ry harm Your people shield.
D 6 To You, O Lord, all glory be
For this Your blest epiphany;
To God, whom all His hosts adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday after Epiphany – January 26, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Trust in the Lord;
don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 26, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 577 “Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast”
1 Almighty God, Your Word is cast
Like seed into the ground;
Now let the dew of heav’n descend
And righteous fruits abound.
2 Let not the sly satanic foe
This holy seed remove,
But give it root in ev’ry heart
To bring forth fruits of love.
3 Let not the world’s deceitful cares
The rising plant destroy,
But let it yield a hundredfold
The fruits of peace and joy.
4 So when the precious seed is sown,
Life-giving grace bestow
That all whose souls the truth receive
Its saving pow’r may know.
Text: John Cawood, 1775–1852, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 102:13, 18–22
P You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come. Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord, and in Jerusalem his praise, when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LorD.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Nehemiah 8:1–3, 5–6, 8–10
1 All the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. . . .
5And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. . . .
8They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
9And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm Psalm 19:7–14
7The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviv- | ing the soul;*
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the | simple;
8the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing | the heart;*
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening | the eyes;
9the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring for- | ever;*
the just decrees of the Lord are true,
and righteous alto- | gether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
even | much fine gold;*
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the | honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is your | servant warned;*
in keeping them there is | great reward.
12Who can dis- | cern his errors?*
Declare me innocent from | hidden faults.
13Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion | over me!*
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great trans- | gression.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable | in your sight,*
O Lord, my rock and my re- | deemer.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 12:12–31a
12For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
14For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.
21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.
27Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. 29Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly desire the higher gifts.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 4:16–30
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the fourth chapter.
16[Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30But passing through their midst, he went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Him” Luke 4:16-30
The Spirit of the Lord Is upon Him – Luke 4:16-30
So far, it has been a happy Epiphany season. The magi worshiped the Christ-child. John the Baptist and his followers witnessed an epiphany of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at Jesus’ baptism with the Son in the water, the Spirit descended as a dove, and the Father proclaimed Jesus as His Beloved Son. Jesus revealed Himself as He transformed water into wine. So far, Epiphany has been about worshippers, followers, and believers.
Today is different. Today, we hear that Jesus’ Epiphany angered the people of Nazareth so much that they tried to throw Him over a cliff to His death. We learn that while some people rejoice in God’s epiphany, others react in anger and extreme prejudice.
Jesus began teaching in the synagogues of Galilee and the quality of His teaching caused the report of His teaching to spread. Naturally, when He returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the people expected Him to teach in their synagogue as well.
The message began well enough. As Jesus rose to read, the attendant handed Him the roll of Isaiah. It was open to the reading for the day. This reading was a Gospel message based on the Year of the Lord which was also known as the Year of Jubilee.
The Year of Jubilee was a financial reset that God commanded every fifty years. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. 13 “In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. 39 “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: 40 he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. 41 Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers. (Leviticus 25:10, 13, 39-41) This was a big deal. All the land reverted to its original owners and all the Hebrew slaves went free.
Isaiah stated that God was preparing a Year of the Lord that would be like the Year of Jubilee. In this case, the Lord would free people from sin.
If you examine the context of these words in Isaiah, you will notice that even though Isaiah ministered over 700 years before Jesus was even born, He still followed Jesus’ instructions to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Isaiah gave an account of the many sins of Israel, and he called them to repent. Then, in chapter 60, Isaiah began a proclamation of forgiveness. The captives and the prisoners in this prophecy are not just the captives and prisoners of the political enemies of Israel, but they are also the captives and prisoners of sin. So the words that Jesus read that day were from the middle of that great proclamation of the forgiveness of sin that Isaiah proclaimed to all of Israel.
[Jesus] rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:20–21, ESV) Basically, Jesus pointed to Himself as the fulfillment of this prophecy of forgiveness. Jesus is the bearer of good news. Jesus is the binder of the broken heart. Jesus is the liberator of the captive. Jesus is the opener of the prison. Jesus is the bringer of the Year of Jubilee. Jesus identified Himself as the forgiveness that Isaiah, by the power of the Holy Spirit, spoke of in his message to Israel. Jesus identified Himself as the Kingdom of God come down to earth to save people from sin.
Those who heard these words responded in amazed confusion. All spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. (Luke 4:22, ESV) All their lives they had heard rabbis speak of the one who would come and set the captives free. Now, this Jesus guy walks in and says, “I am the fulfillment of this prophecy. I am here to set you free.” The crowd is in shock. At first, Jesus’ teaching style impressed them, but then they became suspicious.
And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22, ESV) Can’t you just imagine someone saying, “My wife used to babysit him.” OR “I remember when he and his father Joseph used to build houses together.” “He’s just a local kid. Who does he think he is saying that he is the fulfillment of prophecy?”
Jesus knew what they were thinking and He called them on it. He said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.” (Luke 4:24, ESV) He then gave them the examples of Elijah and Elisha. Elijah stayed with a Gentile widow during a great famine. Elisha healed a general of the Gentile Syrians who were the sworn enemies of Israel. In both cases Israel rejected the prophets of God, and in both cases God sent His prophets to bless Gentiles.
The men of Nazareth very quickly followed the examples of their ancestors. Instead of recognizing their own hardness of heart and repenting, they acted to kill Jesus. That is when they tried to throw Him from the cliff.
While Jesus came into this world to die, He came to die at a specific time and a specific place. Nazareth was not the place, nor was this the time. But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:30, ESV)
Those last three words, he went away, are very sad. Jesus had given an epiphany to the people of Nazareth and they rejected it. He offered salvation and freedom from sin to them and they tried to throw Him over a cliff.
Humanity has a sad, sad history of rebellion against God’s grace. The Old Testament is full of rebellion … some of which was utterly obscene.
One of the saddest passages of the Old Testament involves the prophet Ezekiel. The Lord allowed the Babylonians to carry him into exile, but then the Holy Spirit gave him a vision of the temple. In this vision, God Himself gave Ezekiel a tour of the abominations that Israel practiced within the very temple courts … worship of animals, the sun, the return of spring, and so forth for chapter after chapter.
Eventually, God stood on the threshold to the temple. Then God left the temple and ascended to the mountains surrounding Jerusalem. Then the Lord left Jerusalem altogether. The people had rejected God’s care for them. Therefore, God left. Jerusalem was without protection. It would not be long until Babylon would return once again to destroy Jerusalem and the temple.
In more modern times, we have Martin Luther’s warning to the councilmen of the cities of Germany. “You should know that God’s word and grace is like a passing shower of rain which does not return where it has once been. It has been with the Jews, but when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have nothing. Paul brought it to the Greeks; but again when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have the Turk. Rome and the Latins also had it; but when it’s gone it’s gone, and now they have the pope. And you Germans need not think that you will have it forever, for ingratitude and contempt will not make it stay. Therefore, seize it and hold it fast, whoever can; for lazy hands are bound to have a lean year.”
The most destructive theme in history is the theme of the rejection of God’s salvation. For after a time of rejection, God will leave. Will you reject His gifts until He leaves you? May this never be!
The Year of Jubilee is an object lesson in the history of the nation of Israel. The prophet Isaiah used it to point to Jesus. Just as Israel was to free the slaves during the Jubilee, so also Jesus came to free the slaves. In His case, He came to free those who were slaves to sin. He did this by letting Roman soldiers nail Him to a cross. As He hung on that cross, He earned the freedom of the Jubilee Year for the sins of all mankind.
Jesus wants to give us the gifts that He purchased for us with His holy life, His suffering, and His death. He wants to give the gifts that He authenticated with His resurrection from the dead. He wants to tell us how His death on the cross has freed us from our captivity, opened our eyes to His salvation, and liberated us from sin’s oppression.
Jesus truly is the fulfillment of God’s promises. He is the Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah. He has preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God. He has shown us the light of His salvation. With His life, suffering, and death on the cross, He has freed those oppressed by sin. With His resurrection, He offers the Lord’s favor to us. He gives these things to us through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. God has promised all these things to us and today they are fulfilled in your hearing. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday after the Epiphany - 26 January 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God of Zion, we give You thanks that You have arisen to show pity to our fallen world and set us free from sin and death. In Christ the appointed time of favor has come for all people. Cause Your name to be declared among all peoples, that Your grace may not be rejected in our time but received with delight in every place. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your people in the days of Ezra the priest returned to Your Word with attentive ears. Give us eagerness to hear Your Word with understanding, that our days may be sanctified and Your commandments put into practice among us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Giver of the Holy Spirit, You bless Your servants with a variety of gifts from one and the same Spirit. Grant that each of us may use these gifts for the common good of Your people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give wisdom and courage to all who govern our communities and country, that they may lead well, following Your will rather than man’s whims. Grant us willingness to support them with our prayers and encouragement. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious and compassionate Lord, comfort those who mourn [especially _____________]. As our Great Physician, mend the bodies and uplift the spirits of all in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son has come with favor to deliver us, and in His blessed Sacrament He brings cleansing and strength. Give us faith that we would not despise our Savior and this Holy Communion. Do not pass through us and go away as at Nazareth, but dwell among us graciously. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven….Amen
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930–2024, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
706 “Love in Christ Is Strong and Living”
1 Love in Christ is strong and living,
Binding faithful hearts in one;
Love in Christ is true and giving.
May His will in us be done.
2 Love is patient and forbearing,
Clothed in Christ’s humility,
Gentle, selfless, kind, and caring,
Reaching out in charity.
3 Love in Christ abides forever,
Fainting not when ills attend;
Love, forgiving and forgiven,
Shall endure until life’s end.
Text: Dorothy R. Schultz, 1934
Text: © 1979 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 401 “From God the Father, Virgin-Born”
1 From God the Father, virgin-born
To us the only Son came down;
By death the font to consecrate,
The faithful to regenerate.
2 Beginning from His home on high,
In human flesh He came to die;
Creation by His death restored,
And shed new joys of life abroad.
3 Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring
The gift of healing on Your wing;
To ev’ry dull and clouded sense
The clearness of Your light dispense.
4 Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;
The gloom of darkness chase away;
Your work of healing, Lord, begin,
And take away the stain of sin.
5 Lord, once You came to earth’s domain
And, we believe, shall come again;
Be with us on the battlefield,
From ev’ry harm Your people shield.
D 6 To You, O Lord, all glory be
For this Your blest epiphany;
To God, whom all His hosts adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Epiphany – January 19, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God.
Is. 40:28
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Devra Eisert
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this real bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
Trust in the Lord;
don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 19, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 395 “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright”
1O Morning Star, how fair and bright!
You shine with God’s own truth and light,
Aglow with grace and mercy!
Of Jacob’s race, King David’s son,
Our Lord and master, You have won
Our hearts to serve You only!
Lowly, holy!
Great and glorious,
All victorious,
Rich in blessing!
Rule and might o’er all possessing!
2Come, heav’nly Bridegroom, Light divine,
And deep within our hearts now shine;
There light a flame undying!
In Your one body let us be
As living branches of a tree,
Your life our lives supplying.
Now, though daily
Earth’s deep sadness
May perplex us
And distress us,
Yet with heav’nly joy You bless us.
3Lord, when You look on us in love,
At once there falls from God above
A ray of purest pleasure.
Your Word and Spirit, flesh and blood
Refresh our souls with heav’nly food.
You are our dearest treasure!
Let Your mercy
Warm and cheer us!
O draw near us!
For You teach us
God’s own love through You has reached us.
4Almighty Father, in Your Son
You loved us when not yet begun
Was this old earth’s foundation!
Your Son has ransomed us in love
To live in Him here and above:
This is Your great salvation.
Alleluia!
Christ the living,
To us giving
Life forever,
Keeps us Yours and fails us never!
5O let the harps break forth in sound!
Our joy be all with music crowned,
Our voices gladly blending!
For Christ goes with us all the way--
Today, tomorrow, ev’ry day!
His love is never ending!
Sing out! Ring out!
Jubilation!
Exultation!
Tell the story!
Great is He, the King of Glory!
6What joy to know, when life is past,
The Lord we love is first and last,
The end and the beginning!
He will one day, oh, glorious grace,
Transport us to that happy place
Beyond all tears and sinning!
Amen! Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Crown of gladness!
We are yearning
For the day of Your returning!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
LO Lord, open my lips,
Cand my mouth will declare Your praise.
LMake haste, O God, to deliver me;
Cmake haste to help me, O Lord.
C[spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung by all]LSB 220
CO come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Sit
ReadingIsaiah 62:1–5
LA reading from Isaiah, chapter 62.
1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Reading1 Corinthians 12:1–11
LA reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.
1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Stand
ReadingJohn 2:1–11
LA reading from John, chapter 2.
1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Responsory
LForever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LBlessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LGlory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 408 “Come, Join in Cana’s Feast”
1Come, join in Cana’s feast
Where Christ is honored guest.
He welcomes all who come to taste
The wine His hands have blessed.
2The old wine now is gone
From jars that stand apart.
No longer can it satisfy
The yearning, thirsting heart.
3But Christ, the Word made flesh,
Bids water turn to wine.
He fills our empty cups again
With grace and truth divine.
4Come, friends, and share the feast;
Here drink the wine supplied
By Him who is both guest and host--
For us, the crucified.
D5For now He lives and reigns
Through all eternity
With Father, Spirit, Three in One,
The glorious Trinity.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Manifests His Glory” John 2:1-11
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
KyrieLSB 227
CLord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
PIn the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
CAmen.
PBeloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
POur help is in the name of the Lord,
Cwho made heaven and earth.
PI said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
Cand You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
PO almighty God, merciful Father,
CI, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
PUpon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
COur Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
859 “Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest”
1Lord, when You came as welcome guest
To Cana’s wedding feast,
The bridal pair, divinely blest,
Found all their joy increased.
2Now give Your presence from above
That these, by vowing true,
May show their pledge is like the love
Between the Church and You.
3Preserve the vow these two shall make,
This circle round their life,
This golden ring that none may break
Which makes them husband, wife.
4Your daily mercies let them share,
All threats of harm destroy;
By this their vow divide their care
And double all their joy.
5On all who thus before You kneel
Your joyous Spirit pour
That each may wake the other’s zeal
To love You more and more.
6O grant them here in peace to live,
In purity and love,
And after this life to receive
The crown of life above.
Text: F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001
Text: © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
858 “O Father, All Creating”
1O Father, all creating,
Whose wisdom, love, and pow’r
First bound two lives together
In Eden’s primal hour,
Today to these Your children
Your earliest gifts renew:
A home by You made happy,
A love by You kept true.
2With good wine, Lord, at Cana
The wedding feast You blessed.
Grant also these Your presence,
And be their dearest guest.
Their store of earthly gladness
Transform to heav’nly wine,
And teach them, in the testing,
To know the gift divine.
3O Spirit of the Father,
Breathe on them from above,
So searching in Your pureness,
So tender in Your love
That, guarded by Your presence
And kept from strife and sin,
Their hearts may heed Your guidance
And know You dwell within.
4Unless You build it, Father,
The house is built in vain;
Unless You, Savior, bless it,
The joy will turn to pain.
But nothing breaks the union
Of hearts in You made one;
The love Your Spirit hallows
Is endless love begun.
Text: John Ellerton, 1826–93, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
LO Lord, hear my prayer.
CAnd let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Collect for Grace
LO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Benedicamus
LLet us bless the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Benediction
PThe grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
CAmen.
Closing Hymn: 394 “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”
1Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David’s stem
In Thy birth at Bethlehem:
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
2Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding guest
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in pow’r divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
3Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
4Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heav’ns shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.
5Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Present in Thy holy Word--
Grace to imitate Thee now
And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we might become like Thee
At Thy great epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.
Text: Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
2
Sermon-The Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 19, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 395 “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright”
1O Morning Star, how fair and bright!
You shine with God’s own truth and light,
Aglow with grace and mercy!
Of Jacob’s race, King David’s son,
Our Lord and master, You have won
Our hearts to serve You only!
Lowly, holy!
Great and glorious,
All victorious,
Rich in blessing!
Rule and might o’er all possessing!
2Come, heav’nly Bridegroom, Light divine,
And deep within our hearts now shine;
There light a flame undying!
In Your one body let us be
As living branches of a tree,
Your life our lives supplying.
Now, though daily
Earth’s deep sadness
May perplex us
And distress us,
Yet with heav’nly joy You bless us.
3Lord, when You look on us in love,
At once there falls from God above
A ray of purest pleasure.
Your Word and Spirit, flesh and blood
Refresh our souls with heav’nly food.
You are our dearest treasure!
Let Your mercy
Warm and cheer us!
O draw near us!
For You teach us
God’s own love through You has reached us.
4Almighty Father, in Your Son
You loved us when not yet begun
Was this old earth’s foundation!
Your Son has ransomed us in love
To live in Him here and above:
This is Your great salvation.
Alleluia!
Christ the living,
To us giving
Life forever,
Keeps us Yours and fails us never!
5O let the harps break forth in sound!
Our joy be all with music crowned,
Our voices gladly blending!
For Christ goes with us all the way--
Today, tomorrow, ev’ry day!
His love is never ending!
Sing out! Ring out!
Jubilation!
Exultation!
Tell the story!
Great is He, the King of Glory!
6What joy to know, when life is past,
The Lord we love is first and last,
The end and the beginning!
He will one day, oh, glorious grace,
Transport us to that happy place
Beyond all tears and sinning!
Amen! Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Crown of gladness!
We are yearning
For the day of Your returning!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
LO Lord, open my lips,
Cand my mouth will declare Your praise.
LMake haste, O God, to deliver me;
Cmake haste to help me, O Lord.
C[spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung by all]LSB 220
CO come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Sit
ReadingIsaiah 62:1–5
LA reading from Isaiah, chapter 62.
1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Reading1 Corinthians 12:1–11
LA reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.
1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Stand
ReadingJohn 2:1–11
LA reading from John, chapter 2.
1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Responsory
LForever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LBlessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LGlory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 408 “Come, Join in Cana’s Feast”
1Come, join in Cana’s feast
Where Christ is honored guest.
He welcomes all who come to taste
The wine His hands have blessed.
2The old wine now is gone
From jars that stand apart.
No longer can it satisfy
The yearning, thirsting heart.
3But Christ, the Word made flesh,
Bids water turn to wine.
He fills our empty cups again
With grace and truth divine.
4Come, friends, and share the feast;
Here drink the wine supplied
By Him who is both guest and host--
For us, the crucified.
D5For now He lives and reigns
Through all eternity
With Father, Spirit, Three in One,
The glorious Trinity.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Manifests His Glory” John 2:1-11
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
KyrieLSB 227
CLord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
PIn the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
CAmen.
PBeloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
POur help is in the name of the Lord,
Cwho made heaven and earth.
PI said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
Cand You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
PO almighty God, merciful Father,
CI, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
PUpon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
COur Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
859 “Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest”
1Lord, when You came as welcome guest
To Cana’s wedding feast,
The bridal pair, divinely blest,
Found all their joy increased.
2Now give Your presence from above
That these, by vowing true,
May show their pledge is like the love
Between the Church and You.
3Preserve the vow these two shall make,
This circle round their life,
This golden ring that none may break
Which makes them husband, wife.
4Your daily mercies let them share,
All threats of harm destroy;
By this their vow divide their care
And double all their joy.
5On all who thus before You kneel
Your joyous Spirit pour
That each may wake the other’s zeal
To love You more and more.
6O grant them here in peace to live,
In purity and love,
And after this life to receive
The crown of life above.
Text: F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001
Text: © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
858 “O Father, All Creating”
1O Father, all creating,
Whose wisdom, love, and pow’r
First bound two lives together
In Eden’s primal hour,
Today to these Your children
Your earliest gifts renew:
A home by You made happy,
A love by You kept true.
2With good wine, Lord, at Cana
The wedding feast You blessed.
Grant also these Your presence,
And be their dearest guest.
Their store of earthly gladness
Transform to heav’nly wine,
And teach them, in the testing,
To know the gift divine.
3O Spirit of the Father,
Breathe on them from above,
So searching in Your pureness,
So tender in Your love
That, guarded by Your presence
And kept from strife and sin,
Their hearts may heed Your guidance
And know You dwell within.
4Unless You build it, Father,
The house is built in vain;
Unless You, Savior, bless it,
The joy will turn to pain.
But nothing breaks the union
Of hearts in You made one;
The love Your Spirit hallows
Is endless love begun.
Text: John Ellerton, 1826–93, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
LO Lord, hear my prayer.
CAnd let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Collect for Grace
LO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Benedicamus
LLet us bless the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Benediction
PThe grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
CAmen.
Closing Hymn: 394 “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”
1Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David’s stem
In Thy birth at Bethlehem:
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
2Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding guest
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in pow’r divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
3Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
4Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heav’ns shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.
5Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Present in Thy holy Word--
Grace to imitate Thee now
And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we might become like Thee
At Thy great epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.
Text: Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
2
The Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 19, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 395 “O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright”
1O Morning Star, how fair and bright!
You shine with God’s own truth and light,
Aglow with grace and mercy!
Of Jacob’s race, King David’s son,
Our Lord and master, You have won
Our hearts to serve You only!
Lowly, holy!
Great and glorious,
All victorious,
Rich in blessing!
Rule and might o’er all possessing!
2Come, heav’nly Bridegroom, Light divine,
And deep within our hearts now shine;
There light a flame undying!
In Your one body let us be
As living branches of a tree,
Your life our lives supplying.
Now, though daily
Earth’s deep sadness
May perplex us
And distress us,
Yet with heav’nly joy You bless us.
3Lord, when You look on us in love,
At once there falls from God above
A ray of purest pleasure.
Your Word and Spirit, flesh and blood
Refresh our souls with heav’nly food.
You are our dearest treasure!
Let Your mercy
Warm and cheer us!
O draw near us!
For You teach us
God’s own love through You has reached us.
4Almighty Father, in Your Son
You loved us when not yet begun
Was this old earth’s foundation!
Your Son has ransomed us in love
To live in Him here and above:
This is Your great salvation.
Alleluia!
Christ the living,
To us giving
Life forever,
Keeps us Yours and fails us never!
5O let the harps break forth in sound!
Our joy be all with music crowned,
Our voices gladly blending!
For Christ goes with us all the way--
Today, tomorrow, ev’ry day!
His love is never ending!
Sing out! Ring out!
Jubilation!
Exultation!
Tell the story!
Great is He, the King of Glory!
6What joy to know, when life is past,
The Lord we love is first and last,
The end and the beginning!
He will one day, oh, glorious grace,
Transport us to that happy place
Beyond all tears and sinning!
Amen! Amen!
Come, Lord Jesus!
Crown of gladness!
We are yearning
For the day of Your returning!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
LO Lord, open my lips,
Cand my mouth will declare Your praise.
LMake haste, O God, to deliver me;
Cmake haste to help me, O Lord.
C[spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung by all]LSB 220
CO come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Sit
ReadingIsaiah 62:1–5
LA reading from Isaiah, chapter 62.
1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Reading1 Corinthians 12:1–11
LA reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.
1Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. 3Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
4Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Stand
ReadingJohn 2:1–11
LA reading from John, chapter 2.
1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Responsory
LForever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LBlessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LGlory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 408 “Come, Join in Cana’s Feast”
1Come, join in Cana’s feast
Where Christ is honored guest.
He welcomes all who come to taste
The wine His hands have blessed.
2The old wine now is gone
From jars that stand apart.
No longer can it satisfy
The yearning, thirsting heart.
3But Christ, the Word made flesh,
Bids water turn to wine.
He fills our empty cups again
With grace and truth divine.
4Come, friends, and share the feast;
Here drink the wine supplied
By Him who is both guest and host--
For us, the crucified.
D5For now He lives and reigns
Through all eternity
With Father, Spirit, Three in One,
The glorious Trinity.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Manifests His Glory” John 2:1-11
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
KyrieLSB 227
CLord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
PIn the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
CAmen.
PBeloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
POur help is in the name of the Lord,
Cwho made heaven and earth.
PI said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
Cand You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
PO almighty God, merciful Father,
CI, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
PUpon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
COur Father who art in heaven……..Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
859 “Lord, When You Came as Welcome Guest”
1Lord, when You came as welcome guest
To Cana’s wedding feast,
The bridal pair, divinely blest,
Found all their joy increased.
2Now give Your presence from above
That these, by vowing true,
May show their pledge is like the love
Between the Church and You.
3Preserve the vow these two shall make,
This circle round their life,
This golden ring that none may break
Which makes them husband, wife.
4Your daily mercies let them share,
All threats of harm destroy;
By this their vow divide their care
And double all their joy.
5On all who thus before You kneel
Your joyous Spirit pour
That each may wake the other’s zeal
To love You more and more.
6O grant them here in peace to live,
In purity and love,
And after this life to receive
The crown of life above.
Text: F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001
Text: © 1982 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
858 “O Father, All Creating”
1O Father, all creating,
Whose wisdom, love, and pow’r
First bound two lives together
In Eden’s primal hour,
Today to these Your children
Your earliest gifts renew:
A home by You made happy,
A love by You kept true.
2With good wine, Lord, at Cana
The wedding feast You blessed.
Grant also these Your presence,
And be their dearest guest.
Their store of earthly gladness
Transform to heav’nly wine,
And teach them, in the testing,
To know the gift divine.
3O Spirit of the Father,
Breathe on them from above,
So searching in Your pureness,
So tender in Your love
That, guarded by Your presence
And kept from strife and sin,
Their hearts may heed Your guidance
And know You dwell within.
4Unless You build it, Father,
The house is built in vain;
Unless You, Savior, bless it,
The joy will turn to pain.
But nothing breaks the union
Of hearts in You made one;
The love Your Spirit hallows
Is endless love begun.
Text: John Ellerton, 1826–93, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
LO Lord, hear my prayer.
CAnd let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Collect for Grace
LO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Benedicamus
LLet us bless the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Benediction
PThe grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
CAmen.
Closing Hymn: 394 “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise”
1Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to Thee we raise,
Manifested by the star
To the sages from afar,
Branch of royal David’s stem
In Thy birth at Bethlehem:
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
2Manifest at Jordan’s stream,
Prophet, Priest, and King supreme;
And at Cana wedding guest
In Thy Godhead manifest;
Manifest in pow’r divine,
Changing water into wine;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
3Manifest in making whole
Palsied limbs and fainting soul;
Manifest in valiant fight,
Quelling all the devil’s might;
Manifest in gracious will,
Ever bringing good from ill;
Anthems be to Thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.
4Sun and moon shall darkened be,
Stars shall fall, the heav’ns shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
All will see His glorious sign;
All will then the trumpet hear,
All will see the Judge appear;
Thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.
5Grant us grace to see Thee, Lord,
Present in Thy holy Word--
Grace to imitate Thee now
And be pure, as pure art Thou;
That we might become like Thee
At Thy great epiphany
And may praise Thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.
Text: Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
Jesus Manifests His Glory – John 2:1-11
Once again we heard a very familiar reading from the Gospel according to St. John … Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana in Galilee. Jesus, His mother, and His disciples had an invitation to this wedding and they came to help the couple celebrate the beginning of their life together as husband and wife.
Weddings in that culture were major celebrations that often lasted an entire week. The host of the wedding, usually the groom or the groom’s family, supplied food and drink for the guests. Running out of food or drink was a major embarrassment.
Mary noticed that the family had run out of wine. We don’t really know how Mary became aware of this, but she told Jesus about it. The context indicates that Mary hoped Jesus would deal with the problem, but that she would let Him work out the details. Mary’s request does not indicate that Mary even expected a miracle of any kind.
Mary must have been helping with the wedding because after she left Jesus she said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5, ESV) Here Mary is an example of faith. She had no idea what Jesus was about to do, but whatever it was, she trusted it to be the right thing. By the way, this is the last direct quotation from Mary in the Bible and they are words that all people should heed.
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.” (John 2:6–7, ESV) Notice that this is somewhere between 120 and 180 gallons of water. Keep in mind that the servants had to draw the water from a well by hand. This is a lot of work.
Then Jesus said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. (John 2:8, ESV) Note that Jesus did not tell the servants that the water had become wine. He simply instructed them to take some to the master of the feast.
When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:9–10, ESV) Somewhere in the process of filling the jars and taking a sample of the water to the master of the feast, the water became wine. It wasn’t just any wine either. The master of the feast was surprised that the groom had waited so long to serve the good wine.
Okay … Jesus has made a nice gesture to help some friends avoid an embarrassing situation. So what? Why did the Holy Spirit inspire John to include this event in His account of the Gospel? It’s a nice story and all. It’s kind of fun to listen to. But, in the grand scheme of eternity, why is it important?
Well, scripture interprets scripture. John himself tells us of the goal of his Gospel at the end of chapter 20. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30–31, ESV) Here John reveals the objective of the signs in his account of the Gospel. The signs are there in order to make the case that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. For John knows that faith in Jesus receives eternal life.
The Holy Spirit inspired John to make the point that all of Jesus’ signs point to Jesus as the anointed one, the Son of God. He is the anointed one who takes away the sin of the world. He is the anointed One who takes our sin to the cross and endures the punishment our sins deserve. He is the anointed One who will give us the greatest sign … the sign of the empty tomb of our risen Savior.
The Holy Spirit inspired John to begin the trail of signs pointing to Jesus with the sign of Jesus changing the water into wine. John himself tells us that this is the point of this account at the end of today’s reading from the Gospel. He wrote, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” (John 2:11, ESV)
John wants us to understand that this miracle is not just a gesture to help some friends avoid an embarrassing situation. John informs us that this was Jesus’ first sign … the first certification that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. These signs point to the spiritual truth of the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One who took on our flesh, lived among us, and experienced everything that we experience. They reveal Jesus, who, while fully human and like us in every way, except without sin, is also fully God. These miracles are signs that reveal Jesus for who he really is, namely, the Word made flesh, who created all things and who upholds all things in himself. They reveal the glory of the one and only Son of God, Jesus Christ. This sign is the first of a trail of signs that will lead to the ultimate sign of the empty tomb of the risen Lord.
Jesus has not only chosen to reveal Himself to those first disciples using signs, but He has also chosen to reveal Himself to us and to come to us, in signs in which his Word resides. Jesus has chosen to reveal Himself in the signs of the proclaimed word, the word combined with water in Holy Baptism, and the word combined with bread and wine in the Holy Meal. He has given these signs to us as gifts. In these miracles, he is revealed to us. In the Sacraments, Jesus, who revealed at Cana that he is Lord of the elements, continues to reveal himself as Lord over all creation.
In the waters of Baptism, Jesus makes us his own. By His suffering and death on the cross, He has earned the forgiveness of sins. Then by His promise and command, He joins that forgiveness to ordinary water. By His promise and command, baptism delivers the forgiveness of sins from the cross to you. For it is written, “Baptism now saves you” (1 Pet 3:21). Baptism is a “washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5). Baptism is a re-creation. We were dead in sin, but Baptism re-creates us in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
In the same manner, the Lord’s Supper is a sign of our redemption in Jesus Christ. Is it not written that the blood of Jesus cleanses you from sin (see 1 John 1:7)? The miracle of Jesus’ true body and true blood under the elements of bread and wine reveals the mystery of our salvation in a blessed and holy sacramental union with Jesus. Jesus gives His body and His blood into our mouths and so grants us the forgiveness of sins one mouth at a time.
At the wedding celebration in Cana, our Lord revealed who he is, to servants, disciples, to us and to the world. In “this, the first of his signs,” Jesus points us to the restoration of creation that he would accomplish on the great third day, Easter morning. Through his first miracle, indeed, through all his miracles, Jesus manifested his glory and revealed to us a foretaste of what was to come: the restoration of our life in our God as it is meant to be.
Jesus has given signs to us. At Cana, at Calvary, at the empty tomb, in the font, and on the altar, Jesus gives us signs of his glory. In the font, and on the altar, our Lord has given us signs of the renewed creation won for us on the cross at Calvary. Here Jesus reveals that his life and death are ours. Jesus reveals that his body was given for us and his blood was shed for us for the remission of our sins. Jesus reveals to us his glory, the glory of his death for our righteousness. This Divine Service is His wedding party given for us. He is the groom, the wine steward, and the wine. We are the bride and the honored guest.
Jesus has given all these signs to us so that we may believe that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God and that we might have life by believing in His name. Amen
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Baptism of Our Lord – January 12, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given in loving memory of Jackie Dickey as Kermitt and Jackie would have celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this past Thursday (Jan. 2nd).
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE IS A CHURCH COUNCIL Meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Baptism of Our Lord
January 12, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 346 “When All the World Was Cursed”
1 When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2 Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3 Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4 O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Isaiah 42:1a;Psalm 2:7–11, 12c
P Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessèd are all who take refuge in him.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 43:1–7
1But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 29
1Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly | beings,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is over the | waters;*
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many | waters.
4The voice of the Lord is | powerful;*
the voice of the Lord is full of | majesty.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the | cedars;*
the Lord breaks the cedars of | Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon to skip | like a calf,*
and Sirion like a young | wild ox.
7The voice | of the Lord*
flashes forth | flames of fire.
8The voice of the Lord shakes the | wilderness;*
the Lord shakes the wilderness | of Kadesh.
9The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the | forests bare,*
and in his temple all cry, | “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned o- | ver the flood;*
the Lord sits enthroned as king for- | ever.
11May the Lord give strength to his | people!*
May the Lord bless his people | with peace!
Epistle Romans 6:1–11
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 3:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the third chapter.
15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 404 “Jesus, Once with Sinners Numbered”
1 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Had no blemish of His own;
In the waters of the Jordan
His true worth and work were shown:
Heaven opened and the Spirit
There descended like a dove,
As the Father’s voice resounded,
“Hear My Son, the One I love.”
2 John confessed Him as the Savior--
“Look, the sinless Lamb of God!”
Yet he dared not loose the sandals
Of the One God’s love had shod.
Oh, how fair the feet of Jesus,
Bringing news of peace to us,
Christ, the herald of salvation,
Preaching mercy from the cross:
3 This the baptism that our Savior
Greatly longed to undergo;
This the crimson cleansing needed
So the world God’s love might know;
This the mission of Messiah
As He stepped from Jordan’s stream,
He, the chosen and anointed
Son of God, sent to redeem.
4 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Full obedience was Your path;
You, by death, have consecrated
Water in this saving bath:
Dying to the sin of Adam,
Rising to a life of grace;
We are counted with the righteous,
Over us the cross You trace.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Beloved Son Is Baptized” Luke 3:15-22
The Beloved Son Is Baptized – Luke 3:15-22
We are now in the season of the Epiphany of our Lord. The epiphany of our Lord is all about the many ways that our Lord, Jesus Christ reveals Himself to people. The first Gospel for the season of the Epiphany of our Lord is about our Lord revealing Himself to some magi by means of a sign in the heavens … a star that led them to the Christ-child. This week the Gospel tells us that God the Father tore the heavens open in order to talk about Jesus as Jesus submitted to a baptism by John in the Jordan. The gospel also tells us that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. Today’s gospel is an epiphany not just of Jesus, but also of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is still on His journey to the cross. He journeyed from His throne in Heaven to take on our humanity as a single cell in Mary’s womb. He grew in her womb just like any other human baby and on Christmas we celebrated His birth. He lived His life under the law just like any other human being. The only difference is that He kept the law perfectly. He never sinned.
The entire time that He grew both inside and outside of His mother, He carried our sin … your sin and mine. Up until the events in today’s Gospel, He had carried them privately … quietly. Very few people knew who He was. When it was time for Him to go public, He came to the Jordan River … to John the Baptist. He came to be baptized.
Now John was proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, (Luke 3:3, ESV) and the natural question is, “Why did Jesus have John baptize Him?” Jesus never sinned. He didn’t need to repent, and He didn’t need forgiveness of sins. What was Jesus doing in the water with John?
The best answer to this question that I know of is contained in the prayer that Martin Luther wrote for the rite of baptism. “Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin.” Jesus submitted to baptism in order to stand with you in order to save you from your sin. In the water of John’s baptism Jesus publicly proclaimed that He carried your sin. When JESUS is baptized, the sins that were washed away from sinners all stick to Him. At His Baptism, Jesus comes to be a sinner covered with our sins. And not just one person's sins. He comes to take on EVERY person's sins ever!
In the Gospel according to Luke that we just heard, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God chosen to earn salvation for you. Today’s Gospel proclaims, “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” (Luke 3:21–22, ESV) This reverses the results of sin that God proclaimed after the first sin when He said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:22–24, ESV) So, in Adam, it is our sin that closed off the way to paradise. The account of Jesus’ baptism informs us that, in Jesus, the way to paradise is open once again. For, as Jesus prayed, the heavens opened once again. The Holy Spirit descended on Him, and the Father declared Jesus to be His beloved Son … the Messiah … the one anointed to earn salvation for all people.
As Jesus journeyed to the cross, His baptism by John is a major milestone. This event is second in importance only to the crucifixion and resurrection. The Holy Spirit anointed the Christ in both His humanity and His divinity. God the Father acknowledges Him as His Son. His ministry of carrying our sins to the cross became public knowledge.
One of the demonstrations of the importance of this event comes after Jesus ascended. Judas the betrayer had hung himself, and the remainder of Jesus’ disciples came together to choose a replacement for him. Peter reminded the others of the qualifications for the replacement. He said, “One of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21–22, ESV) Many of the men Jesus chose were originally disciples of John. Like them, the replacement for Judas must be able to bear witness to the baptism of Jesus by John. The baptism of Jesus forms the beginning point of the witness.
Today’s reading from the Gospel according to Luke informs us of this incredible epiphany. The heavens were opened. God the Son was in the water. God the Holy Spirit descended like a dove. God the Father spoke to the crowds. John the Baptist witnessed this epiphany along with his followers, and some of those followers would later become Jesus’ disciples.
However, not all the witnesses of this epiphany were friendly witnesses. This epiphany was also a message to the devil and all his evil angels. God the Son has taken up human flesh. He is bringing the battle to the earth. This is the one who will crush the serpent’s head. Jesus, full of the Spirit, is ready to battle the temptations of the devil in the wilderness. He will fight for you, Dear Christian, and He will win.
In a few Sundays when the season of Lent starts, we will read the temptation that the devil brought against Jesus. Two of the temptations begin with the words, “If you are the Son of God …” (Matt. 4; Luke 4). The other temptation asks Jesus to worship the devil as God. All three temptations attack the identity of Jesus as God … the identity that the Father proclaimed at Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus endured the full fire of Satan’s temptation. He endured not only the temptation in the wilderness, but Satan never really stopped tempting Jesus. He tempted him through His friends and followers. He continued to tempt Jesus even as Jesus was hanging on the cross. As Jesus hung on the cross those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:39–40, ESV) Even as Jesus hung on the cross, the passers by were still challenging the words that the Father proclaimed in this morning’s Gospel. Jesus endured these temptations as we never will. Jesus’ perfect perseverance under Satan’s fiery temptation was part of the mission to open heaven for us.
The epiphany we heard about this morning also marks Jesus as the target of God’s wrath. In today’s epistle, the Apostle Paul says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6, ESV) Jesus took your place. He was the target of God’s wrath – a wrath that was so severe that Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Jesus suffered the original baptism of fire for you. He fulfilled John’s prophecy of baptism by fire in order to open heaven for you.
Jesus blazed a trail through death that leads to life. He conquered death and rose from the dead. Through His triumph, the way to heaven is open.
Here at His baptism, Jesus took our place under the burden of our sin. As our substitute, He carried out God’s plan perfectly. The mission that Jesus began at His baptism was successful. He opened a way to heaven. He offers to join us to Himself through baptism. The Holy Spirit gives us the faith that receives that offer. God the Father adopts us into His family by that faith. When the time comes for us to leave this world, the heavens will open, the angels will carry us home and we will hear the Father say, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Baptism of Our Lord - 12 January 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Blessed Lord, You wonderfully foreshadowed the promise of Baptism in the passing of Your people through the Red Sea and Jordan River. In Christ and by His Baptism, You have kept Your Word and made Baptism the water of new life. Give us Your Holy Spirit, that we would walk as the new and holy people You have declared us to be. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks that You call and gather the baptized into Your Church. Prosper the good work of preaching the Gospel and administering the life-giving Sacraments. Bless our Synod president, our district president, our pastor and all church workers, that their ministry would be faithful and fruitful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve the family, especially all Christian homes. Turn husband and wife toward one another in love, equip fathers and mothers for their holy duty as teachers of the faith, and preserve all children in the saving faith and certain promises of their Baptism unto life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Your Son, Jesus, is the Christ and the true King of this world. Grant great humility to the rulers of the nations, [especially _____________,] that they would submit to the preaching of His Holy Word for the sake of their own souls and for the good of Your holy people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks for standing with us in times of weakness, illness, despair and death. Give us every aid of Your Holy Spirit, that we may endure these afflictions and find comfort in the healing wounds of our Savior. [We especially remember _____________ and ask for their healing and relief according to Your will.] Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, as You have joined us to Christ’s death and resurrection in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, so feed us His body and blood for forgiveness and life in the Sacrament of the Altar. Give to Your baptized children who partake of the Supper today tender hearts that confess their need and rejoice in Your gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, You manifested Yourself with the Holy Spirit in the fullness of grace at the Baptism of Your dear Son. With Your voice, You directed us to the One who has borne our sins, that we may receive grace and forgiveness. Keep us, we implore You, in the true faith. Since we have been baptized in accordance with Your command and the example of Your Son, strengthen our faith by Your Holy Spirit and lead us to everlasting life and salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
The Installation of St. Paul’s Officers for 2025
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for at His Baptism Your voice from heaven revealed Him as Your beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him, confirming Him to be the Christ. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
594 “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It”
1 God’s own child, I gladly say it:
I am baptized into Christ!
He, because I could not pay it,
Gave my full redemption price.
Do I need earth’s treasures many?
I have one worth more than any
That brought me salvation free
Lasting to eternity!
2 Sin, disturb my soul no longer:
I am baptized into Christ!
I have comfort even stronger:
Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice.
Should a guilty conscience seize me
Since my Baptism did release me
In a dear forgiving flood,
Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood?
3 Satan, hear this proclamation:
I am baptized into Christ!
Drop your ugly accusation,
I am not so soon enticed.
Now that to the font I’ve traveled,
All your might has come unraveled,
And, against your tyranny,
God, my Lord, unites with me!
4 Death, you cannot end my gladness:
I am baptized into Christ!
When I die, I leave all sadness
To inherit paradise!
Though I lie in dust and ashes
Faith’s assurance brightly flashes:
Baptism has the strength divine
To make life immortal mine.
5 There is nothing worth comparing
To this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring:
Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising,
Still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ;
I’m a child of paradise!
Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756; tr. Robert E. Voelker, 1957
Text: © 1991 Robert E. Voelker. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
598 “Once in the Blest Baptismal Waters”
(sung to a different melody)
1 Once in the blest baptismal waters
I put on Christ and made Him mine;
Now numbered with God’s sons and daughters,
I share His peace and love divine. Refrain
ref O God, for Jesus’ sake I pray
Your peace may bless my dying day.
2 His body and His blood I’ve taken
In His blest Supper, feast divine;
Now I shall never be forsaken,
For I am His, and He is mine. Refrain
3 And thus I live in God contented
And die without a thought of fear;
My soul has to God’s plans consented,
For through His Son my faith is clear. Refrain
Text: Emilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, 1637–1706; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr., alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Cantle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 405 “To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord”
1 To Jordan’s river came our Lord,
The Christ, whom heav’nly hosts adored,
The God from God, the Light from Light,
The Lord of glory, pow’r, and might.
2 The Savior came to be baptized--
The Son of God in flesh disguised--
To stand beneath the Father’s will
And all His righteousness fulfill.
3 As Jesus in the Jordan stood
And John baptized the Lamb of God,
The Holy Spirit, heav’nly dove,
Descended on Him from above.
4 Then from God’s throne with thund’rous sound
Came God’s own voice with words profound:
“This is My Son,” was His decree,
“The one I love, who pleases Me.”
5 The Father’s word, the Spirit’s flight
Anointed Christ in glorious sight
As God’s own choice, from Adam’s fall
To save the world and free us all.
6 Now rise, faint hearts, be resolute;
This man is Christ, our substitute!
He was baptized in Jordan’s stream,
Proclaimed Redeemer, Lord supreme.
Text: James P. Tiefel, 1949, alt.
Text: © 1993 James P. Tiefel. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Baptism of Our Lord – January 12, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given in loving memory of Jackie Dickey as Kermitt and Jackie would have celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this past Thursday (Jan. 2nd).
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Ted Smith
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE IS A CHURCH COUNCIL Meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Baptism of Our Lord
January 12, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 346 “When All the World Was Cursed”
1 When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2 Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3 Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4 O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Isaiah 42:1a;Psalm 2:7–11, 12c
P Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessèd are all who take refuge in him.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 43:1–7
1But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 29
1Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly | beings,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is over the | waters;*
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many | waters.
4The voice of the Lord is | powerful;*
the voice of the Lord is full of | majesty.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the | cedars;*
the Lord breaks the cedars of | Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon to skip | like a calf,*
and Sirion like a young | wild ox.
7The voice | of the Lord*
flashes forth | flames of fire.
8The voice of the Lord shakes the | wilderness;*
the Lord shakes the wilderness | of Kadesh.
9The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the | forests bare,*
and in his temple all cry, | “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned o- | ver the flood;*
the Lord sits enthroned as king for- | ever.
11May the Lord give strength to his | people!*
May the Lord bless his people | with peace!
Epistle Romans 6:1–11
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 3:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the third chapter.
15As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
18So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.
21Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 404 “Jesus, Once with Sinners Numbered”
1 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Had no blemish of His own;
In the waters of the Jordan
His true worth and work were shown:
Heaven opened and the Spirit
There descended like a dove,
As the Father’s voice resounded,
“Hear My Son, the One I love.”
2 John confessed Him as the Savior--
“Look, the sinless Lamb of God!”
Yet he dared not loose the sandals
Of the One God’s love had shod.
Oh, how fair the feet of Jesus,
Bringing news of peace to us,
Christ, the herald of salvation,
Preaching mercy from the cross:
3 This the baptism that our Savior
Greatly longed to undergo;
This the crimson cleansing needed
So the world God’s love might know;
This the mission of Messiah
As He stepped from Jordan’s stream,
He, the chosen and anointed
Son of God, sent to redeem.
4 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Full obedience was Your path;
You, by death, have consecrated
Water in this saving bath:
Dying to the sin of Adam,
Rising to a life of grace;
We are counted with the righteous,
Over us the cross You trace.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Beloved Son Is Baptized” Luke 3:15-22
The Beloved Son Is Baptized – Luke 3:15-22
We are now in the season of the Epiphany of our Lord. The epiphany of our Lord is all about the many ways that our Lord, Jesus Christ reveals Himself to people. The first Gospel for the season of the Epiphany of our Lord is about our Lord revealing Himself to some magi by means of a sign in the heavens … a star that led them to the Christ-child. This week the Gospel tells us that God the Father tore the heavens open in order to talk about Jesus as Jesus submitted to a baptism by John in the Jordan. The gospel also tells us that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. Today’s gospel is an epiphany not just of Jesus, but also of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is still on His journey to the cross. He journeyed from His throne in Heaven to take on our humanity as a single cell in Mary’s womb. He grew in her womb just like any other human baby and on Christmas we celebrated His birth. He lived His life under the law just like any other human being. The only difference is that He kept the law perfectly. He never sinned.
The entire time that He grew both inside and outside of His mother, He carried our sin … your sin and mine. Up until the events in today’s Gospel, He had carried them privately … quietly. Very few people knew who He was. When it was time for Him to go public, He came to the Jordan River … to John the Baptist. He came to be baptized.
Now John was proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, (Luke 3:3, ESV) and the natural question is, “Why did Jesus have John baptize Him?” Jesus never sinned. He didn’t need to repent, and He didn’t need forgiveness of sins. What was Jesus doing in the water with John?
The best answer to this question that I know of is contained in the prayer that Martin Luther wrote for the rite of baptism. “Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin.” Jesus submitted to baptism in order to stand with you in order to save you from your sin. In the water of John’s baptism Jesus publicly proclaimed that He carried your sin. When JESUS is baptized, the sins that were washed away from sinners all stick to Him. At His Baptism, Jesus comes to be a sinner covered with our sins. And not just one person's sins. He comes to take on EVERY person's sins ever!
In the Gospel according to Luke that we just heard, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God chosen to earn salvation for you. Today’s Gospel proclaims, “Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” (Luke 3:21–22, ESV) This reverses the results of sin that God proclaimed after the first sin when He said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:22–24, ESV) So, in Adam, it is our sin that closed off the way to paradise. The account of Jesus’ baptism informs us that, in Jesus, the way to paradise is open once again. For, as Jesus prayed, the heavens opened once again. The Holy Spirit descended on Him, and the Father declared Jesus to be His beloved Son … the Messiah … the one anointed to earn salvation for all people.
As Jesus journeyed to the cross, His baptism by John is a major milestone. This event is second in importance only to the crucifixion and resurrection. The Holy Spirit anointed the Christ in both His humanity and His divinity. God the Father acknowledges Him as His Son. His ministry of carrying our sins to the cross became public knowledge.
One of the demonstrations of the importance of this event comes after Jesus ascended. Judas the betrayer had hung himself, and the remainder of Jesus’ disciples came together to choose a replacement for him. Peter reminded the others of the qualifications for the replacement. He said, “One of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” (Acts 1:21–22, ESV) Many of the men Jesus chose were originally disciples of John. Like them, the replacement for Judas must be able to bear witness to the baptism of Jesus by John. The baptism of Jesus forms the beginning point of the witness.
Today’s reading from the Gospel according to Luke informs us of this incredible epiphany. The heavens were opened. God the Son was in the water. God the Holy Spirit descended like a dove. God the Father spoke to the crowds. John the Baptist witnessed this epiphany along with his followers, and some of those followers would later become Jesus’ disciples.
However, not all the witnesses of this epiphany were friendly witnesses. This epiphany was also a message to the devil and all his evil angels. God the Son has taken up human flesh. He is bringing the battle to the earth. This is the one who will crush the serpent’s head. Jesus, full of the Spirit, is ready to battle the temptations of the devil in the wilderness. He will fight for you, Dear Christian, and He will win.
In a few Sundays when the season of Lent starts, we will read the temptation that the devil brought against Jesus. Two of the temptations begin with the words, “If you are the Son of God …” (Matt. 4; Luke 4). The other temptation asks Jesus to worship the devil as God. All three temptations attack the identity of Jesus as God … the identity that the Father proclaimed at Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus endured the full fire of Satan’s temptation. He endured not only the temptation in the wilderness, but Satan never really stopped tempting Jesus. He tempted him through His friends and followers. He continued to tempt Jesus even as Jesus was hanging on the cross. As Jesus hung on the cross those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” (Matthew 27:39–40, ESV) Even as Jesus hung on the cross, the passers by were still challenging the words that the Father proclaimed in this morning’s Gospel. Jesus endured these temptations as we never will. Jesus’ perfect perseverance under Satan’s fiery temptation was part of the mission to open heaven for us.
The epiphany we heard about this morning also marks Jesus as the target of God’s wrath. In today’s epistle, the Apostle Paul says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6, ESV) Jesus took your place. He was the target of God’s wrath – a wrath that was so severe that Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” Jesus suffered the original baptism of fire for you. He fulfilled John’s prophecy of baptism by fire in order to open heaven for you.
Jesus blazed a trail through death that leads to life. He conquered death and rose from the dead. Through His triumph, the way to heaven is open.
Here at His baptism, Jesus took our place under the burden of our sin. As our substitute, He carried out God’s plan perfectly. The mission that Jesus began at His baptism was successful. He opened a way to heaven. He offers to join us to Himself through baptism. The Holy Spirit gives us the faith that receives that offer. God the Father adopts us into His family by that faith. When the time comes for us to leave this world, the heavens will open, the angels will carry us home and we will hear the Father say, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Baptism of Our Lord - 12 January 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Blessed Lord, You wonderfully foreshadowed the promise of Baptism in the passing of Your people through the Red Sea and Jordan River. In Christ and by His Baptism, You have kept Your Word and made Baptism the water of new life. Give us Your Holy Spirit, that we would walk as the new and holy people You have declared us to be. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks that You call and gather the baptized into Your Church. Prosper the good work of preaching the Gospel and administering the life-giving Sacraments. Bless our Synod president, our district president, our pastor and all church workers, that their ministry would be faithful and fruitful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve the family, especially all Christian homes. Turn husband and wife toward one another in love, equip fathers and mothers for their holy duty as teachers of the faith, and preserve all children in the saving faith and certain promises of their Baptism unto life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Your Son, Jesus, is the Christ and the true King of this world. Grant great humility to the rulers of the nations, [especially _____________,] that they would submit to the preaching of His Holy Word for the sake of their own souls and for the good of Your holy people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks for standing with us in times of weakness, illness, despair and death. Give us every aid of Your Holy Spirit, that we may endure these afflictions and find comfort in the healing wounds of our Savior. [We especially remember _____________ and ask for their healing and relief according to Your will.] Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, as You have joined us to Christ’s death and resurrection in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, so feed us His body and blood for forgiveness and life in the Sacrament of the Altar. Give to Your baptized children who partake of the Supper today tender hearts that confess their need and rejoice in Your gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, You manifested Yourself with the Holy Spirit in the fullness of grace at the Baptism of Your dear Son. With Your voice, You directed us to the One who has borne our sins, that we may receive grace and forgiveness. Keep us, we implore You, in the true faith. Since we have been baptized in accordance with Your command and the example of Your Son, strengthen our faith by Your Holy Spirit and lead us to everlasting life and salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
The Installation of St. Paul’s Officers for 2025
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for at His Baptism Your voice from heaven revealed Him as Your beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him, confirming Him to be the Christ. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
594 “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It”
1 God’s own child, I gladly say it:
I am baptized into Christ!
He, because I could not pay it,
Gave my full redemption price.
Do I need earth’s treasures many?
I have one worth more than any
That brought me salvation free
Lasting to eternity!
2 Sin, disturb my soul no longer:
I am baptized into Christ!
I have comfort even stronger:
Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice.
Should a guilty conscience seize me
Since my Baptism did release me
In a dear forgiving flood,
Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood?
3 Satan, hear this proclamation:
I am baptized into Christ!
Drop your ugly accusation,
I am not so soon enticed.
Now that to the font I’ve traveled,
All your might has come unraveled,
And, against your tyranny,
God, my Lord, unites with me!
4 Death, you cannot end my gladness:
I am baptized into Christ!
When I die, I leave all sadness
To inherit paradise!
Though I lie in dust and ashes
Faith’s assurance brightly flashes:
Baptism has the strength divine
To make life immortal mine.
5 There is nothing worth comparing
To this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring:
Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising,
Still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ;
I’m a child of paradise!
Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756; tr. Robert E. Voelker, 1957
Text: © 1991 Robert E. Voelker. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
598 “Once in the Blest Baptismal Waters”
(sung to a different melody)
1 Once in the blest baptismal waters
I put on Christ and made Him mine;
Now numbered with God’s sons and daughters,
I share His peace and love divine. Refrain
ref O God, for Jesus’ sake I pray
Your peace may bless my dying day.
2 His body and His blood I’ve taken
In His blest Supper, feast divine;
Now I shall never be forsaken,
For I am His, and He is mine. Refrain
3 And thus I live in God contented
And die without a thought of fear;
My soul has to God’s plans consented,
For through His Son my faith is clear. Refrain
Text: Emilie Juliane von Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, 1637–1706; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr., alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Cantle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 405 “To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord”
1 To Jordan’s river came our Lord,
The Christ, whom heav’nly hosts adored,
The God from God, the Light from Light,
The Lord of glory, pow’r, and might.
2 The Savior came to be baptized--
The Son of God in flesh disguised--
To stand beneath the Father’s will
And all His righteousness fulfill.
3 As Jesus in the Jordan stood
And John baptized the Lamb of God,
The Holy Spirit, heav’nly dove,
Descended on Him from above.
4 Then from God’s throne with thund’rous sound
Came God’s own voice with words profound:
“This is My Son,” was His decree,
“The one I love, who pleases Me.”
5 The Father’s word, the Spirit’s flight
Anointed Christ in glorious sight
As God’s own choice, from Adam’s fall
To save the world and free us all.
6 Now rise, faint hearts, be resolute;
This man is Christ, our substitute!
He was baptized in Jordan’s stream,
Proclaimed Redeemer, Lord supreme.
Text: James P. Tiefel, 1949, alt.
Text: © 1993 James P. Tiefel. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Christmas – January 5, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given in loving memory of Jackie Dickey as Kermitt and Jackie would have celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this past Thursday (Jan. 2nd).
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
ALL ARE INVITED to attend an Epiphany service tomorrow, Jan. 6th. There is a 10 a.m. service at Messiah, Citrus Heights, and a 7 p.m. service at Holy Cross, Rocklin.
The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
And led by light, to light they trod,
And by their gifts confessed their God. LSB 399:2
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne, Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone, And our defense is sure.
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.
LSB 733: 1-2, 6
The Second Sunday after Christmas
January 5, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 384 “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
1 Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.
2 Oh, that birth forever blessèd,
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Savior of our race,
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.
3 This is He whom seers in old time
Chanted of with one accord,
Whom the voices of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.
4 O ye heights of heav’n, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing.
Pow’rs, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.
D 5 Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore. Amen.
Text: Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, 348–c. 413; (sts. 1–4): tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit John 1:14; Psalm 147:1, 5, 11–12
P The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Kings 3:4–15
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:97–104
Mem
97Oh how I | love your law!*
It is my meditation | all the day.
98Your commandment makes me wiser than my | enemies,*
for it is ever | with me.
99I have more understanding than all my | teachers,*
for your testimonies are my medi- | tation.
100I understand more than the | agèd,*
for I keep your | precepts.
101I hold back my feet from every | evil way,*
in order to | keep your word.
102I do not turn aside from your | just decrees,*
for you have | taught me.
103How sweet are your words | to my taste,*
sweeter than honey | to my mouth!
104Through your precepts I get under- | standing;*
therefore I hate every | false way.
Epistle Ephesians 1:3–14
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 2:40–52
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
40The child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 410 “Within the Father’s House”
1 Within the Father’s house
The Son has found His home,
And to His temple suddenly
The Lord of life has come.
2 The doctors of the Law
Gaze on the wondrous child
And marvel at His gracious words
Of wisdom undefiled.
3 Yet not to them is giv’n
The mighty truth to know,
To lift the earthly veil that hides
Incarnate God below.
4 The secret of the Lord
Escapes each human eye,
And faithful pond’ring hearts await
The full epiphany.
5 Lord, visit Thou our souls
And teach us by Thy grace
Each dim revealing of Thyself
With loving awe to trace
D 6 Till we behold Thy face
And know as we are known
Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Coequal Three in One.
Text: James R. Woodford, 1820–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Father’s Business” Luke 2:40-52
The Father’s Business – Luke 2:40-52
Today's Gospel tells us that Mary and Joseph were traveling with extended family when they were coming back from Passover in Jerusalem. This story gives us the opportunity to remember that Jesus did not live in some sort of sacred vacuum. He had friends and cousins just like any normal boy.
Imagine, if you will, that when you left a popular event that you would not fill up at a gas station near the freeway when you left, but that all those people on the freeway were walking together with you. Then imagine that you knew most of them. It would not be unusual at all for the children in the group to get together and play games while they walked. They might walk first with one family and then with another. Mary and Joseph just figured that Jesus was just somewhere in the crowd playing with His friends or cousins. They would not notice that Jesus was missing until they set up camp at the end of the day. Only then would they look for Him among the travelers and learn that He was not with them.
I can't imagine anyone under similar circumstances waiting for the next day to come. Instead, I imagine that Mary and Joseph immediately started back the way they had come in the hopes of finding Jesus somewhere on the trail. Then they searched all over Jerusalem. Finally, after three days, they found Jesus in the temple debating theology with the teachers.
Mary expressed those dual emotions that all parents have when they find their lost children: relief that the child is OK and frustration at the child for creating such a situation. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."
Jesus' reply is a reply that challenges Mary, Joseph, and us to rethink our priorities. He said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be among the things of my Father?" Jesus is basically saying, "If you really knew me and understood me, the temple would have been the first place you looked. You would have found me as soon as you got into town."
If we think about it a little bit, Jesus must have had a voracious appetite for Scripture and theology. The Gospel says, "After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers." In the culture of that day, teachers sat and disciples stood. The fact that Jesus was sitting among the teachers meant that they had accepted Him as a peer! He was engaged in the discussion as one among equals!
Now we might be tempted to say something like, "Well of course Jesus was good at theology. He's God. He's the one who talked to Moses and the prophets in the first place. It's not too difficult to know a book if you are the author." That would be a perfectly valid thing to say if Jesus were to call on His divine nature. However, that is not what He did.
Remember that Jesus was in a state of humility from His conception in the womb until His friends laid Him in the tomb. This means that, during that time - womb to tomb - He did not use His divine powers for His own advantage. This includes His schooling. That means He learned His Scriptures and His theology that same way everyone else did. He studied. He kept the command that says, [Deuteronomy 6:6-9] "These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." If you have a child whose mind is focused on Holy Scripture and then you set such a child loose in Jerusalem, He will find His way to the teachers of the Scriptures. That is the first place you should look for Him.
Jesus' words not only convict Mary and Joseph, but they also convict us. We too try to search for Jesus and can't find Him. We find ourselves with Mary and Joseph in that we too are looking in the wrong places. Jesus said, "I must be in my Father’s house." Nevertheless, we look among the things of this world. We look to earthly security, wealth, power, popularity, and so forth. We want a Jesus who peps us up - who makes us feel good. We want a Jesus who tells us that we are OK.
Too often we fulfill Paul's prediction to Timothy: [2 Timothy 4:3-4] "The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." We wander around in false teachings and then wonder why we don't find Jesus.
Jesus said, "I must be in my Father’s House," in other words, doing the things of His Father. What are the things of His Father? The things of His Father are the things His Father sent Him here to do: Living a perfect life; Taking our sin onto Himself; Carrying that sin to the cross; Dying in our place. These are the things of the Father. It is among these things that we find Jesus.
Unfortunately, the disgust of these things prevents us from looking there. The cross is gruesome, messy, obscene. It is bloody. The cross proclaims the penalty for sin across the centuries. It shows us the punishment we deserve for our sin. It shows us the justice of God. It is a place we cannot look, for it is a place that reminds us of our sin. We cannot look among the things of the Father on our own and so we will never find Jesus on our own.
The Holy Spirit must take us among the things of the Father. He does this as we hear God's Word and He uses that Word to produce faith in us. By God's Word He must show us the shame and the filth of our sin. Then He must show us the cross. As the Holy Spirit shows the cross to us, we see the place where we should hang and there is Jesus hanging for us. We could not find Him, but the Holy Spirit has gathered us to Him. There - at the cross - the Holy Spirit has showed us Jesus among the things of His father. By taking us among the things of the Father, the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts and makes us people of the Father.
Now that the Holy Spirit has gathered us to Jesus, we see that the things of the Father do not end at the cross. Beyond the cross are more things of the Father. Beyond the cross is an empty tomb. After Jesus died on the cross, His friends laid Him in a tomb. It was there that Jesus shrugged off the state of humiliation and entered the state of exaltation. He left the tomb. He proclaimed His victory to those below in hell and then He proclaimed His victory here on earth. He rose from the dead and showed Himself alive to many witnesses. Jesus' resurrection promises us that there is a resurrection among the things of the Father. Jesus' resurrection promises the people of the Father that they will rise to enjoy the things of the Father that the Son has earned for us.
In today's Gospel, we might be tempted to say that Jesus was lost. In fact, Jesus was exactly where He was supposed to be. It was really Mary and Joseph who were lost. In a similar way, we are also lost - lost in our trespasses and sins. It is God who finds us and places us among the things of the Father. There the Holy Spirit works faith and makes us people of the Father. Since Jesus said, "I must be in my Father’s house," that means we are with Jesus. That is exactly where we are supposed to be. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Christmas - 5 January 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, we give You thanks that Your Son, the eternal Word, has become flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Extend His praise into all the world, that many would come to hope in His steadfast love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have blessed us in Christ, Your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Preserve Your Church by the preaching of the Gospel of salvation and the seal of the promised Holy Spirit in Baptism. Raise up among us faithful preachers to the praise of Christ’s glory, until we acquire the inheritance promised us in Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You prepared a place for Your Son, Jesus, in the womb of the Virgin Mary and in the home of Mary and Joseph. Bless our homes and all who dwell in them, that Your Word would be heard and Your mercy be shown therein. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You gave to Your servant Solomon unsurpassed wisdom to rule Your people Israel, chiefly the wisdom that begins in fearing You. Give to the leaders and elected officials of our nation wisdom for their task to discern between good and evil and to govern this people in peace and quietness. Be gracious to preserve our president and president-elect, our governor, and all legislators and judges. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give patience and endurance to all who are sick or in any need, [especially _____________,] and heal them according to Your will. Receive our thanksgiving for every blessing and kindness You have shown to Your people in Christ [especially _____________]. Give comfort and hope to all who mourn [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has won redemption through His blood, granting the forgiveness of our trespasses. According to the riches of Your grace, receive those who come to Your blessed Sacrament this day. Grant worthy repentance and confident faith to all who commune, united in a sincere confession of the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, in mercy You have established the Christian home among us. We implore You, rule and direct our hearts to be good examples to children and those subject to us. Grant that we may not offend them by word or deed but faithfully teach them to love Your Church and hear Your blessed Word. Give them Your Spirit and grace, that this seed may bring forth good fruit and our homelife may advance Your glory, honor and praise as well as our own improvement and welfare, giving offense to no one; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In the beginning You created all things by Your Word; and in the fullness of time Your Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Let Your Word made flesh dwell richly among us that, faithfully eating His body and drinking His blood, we may receive the fullness of Your grace and truth in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
376 “Once in Royal David’s City”
1 Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
2 He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Savior holy.
3 For He is our childhood’s pattern,
Day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feels for all our sadness,
And He shares in all our gladness.
4 And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heav’n above;
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.
5 Not in that poor, lowly stable
With the oxen standing by
Shall we see Him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high.
Then like stars His children, crowned,
All in white, His praise will sound!
Text: Cecil F. Alexander, 1818–95, alt.
Text: Public domain
385 “From East to West”
1 From east to west, from shore to shore
Let ev’ry heart awake and sing
The holy child whom Mary bore,
The Christ, the everlasting king.
2 Behold, the world’s creator wears
The form and fashion of a slave;
Our very flesh our maker shares,
His fallen creatures all to save.
3 For this how wondrously He wrought!
A maiden, in her lowly place,
Became, in ways beyond all thought,
The chosen vessel of His grace.
4 And while the angels in the sky
Sang praise above the silent field,
To shepherds poor the Lord Most High,
The one great Shepherd, was revealed.
D 5 All glory for this blessèd morn
To God the Father ever be;
All praise to You, O Virgin-born,
And Holy Ghost eternally.
Text: Coelius Sedulius, 5th cent.; tr. John Ellerton, 1826–93, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 399 “The Star Proclaims the King Is Here”
1 The star proclaims the King is here;
But, Herod, why this senseless fear?
For He who offers heav’nly birth
Seeks not the kingdoms of this earth.
2 The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
And, led by light, to light they trod
And by their gifts confessed their God.
3 Within the Jordan’s sacred flood
The heav’nly Lamb in meekness stood
That He, of whom no sin was known,
Might cleanse His people from their own.
4 And oh, what miracle divine,
When water reddened into wine!
He spoke the word, and forth it flowed
In streams that nature ne’er bestowed.
D 5 For this Thy glad epiphany
All glory, Jesus, be to Thee,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Coelius Sedulius, 5th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Christmas – January 5, 2025
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given in loving memory of Jackie Dickey as Kermitt and Jackie would have celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this past Thursday (Jan. 2nd).
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
ALL ARE INVITED to attend an Epiphany service tomorrow, Jan. 6th. There is a 10 a.m. service at Messiah, Citrus Heights, and a 7 p.m. service at Holy Cross, Rocklin.
The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
And led by light, to light they trod,
And by their gifts confessed their God. LSB 399:2
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne, Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone, And our defense is sure.
O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home.
LSB 733: 1-2, 6
The Second Sunday after Christmas
January 5, 2025
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 384 “Of the Father’s Love Begotten”
1 Of the Father’s love begotten
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see
Evermore and evermore.
2 Oh, that birth forever blessèd,
When the virgin, full of grace,
By the Holy Ghost conceiving,
Bore the Savior of our race,
And the babe, the world’s Redeemer,
First revealed His sacred face
Evermore and evermore.
3 This is He whom seers in old time
Chanted of with one accord,
Whom the voices of the prophets
Promised in their faithful word.
Now He shines, the long-expected;
Let creation praise its Lord
Evermore and evermore.
4 O ye heights of heav’n, adore Him;
Angel hosts, His praises sing.
Pow’rs, dominions, bow before Him
And extol our God and King.
Let no tongue on earth be silent,
Ev’ry voice in concert ring
Evermore and evermore.
D 5 Christ, to Thee, with God the Father,
And, O Holy Ghost, to Thee
Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving
And unending praises be,
Honor, glory, and dominion,
And eternal victory
Evermore and evermore. Amen.
Text: Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, 348–c. 413; (sts. 1–4): tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit John 1:14; Psalm 147:1, 5, 11–12
P The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Kings 3:4–15
4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” 6And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”
10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. 11And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, 12behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. 13I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. 14And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:97–104
Mem
97Oh how I | love your law!*
It is my meditation | all the day.
98Your commandment makes me wiser than my | enemies,*
for it is ever | with me.
99I have more understanding than all my | teachers,*
for your testimonies are my medi- | tation.
100I understand more than the | agèd,*
for I keep your | precepts.
101I hold back my feet from every | evil way,*
in order to | keep your word.
102I do not turn aside from your | just decrees,*
for you have | taught me.
103How sweet are your words | to my taste,*
sweeter than honey | to my mouth!
104Through your precepts I get under- | standing;*
therefore I hate every | false way.
Epistle Ephesians 1:3–14
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 2:40–52
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
40The child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
41Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 410 “Within the Father’s House”
1 Within the Father’s house
The Son has found His home,
And to His temple suddenly
The Lord of life has come.
2 The doctors of the Law
Gaze on the wondrous child
And marvel at His gracious words
Of wisdom undefiled.
3 Yet not to them is giv’n
The mighty truth to know,
To lift the earthly veil that hides
Incarnate God below.
4 The secret of the Lord
Escapes each human eye,
And faithful pond’ring hearts await
The full epiphany.
5 Lord, visit Thou our souls
And teach us by Thy grace
Each dim revealing of Thyself
With loving awe to trace
D 6 Till we behold Thy face
And know as we are known
Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Coequal Three in One.
Text: James R. Woodford, 1820–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Father’s Business” Luke 2:40-52
The Father’s Business – Luke 2:40-52
Today's Gospel tells us that Mary and Joseph were traveling with extended family when they were coming back from Passover in Jerusalem. This story gives us the opportunity to remember that Jesus did not live in some sort of sacred vacuum. He had friends and cousins just like any normal boy.
Imagine, if you will, that when you left a popular event that you would not fill up at a gas station near the freeway when you left, but that all those people on the freeway were walking together with you. Then imagine that you knew most of them. It would not be unusual at all for the children in the group to get together and play games while they walked. They might walk first with one family and then with another. Mary and Joseph just figured that Jesus was just somewhere in the crowd playing with His friends or cousins. They would not notice that Jesus was missing until they set up camp at the end of the day. Only then would they look for Him among the travelers and learn that He was not with them.
I can't imagine anyone under similar circumstances waiting for the next day to come. Instead, I imagine that Mary and Joseph immediately started back the way they had come in the hopes of finding Jesus somewhere on the trail. Then they searched all over Jerusalem. Finally, after three days, they found Jesus in the temple debating theology with the teachers.
Mary expressed those dual emotions that all parents have when they find their lost children: relief that the child is OK and frustration at the child for creating such a situation. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress."
Jesus' reply is a reply that challenges Mary, Joseph, and us to rethink our priorities. He said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be among the things of my Father?" Jesus is basically saying, "If you really knew me and understood me, the temple would have been the first place you looked. You would have found me as soon as you got into town."
If we think about it a little bit, Jesus must have had a voracious appetite for Scripture and theology. The Gospel says, "After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers." In the culture of that day, teachers sat and disciples stood. The fact that Jesus was sitting among the teachers meant that they had accepted Him as a peer! He was engaged in the discussion as one among equals!
Now we might be tempted to say something like, "Well of course Jesus was good at theology. He's God. He's the one who talked to Moses and the prophets in the first place. It's not too difficult to know a book if you are the author." That would be a perfectly valid thing to say if Jesus were to call on His divine nature. However, that is not what He did.
Remember that Jesus was in a state of humility from His conception in the womb until His friends laid Him in the tomb. This means that, during that time - womb to tomb - He did not use His divine powers for His own advantage. This includes His schooling. That means He learned His Scriptures and His theology that same way everyone else did. He studied. He kept the command that says, [Deuteronomy 6:6-9] "These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." If you have a child whose mind is focused on Holy Scripture and then you set such a child loose in Jerusalem, He will find His way to the teachers of the Scriptures. That is the first place you should look for Him.
Jesus' words not only convict Mary and Joseph, but they also convict us. We too try to search for Jesus and can't find Him. We find ourselves with Mary and Joseph in that we too are looking in the wrong places. Jesus said, "I must be in my Father’s house." Nevertheless, we look among the things of this world. We look to earthly security, wealth, power, popularity, and so forth. We want a Jesus who peps us up - who makes us feel good. We want a Jesus who tells us that we are OK.
Too often we fulfill Paul's prediction to Timothy: [2 Timothy 4:3-4] "The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." We wander around in false teachings and then wonder why we don't find Jesus.
Jesus said, "I must be in my Father’s House," in other words, doing the things of His Father. What are the things of His Father? The things of His Father are the things His Father sent Him here to do: Living a perfect life; Taking our sin onto Himself; Carrying that sin to the cross; Dying in our place. These are the things of the Father. It is among these things that we find Jesus.
Unfortunately, the disgust of these things prevents us from looking there. The cross is gruesome, messy, obscene. It is bloody. The cross proclaims the penalty for sin across the centuries. It shows us the punishment we deserve for our sin. It shows us the justice of God. It is a place we cannot look, for it is a place that reminds us of our sin. We cannot look among the things of the Father on our own and so we will never find Jesus on our own.
The Holy Spirit must take us among the things of the Father. He does this as we hear God's Word and He uses that Word to produce faith in us. By God's Word He must show us the shame and the filth of our sin. Then He must show us the cross. As the Holy Spirit shows the cross to us, we see the place where we should hang and there is Jesus hanging for us. We could not find Him, but the Holy Spirit has gathered us to Him. There - at the cross - the Holy Spirit has showed us Jesus among the things of His father. By taking us among the things of the Father, the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts and makes us people of the Father.
Now that the Holy Spirit has gathered us to Jesus, we see that the things of the Father do not end at the cross. Beyond the cross are more things of the Father. Beyond the cross is an empty tomb. After Jesus died on the cross, His friends laid Him in a tomb. It was there that Jesus shrugged off the state of humiliation and entered the state of exaltation. He left the tomb. He proclaimed His victory to those below in hell and then He proclaimed His victory here on earth. He rose from the dead and showed Himself alive to many witnesses. Jesus' resurrection promises us that there is a resurrection among the things of the Father. Jesus' resurrection promises the people of the Father that they will rise to enjoy the things of the Father that the Son has earned for us.
In today's Gospel, we might be tempted to say that Jesus was lost. In fact, Jesus was exactly where He was supposed to be. It was really Mary and Joseph who were lost. In a similar way, we are also lost - lost in our trespasses and sins. It is God who finds us and places us among the things of the Father. There the Holy Spirit works faith and makes us people of the Father. Since Jesus said, "I must be in my Father’s house," that means we are with Jesus. That is exactly where we are supposed to be. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Christmas - 5 January 2025
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, we give You thanks that Your Son, the eternal Word, has become flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. Extend His praise into all the world, that many would come to hope in His steadfast love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have blessed us in Christ, Your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Preserve Your Church by the preaching of the Gospel of salvation and the seal of the promised Holy Spirit in Baptism. Raise up among us faithful preachers to the praise of Christ’s glory, until we acquire the inheritance promised us in Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You prepared a place for Your Son, Jesus, in the womb of the Virgin Mary and in the home of Mary and Joseph. Bless our homes and all who dwell in them, that Your Word would be heard and Your mercy be shown therein. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You gave to Your servant Solomon unsurpassed wisdom to rule Your people Israel, chiefly the wisdom that begins in fearing You. Give to the leaders and elected officials of our nation wisdom for their task to discern between good and evil and to govern this people in peace and quietness. Be gracious to preserve our president and president-elect, our governor, and all legislators and judges. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give patience and endurance to all who are sick or in any need, [especially _____________,] and heal them according to Your will. Receive our thanksgiving for every blessing and kindness You have shown to Your people in Christ [especially _____________]. Give comfort and hope to all who mourn [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has won redemption through His blood, granting the forgiveness of our trespasses. According to the riches of Your grace, receive those who come to Your blessed Sacrament this day. Grant worthy repentance and confident faith to all who commune, united in a sincere confession of the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, in mercy You have established the Christian home among us. We implore You, rule and direct our hearts to be good examples to children and those subject to us. Grant that we may not offend them by word or deed but faithfully teach them to love Your Church and hear Your blessed Word. Give them Your Spirit and grace, that this seed may bring forth good fruit and our homelife may advance Your glory, honor and praise as well as our own improvement and welfare, giving offense to no one; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In the beginning You created all things by Your Word; and in the fullness of time Your Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.
Let Your Word made flesh dwell richly among us that, faithfully eating His body and drinking His blood, we may receive the fullness of Your grace and truth in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
376 “Once in Royal David’s City”
1 Once in royal David’s city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for His bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.
2 He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God and Lord of all,
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall;
With the poor and mean and lowly
Lived on earth our Savior holy.
3 For He is our childhood’s pattern,
Day by day like us He grew;
He was little, weak, and helpless,
Tears and smiles like us He knew;
And He feels for all our sadness,
And He shares in all our gladness.
4 And our eyes at last shall see Him,
Through His own redeeming love;
For that child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heav’n above;
And He leads His children on
To the place where He is gone.
5 Not in that poor, lowly stable
With the oxen standing by
Shall we see Him, but in heaven,
Set at God’s right hand on high.
Then like stars His children, crowned,
All in white, His praise will sound!
Text: Cecil F. Alexander, 1818–95, alt.
Text: Public domain
385 “From East to West”
1 From east to west, from shore to shore
Let ev’ry heart awake and sing
The holy child whom Mary bore,
The Christ, the everlasting king.
2 Behold, the world’s creator wears
The form and fashion of a slave;
Our very flesh our maker shares,
His fallen creatures all to save.
3 For this how wondrously He wrought!
A maiden, in her lowly place,
Became, in ways beyond all thought,
The chosen vessel of His grace.
4 And while the angels in the sky
Sang praise above the silent field,
To shepherds poor the Lord Most High,
The one great Shepherd, was revealed.
D 5 All glory for this blessèd morn
To God the Father ever be;
All praise to You, O Virgin-born,
And Holy Ghost eternally.
Text: Coelius Sedulius, 5th cent.; tr. John Ellerton, 1826–93, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 399 “The Star Proclaims the King Is Here”
1 The star proclaims the King is here;
But, Herod, why this senseless fear?
For He who offers heav’nly birth
Seeks not the kingdoms of this earth.
2 The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
And, led by light, to light they trod
And by their gifts confessed their God.
3 Within the Jordan’s sacred flood
The heav’nly Lamb in meekness stood
That He, of whom no sin was known,
Might cleanse His people from their own.
4 And oh, what miracle divine,
When water reddened into wine!
He spoke the word, and forth it flowed
In streams that nature ne’er bestowed.
D 5 For this Thy glad epiphany
All glory, Jesus, be to Thee,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Coelius Sedulius, 5th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 29, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
GOD IS PRESENT IN OUR STORMS--
The storm did not awaken Jesus, but the cry of his disciples did. Storms happen all the time on the Sea of Galilee, but apparently this was a pretty bad one, because even the seasoned sailors were freaking out. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat. Now, in a broad sense, God never sleeps. He’s always aware of what we’re going through. The Bible tells us that “he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the
fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 29, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 519 “In His Temple Now Behold Him”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
EPISTLE LESSON Colossians 3:12-17
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 2:22-40
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 389 “Let All Together Praise Our God”
SERMON “God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him!”
Luke 2:22-40
God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him! - Luke 2:22-40
We have an interesting situation in today's Gospel. The Bible tells us about different ways that God reveals Himself. We have Moses and the Burning Bush, the cloud by day and fire by night, the tabernacle, and the temple. All these are ways for the people to know that God is with them. When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, they were bringing the ultimate expression of God's presence into another expression of God's presence. They were bringing the holy God into His holy house.
The Son of God took on human flesh so that He could keep the law perfectly in our place. He even kept the very ceremonial laws that pointed to His coming. We read about one of those ceremonial laws in today's Old Testament reading. The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." This consecration is a reminder of the Passover in Egypt. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' This ceremony constantly pointed back to the great salvation God won for His people when He freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now, in today's Gospel, we see the one who fulfills this ceremonial law is also the one who will purchase freedom from the slavery of sin for all humanity.
Luke's inspired words in today's Gospel are very careful to tell us that the purification in the temple was according to the Law of Moses, and as it is written in the Law of the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, and to do for him according to the custom of the Law, and when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord. In addition to all this, today's Gospel immediately follows another verse that tells that Jesus had already fulfilled another requirement of the ceremonial law. [Luke 2:21] At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. This circumcision was also a fulfillment of the law. The Holy Spirit really wants us to understand that Jesus is the perfect substitute for us in that He keeps the law perfectly - even as an infant.
Luke's inspired account of Jesus fulfilling the law even as an infant teaches us that Jesus was already at work to save us from our sin. From the moment of His conception as the only perfect, sinless human being who ever lived, He was already at the work of earning our salvation for us.
As Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the temple in order to fulfill the law, they meet this wonderful Old Testament saint named Simeon. We call Simeon an Old Testament Christian because of the description: this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. The words "waiting for the consolation of Israel" tell us that He was looking forward to the future savior. That is the reason that he could be described as righteous and devout for no one can be righteous in God's sight without faith in the Savior.
God gave Simeon a special promise. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. This is a marvelous gift to give to an Old Testament Christian who believed in and waited for the future Savior. He had the promise of God that the future Savior would come during his lifetime.
Simeon became a prophet when he took the infant Christ up into his arms. The Holy Spirit gave him a proclamation of thanksgiving for the opportunity to see the Christ with his own eyes, and a proclamation of the salvation that this infant would bring to the world. The Lord had kept His promise to Simeon and now Simeon's life was complete. He was ready for the Lord to take him home to heaven at any time for he had seen the long-promised salvation of the Lord.
Simeon also had a message from God for Mary. This message affects Mary at the personal level and at the public level. It affects Mary personally as a foretelling of the grief she would endure for her Son suffering and dying on the cross. It also affects Mary as the personification of Israel. The mission of Jesus will pass through Israel like a sword and reveal the secret thoughts of many hearts.
As Simeon held the infant savior and prophesied another Old Testament saint appeared, Anna the prophetess. Luke does not record her words. Instead, he tells how Anna spread the Gospel of the Savior to all who would hear. She, like Simeon, was waiting. She was looking forward to the Redemption of Jerusalem. Now, she too had seen the promised Christ.
Christ Jesus came to the temple long ago to fulfill the law and so continue to keep the law perfectly. He must keep the law for us because that is something that we cannot do. We have defiled the law in thought, word, and deed. We have sinned by not doing as the law commands. We have sinned by doing what the law prohibits. We love ourselves more than we love God or our neighbor. Even when we do those things that seem right to the world around us, our hearts have not been in the right place and our motives have been selfish. We deserve a miserable existence in this life and eternal torment in the life to come. We know our only hope lies in the Christ who entered the temple as an infant to keep the law perfectly in our place.
We too can have the faith of Simeon that Jesus is the salvation that [the Lord has] prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to [His] people Israel. The salvation that the Lord has prepared will work its way out as Jesus continues to live the perfect, sinless life that is impossible for us. Just as He is our substitute under the law in order to keep it, He is also our substitute under the law in order to bear the punishment that the law demands for sin. In His great love for us, He took up the sin of the world. As God said through the prophet, [Isaiah 53:6b] The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [1 Peter 2:24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. This is the salvation that is a light for revelation to the Gentiles. Our Lord Jesus Christ took our sins to the cross and paid the penalty for them all.
We can have confidence in Jesus because [1 Corinthians 15:20] Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. In His resurrection, we have the sure and certain hope that we will also rise from the dead. For just as Christ is the firstfruits, so also are we the harvest that will follow Him so that we can live with Him forever.
We who meet here on this day follow in the footsteps of Simeon and Anna. We also desire to see our salvation. We also desire to see the Christ. We have a promise that is just as certain as Simeon's for Jesus Himself said, [Matthew 18:20] "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them," and [Matthew 28:20b] "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Then there are these words: [1 Corinthians 11:23-26] “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” When we eat the bread, we are eating the body of Christ. When we drink the wine, we are drinking the blood of Christ. In the bread and wine, we experience the very presence of the body and blood of Jesus. Here is the certain promise that we will find the Savior when the Holy Spirit draws us into His house.
That is the reason that we respond with Simeon's words as we chant: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel.” As we chant those words, we join Simeon and Anna in thanksgiving to God that we also do not see death before we see the Lord's Christ.
Once again we are reminded that we come to God's house to be with Christ and to receive His gifts. Just as the Holy Spirit gathered Simeon and Anna to the temple in order to see their Savior, so He also does the same for us today. He gathers us together in God's house to receive His blessings.
Simeon and Anna saw the Lord at the beginning of His work to be our substitute under the Law. The Lord finished His work under the law as He kept the law perfectly and took its punishment in our place. Now He comes to us through His holy Word and His blessed Sacraments. As He comes to us, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.
The day will come when we will join Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Mary, our loved ones, and all who believe in Christ as the Holy Spirit gathers us to eternal life. There we shall live in the eternal grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday after Christmas - 29 December 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You have chosen us from the foundation of the world to be Your people. Strengthen our hearts by Your grace and open our lips to sing Your praises, that Your Holy Word would dwell richly within us from generation to generation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, grant Your blessing to the whole Church on earth, that Christ’s people may set their hearts and minds on the things above and be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lover of mankind, bind our families together in perfect harmony and rule our hearts with the peace of Christ. Cause His Word to dwell richly among us, and let fathers and heads of the household teach and admonish their families in all wisdom. Let our songs, words and deeds be done in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, as blessed St. Anna waited in the temple for the consolation of Israel, give to Your people who await the second advent of our Savior endurance in our vocations, that we would do the good works You have prepared in advance for us to do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You wounded Your own Son to bring us the eternal healing of Your love. Bless all who suffer wounds of body and soul [especially _____________ and those we name before You in our hearts]. Grant them healing according to Your will, and sustain them unto the day of the resurrection of all flesh. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, as blessed Mary treasured all things in her heart, grant us to know what is worthy of our attention and what will pass away, that approaching the table of our Lord we may be well-prepared to receive with repentance and faith His flesh for the life of the world and His blood that cleanses us from all our sin. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things we pray, O Lord, in confidence of Your mercy, trusting that You will grant us all things needful and prevent all things harmful to our faith, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
386 “Now Sing We, Now Rejoice”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 390 “Let Us All with Gladsome Voice”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 29, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
GOD IS PRESENT IN OUR STORMS--
The storm did not awaken Jesus, but the cry of his disciples did. Storms happen all the time on the Sea of Galilee, but apparently this was a pretty bad one, because even the seasoned sailors were freaking out. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat. Now, in a broad sense, God never sleeps. He’s always aware of what we’re going through. The Bible tells us that “he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the
fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 29, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 519 “In His Temple Now Behold Him”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.
11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord's. 13 Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15 For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
EPISTLE LESSON Colossians 3:12-17
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 2:22-40
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 389 “Let All Together Praise Our God”
SERMON “God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him!”
Luke 2:22-40
God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him! - Luke 2:22-40
We have an interesting situation in today's Gospel. The Bible tells us about different ways that God reveals Himself. We have Moses and the Burning Bush, the cloud by day and fire by night, the tabernacle, and the temple. All these are ways for the people to know that God is with them. When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, they were bringing the ultimate expression of God's presence into another expression of God's presence. They were bringing the holy God into His holy house.
The Son of God took on human flesh so that He could keep the law perfectly in our place. He even kept the very ceremonial laws that pointed to His coming. We read about one of those ceremonial laws in today's Old Testament reading. The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." This consecration is a reminder of the Passover in Egypt. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' This ceremony constantly pointed back to the great salvation God won for His people when He freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now, in today's Gospel, we see the one who fulfills this ceremonial law is also the one who will purchase freedom from the slavery of sin for all humanity.
Luke's inspired words in today's Gospel are very careful to tell us that the purification in the temple was according to the Law of Moses, and as it is written in the Law of the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, and to do for him according to the custom of the Law, and when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord. In addition to all this, today's Gospel immediately follows another verse that tells that Jesus had already fulfilled another requirement of the ceremonial law. [Luke 2:21] At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. This circumcision was also a fulfillment of the law. The Holy Spirit really wants us to understand that Jesus is the perfect substitute for us in that He keeps the law perfectly - even as an infant.
Luke's inspired account of Jesus fulfilling the law even as an infant teaches us that Jesus was already at work to save us from our sin. From the moment of His conception as the only perfect, sinless human being who ever lived, He was already at the work of earning our salvation for us.
As Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the temple in order to fulfill the law, they meet this wonderful Old Testament saint named Simeon. We call Simeon an Old Testament Christian because of the description: this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. The words "waiting for the consolation of Israel" tell us that He was looking forward to the future savior. That is the reason that he could be described as righteous and devout for no one can be righteous in God's sight without faith in the Savior.
God gave Simeon a special promise. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. This is a marvelous gift to give to an Old Testament Christian who believed in and waited for the future Savior. He had the promise of God that the future Savior would come during his lifetime.
Simeon became a prophet when he took the infant Christ up into his arms. The Holy Spirit gave him a proclamation of thanksgiving for the opportunity to see the Christ with his own eyes, and a proclamation of the salvation that this infant would bring to the world. The Lord had kept His promise to Simeon and now Simeon's life was complete. He was ready for the Lord to take him home to heaven at any time for he had seen the long-promised salvation of the Lord.
Simeon also had a message from God for Mary. This message affects Mary at the personal level and at the public level. It affects Mary personally as a foretelling of the grief she would endure for her Son suffering and dying on the cross. It also affects Mary as the personification of Israel. The mission of Jesus will pass through Israel like a sword and reveal the secret thoughts of many hearts.
As Simeon held the infant savior and prophesied another Old Testament saint appeared, Anna the prophetess. Luke does not record her words. Instead, he tells how Anna spread the Gospel of the Savior to all who would hear. She, like Simeon, was waiting. She was looking forward to the Redemption of Jerusalem. Now, she too had seen the promised Christ.
Christ Jesus came to the temple long ago to fulfill the law and so continue to keep the law perfectly. He must keep the law for us because that is something that we cannot do. We have defiled the law in thought, word, and deed. We have sinned by not doing as the law commands. We have sinned by doing what the law prohibits. We love ourselves more than we love God or our neighbor. Even when we do those things that seem right to the world around us, our hearts have not been in the right place and our motives have been selfish. We deserve a miserable existence in this life and eternal torment in the life to come. We know our only hope lies in the Christ who entered the temple as an infant to keep the law perfectly in our place.
We too can have the faith of Simeon that Jesus is the salvation that [the Lord has] prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to [His] people Israel. The salvation that the Lord has prepared will work its way out as Jesus continues to live the perfect, sinless life that is impossible for us. Just as He is our substitute under the law in order to keep it, He is also our substitute under the law in order to bear the punishment that the law demands for sin. In His great love for us, He took up the sin of the world. As God said through the prophet, [Isaiah 53:6b] The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [1 Peter 2:24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. This is the salvation that is a light for revelation to the Gentiles. Our Lord Jesus Christ took our sins to the cross and paid the penalty for them all.
We can have confidence in Jesus because [1 Corinthians 15:20] Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. In His resurrection, we have the sure and certain hope that we will also rise from the dead. For just as Christ is the firstfruits, so also are we the harvest that will follow Him so that we can live with Him forever.
We who meet here on this day follow in the footsteps of Simeon and Anna. We also desire to see our salvation. We also desire to see the Christ. We have a promise that is just as certain as Simeon's for Jesus Himself said, [Matthew 18:20] "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them," and [Matthew 28:20b] "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Then there are these words: [1 Corinthians 11:23-26] “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” When we eat the bread, we are eating the body of Christ. When we drink the wine, we are drinking the blood of Christ. In the bread and wine, we experience the very presence of the body and blood of Jesus. Here is the certain promise that we will find the Savior when the Holy Spirit draws us into His house.
That is the reason that we respond with Simeon's words as we chant: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel.” As we chant those words, we join Simeon and Anna in thanksgiving to God that we also do not see death before we see the Lord's Christ.
Once again we are reminded that we come to God's house to be with Christ and to receive His gifts. Just as the Holy Spirit gathered Simeon and Anna to the temple in order to see their Savior, so He also does the same for us today. He gathers us together in God's house to receive His blessings.
Simeon and Anna saw the Lord at the beginning of His work to be our substitute under the Law. The Lord finished His work under the law as He kept the law perfectly and took its punishment in our place. Now He comes to us through His holy Word and His blessed Sacraments. As He comes to us, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.
The day will come when we will join Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Mary, our loved ones, and all who believe in Christ as the Holy Spirit gathers us to eternal life. There we shall live in the eternal grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday after Christmas - 29 December 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You have chosen us from the foundation of the world to be Your people. Strengthen our hearts by Your grace and open our lips to sing Your praises, that Your Holy Word would dwell richly within us from generation to generation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, grant Your blessing to the whole Church on earth, that Christ’s people may set their hearts and minds on the things above and be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lover of mankind, bind our families together in perfect harmony and rule our hearts with the peace of Christ. Cause His Word to dwell richly among us, and let fathers and heads of the household teach and admonish their families in all wisdom. Let our songs, words and deeds be done in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, as blessed St. Anna waited in the temple for the consolation of Israel, give to Your people who await the second advent of our Savior endurance in our vocations, that we would do the good works You have prepared in advance for us to do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You wounded Your own Son to bring us the eternal healing of Your love. Bless all who suffer wounds of body and soul [especially _____________ and those we name before You in our hearts]. Grant them healing according to Your will, and sustain them unto the day of the resurrection of all flesh. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, as blessed Mary treasured all things in her heart, grant us to know what is worthy of our attention and what will pass away, that approaching the table of our Lord we may be well-prepared to receive with repentance and faith His flesh for the life of the world and His blood that cleanses us from all our sin. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things we pray, O Lord, in confidence of Your mercy, trusting that You will grant us all things needful and prevent all things harmful to our faith, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
386 “Now Sing We, Now Rejoice”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 390 “Let Us All with Gladsome Voice”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday in Advent – December 22, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group is taking a break for the rest of December and will resume meeting on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
UPCOMING CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT ST. PAUL:
And heaven and nature sing!
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the importance of the personal invitation. In a recent poll, 47% of Americans indicated that they would be attending religious services this Christmas. And get this, another 25% said they would be willing to attend a service IF someone personally invited them. Do you know someone you could personally invite?
As each happy Christmas, dawns on earth again,
Comes the holy Christ Child, to the hearts of men.
Enters with His blessing into ev’ry home,
Guides and guards our footsteps as we go and come.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I’ll say it again: REJOICE!
Philippians 4:4
The Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 22, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 934 “My Soul Now Magnifies the Lord”
1 My soul now magnifies the Lord;
My spirit leaps for joy in Him.
He keeps me in His kind regard,
And I am blest for time to come.
2 For He alone who shows such might
Has done amazing things to me.
His mercy flows; His name like light
Remains in time perpetually.
3 His arm is strong; His strength is great.
He scatters those of proud intent
And casts them down from high estate,
Then gives the low His nourishment.
4 He feeds the hungry as His own;
The wealthy leave with empty hands.
He gives His help to Israel;
His gracious promise always stands.
Text: Luke 1:46–55; adapt. Stephanie K. Frey, 1952
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Luke 1:46b–47; 1 Samuel 2:1b, 2, 5b–7
P My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Micah 5:2–5a
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5And he shall be their peace.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 80:1–7
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph | like a flock!*
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, | shine forth.
2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Ma- | nasseh,*
stir up your might
and come to | save us!
3Restore us, | O God;*
let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
4O Lord | God of hosts,*
how long will you be angry with your | people’s prayers?
5You have fed them with the | bread of tears*
and given them tears to drink in full | measure.
6You make us an object of contention for our | neighbors,*
and our enemies laugh a- | mong themselves.
7Restore us, O | God of hosts;*
let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
Epistle Hebrews 10:5–10
5When Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 1:39–45
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 357 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear. Refrain
ref Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
3 O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
4 O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
5 O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. Refrain
6 O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
7 O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
Text: Latin, c. 12th cent.; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1710, Köln; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “A Most Blessed Meeting” Luke 1:39-45
A Most Blessed Meeting – Luke 1:39-45
If you were to write a headline for today's Gospel, you might write "Miracle Mothers Mutual Ministry." In a culture that married women off the instant they were old enough to have children, we have a mother who became pregnant before she consummated her marriage with her betrothed husband. She had to be very young and - since no one knew the nature of her pregnancy - very scandalized. At the other end of the spectrum, we have a woman who is six months pregnant with her firstborn when she should already be a grandmother. Ordinary pregnancies often produce all kinds of challenging situations. These two pregnancies present a whole new set of challenges.
At the same time, God has provided a way for these two women to help each other. God has seen to it that there is a family relationship between the two of them. Then, when He sends His angel to inform the younger woman that she is about to become a mother, He also has the angel inform the young mother that her older relative is already six months pregnant. What could be more natural than for this young woman to help her older relative deal with the consequences of giving birth at an old age? At the same time, who else in all of Israel would have more empathy for the miracle of a Virgin birth than a woman who was experiencing the miracle of a birth in old age? So, today's Gospel begins as the virgin mother, Mary, makes her way to lend physical support to the ancient mother, Elizabeth. At the same time Elizabeth can provide emotional and mental support to Mary. It is an opportunity for these two miracle mothers to provide mutual ministry to each other.
Of course, the miracles don't stop with just the mothers. The babies themselves are also miracles. Elizabeth's baby is the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He is the very forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist. On the other hand, Mary's baby is the Messiah, the very miracle of Almighty God taking on the flesh of a baby in the womb of the Virgin.
As today's Gospel continues, so do the miracles. As the miracle mothers greet one another an amazing thing happens. Three months before he is even born, John the Baptist already receives his calling as prophet. The Holy Spirit enters him with a kick. Already, in the womb of his mother, he is pointing to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Here we have one of the great testimonies that even a child in the womb can have faith. Here we have one more reminder of the reason for baptizing infants. Here we have a great word of comfort for those sad mothers who lose their child to a miscarriage. Here we have a reminder that the Holy Spirit can produce faith in anyone at any time.
As the Holy Spirit worked in John, He also worked in John's mother. She recognized that this young mother coming toward her is the Mother of God. For she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
Elizabeth had many fine things to say about Mary, but when she used the title Mother of my Lord, she was saying that the little rice sized embryo in Mary's womb was indeed the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Think of it. The moment that Gabriel's words reached Mary's ears, the very person of our Lord Jesus Christ began His existence, not just as the Son of God, but as the Human Son of God. From eternity, the Son of God [Formula: SD, art. viii, par. 6] is true, essential, perfect God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. From the moment the Holy Spirit worked the miracle in Mary's womb, even as that new living cell within her began to divide and grow, the Son of God [Formula: SD, art. viii, par. 6] received also the human nature into the unity of His person. He did not do this in such a way that there are now two persons or two Christs. Christ Jesus is now in one person at the same time true, eternal God, born of the Father from eternity, and a true man, born of the most blessed Virgin Mary.
So it is that we get to join Elizabeth and the little prophet in her womb and say all kinds of startling things about Mary - not by virtue of how great Mary is, but by virtue of greatness of the Child Who now lives in her womb. Elizabeth has already told us that Mary is the Mother of God. For nine months, Mary is the very Temple of God, for where else does God dwell with His people other than in His temple? All the things that any mother does for any child, Mary will do for God.
As we think about what Mary will do for her son, we can also think about what Mary's son will do for her. In fact, the Holy Spirit inspired Mary to respond in a special way to Elizabeth's greeting. These words tell us about the work of the life that grows within her. These words tell us about the great reversal that God will bring into the world through her son.
St. Luke also records what Mary said in the verses following our text: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior …" I wonder if Mary understood that she was praising the life that grew within her, for it is Jesus, her son, who is God her Savior. I wonder if she understood that all the works of God that she praised with her words would be accomplished in her son.
Mary's words describe a great reversal. God will scatter the proud and bring down the mighty. At the same time, He will exalt those of humble estate. God will fill the hungry and empty the rich. All things will be reversed. The rich, the mighty, and the proud are those who believe that they are secure in their own resources. They believe in themselves. The humble and the hungry know that they are helpless. They know that their only help must come from God. Everything that appears powerful in this world will fail. God will rescue those who forget themselves and look only to Him.
Mary's words can even remind us of how her Son would accomplish the great reversal. Her praise included these words: "He has shown strength with his arm …" Throughout the Old Testament, such a statement would have to be a metaphor. God is a spirit. A spirit does not have arms. That all changed. At the time of today's Gospel, Christ Jesus was in one person at the same time true, eternal God, born of the Father from eternity, and a true man, growing within the womb of the Virgin Mary. At the time of today's Gospel, God the Son had taken humanity into Himself and that humanity was very busy growing arms and all the other parts of His body. Some day that body would be stretched out to die. Someday those arms would be nailed to a cross. Someday, He would show the strength of His arm by the weakness of His death on the cross. Someday, the baby growing in Mary's womb would sacrifice Himself on a cross, and His sacrifice would accomplish the great reversal - salvation for us sinners who cannot save ourselves.
Two miracle mothers and the pre-born prophet have much to teach us today. All three of them point us in one direction - to the baby who is God gestating in Mary's womb - to our pre-born savior.
Even though these three do not have all the details of their salvation, they point to the one who will earn that salvation - salvation for them - and salvation for us. They point to the Christ - focal point of our faith. They point to the fulfillment of God's promise of a savior. After all, that is the way salvation comes to all people - through faith in God's promise. God made many promises concerning the savior and Jesus fulfilled them all.
Jesus promised that He would return to raise all the dead and take His people to live with Him forever. We can believe that promise because after Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross, He rose from the dead. In that resurrection, we have the sure and certain pledge that our Savior, Jesus Christ will return one day to live with us forever.
In the meantime we can join Mary and praise God for the great reversal that He works in our lives - the reversal where we poor sinners become saints in the eyes of God. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday in Advent - 22 December 2024
O Lord, there is none like You in holiness, constancy and might; yet, You exercise Your power for the salvation of sinners. As we draw near to the celebration of Jesus’ birth, fill our hearts with gratitude that Your Son humbled Himself and became flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty God, You have done great things for us, looking upon our humble estate and exalting us to be Your children for Jesus’ sake. Preserve us by Your Holy Word, that we would properly fear Your name and rejoice in it all our days. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son from of old was born of Mary in time to be our peace. Grant us repentant hearts, that for His sake we would be at peace with You. Grant also that, forgiven of our sins, we may forgive and be at peace with those around us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, Bethlehem was too small to be among the clans of Judah, yet from it came forth the King of kings. Remember the congregations of Your people where numbers are small and resources are scarce. Provide for their needs, and remind them that the Lord of lords dwells among them in His Means of Grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You are the Creator of all life. Have mercy on those women who are unable to conceive or who suffer the heartbreak of miscarriage. Be their rock against despair, provide them consolation and purpose in Your Son, and restore them to exult in Your salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, You sent Your Son to shepherd His flock in strength and to be great to the ends of the earth. Grant wisdom to our leaders and peace among the nations, that we may dwell secure. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in mind or body. Give them the knowledge of Christ, their Immanuel, who is with them in their trials. Grant them health and healing in accord with Your perfect will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ on the cross. Prepare the hearts of all who commune this day with penitence and trust in Your promises, and so make us holy with Your Son’s body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we give You thanks for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is truly the King of the nations and their desire. He who formed us of clay took on our human nature that He might save us. He came to His own and was rejected by them, yet You established Him as the true cornerstone, tested and precious, that whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame. Grant that, as we recall with thanksgiving His advent in the flesh, we may always confess Him and remain watchful for His advent in glory at the Last Day; for You live and reign, ever one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer LSB 196
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
340 “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”
1 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!
Behold, the King of glory waits.
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He doth bring;
Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.
To God the Father raise
Your joyful songs of praise.
2 A righteous Helper comes to thee;
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.
The end of all our woe He brings;
Therefore the earth is glad and sings.
To Christ the Savior raise
Your grateful hymns of praise.
3 How blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the ruler is confessed!
O peaceful hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!
The cloudless sun of joy is He
Who comes to set His people free.
To God the Spirit raise
Your happy shouts of praise.
4 Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for heav’n’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sov’reign enter in
And new and nobler life begin.
To God alone be praise
For word and deed and grace!
5 Redeemer, come and open wide
My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
O enter with Thy grace divine;
Thy face of mercy on me shine.
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on
Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Thy name.
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
933 “My Soul Rejoices”
1 My soul rejoices,
My spirit voices--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
For God my Savior
Has shown me favor--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
With praise and blessing,
Join in confessing
God, who is solely
Mighty and holy--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
His mercy surely
Shall rest securely
On all who fear Him,
Love and revere Him--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
2 His arm now baring,
His strength declaring--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
The proud He scatters,
Their rule He shatters--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
Oppression halted;
The meek exalted.
Full are the hungry;
Empty, the wealthy--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
Here is the token
All that was spoken
To Abr’ham’s offspring
God is fulfilling--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1991 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 342 “What Hope! An Eden Prophesied”
1 What hope! An Eden prophesied
Where tame live with the wild;
The lamb and lion side by side,
Led by a little child!
2 A shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stem,
A branch from David’s line,
A Prince of Peace in Bethlehem:
The fruit of God’s design.
3 As banner of God’s love unfurled,
Christ came to suffer loss,
That by His death a dying world
Would rally to the cross.
4 Come, Jesus, come, Messiah Lord,
Lost Paradise restore;
Lead past the angel’s flaming sword--
Come, open heaven’s door.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1998 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday in Advent – December 22, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group is taking a break for the rest of December and will resume meeting on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
UPCOMING CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT ST. PAUL:
- Candlelight Christmas Eve service is 5 p.m., Christmas Day Worship with Holy Communion is 10:30 a.m.
And heaven and nature sing!
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the importance of the personal invitation. In a recent poll, 47% of Americans indicated that they would be attending religious services this Christmas. And get this, another 25% said they would be willing to attend a service IF someone personally invited them. Do you know someone you could personally invite?
As each happy Christmas, dawns on earth again,
Comes the holy Christ Child, to the hearts of men.
Enters with His blessing into ev’ry home,
Guides and guards our footsteps as we go and come.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I’ll say it again: REJOICE!
Philippians 4:4
The Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 22, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 934 “My Soul Now Magnifies the Lord”
1 My soul now magnifies the Lord;
My spirit leaps for joy in Him.
He keeps me in His kind regard,
And I am blest for time to come.
2 For He alone who shows such might
Has done amazing things to me.
His mercy flows; His name like light
Remains in time perpetually.
3 His arm is strong; His strength is great.
He scatters those of proud intent
And casts them down from high estate,
Then gives the low His nourishment.
4 He feeds the hungry as His own;
The wealthy leave with empty hands.
He gives His help to Israel;
His gracious promise always stands.
Text: Luke 1:46–55; adapt. Stephanie K. Frey, 1952
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Luke 1:46b–47; 1 Samuel 2:1b, 2, 5b–7
P My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.
There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Micah 5:2–5a
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
3Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
to the people of Israel.
4And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of the earth.
5And he shall be their peace.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 80:1–7
1Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph | like a flock!*
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, | shine forth.
2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Ma- | nasseh,*
stir up your might
and come to | save us!
3Restore us, | O God;*
let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
4O Lord | God of hosts,*
how long will you be angry with your | people’s prayers?
5You have fed them with the | bread of tears*
and given them tears to drink in full | measure.
6You make us an object of contention for our | neighbors,*
and our enemies laugh a- | mong themselves.
7Restore us, O | God of hosts;*
let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
Epistle Hebrews 10:5–10
5When Christ came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body have you prepared for me;
6in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’”
8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. 10And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 1:39–45
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 357 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
1 O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear. Refrain
ref Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
2 O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
3 O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
4 O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
5 O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. Refrain
6 O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
7 O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
Text: Latin, c. 12th cent.; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1710, Köln; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “A Most Blessed Meeting” Luke 1:39-45
A Most Blessed Meeting – Luke 1:39-45
If you were to write a headline for today's Gospel, you might write "Miracle Mothers Mutual Ministry." In a culture that married women off the instant they were old enough to have children, we have a mother who became pregnant before she consummated her marriage with her betrothed husband. She had to be very young and - since no one knew the nature of her pregnancy - very scandalized. At the other end of the spectrum, we have a woman who is six months pregnant with her firstborn when she should already be a grandmother. Ordinary pregnancies often produce all kinds of challenging situations. These two pregnancies present a whole new set of challenges.
At the same time, God has provided a way for these two women to help each other. God has seen to it that there is a family relationship between the two of them. Then, when He sends His angel to inform the younger woman that she is about to become a mother, He also has the angel inform the young mother that her older relative is already six months pregnant. What could be more natural than for this young woman to help her older relative deal with the consequences of giving birth at an old age? At the same time, who else in all of Israel would have more empathy for the miracle of a Virgin birth than a woman who was experiencing the miracle of a birth in old age? So, today's Gospel begins as the virgin mother, Mary, makes her way to lend physical support to the ancient mother, Elizabeth. At the same time Elizabeth can provide emotional and mental support to Mary. It is an opportunity for these two miracle mothers to provide mutual ministry to each other.
Of course, the miracles don't stop with just the mothers. The babies themselves are also miracles. Elizabeth's baby is the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. He is the very forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist. On the other hand, Mary's baby is the Messiah, the very miracle of Almighty God taking on the flesh of a baby in the womb of the Virgin.
As today's Gospel continues, so do the miracles. As the miracle mothers greet one another an amazing thing happens. Three months before he is even born, John the Baptist already receives his calling as prophet. The Holy Spirit enters him with a kick. Already, in the womb of his mother, he is pointing to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Here we have one of the great testimonies that even a child in the womb can have faith. Here we have one more reminder of the reason for baptizing infants. Here we have a great word of comfort for those sad mothers who lose their child to a miscarriage. Here we have a reminder that the Holy Spirit can produce faith in anyone at any time.
As the Holy Spirit worked in John, He also worked in John's mother. She recognized that this young mother coming toward her is the Mother of God. For she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
Elizabeth had many fine things to say about Mary, but when she used the title Mother of my Lord, she was saying that the little rice sized embryo in Mary's womb was indeed the Lord of Heaven and Earth. Think of it. The moment that Gabriel's words reached Mary's ears, the very person of our Lord Jesus Christ began His existence, not just as the Son of God, but as the Human Son of God. From eternity, the Son of God [Formula: SD, art. viii, par. 6] is true, essential, perfect God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. From the moment the Holy Spirit worked the miracle in Mary's womb, even as that new living cell within her began to divide and grow, the Son of God [Formula: SD, art. viii, par. 6] received also the human nature into the unity of His person. He did not do this in such a way that there are now two persons or two Christs. Christ Jesus is now in one person at the same time true, eternal God, born of the Father from eternity, and a true man, born of the most blessed Virgin Mary.
So it is that we get to join Elizabeth and the little prophet in her womb and say all kinds of startling things about Mary - not by virtue of how great Mary is, but by virtue of greatness of the Child Who now lives in her womb. Elizabeth has already told us that Mary is the Mother of God. For nine months, Mary is the very Temple of God, for where else does God dwell with His people other than in His temple? All the things that any mother does for any child, Mary will do for God.
As we think about what Mary will do for her son, we can also think about what Mary's son will do for her. In fact, the Holy Spirit inspired Mary to respond in a special way to Elizabeth's greeting. These words tell us about the work of the life that grows within her. These words tell us about the great reversal that God will bring into the world through her son.
St. Luke also records what Mary said in the verses following our text: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior …" I wonder if Mary understood that she was praising the life that grew within her, for it is Jesus, her son, who is God her Savior. I wonder if she understood that all the works of God that she praised with her words would be accomplished in her son.
Mary's words describe a great reversal. God will scatter the proud and bring down the mighty. At the same time, He will exalt those of humble estate. God will fill the hungry and empty the rich. All things will be reversed. The rich, the mighty, and the proud are those who believe that they are secure in their own resources. They believe in themselves. The humble and the hungry know that they are helpless. They know that their only help must come from God. Everything that appears powerful in this world will fail. God will rescue those who forget themselves and look only to Him.
Mary's words can even remind us of how her Son would accomplish the great reversal. Her praise included these words: "He has shown strength with his arm …" Throughout the Old Testament, such a statement would have to be a metaphor. God is a spirit. A spirit does not have arms. That all changed. At the time of today's Gospel, Christ Jesus was in one person at the same time true, eternal God, born of the Father from eternity, and a true man, growing within the womb of the Virgin Mary. At the time of today's Gospel, God the Son had taken humanity into Himself and that humanity was very busy growing arms and all the other parts of His body. Some day that body would be stretched out to die. Someday those arms would be nailed to a cross. Someday, He would show the strength of His arm by the weakness of His death on the cross. Someday, the baby growing in Mary's womb would sacrifice Himself on a cross, and His sacrifice would accomplish the great reversal - salvation for us sinners who cannot save ourselves.
Two miracle mothers and the pre-born prophet have much to teach us today. All three of them point us in one direction - to the baby who is God gestating in Mary's womb - to our pre-born savior.
Even though these three do not have all the details of their salvation, they point to the one who will earn that salvation - salvation for them - and salvation for us. They point to the Christ - focal point of our faith. They point to the fulfillment of God's promise of a savior. After all, that is the way salvation comes to all people - through faith in God's promise. God made many promises concerning the savior and Jesus fulfilled them all.
Jesus promised that He would return to raise all the dead and take His people to live with Him forever. We can believe that promise because after Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross, He rose from the dead. In that resurrection, we have the sure and certain pledge that our Savior, Jesus Christ will return one day to live with us forever.
In the meantime we can join Mary and praise God for the great reversal that He works in our lives - the reversal where we poor sinners become saints in the eyes of God. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday in Advent - 22 December 2024
O Lord, there is none like You in holiness, constancy and might; yet, You exercise Your power for the salvation of sinners. As we draw near to the celebration of Jesus’ birth, fill our hearts with gratitude that Your Son humbled Himself and became flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty God, You have done great things for us, looking upon our humble estate and exalting us to be Your children for Jesus’ sake. Preserve us by Your Holy Word, that we would properly fear Your name and rejoice in it all our days. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son from of old was born of Mary in time to be our peace. Grant us repentant hearts, that for His sake we would be at peace with You. Grant also that, forgiven of our sins, we may forgive and be at peace with those around us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, Bethlehem was too small to be among the clans of Judah, yet from it came forth the King of kings. Remember the congregations of Your people where numbers are small and resources are scarce. Provide for their needs, and remind them that the Lord of lords dwells among them in His Means of Grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You are the Creator of all life. Have mercy on those women who are unable to conceive or who suffer the heartbreak of miscarriage. Be their rock against despair, provide them consolation and purpose in Your Son, and restore them to exult in Your salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, You sent Your Son to shepherd His flock in strength and to be great to the ends of the earth. Grant wisdom to our leaders and peace among the nations, that we may dwell secure. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in mind or body. Give them the knowledge of Christ, their Immanuel, who is with them in their trials. Grant them health and healing in accord with Your perfect will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ on the cross. Prepare the hearts of all who commune this day with penitence and trust in Your promises, and so make us holy with Your Son’s body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we give You thanks for Your Son, Jesus Christ, who is truly the King of the nations and their desire. He who formed us of clay took on our human nature that He might save us. He came to His own and was rejected by them, yet You established Him as the true cornerstone, tested and precious, that whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame. Grant that, as we recall with thanksgiving His advent in the flesh, we may always confess Him and remain watchful for His advent in glory at the Last Day; for You live and reign, ever one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer LSB 196
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
340 “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”
1 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!
Behold, the King of glory waits.
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He doth bring;
Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.
To God the Father raise
Your joyful songs of praise.
2 A righteous Helper comes to thee;
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.
The end of all our woe He brings;
Therefore the earth is glad and sings.
To Christ the Savior raise
Your grateful hymns of praise.
3 How blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the ruler is confessed!
O peaceful hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!
The cloudless sun of joy is He
Who comes to set His people free.
To God the Spirit raise
Your happy shouts of praise.
4 Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for heav’n’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sov’reign enter in
And new and nobler life begin.
To God alone be praise
For word and deed and grace!
5 Redeemer, come and open wide
My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
O enter with Thy grace divine;
Thy face of mercy on me shine.
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on
Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Thy name.
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
933 “My Soul Rejoices”
1 My soul rejoices,
My spirit voices--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
For God my Savior
Has shown me favor--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
With praise and blessing,
Join in confessing
God, who is solely
Mighty and holy--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
His mercy surely
Shall rest securely
On all who fear Him,
Love and revere Him--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
2 His arm now baring,
His strength declaring--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
The proud He scatters,
Their rule He shatters--
Sing the greatness of the Lord!
Oppression halted;
The meek exalted.
Full are the hungry;
Empty, the wealthy--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
Here is the token
All that was spoken
To Abr’ham’s offspring
God is fulfilling--
O sing the greatness of God the Lord!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1991 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 342 “What Hope! An Eden Prophesied”
1 What hope! An Eden prophesied
Where tame live with the wild;
The lamb and lion side by side,
Led by a little child!
2 A shoot will sprout from Jesse’s stem,
A branch from David’s line,
A Prince of Peace in Bethlehem:
The fruit of God’s design.
3 As banner of God’s love unfurled,
Christ came to suffer loss,
That by His death a dying world
Would rally to the cross.
4 Come, Jesus, come, Messiah Lord,
Lost Paradise restore;
Lead past the angel’s flaming sword--
Come, open heaven’s door.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1998 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Advent – December 15, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group is taking a break for the rest of December and will resume meeting on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
UPCOMING SERVICES AT ST. PAUL:
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I’ll say it again: REJOICE!
Philippians 4:4
The Third Sunday in Advent
December 15, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 803 “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”
1 Joyful, joyful we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love!
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Praising Thee, their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the gloom of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day.
2 All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird, and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.
D 3 Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Fountainhead of love divine:
Joyful, we Thy heav’n inherit!
Joyful, we by grace are Thine!
Text: Henry Van Dyke, 1852–1933, alt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, King who comes to save us.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung by all] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Zephaniah 3:14–20
L A reading from Zephaniah, chapter 3.
14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
19Behold, at that time I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Philippians 4:4–7
L A reading from Philippians, chapter 4.
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading of the Holy Gospel Luke 7:18–28
L A reading from Luke, chapter 7.
18The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, 19calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 20And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 21In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
24When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
28I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 345 “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”
1 Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
All you children of the day!”
2 Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3 See, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiv’n;
4 So, when next He comes in glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
And with words of love draw near.
D 5 Honor, glory, might, dominion
To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
While eternal ages run!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Looking for Someone?” Luke 7:18-28
Looking for Someone? - Luke 7:18-28
Today's Gospel contains a very important question: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" The answer that we would give to this question on the day of our death would reveal our eternal destiny. It is a variation on the question: "Is Jesus my Savior?" John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask this question of Jesus.
In a way, it seems very odd that John should ask this question. After all, he is the one who leaped in the womb when his mother heard the greeting of the Lord's mother. He is also the one who [John 1:29] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” It was John's mission as prophet to identify Jesus to the world. He was the forerunner of the Messiah. Surely, he, of all people, knew who Jesus was. Surely, he knew that Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy. Nevertheless, John is sending his disciples to ask the question: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
Perhaps the very fact that John could not ask this question in person also gives us some understanding of the reason for the question. He was in jail. He had followed his vocation as prophet. He had spoken truth to power. The power did not like the truth. Herod, the son of Herod the Great, had John arrested. John wasn't going anywhere. John had dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's, but still found himself in prison.
Now John had no delusions that he wasn't a sinner who deserved punishment. After all He is the one who said, [Luke 3:16] "He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
John's problem isn't that he was in jail, but that he was in jail for doing the right thing. He, the prophet of God, was in jail for proclaiming God's truth. After all, Jesus referred to Himself as the fulfillment of the prophecy: [Luke 4:18] "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me … He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives ... to set at liberty those who are oppressed." Who is more captive than John the Baptist as he sits in prison because of his ministry as the forerunner of Jesus?
John's question is still valid for us today. We are not in prison for our faith in Jesus, but doubts come our way nevertheless. We all have those times when we consider Jesus and we wonder, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
The world gets more dangerous every day. Those who have worked hard for a lifetime now wonder if those hard earned retirement benefits will still be there. Some of us have aches and pains in places that we didn't even know we had. Loved ones live clear across the country and we don't see them as often as we wish. Loved ones die and are missing from our lives. All these things and more bring doubts into our lives. When Jesus answers John's doubts, we too should pay attention. His words are not just for John, but they are for us as well.
Jesus responded to John's question with more than simple words. In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. Jesus showed John's disciples how He was the fulfillment of the promises that God had made through His prophets. Then Jesus sent His answer back to John, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." Jesus certified that He is the promised Messiah by pointing to the prophetic signs of His healing and teaching.
John is not the only one who receives this answer. The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to record this account so that we would also have Jesus' answer. We can also know that Jesus is the promised Messiah by virtue of His miraculous signs. In fact, we have even more signs than John had. The Bible tells us that Herod would order his beheading soon, and John would not live to see the greatest signs that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises.
We, on the other hand, live after Jesus accomplished His mission to earn our salvation. We have the history of our Savior's saving work in ink on paper. We know that Jesus lived a perfect life. We know that through Baptism he gives that perfect life to us and takes all our sins, all our doubts onto Himself. We know that the corrupt leadership in Jerusalem used a political scheme to force Pontius Pilate to execute Jesus on a cross. We know that through that cross, Jesus received the punishment we earned with our doubts and other sins. We know that through His death, Jesus conquered all our sins. We know that through his resurrection, Jesus leads us to eternal life with Him. We experience Christ's baptism of Spirit and fire. We know the intimacy of Jesus' presence within us as we eat His body and drink His blood in the Sacrament of the altar. John experienced none of these things during his life on this earth.
John proclaimed the New Testament, but never got to experience it in this life. This is the key to understanding the strange statement that Jesus made about John. Jesus said, "I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." How can the least be greater than the greatest? The least in the kingdom of God is greater than John because the most insignificant member of the kingdom participates in signs that John never experienced before he died.
So it is that, while none of us will be the prophet that John was, we are all greater than John. We experience signs that John never lived to see. We experience them now and so have the greater blessing from God. We have even greater reason to believe that Jesus is our savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
The verses that immediately follow today's reading tell us that many people believed that this teaching was from God. These people see God's salvation breaking into the world in Jesus. Luke specifically mentions the tax collectors who were considered to be the scum of society. Even the tax collectors eagerly listened to Jesus and believed His words. They had submitted to John's baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and were ready for the coming of Jesus.
Sadly, there were others who were not ready for Jesus. The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to tell us that the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves. These people represent the opposition and are hostile to both John and Jesus. They deny their need for repentance or forgiveness.
Jesus had some very harsh words for them. He told a story of children who refused to dance to the flute or mourn to the dirge. Then He told how both He and John had the same message, but two different styles. John was strict and austere and kept to himself. Jesus participated in the life of the community and enjoyed the good gifts of God's creation. In each case, the opponents found something to criticize. They were not willing to listen no matter how God delivered the truth to them.
There will always be people who rationalize the rejection of the truth with these words, "It's not what he says. It's the way he says it." Such people follow the example of the opposition. In reality, it doesn't make any difference how anyone shares the Word of God with them, they will still reject it.
On the other hand, the people who listened to Jesus also listened to John. They did not care how eccentric the teacher was. Their focus was on the grace that God was pouring out on them through the message.
During this Advent season of penitential preparation, we consider our doubts and other sins. As we consider these sins, their consequences and punishment should terrify us. How wonderful it is, then, to learn that in Jesus Christ we have all the signs of God's promise. We have the signs of His miracles and His teaching, but especially we have the sign of His crucifixion and resurrection that earn forgiveness for our sins and give us the promise of life everlasting in His gracious presence.
Today is Gaudete Sunday - the Sunday of rejoicing - the Sunday of the rose candle. On this Sunday, we rejoice that the Son of God came into this world to offer Himself up as our substitute and take away our sins. We rejoice that by His resurrection He has opened heaven for us. We rejoice that, although our sin is great, our savior is even greater. We rejoice in the way He came to conquer sin. We rejoice in the way He now comes to offer forgiveness to all people. We rejoice in the way He will come to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. We rejoice that a day is coming when Jesus will remove all doubt. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday in Advent - 15 December 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, as You once sent messengers before the face of Jesus to prepare His way, so strengthen and encourage pastors and church workers as they make known His saving name. Open the ears of all who hear to rejoice, repent and firmly believe in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You rescue the daughter of Zion from her enemies and take away the judgments against her. Look with compassion upon Your people wherever they suffer for the name of Jesus. Give them wisdom when they are pressured to compromise, provide for them when they suffer loss, give courage when they are afraid, and strengthen them in the midst of persecution until You deliver them. Preserve us in the joyful hope that You will restore all that is lost with what cannot be taken away. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, Giver of all good gifts, look upon the households of Your people. Provide companionship for those who are alone. Strengthen the bonds of marriage. Equip parents to raise their children in love and faith. Grant that our homes may be places of joy, reasonableness, peace and prayer. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You command us not to be anxious, but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving to make our requests known to You. Give wisdom, health and success to the authorities who govern us and those newly elected. Give earthly peace in our time, even as Your Gospel gives eternally the peace that passes all understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all joy, You bid us to be anxious about nothing, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known to You. Forgive our anxieties, and strengthen us to examine ourselves for whatever causes us to doubt Your mercy. Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and hear the prayers that we offer today. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Look with kindness on all people, especially those for whom we pray: _____________. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, the Son of Man came eating and drinking with sinners, that He might proclaim the kingdom and welcome them in by the forgiveness of sins. As He hosts His Supper this day for His repentant people, grant those who partake of His body and blood to be worthy and well-prepared, firmly believing the words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, heavenly Father, for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
341 “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”
1 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!
Behold, the King of glory waits.
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He doth bring;
Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.
To God the Father raise
Your joyful songs of praise.
2 A righteous Helper comes to thee;
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.
The end of all our woe He brings;
Therefore the earth is glad and sings.
To Christ the Savior raise
Your grateful hymns of praise.
3 How blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the ruler is confessed!
O peaceful hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!
The cloudless sun of joy is He
Who comes to set His people free.
To God the Spirit raise
Your happy shouts of praise.
4 Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for heav’n’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sov’reign enter in
And new and nobler life begin.
To God alone be praise
For word and deed and grace!
5 Redeemer, come and open wide
My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
O enter with Thy grace divine;
Thy face of mercy on me shine.
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on
Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Thy name.
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
515 “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”
1 Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.
2 The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go forth as He approaches
With alleluias clear.
The marriage feast is waiting;
The gates wide open stand.
Arise, O heirs of glory;
The Bridegroom is at hand.
3 The saints, who here in patience
Their cross and suff’rings bore,
Shall live and reign forever
When sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb they shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Their diadems of gold.
4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption
That sets Your people free!
Text: Laurentius Laurenti, 1660–1722; tr. Sarah B. Findlater, 1823–1907, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 818 “In Thee Is Gladness”
1 In Thee is gladness
Amid all sadness,
Jesus, sunshine of my heart.
By Thee are given
The gifts of heaven,
Thou the true Redeemer art.
Our souls Thou wakest,
Our bonds Thou breakest;
Who trusts Thee surely
Has built securely;
He stands forever: Alleluia!
Our hearts are pining
To see Thy shining,
Dying or living
To Thee are cleaving;
Naught can us sever: Alleluia!
2 Since He is ours,
We fear no powers,
Not of earth nor sin nor death.
He sees and blesses
In worst distresses;
He can change them with a breath.
Wherefore the story
Tell of His glory
With hearts and voices;
All heav’n rejoices
In Him forever: Alleluia!
We shout for gladness,
Triumph o’er sadness,
Love Him and praise Him
And still shall raise Him
Glad hymns forever: Alleluia!
Text: Johann Lindemann, 1549–1631; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Advent – December 15, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group is taking a break for the rest of December and will resume meeting on the first and third Thursdays, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay. They also will have a scheduled activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley. They are beginning a new study entitled, “Pew Sisters.”
UPCOMING SERVICES AT ST. PAUL:
- Midweek Advent Soup Supper and Devotion – Dec. 18th.
- Candlelight Christmas Eve service is 5 p.m., Christmas Day Worship with Holy Communion is 10:30 a.m.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I’ll say it again: REJOICE!
Philippians 4:4
The Third Sunday in Advent
December 15, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 803 “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”
1 Joyful, joyful we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love!
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
Praising Thee, their sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the gloom of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day.
2 All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird, and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.
D 3 Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living,
Ocean-depth of happy rest!
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Fountainhead of love divine:
Joyful, we Thy heav’n inherit!
Joyful, we by grace are Thine!
Text: Henry Van Dyke, 1852–1933, alt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, King who comes to save us.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung by all] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Zephaniah 3:14–20
L A reading from Zephaniah, chapter 3.
14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
19Behold, at that time I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Philippians 4:4–7
L A reading from Philippians, chapter 4.
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading of the Holy Gospel Luke 7:18–28
L A reading from Luke, chapter 7.
18The disciples of John reported all these things to him. And John, 19calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” 20And when the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” 21In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. 22And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. 23And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
24When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are dressed in splendid clothing and live in luxury are in kings’ courts. 26What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
28I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 345 “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”
1 Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
All you children of the day!”
2 Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3 See, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiv’n;
4 So, when next He comes in glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
And with words of love draw near.
D 5 Honor, glory, might, dominion
To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
While eternal ages run!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Looking for Someone?” Luke 7:18-28
Looking for Someone? - Luke 7:18-28
Today's Gospel contains a very important question: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" The answer that we would give to this question on the day of our death would reveal our eternal destiny. It is a variation on the question: "Is Jesus my Savior?" John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask this question of Jesus.
In a way, it seems very odd that John should ask this question. After all, he is the one who leaped in the womb when his mother heard the greeting of the Lord's mother. He is also the one who [John 1:29] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” It was John's mission as prophet to identify Jesus to the world. He was the forerunner of the Messiah. Surely, he, of all people, knew who Jesus was. Surely, he knew that Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy. Nevertheless, John is sending his disciples to ask the question: "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
Perhaps the very fact that John could not ask this question in person also gives us some understanding of the reason for the question. He was in jail. He had followed his vocation as prophet. He had spoken truth to power. The power did not like the truth. Herod, the son of Herod the Great, had John arrested. John wasn't going anywhere. John had dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's, but still found himself in prison.
Now John had no delusions that he wasn't a sinner who deserved punishment. After all He is the one who said, [Luke 3:16] "He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."
John's problem isn't that he was in jail, but that he was in jail for doing the right thing. He, the prophet of God, was in jail for proclaiming God's truth. After all, Jesus referred to Himself as the fulfillment of the prophecy: [Luke 4:18] "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me … He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives ... to set at liberty those who are oppressed." Who is more captive than John the Baptist as he sits in prison because of his ministry as the forerunner of Jesus?
John's question is still valid for us today. We are not in prison for our faith in Jesus, but doubts come our way nevertheless. We all have those times when we consider Jesus and we wonder, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"
The world gets more dangerous every day. Those who have worked hard for a lifetime now wonder if those hard earned retirement benefits will still be there. Some of us have aches and pains in places that we didn't even know we had. Loved ones live clear across the country and we don't see them as often as we wish. Loved ones die and are missing from our lives. All these things and more bring doubts into our lives. When Jesus answers John's doubts, we too should pay attention. His words are not just for John, but they are for us as well.
Jesus responded to John's question with more than simple words. In that hour he healed many people of diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight. Jesus showed John's disciples how He was the fulfillment of the promises that God had made through His prophets. Then Jesus sent His answer back to John, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me." Jesus certified that He is the promised Messiah by pointing to the prophetic signs of His healing and teaching.
John is not the only one who receives this answer. The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to record this account so that we would also have Jesus' answer. We can also know that Jesus is the promised Messiah by virtue of His miraculous signs. In fact, we have even more signs than John had. The Bible tells us that Herod would order his beheading soon, and John would not live to see the greatest signs that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises.
We, on the other hand, live after Jesus accomplished His mission to earn our salvation. We have the history of our Savior's saving work in ink on paper. We know that Jesus lived a perfect life. We know that through Baptism he gives that perfect life to us and takes all our sins, all our doubts onto Himself. We know that the corrupt leadership in Jerusalem used a political scheme to force Pontius Pilate to execute Jesus on a cross. We know that through that cross, Jesus received the punishment we earned with our doubts and other sins. We know that through His death, Jesus conquered all our sins. We know that through his resurrection, Jesus leads us to eternal life with Him. We experience Christ's baptism of Spirit and fire. We know the intimacy of Jesus' presence within us as we eat His body and drink His blood in the Sacrament of the altar. John experienced none of these things during his life on this earth.
John proclaimed the New Testament, but never got to experience it in this life. This is the key to understanding the strange statement that Jesus made about John. Jesus said, "I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." How can the least be greater than the greatest? The least in the kingdom of God is greater than John because the most insignificant member of the kingdom participates in signs that John never experienced before he died.
So it is that, while none of us will be the prophet that John was, we are all greater than John. We experience signs that John never lived to see. We experience them now and so have the greater blessing from God. We have even greater reason to believe that Jesus is our savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
The verses that immediately follow today's reading tell us that many people believed that this teaching was from God. These people see God's salvation breaking into the world in Jesus. Luke specifically mentions the tax collectors who were considered to be the scum of society. Even the tax collectors eagerly listened to Jesus and believed His words. They had submitted to John's baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and were ready for the coming of Jesus.
Sadly, there were others who were not ready for Jesus. The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to tell us that the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves. These people represent the opposition and are hostile to both John and Jesus. They deny their need for repentance or forgiveness.
Jesus had some very harsh words for them. He told a story of children who refused to dance to the flute or mourn to the dirge. Then He told how both He and John had the same message, but two different styles. John was strict and austere and kept to himself. Jesus participated in the life of the community and enjoyed the good gifts of God's creation. In each case, the opponents found something to criticize. They were not willing to listen no matter how God delivered the truth to them.
There will always be people who rationalize the rejection of the truth with these words, "It's not what he says. It's the way he says it." Such people follow the example of the opposition. In reality, it doesn't make any difference how anyone shares the Word of God with them, they will still reject it.
On the other hand, the people who listened to Jesus also listened to John. They did not care how eccentric the teacher was. Their focus was on the grace that God was pouring out on them through the message.
During this Advent season of penitential preparation, we consider our doubts and other sins. As we consider these sins, their consequences and punishment should terrify us. How wonderful it is, then, to learn that in Jesus Christ we have all the signs of God's promise. We have the signs of His miracles and His teaching, but especially we have the sign of His crucifixion and resurrection that earn forgiveness for our sins and give us the promise of life everlasting in His gracious presence.
Today is Gaudete Sunday - the Sunday of rejoicing - the Sunday of the rose candle. On this Sunday, we rejoice that the Son of God came into this world to offer Himself up as our substitute and take away our sins. We rejoice that by His resurrection He has opened heaven for us. We rejoice that, although our sin is great, our savior is even greater. We rejoice in the way He came to conquer sin. We rejoice in the way He now comes to offer forgiveness to all people. We rejoice in the way He will come to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. We rejoice that a day is coming when Jesus will remove all doubt. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday in Advent - 15 December 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, as You once sent messengers before the face of Jesus to prepare His way, so strengthen and encourage pastors and church workers as they make known His saving name. Open the ears of all who hear to rejoice, repent and firmly believe in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You rescue the daughter of Zion from her enemies and take away the judgments against her. Look with compassion upon Your people wherever they suffer for the name of Jesus. Give them wisdom when they are pressured to compromise, provide for them when they suffer loss, give courage when they are afraid, and strengthen them in the midst of persecution until You deliver them. Preserve us in the joyful hope that You will restore all that is lost with what cannot be taken away. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, Giver of all good gifts, look upon the households of Your people. Provide companionship for those who are alone. Strengthen the bonds of marriage. Equip parents to raise their children in love and faith. Grant that our homes may be places of joy, reasonableness, peace and prayer. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You command us not to be anxious, but in everything by prayer and thanksgiving to make our requests known to You. Give wisdom, health and success to the authorities who govern us and those newly elected. Give earthly peace in our time, even as Your Gospel gives eternally the peace that passes all understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all joy, You bid us to be anxious about nothing, but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make our requests known to You. Forgive our anxieties, and strengthen us to examine ourselves for whatever causes us to doubt Your mercy. Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and hear the prayers that we offer today. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Look with kindness on all people, especially those for whom we pray: _____________. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, the Son of Man came eating and drinking with sinners, that He might proclaim the kingdom and welcome them in by the forgiveness of sins. As He hosts His Supper this day for His repentant people, grant those who partake of His body and blood to be worthy and well-prepared, firmly believing the words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, heavenly Father, for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
341 “Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates”
1 Lift up your heads, ye mighty gates!
Behold, the King of glory waits.
The King of kings is drawing near;
The Savior of the world is here.
Life and salvation He doth bring;
Therefore rejoice and gladly sing.
To God the Father raise
Your joyful songs of praise.
2 A righteous Helper comes to thee;
His chariot is humility,
His kingly crown is holiness,
His scepter, pity in distress.
The end of all our woe He brings;
Therefore the earth is glad and sings.
To Christ the Savior raise
Your grateful hymns of praise.
3 How blest the land, the city blest,
Where Christ the ruler is confessed!
O peaceful hearts and happy homes
To whom this King in triumph comes!
The cloudless sun of joy is He
Who comes to set His people free.
To God the Spirit raise
Your happy shouts of praise.
4 Fling wide the portals of your heart;
Make it a temple set apart
From earthly use for heav’n’s employ,
Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
So shall your Sov’reign enter in
And new and nobler life begin.
To God alone be praise
For word and deed and grace!
5 Redeemer, come and open wide
My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
O enter with Thy grace divine;
Thy face of mercy on me shine.
Thy Holy Spirit guide us on
Until our glorious goal is won.
Eternal praise and fame
We offer to Thy name.
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
515 “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”
1 Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.
2 The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go forth as He approaches
With alleluias clear.
The marriage feast is waiting;
The gates wide open stand.
Arise, O heirs of glory;
The Bridegroom is at hand.
3 The saints, who here in patience
Their cross and suff’rings bore,
Shall live and reign forever
When sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb they shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Their diadems of gold.
4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption
That sets Your people free!
Text: Laurentius Laurenti, 1660–1722; tr. Sarah B. Findlater, 1823–1907, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 818 “In Thee Is Gladness”
1 In Thee is gladness
Amid all sadness,
Jesus, sunshine of my heart.
By Thee are given
The gifts of heaven,
Thou the true Redeemer art.
Our souls Thou wakest,
Our bonds Thou breakest;
Who trusts Thee surely
Has built securely;
He stands forever: Alleluia!
Our hearts are pining
To see Thy shining,
Dying or living
To Thee are cleaving;
Naught can us sever: Alleluia!
2 Since He is ours,
We fear no powers,
Not of earth nor sin nor death.
He sees and blesses
In worst distresses;
He can change them with a breath.
Wherefore the story
Tell of His glory
With hearts and voices;
All heav’n rejoices
In Him forever: Alleluia!
We shout for gladness,
Triumph o’er sadness,
Love Him and praise Him
And still shall raise Him
Glad hymns forever: Alleluia!
Text: Johann Lindemann, 1549–1631; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Advent – December 8, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Devra Eisert
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is this Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Questions? See Randy Peeters.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
Rejoice in the Lord always. I’ll say it again: REJOICE!
Philippians 4:4
The Second Sunday in Advent
December 8, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 350 “Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come”
1 Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.
2 Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my guest divine!
3 My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.
4 Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our King.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Luke 3:4b; Psalm 81:8, 10–11, 13
P The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.
Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Malachi 3:1–7b
1“Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
6“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 66:1–12
1Shout for joy to God, | all the earth;*
2sing the glory of his name;
give to him | glorious praise!
3Say to God, “How awesome | are your deeds!*
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing | to you.
4All the earth worships you
and sings prais- | es to you;*
they sing praises | to your name.”
5Come and see what | God has done:*
he is awesome in his deeds toward the chil- | dren of man.
6He turned the sea into | dry land;*
they passed through the riv- | er on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the | nations—*
let not the rebellious ex- | alt themselves.
8Bless our God, O | peoples;*
let the sound of his | praise be heard,
9who has kept our soul among the | living*
and has not let our | feet slip.
10For you, O God, have | tested us;*
you have tried us as sil- | ver is tried.
11You brought us in- | to the net;*
you laid a crushing burden | on our backs;
12you let men ride o- | ver our heads;*
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of a- | bundance.
Epistle Philippians 1:2–11
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 3:1–14
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the third chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
7He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 344 “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry”
1 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings!
2 Then cleansed be ev’ry life from sin;
Make straight the way for God within,
And let us all our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.
3 We hail Thee as our Savior, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Without Thy grace we waste away
Like flow’rs that wither and decay.
4 Lay on the sick Thy healing hand
And make the fallen strong to stand;
Show us the glory of Thy face
Till beauty springs in ev’ry place.
D 5 All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Whose advent sets Thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Charles Coffin, 1676–1749; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God Sent John” Luke 3:1-14
God Sent John – Luke 3:1-14
There is one basic difference between the church of the Old Testament and the church of the New Testament. The Old Testament and New Testament saints all have the same faith in the same Savior. The only difference is that the coming of the Savior was a future promise in the Old Testament while it is an ongoing reality in the New Testament.
The New Testament church lives during the coming of the Savior. The New Testament church lives after the coming of the Savior to earn our salvation. We live during the time when He comes to bring that salvation to us. We look forward to the time when He will come to end time as we know it and take His church into eternity.
John the Baptist was the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. As an Old Testament prophet, he pointed forward to the coming Messiah - the Christ - the anointed one. The wonderful thing about his prophetic ministry is that the Christ would actually reveal Himself to the world during that ministry. John was the forerunner or harbinger of Jesus. Jesus would actually begin His public ministry even while John proclaimed His coming. In fact, John the Baptist was the fulfillment of many prophecies as we read in today's Old Testament reading and as Luke points out as he quotes Isaiah. John Himself was a sign that the Savior was about to appear on the scene in a public way.
John did what prophets do. He spoke the truth as God gave it to him. John was not interested in winning friends or influencing people. He was interested in the truth - even if it cost him his life. The truth that God gave John to proclaim was not popular, it was not nice, and it was definitely not politically correct.
John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In this respect, he was already following the instructions that Jesus would later give to the church. For near the end of the Gospel according to Luke - after the resurrection - Jesus appeared to His disciples and [Luke 24:45-47] He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Jesus made it very clear that the job of the church is to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The entire work of the church is wrapped around the proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of the Christ.
In true prophetic fashion God revealed this focus of the church to John before Jesus even began His public ministry. So, when we learn from today's Gospel that [John] went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, we already see John following the instructions of Jesus just about three years before Jesus even gave those instructions to the disciples.
The proclamation of repentance begins by making people aware that they are, in fact, sinners. In today's Gospel, we hear the proclamation of repentance that John has for those who think they are righteous: "You brood of vipers!"
In this context, words like viper, serpent, and snake take us back to Eden where the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. The word brood is a synonym of offspring. Basically, John is telling these people that they may think they are righteous, but they are in fact children of the devil.
John went on to say that these self-righteous people are not entitled to any special treatment because of their heritage: "Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham." The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to explain it this way. [Romans 9:7-8] Not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring … This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. The true children of Abraham are those who are children by faith and not by biology. Those who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins are the true children of Abraham. Those who believe in their own righteousness, even though they may be biological children of Abraham, are not true children of Abraham. In fact, they betray the faith of Abraham.
This message of repentance should serve as a warning to us. One of the lies that our sinful nature tries to tell us is that we are not all that sinful - that there is some sort of goodness buried deep down inside of us. All we need is a chance to get at it. John's words serve as a warning that deep down inside of us, we are all children of the devil. He warns us that there is nothing in our heritage that makes us right before God. All of us are, in fact, sinners.
What is the punishment for sin? John used the metaphor of an axe chopping down a tree for fire wood. "Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." These words warn all sinners that they will burn in hell unless someone does something about their sin. This beginning of repentance [Apology: art. xii, par. 29] is the true terror of conscience, which feels that God is angry with sin and grieves that it has sinned.
Now, if this terror was all that there was to repentance, then we should be overcome in despair. But this is not all there is to repentance. In the second part of repentance, we have [Apology: art. xii, par. 35] faith in Christ. The Gospel, in which the forgiveness of sins is freely promised concerning Christ, should be presented to consciences in these terrors. They should believe that, for Christ's sake, their sins are freely forgiven.
The preaching and baptism of John prepared people for the Christ who would soon come to earn the forgiveness of sin for the world. In fact, many of the people who came to John thought that he himself might be the Christ. As we heard in today's Gospel: the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ. This gave John the opportunity to tell the people about the true Christ.
John answered them all in verse 16 which follows our text, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John took the opportunity to tell the people that he was not the Christ, but that the Christ would soon come. He took the opportunity to tell the people how mighty the Christ would truly be.
The mighty Christ is none other than Jesus. He is the one whom the prophets proclaimed and He is the one in whom they believed. This mighty Christ is the solution to our problem of sin. He is the one who earned forgiveness for our sins and offers that forgiveness to us for free. He is the one who makes us holy in God's sight.
How did He do this? As mighty as Jesus is, He demonstrated His might in weakness. Even though we are not worthy to touch His feet, He allowed mere men to nail Him to a cross. It was from the apparent weakness of that cross that Jesus demonstrated His greatest might. In the apparent defeat of death, Christ conquered death. He became the solution for sin by taking our sin onto Himself and paying the price for it. It is only through Him that we receive the forgiveness of sins.
We can have absolute confidence in Christ's forgiveness because He did not remain in the tomb after He died on the cross. He rose from the dead and that gives us confidence that the day will come when He will raise up me and all the dead and will give eternal life to me and to all believers in Christ.
God sent John to prepare the way for the Lord. John did this by making people intensely aware of their sins. It is the calling of all of God's servants to make His people aware of their sin. This is the way that God makes people aware of their need for their savior. The more we understand our sin, the more we appreciate our savior. The deeper we grieve over sin, the more we rejoice over our salvation. As hard as it is to examine ourselves in the light of God's commands, it is the way we prepare for the coming of the Lord.
John the Baptizer was indeed a great prophet of God. Nevertheless, the one who followed him was even greater; for the one who followed him is God in flesh and blood. He is the one who took our sins to the cross and exchanged them for His righteousness as He shed His precious blood for us and died to pay for our sins. He is the one who baptizes us with the Spirit when water is combined with Word. He is the one who works through the Spirit to give us the faith that believes. It is His coming that marks the season of Advent as we remember how He came long ago in manger and cross, how He will come again in future clouds of glory, and how He comes today in Word and Sacrament.
May this season prepare us so that when Jesus says, [Revelation 22:20] "Surely I am coming soon," we can join God's people and reply, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" Amen
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Advent - 8 December 2024
O Lord, our God, You declared Israel to be Your people and brought them out of Egypt. You desired their salvation even when they would not listen to Your voice. Since You have called and gathered us also to be Your people, open our hearts to listen and gladly submit to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, as You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord, send forth pastors and missionaries to declare Your saving Word to the nations. Preserve them from temptation, protect them in suffering and equip them with every good gift to make known the Christ who still comes to save. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as You call and gather us into Your family, so bless the households of this congregation. Bless husbands and wives, fathers and mothers as they go about their work of strengthening marriage and raising children. Let their love abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment, and fill their homes with the righteousness that comes through Christ Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, St. John the Baptist counseled penitent soldiers to go about their military duties according to Your Word. Remember those who serve in the armed forces [especially _____________]. Protect them from harm, give them wisdom and courage, and grant that they fulfill their duties honorably. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, Your forerunner prepared the way for the One who is mightier than all: Your Son, Jesus Christ. For His sake, we entrust to You those in need of healing, comfort and rescue [especially _____________]. Have mercy upon them, deliver them according to Your will and strengthen them in faith, that they might be assured of Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, You sent St. John the Baptist to prepare all flesh to see the salvation of God. Prepare also the hearts of all who kneel at Your altar today to receive worthily Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, You sent Your Son to purify us, that we might be righteous and holy before You. Deliver us from the love of sin, which defiles us and stains our works. Cleanse our hearts by Your grace, so that we may delight in Your promises and our works would be pleasing to You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
343 “Prepare the Royal Highway”
1 Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev’ry hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the King of Glory
Foretold in sacred story: Refrain
ref Hosanna to the Lord,
For He fulfills God’s Word!
2 God’s people, see Him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strew before Him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you! Refrain
3 Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet ev’ry nation
Its tribute too should bring.
All lands, bow down before Him!
All nations, now adore Him! Refrain
4 His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding: Refrain
Text: Frans Mikael Franzén, 1772–1847; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
346 “When All the World Was Cursed”
1 When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2 Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3 Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4 O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 349 “Hark the Glad Sound”
1 Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne
And ev’ry voice a song.
2 He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
3 He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace
To enrich the humble poor.
4 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With Thy belovèd name.
Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702–51
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, VOTERS’ MEETING, and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Advent – December 8, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Devra Eisert
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is this Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Questions? See Randy Peeters.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
- Midweek Advent Soup Suppers and Devotion – Dec. 11, 18.
- VOTERS’ MEETING T-O-D-A-Y Dec. 8th after church.
- Bethlehem Express T-H-I-S Sat. Dec. 14th from 10 to noon with lunch following. This is for everyone and consists of singing, crafts and Bible story. All aboard!
- Candlelight Christmas Eve service is 5 p.m., Christmas Day Worship with Holy Communion is 10:30 a.m.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I’ll say it again: REJOICE!
Philippians 4:4
The Second Sunday in Advent
December 8, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 350 “Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come”
1 Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.
2 Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my guest divine!
3 My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.
4 Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our King.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Luke 3:4b; Psalm 81:8, 10–11, 13
P The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me! I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.
Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Malachi 3:1–7b
1“Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
6“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 66:1–12
1Shout for joy to God, | all the earth;*
2sing the glory of his name;
give to him | glorious praise!
3Say to God, “How awesome | are your deeds!*
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing | to you.
4All the earth worships you
and sings prais- | es to you;*
they sing praises | to your name.”
5Come and see what | God has done:*
he is awesome in his deeds toward the chil- | dren of man.
6He turned the sea into | dry land;*
they passed through the riv- | er on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the | nations—*
let not the rebellious ex- | alt themselves.
8Bless our God, O | peoples;*
let the sound of his | praise be heard,
9who has kept our soul among the | living*
and has not let our | feet slip.
10For you, O God, have | tested us;*
you have tried us as sil- | ver is tried.
11You brought us in- | to the net;*
you laid a crushing burden | on our backs;
12you let men ride o- | ver our heads;*
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of a- | bundance.
Epistle Philippians 1:2–11
2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 3:1–14
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the third chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
5Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
7He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 9Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
10And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” 11And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” 14Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 344 “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry”
1 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings!
2 Then cleansed be ev’ry life from sin;
Make straight the way for God within,
And let us all our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.
3 We hail Thee as our Savior, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Without Thy grace we waste away
Like flow’rs that wither and decay.
4 Lay on the sick Thy healing hand
And make the fallen strong to stand;
Show us the glory of Thy face
Till beauty springs in ev’ry place.
D 5 All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Whose advent sets Thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Charles Coffin, 1676–1749; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God Sent John” Luke 3:1-14
God Sent John – Luke 3:1-14
There is one basic difference between the church of the Old Testament and the church of the New Testament. The Old Testament and New Testament saints all have the same faith in the same Savior. The only difference is that the coming of the Savior was a future promise in the Old Testament while it is an ongoing reality in the New Testament.
The New Testament church lives during the coming of the Savior. The New Testament church lives after the coming of the Savior to earn our salvation. We live during the time when He comes to bring that salvation to us. We look forward to the time when He will come to end time as we know it and take His church into eternity.
John the Baptist was the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. As an Old Testament prophet, he pointed forward to the coming Messiah - the Christ - the anointed one. The wonderful thing about his prophetic ministry is that the Christ would actually reveal Himself to the world during that ministry. John was the forerunner or harbinger of Jesus. Jesus would actually begin His public ministry even while John proclaimed His coming. In fact, John the Baptist was the fulfillment of many prophecies as we read in today's Old Testament reading and as Luke points out as he quotes Isaiah. John Himself was a sign that the Savior was about to appear on the scene in a public way.
John did what prophets do. He spoke the truth as God gave it to him. John was not interested in winning friends or influencing people. He was interested in the truth - even if it cost him his life. The truth that God gave John to proclaim was not popular, it was not nice, and it was definitely not politically correct.
John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In this respect, he was already following the instructions that Jesus would later give to the church. For near the end of the Gospel according to Luke - after the resurrection - Jesus appeared to His disciples and [Luke 24:45-47] He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” Jesus made it very clear that the job of the church is to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins. The entire work of the church is wrapped around the proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of the Christ.
In true prophetic fashion God revealed this focus of the church to John before Jesus even began His public ministry. So, when we learn from today's Gospel that [John] went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, we already see John following the instructions of Jesus just about three years before Jesus even gave those instructions to the disciples.
The proclamation of repentance begins by making people aware that they are, in fact, sinners. In today's Gospel, we hear the proclamation of repentance that John has for those who think they are righteous: "You brood of vipers!"
In this context, words like viper, serpent, and snake take us back to Eden where the serpent tempted Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit. The word brood is a synonym of offspring. Basically, John is telling these people that they may think they are righteous, but they are in fact children of the devil.
John went on to say that these self-righteous people are not entitled to any special treatment because of their heritage: "Do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham." The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to explain it this way. [Romans 9:7-8] Not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring … This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. The true children of Abraham are those who are children by faith and not by biology. Those who believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins are the true children of Abraham. Those who believe in their own righteousness, even though they may be biological children of Abraham, are not true children of Abraham. In fact, they betray the faith of Abraham.
This message of repentance should serve as a warning to us. One of the lies that our sinful nature tries to tell us is that we are not all that sinful - that there is some sort of goodness buried deep down inside of us. All we need is a chance to get at it. John's words serve as a warning that deep down inside of us, we are all children of the devil. He warns us that there is nothing in our heritage that makes us right before God. All of us are, in fact, sinners.
What is the punishment for sin? John used the metaphor of an axe chopping down a tree for fire wood. "Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." These words warn all sinners that they will burn in hell unless someone does something about their sin. This beginning of repentance [Apology: art. xii, par. 29] is the true terror of conscience, which feels that God is angry with sin and grieves that it has sinned.
Now, if this terror was all that there was to repentance, then we should be overcome in despair. But this is not all there is to repentance. In the second part of repentance, we have [Apology: art. xii, par. 35] faith in Christ. The Gospel, in which the forgiveness of sins is freely promised concerning Christ, should be presented to consciences in these terrors. They should believe that, for Christ's sake, their sins are freely forgiven.
The preaching and baptism of John prepared people for the Christ who would soon come to earn the forgiveness of sin for the world. In fact, many of the people who came to John thought that he himself might be the Christ. As we heard in today's Gospel: the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ. This gave John the opportunity to tell the people about the true Christ.
John answered them all in verse 16 which follows our text, saying, "I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John took the opportunity to tell the people that he was not the Christ, but that the Christ would soon come. He took the opportunity to tell the people how mighty the Christ would truly be.
The mighty Christ is none other than Jesus. He is the one whom the prophets proclaimed and He is the one in whom they believed. This mighty Christ is the solution to our problem of sin. He is the one who earned forgiveness for our sins and offers that forgiveness to us for free. He is the one who makes us holy in God's sight.
How did He do this? As mighty as Jesus is, He demonstrated His might in weakness. Even though we are not worthy to touch His feet, He allowed mere men to nail Him to a cross. It was from the apparent weakness of that cross that Jesus demonstrated His greatest might. In the apparent defeat of death, Christ conquered death. He became the solution for sin by taking our sin onto Himself and paying the price for it. It is only through Him that we receive the forgiveness of sins.
We can have absolute confidence in Christ's forgiveness because He did not remain in the tomb after He died on the cross. He rose from the dead and that gives us confidence that the day will come when He will raise up me and all the dead and will give eternal life to me and to all believers in Christ.
God sent John to prepare the way for the Lord. John did this by making people intensely aware of their sins. It is the calling of all of God's servants to make His people aware of their sin. This is the way that God makes people aware of their need for their savior. The more we understand our sin, the more we appreciate our savior. The deeper we grieve over sin, the more we rejoice over our salvation. As hard as it is to examine ourselves in the light of God's commands, it is the way we prepare for the coming of the Lord.
John the Baptizer was indeed a great prophet of God. Nevertheless, the one who followed him was even greater; for the one who followed him is God in flesh and blood. He is the one who took our sins to the cross and exchanged them for His righteousness as He shed His precious blood for us and died to pay for our sins. He is the one who baptizes us with the Spirit when water is combined with Word. He is the one who works through the Spirit to give us the faith that believes. It is His coming that marks the season of Advent as we remember how He came long ago in manger and cross, how He will come again in future clouds of glory, and how He comes today in Word and Sacrament.
May this season prepare us so that when Jesus says, [Revelation 22:20] "Surely I am coming soon," we can join God's people and reply, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" Amen
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Advent - 8 December 2024
O Lord, our God, You declared Israel to be Your people and brought them out of Egypt. You desired their salvation even when they would not listen to Your voice. Since You have called and gathered us also to be Your people, open our hearts to listen and gladly submit to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, as You sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord, send forth pastors and missionaries to declare Your saving Word to the nations. Preserve them from temptation, protect them in suffering and equip them with every good gift to make known the Christ who still comes to save. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as You call and gather us into Your family, so bless the households of this congregation. Bless husbands and wives, fathers and mothers as they go about their work of strengthening marriage and raising children. Let their love abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment, and fill their homes with the righteousness that comes through Christ Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, St. John the Baptist counseled penitent soldiers to go about their military duties according to Your Word. Remember those who serve in the armed forces [especially _____________]. Protect them from harm, give them wisdom and courage, and grant that they fulfill their duties honorably. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, Your forerunner prepared the way for the One who is mightier than all: Your Son, Jesus Christ. For His sake, we entrust to You those in need of healing, comfort and rescue [especially _____________]. Have mercy upon them, deliver them according to Your will and strengthen them in faith, that they might be assured of Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, You sent St. John the Baptist to prepare all flesh to see the salvation of God. Prepare also the hearts of all who kneel at Your altar today to receive worthily Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, You sent Your Son to purify us, that we might be righteous and holy before You. Deliver us from the love of sin, which defiles us and stains our works. Cleanse our hearts by Your grace, so that we may delight in Your promises and our works would be pleasing to You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
343 “Prepare the Royal Highway”
1 Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev’ry hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the King of Glory
Foretold in sacred story: Refrain
ref Hosanna to the Lord,
For He fulfills God’s Word!
2 God’s people, see Him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strew before Him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you! Refrain
3 Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet ev’ry nation
Its tribute too should bring.
All lands, bow down before Him!
All nations, now adore Him! Refrain
4 His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding: Refrain
Text: Frans Mikael Franzén, 1772–1847; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
346 “When All the World Was Cursed”
1 When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2 Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3 Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4 O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 349 “Hark the Glad Sound”
1 Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne
And ev’ry voice a song.
2 He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
3 He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace
To enrich the humble poor.
4 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With Thy belovèd name.
Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702–51
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, VOTERS’ MEETING, and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday in Advent – December 1, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Check with Randy Peeters for tickets.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The First Sunday in Advent
December 1, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 331 “The Advent of Our King”
1 The advent of our King
Our prayers must now employ,
And we must hymns of welcome sing
In strains of holy joy.
2 The everlasting Son
Incarnate deigns to be,
Himself a servant’s form puts on
To set His servants free.
3 O Zion’s daughter, rise
To meet your lowly King,
Nor let your faithless heart despise
The peace He comes to bring.
4 As judge, on clouds of light,
He soon will come again
And His true members all unite
With Him in heav’n to reign.
5 Before the dawning day
Let sin’s dark deeds be gone,
The sinful self be put away,
The new self now put on.
D 6 All glory to the Son,
Who comes to set us free,
With Father, Spirit, ever one
Through all eternity.
Text: Charles Coffin, 1676–1749; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Zech. 9:9b; Psalm 89:6, 14–16, 18
P Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having sal- vation.
Who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord? Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessèd are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 33:14–16
14“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 25:1–10
1To you, | O Lord,*
I lift | up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be | put to shame;*
let not my enemies exult | over me.
3Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;*
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly | treacherous.
4Make me to know your ways, | O Lord;*
teach me | your paths.
5Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my sal- | vation;*
for you I wait all the | day long.
6Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your | steadfast love,*
for they have been | from of old.
7Remember not the sins of my youth or my trans- | gressions;*
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, | O Lord!
8Good and upright | is the Lord;*
therefore he instructs sinners | in the way.
9He leads the humble in | what is right,*
and teaches the humble | his way.
10All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and | faithfulness,*
for those who keep his covenant and his testi- | monies.
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13
9What thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
11Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 19:28–40
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the nineteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
28When [Jesus] had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 332 “Savior of the Nations, Come”
1 Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
2 Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh--
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.
3 Here a maid was found with child,
Yet remained a virgin mild.
In her womb this truth was shown:
God was there upon His throne.
4 Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.
5 God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.
6 For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.
7 From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.
D 8 Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.
Text: attr. Ambrose of Milan, 340–397; German version, Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (sts. 1–2): tr. William M. Reynolds, 1812–76; (sts. 3, 6): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006; (sts. 4–5, 8): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001; (st. 7): tr. Gifford A. Grobien, 1973
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (sts. 3, 6–7): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 4–5, 8): © 1978 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Is Coming” Luke 19:28-40
Jesus Is Coming – Luke 19:28-40
Today's Gospel encourages us to think about the way we respond to the coming of Jesus Christ.
It is once again the beginning of a new church year. We begin the church year with the season of Advent. Many of you probably know that the word Advent comes from a Latin word that means “to come.” Advent is all about preparing for the coming of Christ. We first heard that theme in today's Introit with the words "Behold, your king is coming to you." Today's collect expresses that theme in its opening words, "Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come…" The Old Testament reading starts with the words, "Behold, the days are coming …" The epistle ends with the words, "… at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints." And the Gospel is the story of Jesus coming to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Advent is a time for thinking about the way God comes to us. It is a time of preparation for that coming. It is a time to examine our response to His coming.
How do we respond to this coming? Do we respond differently to His coming in the manger than we respond to His coming to us in the bread and wine of the sacrament? Last week, we heard about Jesus coming in the clouds with glory and power. Will we respond differently when that time comes?
We have two sample responses in today's Gospel, but are these two the only ways that we can respond as God comes to us?
Jesus' disciples and the Passover pilgrims responded in one way. They used their cloaks just like we would use a red carpet today. They threw their cloaks on the road before Jesus. They shouted and sang at the top of their lungs. The parallel accounts in the other gospels tell us they also threw palm branches on the road before Him. After all, here was Jesus riding into Jerusalem in precise fulfillment of the prophecies they had learned from their parents and in Synagogue school. Jesus was fulfilling the very image of the anticipation they have felt since childhood.
While their response was most excellent on the outside, did they really understand what they were doing? The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to describe the motivation of the people. Luke wrote, "The whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." These people were rightly praising Jesus as Messiah, but they didn't understand what it meant to be Messiah. They hailed Jesus as their king, but they didn't understand that His coronation would be with a crown of thorns and not a crown of gold. Many were looking for a king to liberate them from the Romans, not a savior to liberate them from their sins. They did not understand [Luke 24:46] that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. They would only understand this after Jesus rose from the dead.
The other response we have comes from those old party poopers, the Pharisees. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." These Pharisees did not see the fulfillment of prophecy. Instead, they saw a troublemaker and blasphemer. They saw a challenge to their authority and power.
They may also have rationalized that the commotion would draw the attention of the Roman peacekeepers. The Roman garrison in Jerusalem had a rather no nonsense way of dealing with those who broke the peace. They arrested or killed them. The Pharisees could easily rationalize that Jesus was a threat to the peace of Jerusalem and to their comfortable way of life.
Does our response fit into one of these two categories or are there other ways we can respond to the coming of Jesus Christ? Perhaps some of us regard Jesus in much the same way that we regard that officer who gives us the speeding ticket. We see Jesus as someone who points out all the wrong things that we do. If there is something that we really enjoy, it is probably against one of those Ten Commandments. We see Jesus as a cosmic judge who comes to take away all our fun.
Of course, that police officer is really looking after our best interests when he stops us for a traffic violation. In a similar way, Jesus Christ also has our best interests at heart. He has nothing but love for us as He comes to us. The police officer wants us to drive more safely – with respect for ourselves and others. He wants us to celebrate many, many more holidays with our loved ones. Jesus wants to free us from our sins. He wants us to celebrate with Him forever in heaven. In fact, that is why He was coming into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. He was coming to keep His appointment with the cross.
Jesus entered Jerusalem in majestic procession, but the day of His coronation was very different. On the day He entered Jerusalem, people shouted Hosanna. On the day of His coronation, the crowd shouted, "Crucify Him!" On the day He entered Jerusalem; people removed their clothes and laid them before Him. On the day of His coronation, soldiers removed His clothes, beat Him, flogged Him, and nailed Him to a cross. On the day of His coronation, He died hanging from a cross. He did this, not to take away our fun, but to take away our sin. Just before He died, He cried out in triumph, "It is finished." He finished enduring the punishment for our sins. He finished the most unfair exchange in all history. He exchanged His perfect righteousness for our filthy sins.
Before Jesus entered Jerusalem, the disciples set Jesus on a donkey that had never been used. After He died, they laid Him in a tomb that had never been used. They thought they would never see Him again. They did not understand that the earthly humiliation of Christ in His suffering and death was a heavenly coronation. They did not understand that the King who conquered sin, death, and the devil could not remain in that tomb. They did not expect Him to rise from the dead, but He did.
Jesus rose in royal victory. He paved the way for all who believe in Him to pass through death into eternal life. He is now the King of kings and Lord of lords.
How do we respond to that love? Do we call Him King? Yes. Do we call Him Lord? Yes. More importantly, by the power of the Holy Spirit's gift of faith, we call Him Savior, brother, and friend. By the righteousness we receive through faith, God adopts us into His family and, as family; we have the right to call God our Father and Christ our brother. We also have the right to live on the family place forever.
Happy New Church Year--Jesus is coming. He comes to offer forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation. He comes to give us peace. Those who refuse these gifts will respond to this coming in terror. Those who receive these gifts through the Holy Spirit's gift of faith will respond in joy and celebration. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday in Advent - 1 December 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of all, Your Son declared that if His disciples ceased praising Him, the very stones would cry out. Receive our thanks that You continue to preserve Your Word among us. Even in a world that opposes Your name, grant us tongues that joyfully declare Your praise. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, we often use the cares of this life as excuses for dissipation, drunkenness and distraction from You and Your promises. Guard us from temptations that would harm our faith and cause us to fear Your coming. Preserve us by Your grace, that we may wait with joy to stand before the Son of Man in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, grant us repentant hearts and increase our love for one another, that we may show forth our faith in good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our King, righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne, and steadfast love and faithfulness go before You. Watch over the authorities of our land, and grant that they would govern justly so that we may live in peace as we proclaim Your love and faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O God, that as You establish our hearts blameless in holiness before You, so You also provide for all our needs in this body and life. Hear our earnest prayers for those who are in need of Your mercy, [especially _____________,] and comfort all who mourn [including _____________] until the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed are You, O Lord, and blessed is Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came in Your name to save us from sin and death. As He visits us this day with His body and blood under the bread and wine, give us penitent hearts that worthily welcome His coming and rejoice in His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You have loved and chosen us according to Your mercy and called us through the living voice of Your Word. Grant to us the Spirit of Your grace, that what You have begun in us may be brought to completion when Christ appears in His glory on the Last Day; for You live and reign, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your boundless mercy You sent Your servant, John the Baptist, to proclaim that in Christ the kingdom of heaven draws near.
With thankful hearts we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus,” confident that in His body and blood, given us to eat and drink, we receive the forgiveness of sins and so proclaim His death until He comes again in glory.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
1 O Lord, how shall I meet You,
How welcome You aright?
Your people long to greet You,
My hope, my heart’s delight!
O kindle, Lord most holy,
Your lamp within my breast
To do in spirit lowly
All that may please You best.
2 Your Zion strews before You
Green boughs and fairest palms;
And I too will adore You
With joyous songs and psalms.
My heart shall bloom forever
For You with praises new
And from Your name shall never
Withhold the honor due.
3 I lay in fetters, groaning;
You came to set me free.
I stood, my shame bemoaning;
You came to honor me.
A glorious crown You give me,
A treasure safe on high
That will not fail or leave me
As earthly riches fly.
4 Love caused Your incarnation;
Love brought You down to me.
Your thirst for my salvation
Procured my liberty.
Oh, love beyond all telling,
That led You to embrace
In love, all love excelling,
Our lost and fallen race.
5 Sin’s debt, that fearful burden,
Cannot His love erase;
Your guilt the Lord will pardon
And cover by His grace.
He comes, for you procuring
The peace of sin forgiv’n,
His children thus securing
Eternal life in heav’n.
6 He comes to judge the nations,
A terror to His foes,
A light of consolations
And blessèd hope to those
Who love the Lord’s appearing.
O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth Your beams so cheering,
And guide us safely home.
Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
333 Once He Came in Blessing
1 Once He came in blessing,
All our sins redressing;
Came in likeness lowly,
Son of God most holy;
Bore the cross to save us;
Hope and freedom gave us.
2 Now He gently leads us;
With Himself He feeds us
Precious food from heaven,
Pledge of peace here given,
Manna that will nourish
Souls that they may flourish.
3 Soon will come that hour
When with mighty power
Christ will come in splendor
And will judgment render,
With the faithful sharing
Joy beyond comparing.
4 Come, then, O Lord Jesus,
From our sins release us.
Keep our hearts believing,
That we, grace receiving,
Ever may confess You
Till in heav’n we bless You.
Text: Johann Horn, c. 1490–1547; (sts. 1, 4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006
Text (sts. 1, 4): Public domain
Text (sts. 2–3): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 348 “The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns”
1 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light triumphant breaks,
When beauty gilds the eastern hills
And life to joy awakes.
2 Not as of old a little child,
To bear and fight and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.
3 Oh, brighter than the rising morn
When Christ, victorious, rose
And left the lonesome place of death
Despite the rage of foes.
4 Oh, brighter than that glorious morn
Shall dawn upon our race
The day when Christ in splendor comes
And we shall see His face.
5 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light and beauty brings.
Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray:
Come quickly, King of kings!
Text: John Brownlie, 1859–1925, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday in Advent – December 1, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Rob Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Check with Randy Peeters for tickets.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
- Midweek Advent Soup Suppers and Devotion – Dec. 4, 11, 18.
- VOTERS’ MEETING next Sunday, Dec. 8th after church.
- Bethlehem Express – Sat. Dec. 14th from 10 to noon with lunch following. This is for everyone and consists of singing, crafts and Bible story. All aboard!
- Christmas Eve service is 5 p.m., Christmas Day is 10:30 a.m.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The First Sunday in Advent
December 1, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 331 “The Advent of Our King”
1 The advent of our King
Our prayers must now employ,
And we must hymns of welcome sing
In strains of holy joy.
2 The everlasting Son
Incarnate deigns to be,
Himself a servant’s form puts on
To set His servants free.
3 O Zion’s daughter, rise
To meet your lowly King,
Nor let your faithless heart despise
The peace He comes to bring.
4 As judge, on clouds of light,
He soon will come again
And His true members all unite
With Him in heav’n to reign.
5 Before the dawning day
Let sin’s dark deeds be gone,
The sinful self be put away,
The new self now put on.
D 6 All glory to the Son,
Who comes to set us free,
With Father, Spirit, ever one
Through all eternity.
Text: Charles Coffin, 1676–1749; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Zech. 9:9b; Psalm 89:6, 14–16, 18
P Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having sal- vation.
Who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord? Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessèd are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 33:14–16
14“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 25:1–10
1To you, | O Lord,*
I lift | up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be | put to shame;*
let not my enemies exult | over me.
3Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;*
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly | treacherous.
4Make me to know your ways, | O Lord;*
teach me | your paths.
5Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my sal- | vation;*
for you I wait all the | day long.
6Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your | steadfast love,*
for they have been | from of old.
7Remember not the sins of my youth or my trans- | gressions;*
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, | O Lord!
8Good and upright | is the Lord;*
therefore he instructs sinners | in the way.
9He leads the humble in | what is right,*
and teaches the humble | his way.
10All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and | faithfulness,*
for those who keep his covenant and his testi- | monies.
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13
9What thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?
11Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Luke 19:28–40
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the nineteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
28When [Jesus] had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.’” 32So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. 36And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. 37As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 332 “Savior of the Nations, Come”
1 Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin’s Son, make here Your home!
Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
2 Not by human flesh and blood,
By the Spirit of our God,
Was the Word of God made flesh--
Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.
3 Here a maid was found with child,
Yet remained a virgin mild.
In her womb this truth was shown:
God was there upon His throne.
4 Then stepped forth the Lord of all
From His pure and kingly hall;
God of God, yet fully man,
His heroic course began.
5 God the Father was His source,
Back to God He ran His course.
Into hell His road went down,
Back then to His throne and crown.
6 For You are the Father’s Son
Who in flesh the vict’ry won.
By Your mighty pow’r make whole
All our ills of flesh and soul.
7 From the manger newborn light
Shines in glory through the night.
Darkness there no more resides;
In this light faith now abides.
D 8 Glory to the Father sing,
Glory to the Son, our king,
Glory to the Spirit be
Now and through eternity.
Text: attr. Ambrose of Milan, 340–397; German version, Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (sts. 1–2): tr. William M. Reynolds, 1812–76; (sts. 3, 6): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006; (sts. 4–5, 8): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001; (st. 7): tr. Gifford A. Grobien, 1973
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (sts. 3, 6–7): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 4–5, 8): © 1978 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Is Coming” Luke 19:28-40
Jesus Is Coming – Luke 19:28-40
Today's Gospel encourages us to think about the way we respond to the coming of Jesus Christ.
It is once again the beginning of a new church year. We begin the church year with the season of Advent. Many of you probably know that the word Advent comes from a Latin word that means “to come.” Advent is all about preparing for the coming of Christ. We first heard that theme in today's Introit with the words "Behold, your king is coming to you." Today's collect expresses that theme in its opening words, "Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come…" The Old Testament reading starts with the words, "Behold, the days are coming …" The epistle ends with the words, "… at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints." And the Gospel is the story of Jesus coming to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Advent is a time for thinking about the way God comes to us. It is a time of preparation for that coming. It is a time to examine our response to His coming.
How do we respond to this coming? Do we respond differently to His coming in the manger than we respond to His coming to us in the bread and wine of the sacrament? Last week, we heard about Jesus coming in the clouds with glory and power. Will we respond differently when that time comes?
We have two sample responses in today's Gospel, but are these two the only ways that we can respond as God comes to us?
Jesus' disciples and the Passover pilgrims responded in one way. They used their cloaks just like we would use a red carpet today. They threw their cloaks on the road before Jesus. They shouted and sang at the top of their lungs. The parallel accounts in the other gospels tell us they also threw palm branches on the road before Him. After all, here was Jesus riding into Jerusalem in precise fulfillment of the prophecies they had learned from their parents and in Synagogue school. Jesus was fulfilling the very image of the anticipation they have felt since childhood.
While their response was most excellent on the outside, did they really understand what they were doing? The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to describe the motivation of the people. Luke wrote, "The whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen." These people were rightly praising Jesus as Messiah, but they didn't understand what it meant to be Messiah. They hailed Jesus as their king, but they didn't understand that His coronation would be with a crown of thorns and not a crown of gold. Many were looking for a king to liberate them from the Romans, not a savior to liberate them from their sins. They did not understand [Luke 24:46] that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead. They would only understand this after Jesus rose from the dead.
The other response we have comes from those old party poopers, the Pharisees. Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." These Pharisees did not see the fulfillment of prophecy. Instead, they saw a troublemaker and blasphemer. They saw a challenge to their authority and power.
They may also have rationalized that the commotion would draw the attention of the Roman peacekeepers. The Roman garrison in Jerusalem had a rather no nonsense way of dealing with those who broke the peace. They arrested or killed them. The Pharisees could easily rationalize that Jesus was a threat to the peace of Jerusalem and to their comfortable way of life.
Does our response fit into one of these two categories or are there other ways we can respond to the coming of Jesus Christ? Perhaps some of us regard Jesus in much the same way that we regard that officer who gives us the speeding ticket. We see Jesus as someone who points out all the wrong things that we do. If there is something that we really enjoy, it is probably against one of those Ten Commandments. We see Jesus as a cosmic judge who comes to take away all our fun.
Of course, that police officer is really looking after our best interests when he stops us for a traffic violation. In a similar way, Jesus Christ also has our best interests at heart. He has nothing but love for us as He comes to us. The police officer wants us to drive more safely – with respect for ourselves and others. He wants us to celebrate many, many more holidays with our loved ones. Jesus wants to free us from our sins. He wants us to celebrate with Him forever in heaven. In fact, that is why He was coming into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. He was coming to keep His appointment with the cross.
Jesus entered Jerusalem in majestic procession, but the day of His coronation was very different. On the day He entered Jerusalem, people shouted Hosanna. On the day of His coronation, the crowd shouted, "Crucify Him!" On the day He entered Jerusalem; people removed their clothes and laid them before Him. On the day of His coronation, soldiers removed His clothes, beat Him, flogged Him, and nailed Him to a cross. On the day of His coronation, He died hanging from a cross. He did this, not to take away our fun, but to take away our sin. Just before He died, He cried out in triumph, "It is finished." He finished enduring the punishment for our sins. He finished the most unfair exchange in all history. He exchanged His perfect righteousness for our filthy sins.
Before Jesus entered Jerusalem, the disciples set Jesus on a donkey that had never been used. After He died, they laid Him in a tomb that had never been used. They thought they would never see Him again. They did not understand that the earthly humiliation of Christ in His suffering and death was a heavenly coronation. They did not understand that the King who conquered sin, death, and the devil could not remain in that tomb. They did not expect Him to rise from the dead, but He did.
Jesus rose in royal victory. He paved the way for all who believe in Him to pass through death into eternal life. He is now the King of kings and Lord of lords.
How do we respond to that love? Do we call Him King? Yes. Do we call Him Lord? Yes. More importantly, by the power of the Holy Spirit's gift of faith, we call Him Savior, brother, and friend. By the righteousness we receive through faith, God adopts us into His family and, as family; we have the right to call God our Father and Christ our brother. We also have the right to live on the family place forever.
Happy New Church Year--Jesus is coming. He comes to offer forgiveness of sin, life, and salvation. He comes to give us peace. Those who refuse these gifts will respond to this coming in terror. Those who receive these gifts through the Holy Spirit's gift of faith will respond in joy and celebration. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday in Advent - 1 December 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of all, Your Son declared that if His disciples ceased praising Him, the very stones would cry out. Receive our thanks that You continue to preserve Your Word among us. Even in a world that opposes Your name, grant us tongues that joyfully declare Your praise. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, we often use the cares of this life as excuses for dissipation, drunkenness and distraction from You and Your promises. Guard us from temptations that would harm our faith and cause us to fear Your coming. Preserve us by Your grace, that we may wait with joy to stand before the Son of Man in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, grant us repentant hearts and increase our love for one another, that we may show forth our faith in good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our King, righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne, and steadfast love and faithfulness go before You. Watch over the authorities of our land, and grant that they would govern justly so that we may live in peace as we proclaim Your love and faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O God, that as You establish our hearts blameless in holiness before You, so You also provide for all our needs in this body and life. Hear our earnest prayers for those who are in need of Your mercy, [especially _____________,] and comfort all who mourn [including _____________] until the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed are You, O Lord, and blessed is Your Son, Jesus Christ, who came in Your name to save us from sin and death. As He visits us this day with His body and blood under the bread and wine, give us penitent hearts that worthily welcome His coming and rejoice in His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You have loved and chosen us according to Your mercy and called us through the living voice of Your Word. Grant to us the Spirit of Your grace, that what You have begun in us may be brought to completion when Christ appears in His glory on the Last Day; for You live and reign, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your boundless mercy You sent Your servant, John the Baptist, to proclaim that in Christ the kingdom of heaven draws near.
With thankful hearts we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus,” confident that in His body and blood, given us to eat and drink, we receive the forgiveness of sins and so proclaim His death until He comes again in glory.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
334 O Lord, How Shall I Meet You
1 O Lord, how shall I meet You,
How welcome You aright?
Your people long to greet You,
My hope, my heart’s delight!
O kindle, Lord most holy,
Your lamp within my breast
To do in spirit lowly
All that may please You best.
2 Your Zion strews before You
Green boughs and fairest palms;
And I too will adore You
With joyous songs and psalms.
My heart shall bloom forever
For You with praises new
And from Your name shall never
Withhold the honor due.
3 I lay in fetters, groaning;
You came to set me free.
I stood, my shame bemoaning;
You came to honor me.
A glorious crown You give me,
A treasure safe on high
That will not fail or leave me
As earthly riches fly.
4 Love caused Your incarnation;
Love brought You down to me.
Your thirst for my salvation
Procured my liberty.
Oh, love beyond all telling,
That led You to embrace
In love, all love excelling,
Our lost and fallen race.
5 Sin’s debt, that fearful burden,
Cannot His love erase;
Your guilt the Lord will pardon
And cover by His grace.
He comes, for you procuring
The peace of sin forgiv’n,
His children thus securing
Eternal life in heav’n.
6 He comes to judge the nations,
A terror to His foes,
A light of consolations
And blessèd hope to those
Who love the Lord’s appearing.
O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth Your beams so cheering,
And guide us safely home.
Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607–76; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
333 Once He Came in Blessing
1 Once He came in blessing,
All our sins redressing;
Came in likeness lowly,
Son of God most holy;
Bore the cross to save us;
Hope and freedom gave us.
2 Now He gently leads us;
With Himself He feeds us
Precious food from heaven,
Pledge of peace here given,
Manna that will nourish
Souls that they may flourish.
3 Soon will come that hour
When with mighty power
Christ will come in splendor
And will judgment render,
With the faithful sharing
Joy beyond comparing.
4 Come, then, O Lord Jesus,
From our sins release us.
Keep our hearts believing,
That we, grace receiving,
Ever may confess You
Till in heav’n we bless You.
Text: Johann Horn, c. 1490–1547; (sts. 1, 4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. Lutheran Service Book, 2006
Text (sts. 1, 4): Public domain
Text (sts. 2–3): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 348 “The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns”
1 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light triumphant breaks,
When beauty gilds the eastern hills
And life to joy awakes.
2 Not as of old a little child,
To bear and fight and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.
3 Oh, brighter than the rising morn
When Christ, victorious, rose
And left the lonesome place of death
Despite the rage of foes.
4 Oh, brighter than that glorious morn
Shall dawn upon our race
The day when Christ in splendor comes
And we shall see His face.
5 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light and beauty brings.
Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray:
Come quickly, King of kings!
Text: John Brownlie, 1859–1925, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Last Sunday of the Church Year – November 24, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Dave Dixon
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Check with Randy Peeters for tickets.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
and Bible story. All aboard!
November 24, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 549 “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
1 All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
2 Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the stem of Jesse’s rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the stem of Jesse’s rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
3 Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
4 Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
The God incarnate, man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
5 Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
6 Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
7 Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
We’ll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
Text (sts. 1–5): Edward Perronet, 1726–92, alt.; (sts. 6–7): A Selection of Hymns, 1787, London, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 2 Peter 3:13b NIV; Psalm 39:4–5a, 7–8, 12a
P We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Lord Jesus Christ, so govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your glorious return, we may persevere in both faith and holiness of living; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 51:4–6
4“Give attention to me, my people,
and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
5My righteousness draws near,
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples;
the coastlands hope for me,
and for my arm they wait.
6Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 93
1The Lord reigns; he is robed in | majesty;*
the Lord is robed; he has put on strength | as his belt.
Yes, the world is es- | tablished;*
it shall nev- | er be moved.
2Your throne is established | from of old;*
you are from ever- | lasting.
3The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted | up their voice;*
the floods lift up their | roaring.
4Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves | of the sea,*
the Lord on high is | mighty!
5Your decrees are very | trustworthy;*
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, for- | evermore.
Epistle Jude 20–25
20But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22And have mercy on those who doubt; 23save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
24Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 13:24–37
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the thirteenth chapter.
24[Jesus said:] “In those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or in the morning— 36lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 336 “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending”
1 Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for ev’ry sinner slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.
2 Ev’ry eye shall now behold Him
Robed in glorious majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall their true Messiah see.
3 Those dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears,
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshipers.
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!
4 Yea, amen, let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the pow’r and glory,
Claim the kingdom as Thine own.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and Thou alone!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Stay Awake” Mark 13:24-37
Stay Awake! – Mark 13: 24-37
We all underestimate God. We can't help it. The Bible describes God with characteristics that fit into categories like infinite, absolute, limitless, and so forth. Absolutely nothing in this world can compare with those kinds of characteristics. We who live in a world with limits have no point of reference or experience with which to deal with God's character. Although we can imagine traveling in time, how do we wrap our minds around a God who is always in all times? Although we can travel from place to place, how can we possibly envision a God who has no need to travel because He already is in all places? How do we approach a God who not only knows the positions and activities of every proton, neutron, and electron in every atom in the entire universe, but actually supervises them so that they behave in a somewhat predictable way? We can't do it. Our minds are too small.
I suppose that is one reason that we are so intimidated and yet intrigued by end times scenarios. If anyone with any kind of scientific or theological credentials says or publishes anything about the Apocalypse or Armageddon, they are bound to draw an audience. At some point or another every Bible Student has their period of fascination with Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation, and other passages that talk about the end of time including today's reading from St. Mark. Many times, their imagination runs off with their speculation and they miss the true meaning of these wonderful words of prophecy.
The difficulty, as I said earlier, is that we underestimate God. We tend to forget that God maintains the universe that He created. We tend to forget that the laws of science are merely descriptions of the way God runs the material world. On the day that God stops maintaining the universe, it will simply not be there. That is exactly what Jesus describes in today's Gospel. "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken." Jesus is basically telling his first century audience that the universe will simply go away on the last day. God will stop supporting it and it will be gone.
Today's Gospel is part of the teaching that Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives after He left the temple on that last Tuesday before his crucifixion. Last week, we read the beginning of that teaching. You may remember from last week's Gospel that Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" Jesus took that opportunity to teach His disciples about the end times.
Jesus said, "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory." There have always been people who ask, "If Jesus returns to this side of the world, how will people on the other side of the world see Him when He returns? There have been others who were happy with the advent of satellite communication because it solves that problem. Everyone will be able to see Jesus return on their favorite cable news channel. Again, these people underestimate God and the very nature of the end of the earth. If heaven and earth have passed away, then it makes no difference where Christ reveals Himself. If He comes in power and glory, we will have no problem seeing Him. In fact, He will be the only thing worth seeing. I imagine that even the blind will receive their sight and see Him clearly.
There will be no need for anyone to say, "This is the end of the world." The events will be so dramatic that everyone will know it immediately.
One of the things that Jesus made very clear is that no one will know when these things will happen until they happen. In last week's Gospel, the disciples asked, "When will these things be?" In His explanation of the last things Jesus said, "Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Even Jesus, in His state of humiliation, didn't know the time of the end.
If it was not necessary for even Jesus to know the time of the end, it is certainly not necessary for anyone else to know the time either. Nevertheless, many have been seduced by the mystery of it all and actually set dates and times for Christ's return. What a waste of time and resources. Many hundreds have set dates and times, and been wrong, for we are still here.
Instead of wearing ourselves out on useless diversions, why not listen to the Words of Christ. His main teaching in today's Gospel runs in perfect parallel with the main theme of last weeks Gospel. Last week the theme was, "The one who endures to the end will be saved." This week Jesus tells us to "Be on guard, keep awake, stay awake, stay awake, Stay awake."
Notice how often Jesus repeated Himself. I tell the catechumens that any time I repeat something, they should make a special note of it. If I say something three times, it is very important. Here Jesus tells us to be on guard or to stay awake five times. How important this teaching must be.
Jesus used the word picture of a doorman waiting for his master to return from a trip. The reason the doorman must keep watch or stay awake is that he is to be ready when the master returns. Thus "to stay awake" means to be ready for our master's return. Since Christ is our master, how can we be ready for His return?
Certainly our material wealth can't help us. When the sun darkens, the moon fails to give light, and the stars fall from the sky, our material wealth will be long gone. Our stuff will disappear with the rest of the universe.
What about our good works? Consider your life in the light of the Ten Commandments. Have you loved God with all your resources? Has God's name always been holy to you and used only to call for help in times of trouble, for prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. Have you gladly heard and learned God's Word or have you despised God's Word by making Sunday School and Divine Service a low priority in your life? Have you loved your neighbor as yourself? Have you always respected your parents and other authorities? Have you respected other people's life, property, and reputation? Have you kept your thoughts pure? I know that when I examine myself in this way, all I see are works of shame.
No, if we relied on any of our own resources on that day, we shall wish that the earth was still there so that we could hide and call to the mountains, [Revelation 6:16,17] "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
On that last day, only the true God will remain. All the false gods will pass away with the earth. The only salvation that remains will be the very one who reveals Himself in power and glory coming in clouds. That One is Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can give us salvation.
How does he do this? Jesus, who will come in power and glory, came once before - not in power and glory, but in poverty and humility. Although He is the master of all, He became the servant of all. He lived the perfect life that we can never live. Then He allowed men to crucify Him so that He could offer Himself as a sacrifice that we could never make. In His death, He conquered death so that the grave could not hold Him. On the Sunday after His friends laid Him in the tomb, He rose from the dead to live forever more.
Now He makes an offering to us. He offers to take away our sin and cover us in His righteousness. He offers to restore our broken relationship with God. He offers us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. He offers these things to us as He reveals Himself in His Word and Sacraments.
The Holy Spirit uses those Words and Sacraments to build and sustain our faith in Jesus Christ. It is by that faith that we are on guard, awake and watchful. It is the Holy Spirit's gift of faith in Jesus Christ that keeps us ready for the return of the Son of Man who comes in power and glory.
There is something wonderful about the readiness that the Holy Spirit gives us through faith in Jesus Christ. It prepares us for the end of our time on earth no matter how or when it happens. After all, many will not see that last day before they leave this earth through death. Just as no one knows the day that the world will end, so none of us knows if we will be around when it comes. The same faith in Jesus Christ that keeps us watchful and ready for the one, also keeps us watchful for the other. Whether we leave this world at the end of our own lives or at the end of the world, the same readiness saves us. No matter which way our end comes, it is God who saves us by the Father's grace, for the Son's sake, through the Holy Spirit's gift of faith. Amen.
P The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
C Amen.
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
[P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Last Sunday of the Church Year - 24 November 2024
O Almighty God, merciful Father, in this present life of sin and suffering Your Holy Church longs for the return of Christ. Give us grace to make a good confession and strength to stand firm in the faith, ever watchful for His coming in power and glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, bestow strength and steadfastness on the pastors and missionaries of Your Church, [especially _____________,] that in these gray and latter days Your little flock may be nurtured and built up to the praise of Christ, who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most merciful God and Father, give grace to Your Holy Church throughout the world, that she may serve You with reverence and awe and endure faithful to the end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O King of glory, Lord of hosts, in humility Your only-begotten Son stood before governors and kings and was accused unjustly for our sake. Defend the cause of the weak and those who have no voice in our society, particularly the unborn, the poor and the homeless. Give the government of our nation the fortitude to serve its citizens and strive for fairness and justice. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, with all creation we look in eager expectation toward our final redemption at the revelation of Your Son. Until that day, sustain those who live under the cross. Give them patience and hope, and grant healing and aid to the sick [especially _____________]. Draw near to the dying. Hold them in the arms of Your love, and defend them against the final assaults of the evil one. Comfort those who mourn [especially _____________] with the hope of the resurrection of the body to eternal life. Give us faith to believe that, in such crosses, You work all things for our good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, make each communicant worthy to receive Christ’s body and blood this day, that they would do so with a repentant heart and in faith, not to their judgment but for their salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Receive our thanks and praise for all those who have died in the faith, and bring us with them to share in the splendors of the new heavens and the new earth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer LSB 196
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei [sung]
C O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen.
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
663 “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray”
1 Rise, my soul, to watch and pray;
From your sleep awaken!
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o’ertaken;
For the foe,
Well we know,
Is a harvest reaping
While the saints are sleeping.
2 Watch against the devil’s snares
Lest asleep he find you;
For indeed no pains he spares
To deceive and blind you.
Satan’s prey
Oft are they
Who secure are sleeping
And no watch are keeping.
3 Watch! Let not the wicked world
With its lies defeat you
Lest with bold deceptions hurled
It betray and cheat you.
Watch and see
Lest there be
Faithless friends to charm you,
Who but seek to harm you.
4 Watch against yourself, my soul,
Lest with grace you trifle;
Let not self your thoughts control
Nor God’s mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
Lurk within,
All your hopes to shatter;
Heed not when they flatter.
5 But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
God protects you day by day,
Strength and faith increasing,
So that still
Mind and will
Shall unite to serve Him
And forever love Him.
Text: Johann Burkhard Freystein, 1671–1718; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930–2024, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Nunc Dimittis”
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 516 “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying”
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Last Sunday of the Church Year – November 24, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Cast your cares (worries) on Him [Jesus], for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Dave Dixon
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Check with Randy Peeters for tickets.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
- Thanksgiving Eve Devotion THIS Wed. – This will be re-corded at 5 p.m. (Members are welcome to come to for this.)
- Christmas Tree Decorating Sat. Dec. 1st at 10 a.m.
- Midweek Advent Soup Suppers and Devotion – Dec. 4, 11, 18.
- VOTERS’ MEETING Sunday, Dec. 8th after church.
- Bethlehem Express – Sat. Dec. 14 from 10 to noon with lunch
and Bible story. All aboard!
- Christmas Eve service is 5 p.m., Christmas Day is 10:30 a.m.
November 24, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 549 “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
1 All hail the pow’r of Jesus’ name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
2 Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the stem of Jesse’s rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the stem of Jesse’s rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
3 Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
4 Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
The God incarnate, man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
5 Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
6 Let ev’ry kindred, ev’ry tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
7 Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
We’ll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
Text (sts. 1–5): Edward Perronet, 1726–92, alt.; (sts. 6–7): A Selection of Hymns, 1787, London, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 2 Peter 3:13b NIV; Psalm 39:4–5a, 7–8, 12a
P We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Lord Jesus Christ, so govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that, ever mindful of Your glorious return, we may persevere in both faith and holiness of living; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 51:4–6
4“Give attention to me, my people,
and give ear to me, my nation;
for a law will go out from me,
and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples.
5My righteousness draws near,
my salvation has gone out,
and my arms will judge the peoples;
the coastlands hope for me,
and for my arm they wait.
6Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 93
1The Lord reigns; he is robed in | majesty;*
the Lord is robed; he has put on strength | as his belt.
Yes, the world is es- | tablished;*
it shall nev- | er be moved.
2Your throne is established | from of old;*
you are from ever- | lasting.
3The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted | up their voice;*
the floods lift up their | roaring.
4Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
mightier than the waves | of the sea,*
the Lord on high is | mighty!
5Your decrees are very | trustworthy;*
holiness befits your house,
O Lord, for- | evermore.
Epistle Jude 20–25
20But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; 21keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22And have mercy on those who doubt; 23save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
24Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 13:24–37
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the thirteenth chapter.
24[Jesus said:] “In those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
28“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the cock crows, or in the morning— 36lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 336 “Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending”
1 Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
Once for ev’ry sinner slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending
Swell the triumph of His train:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Christ the Lord returns to reign.
2 Ev’ry eye shall now behold Him
Robed in glorious majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him,
Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
Shall their true Messiah see.
3 Those dear tokens of His passion
Still His dazzling body bears,
Cause of endless exultation
To His ransomed worshipers.
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture
Gaze we on those glorious scars!
4 Yea, amen, let all adore Thee,
High on Thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the pow’r and glory,
Claim the kingdom as Thine own.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and Thou alone!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Stay Awake” Mark 13:24-37
Stay Awake! – Mark 13: 24-37
We all underestimate God. We can't help it. The Bible describes God with characteristics that fit into categories like infinite, absolute, limitless, and so forth. Absolutely nothing in this world can compare with those kinds of characteristics. We who live in a world with limits have no point of reference or experience with which to deal with God's character. Although we can imagine traveling in time, how do we wrap our minds around a God who is always in all times? Although we can travel from place to place, how can we possibly envision a God who has no need to travel because He already is in all places? How do we approach a God who not only knows the positions and activities of every proton, neutron, and electron in every atom in the entire universe, but actually supervises them so that they behave in a somewhat predictable way? We can't do it. Our minds are too small.
I suppose that is one reason that we are so intimidated and yet intrigued by end times scenarios. If anyone with any kind of scientific or theological credentials says or publishes anything about the Apocalypse or Armageddon, they are bound to draw an audience. At some point or another every Bible Student has their period of fascination with Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation, and other passages that talk about the end of time including today's reading from St. Mark. Many times, their imagination runs off with their speculation and they miss the true meaning of these wonderful words of prophecy.
The difficulty, as I said earlier, is that we underestimate God. We tend to forget that God maintains the universe that He created. We tend to forget that the laws of science are merely descriptions of the way God runs the material world. On the day that God stops maintaining the universe, it will simply not be there. That is exactly what Jesus describes in today's Gospel. "The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken." Jesus is basically telling his first century audience that the universe will simply go away on the last day. God will stop supporting it and it will be gone.
Today's Gospel is part of the teaching that Jesus gave on the Mount of Olives after He left the temple on that last Tuesday before his crucifixion. Last week, we read the beginning of that teaching. You may remember from last week's Gospel that Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?" Jesus took that opportunity to teach His disciples about the end times.
Jesus said, "Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory." There have always been people who ask, "If Jesus returns to this side of the world, how will people on the other side of the world see Him when He returns? There have been others who were happy with the advent of satellite communication because it solves that problem. Everyone will be able to see Jesus return on their favorite cable news channel. Again, these people underestimate God and the very nature of the end of the earth. If heaven and earth have passed away, then it makes no difference where Christ reveals Himself. If He comes in power and glory, we will have no problem seeing Him. In fact, He will be the only thing worth seeing. I imagine that even the blind will receive their sight and see Him clearly.
There will be no need for anyone to say, "This is the end of the world." The events will be so dramatic that everyone will know it immediately.
One of the things that Jesus made very clear is that no one will know when these things will happen until they happen. In last week's Gospel, the disciples asked, "When will these things be?" In His explanation of the last things Jesus said, "Concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Even Jesus, in His state of humiliation, didn't know the time of the end.
If it was not necessary for even Jesus to know the time of the end, it is certainly not necessary for anyone else to know the time either. Nevertheless, many have been seduced by the mystery of it all and actually set dates and times for Christ's return. What a waste of time and resources. Many hundreds have set dates and times, and been wrong, for we are still here.
Instead of wearing ourselves out on useless diversions, why not listen to the Words of Christ. His main teaching in today's Gospel runs in perfect parallel with the main theme of last weeks Gospel. Last week the theme was, "The one who endures to the end will be saved." This week Jesus tells us to "Be on guard, keep awake, stay awake, stay awake, Stay awake."
Notice how often Jesus repeated Himself. I tell the catechumens that any time I repeat something, they should make a special note of it. If I say something three times, it is very important. Here Jesus tells us to be on guard or to stay awake five times. How important this teaching must be.
Jesus used the word picture of a doorman waiting for his master to return from a trip. The reason the doorman must keep watch or stay awake is that he is to be ready when the master returns. Thus "to stay awake" means to be ready for our master's return. Since Christ is our master, how can we be ready for His return?
Certainly our material wealth can't help us. When the sun darkens, the moon fails to give light, and the stars fall from the sky, our material wealth will be long gone. Our stuff will disappear with the rest of the universe.
What about our good works? Consider your life in the light of the Ten Commandments. Have you loved God with all your resources? Has God's name always been holy to you and used only to call for help in times of trouble, for prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. Have you gladly heard and learned God's Word or have you despised God's Word by making Sunday School and Divine Service a low priority in your life? Have you loved your neighbor as yourself? Have you always respected your parents and other authorities? Have you respected other people's life, property, and reputation? Have you kept your thoughts pure? I know that when I examine myself in this way, all I see are works of shame.
No, if we relied on any of our own resources on that day, we shall wish that the earth was still there so that we could hide and call to the mountains, [Revelation 6:16,17] "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
On that last day, only the true God will remain. All the false gods will pass away with the earth. The only salvation that remains will be the very one who reveals Himself in power and glory coming in clouds. That One is Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can give us salvation.
How does he do this? Jesus, who will come in power and glory, came once before - not in power and glory, but in poverty and humility. Although He is the master of all, He became the servant of all. He lived the perfect life that we can never live. Then He allowed men to crucify Him so that He could offer Himself as a sacrifice that we could never make. In His death, He conquered death so that the grave could not hold Him. On the Sunday after His friends laid Him in the tomb, He rose from the dead to live forever more.
Now He makes an offering to us. He offers to take away our sin and cover us in His righteousness. He offers to restore our broken relationship with God. He offers us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. He offers these things to us as He reveals Himself in His Word and Sacraments.
The Holy Spirit uses those Words and Sacraments to build and sustain our faith in Jesus Christ. It is by that faith that we are on guard, awake and watchful. It is the Holy Spirit's gift of faith in Jesus Christ that keeps us ready for the return of the Son of Man who comes in power and glory.
There is something wonderful about the readiness that the Holy Spirit gives us through faith in Jesus Christ. It prepares us for the end of our time on earth no matter how or when it happens. After all, many will not see that last day before they leave this earth through death. Just as no one knows the day that the world will end, so none of us knows if we will be around when it comes. The same faith in Jesus Christ that keeps us watchful and ready for the one, also keeps us watchful for the other. Whether we leave this world at the end of our own lives or at the end of the world, the same readiness saves us. No matter which way our end comes, it is God who saves us by the Father's grace, for the Son's sake, through the Holy Spirit's gift of faith. Amen.
P The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
C Amen.
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
[P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: Hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Last Sunday of the Church Year - 24 November 2024
O Almighty God, merciful Father, in this present life of sin and suffering Your Holy Church longs for the return of Christ. Give us grace to make a good confession and strength to stand firm in the faith, ever watchful for His coming in power and glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, bestow strength and steadfastness on the pastors and missionaries of Your Church, [especially _____________,] that in these gray and latter days Your little flock may be nurtured and built up to the praise of Christ, who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most merciful God and Father, give grace to Your Holy Church throughout the world, that she may serve You with reverence and awe and endure faithful to the end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O King of glory, Lord of hosts, in humility Your only-begotten Son stood before governors and kings and was accused unjustly for our sake. Defend the cause of the weak and those who have no voice in our society, particularly the unborn, the poor and the homeless. Give the government of our nation the fortitude to serve its citizens and strive for fairness and justice. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, with all creation we look in eager expectation toward our final redemption at the revelation of Your Son. Until that day, sustain those who live under the cross. Give them patience and hope, and grant healing and aid to the sick [especially _____________]. Draw near to the dying. Hold them in the arms of Your love, and defend them against the final assaults of the evil one. Comfort those who mourn [especially _____________] with the hope of the resurrection of the body to eternal life. Give us faith to believe that, in such crosses, You work all things for our good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, make each communicant worthy to receive Christ’s body and blood this day, that they would do so with a repentant heart and in faith, not to their judgment but for their salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Receive our thanks and praise for all those who have died in the faith, and bring us with them to share in the splendors of the new heavens and the new earth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer LSB 196
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei [sung]
C O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace. Amen.
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
663 “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray”
1 Rise, my soul, to watch and pray;
From your sleep awaken!
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o’ertaken;
For the foe,
Well we know,
Is a harvest reaping
While the saints are sleeping.
2 Watch against the devil’s snares
Lest asleep he find you;
For indeed no pains he spares
To deceive and blind you.
Satan’s prey
Oft are they
Who secure are sleeping
And no watch are keeping.
3 Watch! Let not the wicked world
With its lies defeat you
Lest with bold deceptions hurled
It betray and cheat you.
Watch and see
Lest there be
Faithless friends to charm you,
Who but seek to harm you.
4 Watch against yourself, my soul,
Lest with grace you trifle;
Let not self your thoughts control
Nor God’s mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
Lurk within,
All your hopes to shatter;
Heed not when they flatter.
5 But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
God protects you day by day,
Strength and faith increasing,
So that still
Mind and will
Shall unite to serve Him
And forever love Him.
Text: Johann Burkhard Freystein, 1671–1718; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930–2024, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Nunc Dimittis”
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 516 “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying”
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost – November 17, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given in loving memory of Jackie Dickey whose birthday would have been November 12th.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Tickets are $25 or $19 if ten or more sign up. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
Midweek Advent Soup Suppers and Devotion – Dec. 4, 11, 18 Soup at 6 p.m., devotion at 7 p.m.
Bethlehem Express – Sat. Dec. 14 from 10 to noon with lunch following. This is for everyone and consists of singing, crafts
and Bible story – “train” stops at Carol Town, Crafty Corners and Bethlehem.
Christmas Eve Candlelight service 5 p.m., Christmas Day service with communion at 10:30 a.m. The Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
November 17, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 873 “Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies”
1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true and only light,
Sun of righteousness, arise;
Triumph o’er the shades of night.
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.
2 Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
Till Thy mercy’s beams I see,
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
3 Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung by all] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Daniel 12:1–3
L A reading from Daniel, chapter 12.
1“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Hebrews 10:11–25
L A reading from Hebrews, chapter 10.
11Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Mark 13:1–13
L A reading from Mark, chapter 13.
1As [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
3And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 508 “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near”
1 The day is surely drawing near
When Jesus, God’s anointed,
In all His power shall appear
As judge whom God appointed.
Then fright shall banish idle mirth,
And flames on flames shall ravage earth
As Scripture long has warned us.
2 The final trumpet then shall sound
And all the earth be shaken,
And all who rest beneath the ground
Shall from their sleep awaken.
But all who live will in that hour,
By God’s almighty, boundless pow’r,
Be changed at His commanding.
3 The books are opened then to all,
A record truly telling
What each has done, both great and small,
When he on earth was dwelling,
And ev’ry heart be clearly seen,
And all be known as they have been
In thoughts and words and actions.
4 Then woe to those who scorned the Lord
And sought but carnal pleasures,
Who here despised His precious Word
And loved their earthly treasures!
With shame and trembling they will stand
And at the judge’s stern command
To Satan be delivered.
5 My Savior paid the debt I owe
And for my sin was smitten;
Within the Book of Life I know
My name has now been written.
I will not doubt, for I am free,
And Satan cannot threaten me;
There is no condemnation!
6 May Christ our intercessor be
And through His blood and merit
Read from His book that we are free
With all who life inherit.
Then we shall see Him face to face,
With all His saints in that blest place
Which He has purchased for us.
7 O Jesus Christ, do not delay,
But hasten our salvation;
We often tremble on our way
In fear and tribulation.
O hear and grant our fervent plea:
Come, mighty judge, and set us free
From death and ev’ry evil.
Text: Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, 1532–99; tr. Philip A. Peter, 1832–1919, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Enduring to the End” Mark 13:1-13
Enduring to the End – Mark 13:1-13
A pastor friend writes: “Sooner or later, every engineering student comes into contact with Murphy's Law. Murphy's Law says, ‘If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong at the worst possible time in the worst possible way.’ The fact of the matter is that sooner or later everything in this world wears out. Hydraulic systems leak, the motor doesn't start, the mechanism jams, and so forth. As a pastor who was once an engineer stated, “I know that eighty to ninety per cent of the controls on a typical machine are there to deal with those times when the equipment does not operate according to its design.”
Murphy's Law doesn't just affect engineers. Did you ever notice that when you drop a sandwich, it lands with the peanut butter and jelly on the carpet? Did you ever notice that if you get in the shortest line at the grocery store, the person in front of you often needs a price check? Did you ever notice that traffic is usually most congested when you are late? Murphy's Law is one expression of the decay and frustration that came into this world when Adam and Eve sinned in Eden.
Sin corrupted this world and this world has been slowly coming to an end ever since. It has been slowly wearing out. The time will come when God will bring it to an end. He will purify it and bring a new, pure, and perfect world into existence. The world we see around us will cease to exist and a new one will take its place.
It is the tradition of the church to think about those end times as we come to the end of another church year in another week. The Bible readings for this week and next week tell us something about the end of this world.
Today's gospel reading begins as Jesus left the Temple for the last time. It is Holy Tuesday - the Tuesday before Good Friday. Jesus is just a few days from the cross. It is at this time that one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" These buildings impressed this disciple.
It is so easy for us to forget that all things must come to an end. After all, the pyramids and the sphinx have been around for thousands of years. The mountain ranges of the earth have been around even longer. Not much changes during our relatively short time here on this earth. We come to think that some things are permanent. We are tempted to think that what has been will continue to be. The disciple in today's Gospel reading wondered how something as magnificent as the Temple could ever come to a bad end.
Jesus reminded this disciple and us that all things come to and end. Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." Jesus agreed that the buildings were great, that they were beautiful, but He also warned that they would not last. As beautiful and imposing as they were, they would not last to the end of the century. In the year 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem including the Temple. Today, a Moslem shrine, the Dome of the Rock, now stands where the temple once stood.
Jesus not only warned against trusting in the physical materials of this world, but He also warned against trust in the social and spiritual institutions of this world. Later that same day, as He sat on the Mount of Olives and looked across the valley at the Temple and the city, He warned His followers then and now what to expect as the world wears down to its final moment.
Jesus talked about the spiritual decay of the world. Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray." He warned that some people will even claim to be the returning Christ.
We have plenty of would be Messiahs even today. Korean born Sun Myung Moon claimed to be the Messiah. Jim Jones claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and led hundreds in a ritual suicide. It doesn't seem that long ago that David Koresh of the Branch Davidians claimed to be the Messiah. The Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Christ already set up his millennial kingdom in 1914. The Mormons have a living prophet as the head of their church. L. Ron Hubbard started the church of scientology.
The fringe cults and sects seem to have enough false christs to go around, but those fringe cults and sects aren't the only fulfillments of Christ's prophecy in today's Gospel. Even churches that claim to be part of main line Christianity lead people astray. One mainline church in San Francisco prays to “The Goddess.” Their version of the Lord's Prayer begins with these words: "Our Mother who is within us, we celebrate your many names. Your wisdom come. Your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us." Another mainline church body no longer requires their clergy to confess the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The tendency for even main line denominations to abandon the word of God demonstrates the spiritual decay that Jesus spoke about in today's Gospel.
Jesus also talked about the social decay of the world. Many of the catastrophes He described are man-made; wars, rumors of wars, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Famine might even be a result of people using hunger as a weapon against their fellow man. Even family members will turn against one another; brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. A simple review of the news headlines tells us that these social breakdowns are happening.
The interesting thing about all these warning prophecies is that they have all happened and continue to happen. All the warnings in today's Gospel already happened during the lifetime of the Apostles. Wars, famines, spiritual unfaithfulness, and family breakdowns are more or less part of the world scene today. Many in today's society don't even think these are warning signs because they have never known a world without them. Since these prophecies have all come true, the stage is set for the end of the world and has been for some time.
If all things come to an end - if we can't take it with us when we die and it will all dissolve on the last day, why do we give the things of this world such a high priority? Why do we focus on the buildings and stones of this world? Why do we rely on things that cannot last?
There is another way. Jesus said, "The one who endures to the end will be saved." There is a salvation that lasts beyond the end of this world. It is a salvation that lasts forever.
Today's Gospel began with the temporary stones of the temple. Those stones cannot save, but there is a stone that can save us. The Psalmist said, [Psalm 118:22-23 22] "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes."
The Temple authorities rejected this stone with extreme prejudice. They arrested Him and arranged to have Him beaten and crucified. As He hung on the cross, it looked like His end was near. As He died on the cross, it looked like His end had come. As His cold body lay in the tomb, it looked like His end had passed.
His suffering and death was an end, but it was not His end. It was the end of our slavery to sin. It was the end of the condemnation and guilt that our sin earned. It was the end of death's reign in this world. For on the Sunday after He was laid in the tomb, He rose from the dead. He rose to live forever. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This stone, of course, is Jesus Christ Himself, the Rock of Ages. Those who believe in Him, believe in the only stone that lasts forever. They believe in the living stone who is the foundation of the New Heavens and the New Earth. The one who endures to the end is the one whose faith in Jesus Christ endures. That one who believes that Jesus Christ is the only savior from sin is the one who endures to the end and will be saved.
All things on this earth come to an end. Today's Gospel talks of the beautiful buildings of the temple. They have been replaced by a Moslem Mosque. There will be a time when that mosque will also be gone. Eventually, even the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars will all be gone. Only Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages will remain to preserve us. Those who followed the false prophets of this world will remain without salvation. Those who endured in the one true faith to the end will be saved. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost - 17 November 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, preserve Your Church throughout the world, and keep us ready at all times for Your Son’s glorious return. Lead us to proclaim with zeal His coming to the ends of the earth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all pastors and ministers, that they may preach the pure doctrine of God’s saving Word, which will never pass away. Give faith to all who hear, that in Christ they may have the peace that passes all understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks, Holy Lord, for the fruits of the earth provided by Your hand. Supply the needs of all who grow, process and distribute our food, and move us to share these bountiful gifts with our neighbors in their time of need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Uphold all in authority, especially the president and Congress of the United States, the governor and legislature of this state, and all judges. Graciously enable them to lead according to Your will and for our good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy One, the blood of Christ gives us confidence to enter the holy places and draw near to You with true hearts in the full assurance of faith. Behold Your servants who are in difficult and trying times, those who are in prison, those who are sick [especially _____________], those who mourn [especially _____________], and the lonely and homebound. Grant them comfort according to Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Author and Giver of all good, Your Son gives us His very body and blood with which He purchased the world’s redemption at the cross. Prepare our hearts and minds to welcome with thanksgiving the sign and seal of this new and eternal covenant, that in the forgiveness of sins we may look forward to the day of His return. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
645 “Built on the Rock”
1 Built on the Rock the Church shall stand
Even when steeples are falling.
Crumbled have spires in ev’ry land;
Bells still are chiming and calling,
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the souls distressed,
Longing for rest everlasting.
2 Surely in temples made with hands
God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
All earthly temples excelling.
Yet He who dwells in heav’n above
Chooses to live with us in love,
Making our bodies His temple.
3 We are God’s house of living stones,
Built for His own habitation.
He through baptismal grace us owns
Heirs of His wondrous salvation.
Were we but two His name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell
With all His grace and His favor.
4 Here stands the font before our eyes,
Telling how God has received us.
The_altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice
And what His Supper here gives us.
Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim
Christ yesterday, today, the same,
And evermore, our Redeemer.
5 Grant, then, O God, Your will be done,
That, when the church bells are ringing,
Many in saving faith may come
Where Christ His message is bringing:
“I know My own; My own know Me.
You, not the world, My face shall see.
My peace I leave with you. Amen.”
Text: Nikolai Fredrik Severin Grundtvig, 1783–1872, abr.; tr. Carl Döving, 1867–1937, alt.
Text: Public domain
639 “Wide Open Stand the Gates”
1 Wide open stand the gates adorned with pearl,
While round God’s golden throne
The choirs of saints in endless circles curl,
And joyous praise the Son!
They watch Him now descending
To visit waiting earth.
The Lord of Life unending
Brings dying hope new birth!
2 He speaks the Word the bread and wine to bless:
“This is My flesh and blood!”
He bids us eat and drink with thankfulness
This gift of holy food.
All human thought must falter--
Our God stoops low to heal,
Now present on the altar,
For us both host and meal!
3 The cherubim, their faces veiled from light,
While saints in wonder kneel,
Sing praise to Him whose face with glory bright
No earthly masks conceal.
This sacrament God gives us
Binds us in unity,
Joins earth with heav’n beyond us,
Time with eternity!
Text: J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, 1808–72; tr. Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 2002 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O Lord, by Your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 553 “O Christ, Our Hope, Our Hearts’ Desire”
1 O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire,
Creation’s mighty Lord,
Redeemer of the fallen world,
By holy love outpoured:
2 How vast Your mercy to accept
The burden of our sin
And bow Your head in cruel death
To make us clean within.
3 But now the bonds of death are burst,
The ransom has been paid;
You now ascend the Father’s throne
In robes of light arrayed.
4 O let Your mighty love prevail
To purge us of our pride
That we may stand before Your throne
By mercy purified.
5 Christ Jesus, be our present joy,
Our future great reward;
Our only glory, may it be
To glory in the Lord!
D 6 All praise to You, ascended Lord;
All glory ever be
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Through all eternity!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, adapt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost – November 17, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
TODAY’S FLOWERS are given in loving memory of Jackie Dickey whose birthday would have been November 12th.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Tickets are $25 or $19 if ten or more sign up. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
- Thanksgiving Eve Devotion – This will be recorded at 5 p.m.
Midweek Advent Soup Suppers and Devotion – Dec. 4, 11, 18 Soup at 6 p.m., devotion at 7 p.m.
Bethlehem Express – Sat. Dec. 14 from 10 to noon with lunch following. This is for everyone and consists of singing, crafts
and Bible story – “train” stops at Carol Town, Crafty Corners and Bethlehem.
Christmas Eve Candlelight service 5 p.m., Christmas Day service with communion at 10:30 a.m. The Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
November 17, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 873 “Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies”
1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true and only light,
Sun of righteousness, arise;
Triumph o’er the shades of night.
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Daystar, in my heart appear.
2 Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
Till Thy mercy’s beams I see,
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.
3 Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung by all] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Daniel 12:1–3
L A reading from Daniel, chapter 12.
1“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Hebrews 10:11–25
L A reading from Hebrews, chapter 10.
11Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
15And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,
16“This is the covenant that I will make with them
after those days, declares the Lord:
I will put my laws on their hearts,
and write them on their minds,”
17then he adds,
“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”
18Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.
19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Mark 13:1–13
L A reading from Mark, chapter 13.
1As [Jesus] came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
3And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.
9“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 508 “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near”
1 The day is surely drawing near
When Jesus, God’s anointed,
In all His power shall appear
As judge whom God appointed.
Then fright shall banish idle mirth,
And flames on flames shall ravage earth
As Scripture long has warned us.
2 The final trumpet then shall sound
And all the earth be shaken,
And all who rest beneath the ground
Shall from their sleep awaken.
But all who live will in that hour,
By God’s almighty, boundless pow’r,
Be changed at His commanding.
3 The books are opened then to all,
A record truly telling
What each has done, both great and small,
When he on earth was dwelling,
And ev’ry heart be clearly seen,
And all be known as they have been
In thoughts and words and actions.
4 Then woe to those who scorned the Lord
And sought but carnal pleasures,
Who here despised His precious Word
And loved their earthly treasures!
With shame and trembling they will stand
And at the judge’s stern command
To Satan be delivered.
5 My Savior paid the debt I owe
And for my sin was smitten;
Within the Book of Life I know
My name has now been written.
I will not doubt, for I am free,
And Satan cannot threaten me;
There is no condemnation!
6 May Christ our intercessor be
And through His blood and merit
Read from His book that we are free
With all who life inherit.
Then we shall see Him face to face,
With all His saints in that blest place
Which He has purchased for us.
7 O Jesus Christ, do not delay,
But hasten our salvation;
We often tremble on our way
In fear and tribulation.
O hear and grant our fervent plea:
Come, mighty judge, and set us free
From death and ev’ry evil.
Text: Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, 1532–99; tr. Philip A. Peter, 1832–1919, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Enduring to the End” Mark 13:1-13
Enduring to the End – Mark 13:1-13
A pastor friend writes: “Sooner or later, every engineering student comes into contact with Murphy's Law. Murphy's Law says, ‘If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong at the worst possible time in the worst possible way.’ The fact of the matter is that sooner or later everything in this world wears out. Hydraulic systems leak, the motor doesn't start, the mechanism jams, and so forth. As a pastor who was once an engineer stated, “I know that eighty to ninety per cent of the controls on a typical machine are there to deal with those times when the equipment does not operate according to its design.”
Murphy's Law doesn't just affect engineers. Did you ever notice that when you drop a sandwich, it lands with the peanut butter and jelly on the carpet? Did you ever notice that if you get in the shortest line at the grocery store, the person in front of you often needs a price check? Did you ever notice that traffic is usually most congested when you are late? Murphy's Law is one expression of the decay and frustration that came into this world when Adam and Eve sinned in Eden.
Sin corrupted this world and this world has been slowly coming to an end ever since. It has been slowly wearing out. The time will come when God will bring it to an end. He will purify it and bring a new, pure, and perfect world into existence. The world we see around us will cease to exist and a new one will take its place.
It is the tradition of the church to think about those end times as we come to the end of another church year in another week. The Bible readings for this week and next week tell us something about the end of this world.
Today's gospel reading begins as Jesus left the Temple for the last time. It is Holy Tuesday - the Tuesday before Good Friday. Jesus is just a few days from the cross. It is at this time that one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!" These buildings impressed this disciple.
It is so easy for us to forget that all things must come to an end. After all, the pyramids and the sphinx have been around for thousands of years. The mountain ranges of the earth have been around even longer. Not much changes during our relatively short time here on this earth. We come to think that some things are permanent. We are tempted to think that what has been will continue to be. The disciple in today's Gospel reading wondered how something as magnificent as the Temple could ever come to a bad end.
Jesus reminded this disciple and us that all things come to and end. Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." Jesus agreed that the buildings were great, that they were beautiful, but He also warned that they would not last. As beautiful and imposing as they were, they would not last to the end of the century. In the year 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem including the Temple. Today, a Moslem shrine, the Dome of the Rock, now stands where the temple once stood.
Jesus not only warned against trusting in the physical materials of this world, but He also warned against trust in the social and spiritual institutions of this world. Later that same day, as He sat on the Mount of Olives and looked across the valley at the Temple and the city, He warned His followers then and now what to expect as the world wears down to its final moment.
Jesus talked about the spiritual decay of the world. Jesus began to say to them, "See that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he!' and they will lead many astray." He warned that some people will even claim to be the returning Christ.
We have plenty of would be Messiahs even today. Korean born Sun Myung Moon claimed to be the Messiah. Jim Jones claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus Christ and led hundreds in a ritual suicide. It doesn't seem that long ago that David Koresh of the Branch Davidians claimed to be the Messiah. The Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Christ already set up his millennial kingdom in 1914. The Mormons have a living prophet as the head of their church. L. Ron Hubbard started the church of scientology.
The fringe cults and sects seem to have enough false christs to go around, but those fringe cults and sects aren't the only fulfillments of Christ's prophecy in today's Gospel. Even churches that claim to be part of main line Christianity lead people astray. One mainline church in San Francisco prays to “The Goddess.” Their version of the Lord's Prayer begins with these words: "Our Mother who is within us, we celebrate your many names. Your wisdom come. Your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us." Another mainline church body no longer requires their clergy to confess the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The tendency for even main line denominations to abandon the word of God demonstrates the spiritual decay that Jesus spoke about in today's Gospel.
Jesus also talked about the social decay of the world. Many of the catastrophes He described are man-made; wars, rumors of wars, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. Famine might even be a result of people using hunger as a weapon against their fellow man. Even family members will turn against one another; brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. A simple review of the news headlines tells us that these social breakdowns are happening.
The interesting thing about all these warning prophecies is that they have all happened and continue to happen. All the warnings in today's Gospel already happened during the lifetime of the Apostles. Wars, famines, spiritual unfaithfulness, and family breakdowns are more or less part of the world scene today. Many in today's society don't even think these are warning signs because they have never known a world without them. Since these prophecies have all come true, the stage is set for the end of the world and has been for some time.
If all things come to an end - if we can't take it with us when we die and it will all dissolve on the last day, why do we give the things of this world such a high priority? Why do we focus on the buildings and stones of this world? Why do we rely on things that cannot last?
There is another way. Jesus said, "The one who endures to the end will be saved." There is a salvation that lasts beyond the end of this world. It is a salvation that lasts forever.
Today's Gospel began with the temporary stones of the temple. Those stones cannot save, but there is a stone that can save us. The Psalmist said, [Psalm 118:22-23 22] "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes."
The Temple authorities rejected this stone with extreme prejudice. They arrested Him and arranged to have Him beaten and crucified. As He hung on the cross, it looked like His end was near. As He died on the cross, it looked like His end had come. As His cold body lay in the tomb, it looked like His end had passed.
His suffering and death was an end, but it was not His end. It was the end of our slavery to sin. It was the end of the condemnation and guilt that our sin earned. It was the end of death's reign in this world. For on the Sunday after He was laid in the tomb, He rose from the dead. He rose to live forever. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This stone, of course, is Jesus Christ Himself, the Rock of Ages. Those who believe in Him, believe in the only stone that lasts forever. They believe in the living stone who is the foundation of the New Heavens and the New Earth. The one who endures to the end is the one whose faith in Jesus Christ endures. That one who believes that Jesus Christ is the only savior from sin is the one who endures to the end and will be saved.
All things on this earth come to an end. Today's Gospel talks of the beautiful buildings of the temple. They have been replaced by a Moslem Mosque. There will be a time when that mosque will also be gone. Eventually, even the earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars will all be gone. Only Jesus Christ, the Rock of Ages will remain to preserve us. Those who followed the false prophets of this world will remain without salvation. Those who endured in the one true faith to the end will be saved. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost - 17 November 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, preserve Your Church throughout the world, and keep us ready at all times for Your Son’s glorious return. Lead us to proclaim with zeal His coming to the ends of the earth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all pastors and ministers, that they may preach the pure doctrine of God’s saving Word, which will never pass away. Give faith to all who hear, that in Christ they may have the peace that passes all understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks, Holy Lord, for the fruits of the earth provided by Your hand. Supply the needs of all who grow, process and distribute our food, and move us to share these bountiful gifts with our neighbors in their time of need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Uphold all in authority, especially the president and Congress of the United States, the governor and legislature of this state, and all judges. Graciously enable them to lead according to Your will and for our good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy One, the blood of Christ gives us confidence to enter the holy places and draw near to You with true hearts in the full assurance of faith. Behold Your servants who are in difficult and trying times, those who are in prison, those who are sick [especially _____________], those who mourn [especially _____________], and the lonely and homebound. Grant them comfort according to Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Author and Giver of all good, Your Son gives us His very body and blood with which He purchased the world’s redemption at the cross. Prepare our hearts and minds to welcome with thanksgiving the sign and seal of this new and eternal covenant, that in the forgiveness of sins we may look forward to the day of His return. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
645 “Built on the Rock”
1 Built on the Rock the Church shall stand
Even when steeples are falling.
Crumbled have spires in ev’ry land;
Bells still are chiming and calling,
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the souls distressed,
Longing for rest everlasting.
2 Surely in temples made with hands
God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
All earthly temples excelling.
Yet He who dwells in heav’n above
Chooses to live with us in love,
Making our bodies His temple.
3 We are God’s house of living stones,
Built for His own habitation.
He through baptismal grace us owns
Heirs of His wondrous salvation.
Were we but two His name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell
With all His grace and His favor.
4 Here stands the font before our eyes,
Telling how God has received us.
The_altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice
And what His Supper here gives us.
Here sound the Scriptures that proclaim
Christ yesterday, today, the same,
And evermore, our Redeemer.
5 Grant, then, O God, Your will be done,
That, when the church bells are ringing,
Many in saving faith may come
Where Christ His message is bringing:
“I know My own; My own know Me.
You, not the world, My face shall see.
My peace I leave with you. Amen.”
Text: Nikolai Fredrik Severin Grundtvig, 1783–1872, abr.; tr. Carl Döving, 1867–1937, alt.
Text: Public domain
639 “Wide Open Stand the Gates”
1 Wide open stand the gates adorned with pearl,
While round God’s golden throne
The choirs of saints in endless circles curl,
And joyous praise the Son!
They watch Him now descending
To visit waiting earth.
The Lord of Life unending
Brings dying hope new birth!
2 He speaks the Word the bread and wine to bless:
“This is My flesh and blood!”
He bids us eat and drink with thankfulness
This gift of holy food.
All human thought must falter--
Our God stoops low to heal,
Now present on the altar,
For us both host and meal!
3 The cherubim, their faces veiled from light,
While saints in wonder kneel,
Sing praise to Him whose face with glory bright
No earthly masks conceal.
This sacrament God gives us
Binds us in unity,
Joins earth with heav’n beyond us,
Time with eternity!
Text: J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, 1808–72; tr. Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 2002 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O Lord, by Your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 553 “O Christ, Our Hope, Our Hearts’ Desire”
1 O Christ, our hope, our hearts’ desire,
Creation’s mighty Lord,
Redeemer of the fallen world,
By holy love outpoured:
2 How vast Your mercy to accept
The burden of our sin
And bow Your head in cruel death
To make us clean within.
3 But now the bonds of death are burst,
The ransom has been paid;
You now ascend the Father’s throne
In robes of light arrayed.
4 O let Your mighty love prevail
To purge us of our pride
That we may stand before Your throne
By mercy purified.
5 Christ Jesus, be our present joy,
Our future great reward;
Our only glory, may it be
To glory in the Lord!
D 6 All praise to You, ascended Lord;
All glory ever be
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
Through all eternity!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Chandler, 1806–76, adapt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – November 10, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Tickets are $25 or $19 if ten or more sign up. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
1) Thanksgiving Eve Devotion – This will be recorded at 5 p.m.
(Members are welcome to come to church for this.)
2) Midweek Advent Soup Suppers and Devotion – Dec. 4, 11, 18
Soup at 6 p.m., devotion at 7 p.m.
3) Bethlehem Express – Sat. Dec. 14 from, 10 to noon with lunch
following. This is for everyone and consists of singing, crafts
and Bible story – “train” stops at Carol Town, Crafty Corners and Bethlehem.
4) Christmas Eve Candlelight service 5 p.m., Christmas Day service with communion at 10:30 a.m.
The Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
November 10, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 905 “Come, Thou Almighty King”
1 Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing;
Help us to praise;
Father all-glorious,
O’er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.
2 Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword;
Our prayer attend.
Come and Thy people bless,
And give Thy Word success,
And let Thy righteousness
On us descend.
3 Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour!
Thou, who almighty art,
Now rule in ev’ry heart,
And ne’er from us depart,
Spirit of pow’r.
D 4 To Thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore!
Thy sov’reign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
Love and adore.
Text: English, before 1760, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 107:8, 1–2, 41–42
P Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble. He raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Grant us so firmly to believe in Your Son Jesus that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Kings 17:8–16
8Then the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], 9“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 146
1Praise | the Lord!*
Praise the Lord, | O my soul!
2I will praise the Lord as long | as I live;*
I will sing praises to my God while I have my | being.
3Put not your trust in | princes,*
in a son of man, in whom there is no sal- | vation.
4When his breath departs he returns | to the earth;*
on that very day his plans | perish.
5Blessèd is he whose help is the God of | Jacob,*
whose hope is in the | Lord his God,
6who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is | in them,*
who keeps faith for- | ever;
7who executes justice for | the oppressed,*
who gives food to the | hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8the Lord opens the eyes | of the blind.*
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the | righteous.
9The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the | fatherless,*
but the way of the wicked he brings to | ruin.
10The Lord will reign for- | ever,*
your God, O Zion, to all generations. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle Hebrews 9:24–28
24For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 12:38–44
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the twelfth chapter.
38In his teaching [Jesus] said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 787 “The Temple Rang with Golden Coins”
1 The temple rang with golden coins
The rich in bright array
Contributed from gleaming hoards
Their scales could scarcely weigh.
2 A widow came with copper coins
And offered them in praise.
They were the last she had to give
Or save for darker days.
3 When Jesus saw her costly gift
And knew she had no more,
He praised a love that spared not self
And called her rich, though poor.
4 At last He brought His offering
And laid it on a tree;
There gave Himself, His life, His love
For all humanity.
5 Lord, help us all, with You, to yield
Whatever love demands
And freely give, as You have giv’n,
With open hearts and hands.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Giving All” Mark 12:41-44
Giving All – Mark 12:41-44
Today's gospel reading of the widow's mite reminds me of a film from 1987 called Babette's Feast. It takes place in remote village in Denmark in the 1800's. Two sisters live with their elderly father who is a minister. They are very beautiful women, and more than one suitor from the big city tries to marry them. But the would-be husbands are too worldly for their protective father.
One day a woman arrives at their door with a letter of reference from one of the suitors in France. Her name is Babette, and she is a refugee from the bloodshed of social turmoil going on in Paris. They agree to take her in as a housekeeper and cook. She works for them for 14 years, and her service inspires the people of the village who see that she truly appreciates their hospitality.
One day Babette comes into some money from back home. It's more than enough for her to return to Paris and to become a renowned chef. Before she leaves, she prepares a feast in honor of her friends who took her in when she had nothing. She orders exotic ingredients shipped in from France, things the people never heard of or think are too worldly for Christians to eat. She prepares a meal of turtle soup, caviar, and quail for a main course. She imports ingredients such as blue cheese, papaya, figs, grapes, pineapple, and pomegranate. Expensive wines are served. She buys the finest china and crystal to serve the meal. The people of the village try to act unimpressed by the taste of the meal, but it's apparent that it is the most wonderful thing they've ever tasted.
After the meal, the sisters ask when she will be returning to France. Unfortunately, Babette has spent all of her money on this fabulous meal, and she stays on as the family housekeeper and cook. She gave all that she had.
Jesus saw all kinds of people at the temple. Important teachers and scribes with long flowing robes, and longer prayers that called attention to themselves. But when the people came up to put their offering in the treasury box, some were making a show of how much they threw in. The court of women held thirteen such receptacles, and people could cast their money in as they walked by. It was a poor widow that caught Jesus' attention. Poor means she might have had to beg in the streets for what she needed. This woman only gave two copper mites (The ESV calls them two small copper coins) worth no more than a single penny, but like Babette, it was the greatest gift, because it was all she had to give.
What can we learn from this? Jesus gave us everything he had. Not money, not gold or silver but His holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death—in other words, He gave His very life. He gave everything for us. That's what we needed. Not a helping hand. Not a guide to reform our lives. Not a few pointers on how to live a better life. We needed a new life. That's what he offers us. Kill your life with its sin and evil desires, its love of things and self-preservation. Our Savior says, "Come, follow me, and die to all of that, and I will give you a new life that never ends."
Some might say the widow should have kept her two pennies for her own support, or at least half of it, because the gift was so small what good could it do? Remember when the woman poured the expensive perfume on Jesus, and Judas the thief said she should have sold it and given him the money? We always come up with reasons not to give. But the faith and trust of this woman's heart becomes the greatest gift in the eye of Jesus, bigger than that of the richest people in Jerusalem.
Poverty can be a great curse as well as a great blessing. It's a curse when it fills your heart with anxious care and worry, complaining, or leads to unbelief and dishonesty. Poverty is a blessing when it moves the poor man to cast himself on God who has promised to care for his children.
God gave all he had for us, His only Son. The Son gave all he had, His very life. It may not look like much in the course of history. One life. Thousands die every day. For God, His life was all he had. Jesus’ death is everything to believers. It makes the difference between life and death. It brings us forgiveness before God. It means we can live forever. We have peace and joy in our hearts because we are at peace with God through the life, death and resurrection of Our Savior.
Babette spent all her money on one meal because she was thankful for the people she worked for. What are you thankful for? Life, health, a job, a family, a place to live, good food to eat, clothes to wear? God gives these to us, and to everyone, even if they don't believe in Him. Christians learn to give thanks for such daily bread. God is the source of all good things, and for good things after life ends.
The Christian is a person who is thankful. One of the ways we give thanks is by giving monetary offerings. We can also give of our time and talents or abilities to help and serve others.
Usually the poor believer will give more in the offering, percentage wise, than the rich person. This is perhaps because they know what it is to be without and have learned that God takes care of them.
The people of Jerusalem mostly gave from what is over and above what they needed. There was a lot of money going into the receptacles that day. Jesus said the poor woman with her two pennies gave more than all of them. The poor widow woman gave from her poverty all she had. It was a sacrifice indeed. She placed herself completely into the hands of God, who could and would provide for her far better than any two pennies, or a million times that amount could. Great was her faith!
Many people who have enough to live on give too little because they are afraid they will not have enough for the future. They give from their lack of faith, and that robs their giving of it's true value, and the joy of giving. The widow's offering, though copper, was gold in the eyes of the Lord. How do your gifts look in his eye? Copy her faith, and you will be in her class, and the size of your gift will take care of itself.
So, to recap: First, God sees what man overlooks. The big gifts in the temple were surely noticed by people; that’s probably what the disciples were watching. But Jesus saw what no one else did: He saw the humble gift of a poor widow. This was the gift that Jesus thought worthy of comment; this was the gift that the disciples needed to be aware of. The other gifts in the treasury that day made a lot of noise as they jingled into the receptacles, but the widow’s mites were heard in heaven.
Second, God’s evaluation is different from man’s. The widow’s two mites added up to a penny, according to man’s tabulation. But Jesus said that she had given more than anyone else that day (Mark 12:43). How could this be, when “many rich people threw in large amounts” (Mark 12:41)? The difference is one of proportion. The rich were giving large sums, but they still retained their fortunes; the widow “put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44). Hers was a true sacrifice; the rich had not begun to give to the level of her sacrifice.
Third, God commends giving in faith. Here was a woman in need of receiving charity, yet she had a heart to give. Even though the amount was negligible—what could a widow’s mite buy?—she gave it in faith that God could use it. The widow’s faith is also evident in the fact that she gave the last of her money. Like the widow of Zarephath, who gave her last meal to Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:7–16), the widow in the temple gave away her last means of self-support. Does that mean the widow left the temple completely destitute, went home, and died of starvation? No. The Bible teaches that God provides for our needs (Matthew 6:25–34). We don’t know the details of this particular widow’s future, but we can be certain that she was provided for. Just as God provided for the widow and her son in Elijah’s day (1 Kings 17:15–16), God also provided for the widow in Jesus’ day.
It is interesting that, just before Jesus commented on the widow’s mite, He commented on the scribes “who devour widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40). The religious officials of the day, instead of helping the widows in need, were perfectly content to rob them of their livelihood and inheritance. The system was corrupt, and the darkness of the scribes’ greed makes the widow’s sacrifice shine even more brightly. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), and He is faithful to take care of His own.
Babette gave everything to put on her meal. The Lord gives us everything today in His Supper, for it is His own body and blood, that was given to restore us. As we sing: “This is the feast of victory for our God: Alleluia!” And God’s people said: Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Stand
Offertory LSB 159
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 10 November 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You send Your Holy Spirit to sanctify and keep Your people in the true faith. Preserve us from false doctrine, and curb and restrain all error. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You send the Holy Spirit to call Your people to faith. Graciously keep us in the divine Word, and send out faithful laborers into Your harvest. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, grant us faith like that of the widow, who gave her last two coins, trusting that You would care for her every need. Deliver us from all hypocrisy, and give us genuine faith, joyful piety and cheerful giving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You call us to honor the authorities set over us. Look with favor upon those who hold office in this land, especially our president and Congress, our judges and magistrates, our governor and legislature. Preserve them from evil, and bless them in body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, Your Son came not to be served but to serve, especially to serve those who are ignored and despised. Comfort the afflicted and troubled, the sick [especially _____________ and all who have asked for our prayers], all women with child, all young children, all who mourn, and all who are in need. Keep them steadfast in the faith, and bring their suffering to an end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, grant repentance and faith to all who receive our Lord’s body and blood today, that in the unity of a true confession, they may receive it for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1 Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain
703 “How Can I Thank You, Lord”
1 How can I thank You, Lord,
For all Your loving-kindness,
That You have patiently
Borne with me in my blindness!
When dead in many sins
And trespasses I lay,
I kindled, holy God,
Your anger ev’ry day.
2 It is Your work alone
That I am now converted;
O’er Satan’s work in me
You have Your pow’r asserted.
Your mercy and Your grace
That rise afresh each morn
Have turned my stony heart
Into a heart newborn.
3 Lord, You have raised me up
To joy and exultation
And clearly shown the way
That leads me to salvation.
My sins are washed away;
For this I thank You, Lord.
Now with my heart and soul
All evil I abhor.
4 Grant that Your Spirit’s help
To me be always given
Lest I should fall again
And lose the way to heaven.
Grant that He give me strength
In my infirmity;
May He renew my heart
To serve You willingly.
D 5 O Father, God of love,
Now hear my supplication;
O Savior, Son of God,
Accept my adoration;
O Holy Spirit, be
My ever faithful guide
That I may serve You here
And there with You abide.
Text: David Denicke, 1603–80; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 784 “Take My Life and Let It Be”
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – November 10, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
THE MESSIAH SING-A-LONG is Tuesday, December 10th at the Placer High School Theater. Tickets are $25 or $19 if ten or more sign up. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING SERVICES/EVENTS AT ST. PAUL:
1) Thanksgiving Eve Devotion – This will be recorded at 5 p.m.
(Members are welcome to come to church for this.)
2) Midweek Advent Soup Suppers and Devotion – Dec. 4, 11, 18
Soup at 6 p.m., devotion at 7 p.m.
3) Bethlehem Express – Sat. Dec. 14 from, 10 to noon with lunch
following. This is for everyone and consists of singing, crafts
and Bible story – “train” stops at Carol Town, Crafty Corners and Bethlehem.
4) Christmas Eve Candlelight service 5 p.m., Christmas Day service with communion at 10:30 a.m.
The Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
November 10, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 905 “Come, Thou Almighty King”
1 Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing;
Help us to praise;
Father all-glorious,
O’er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.
2 Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword;
Our prayer attend.
Come and Thy people bless,
And give Thy Word success,
And let Thy righteousness
On us descend.
3 Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour!
Thou, who almighty art,
Now rule in ev’ry heart,
And ne’er from us depart,
Spirit of pow’r.
D 4 To Thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore!
Thy sov’reign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
Love and adore.
Text: English, before 1760, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 107:8, 1–2, 41–42
P Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble. He raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks. The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Grant us so firmly to believe in Your Son Jesus that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Kings 17:8–16
8Then the word of the Lord came to [Elijah], 9“Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it and die.” 13And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14For thus says the Lord the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth.’” 15And she went and did as Elijah said. And she and he and her household ate for many days. 16The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 146
1Praise | the Lord!*
Praise the Lord, | O my soul!
2I will praise the Lord as long | as I live;*
I will sing praises to my God while I have my | being.
3Put not your trust in | princes,*
in a son of man, in whom there is no sal- | vation.
4When his breath departs he returns | to the earth;*
on that very day his plans | perish.
5Blessèd is he whose help is the God of | Jacob,*
whose hope is in the | Lord his God,
6who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is | in them,*
who keeps faith for- | ever;
7who executes justice for | the oppressed,*
who gives food to the | hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8the Lord opens the eyes | of the blind.*
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the | righteous.
9The Lord watches over the sojourners;
he upholds the widow and the | fatherless,*
but the way of the wicked he brings to | ruin.
10The Lord will reign for- | ever,*
your God, O Zion, to all generations. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle Hebrews 9:24–28
24For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 12:38–44
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the twelfth chapter.
38In his teaching [Jesus] said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 787 “The Temple Rang with Golden Coins”
1 The temple rang with golden coins
The rich in bright array
Contributed from gleaming hoards
Their scales could scarcely weigh.
2 A widow came with copper coins
And offered them in praise.
They were the last she had to give
Or save for darker days.
3 When Jesus saw her costly gift
And knew she had no more,
He praised a love that spared not self
And called her rich, though poor.
4 At last He brought His offering
And laid it on a tree;
There gave Himself, His life, His love
For all humanity.
5 Lord, help us all, with You, to yield
Whatever love demands
And freely give, as You have giv’n,
With open hearts and hands.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Giving All” Mark 12:41-44
Giving All – Mark 12:41-44
Today's gospel reading of the widow's mite reminds me of a film from 1987 called Babette's Feast. It takes place in remote village in Denmark in the 1800's. Two sisters live with their elderly father who is a minister. They are very beautiful women, and more than one suitor from the big city tries to marry them. But the would-be husbands are too worldly for their protective father.
One day a woman arrives at their door with a letter of reference from one of the suitors in France. Her name is Babette, and she is a refugee from the bloodshed of social turmoil going on in Paris. They agree to take her in as a housekeeper and cook. She works for them for 14 years, and her service inspires the people of the village who see that she truly appreciates their hospitality.
One day Babette comes into some money from back home. It's more than enough for her to return to Paris and to become a renowned chef. Before she leaves, she prepares a feast in honor of her friends who took her in when she had nothing. She orders exotic ingredients shipped in from France, things the people never heard of or think are too worldly for Christians to eat. She prepares a meal of turtle soup, caviar, and quail for a main course. She imports ingredients such as blue cheese, papaya, figs, grapes, pineapple, and pomegranate. Expensive wines are served. She buys the finest china and crystal to serve the meal. The people of the village try to act unimpressed by the taste of the meal, but it's apparent that it is the most wonderful thing they've ever tasted.
After the meal, the sisters ask when she will be returning to France. Unfortunately, Babette has spent all of her money on this fabulous meal, and she stays on as the family housekeeper and cook. She gave all that she had.
Jesus saw all kinds of people at the temple. Important teachers and scribes with long flowing robes, and longer prayers that called attention to themselves. But when the people came up to put their offering in the treasury box, some were making a show of how much they threw in. The court of women held thirteen such receptacles, and people could cast their money in as they walked by. It was a poor widow that caught Jesus' attention. Poor means she might have had to beg in the streets for what she needed. This woman only gave two copper mites (The ESV calls them two small copper coins) worth no more than a single penny, but like Babette, it was the greatest gift, because it was all she had to give.
What can we learn from this? Jesus gave us everything he had. Not money, not gold or silver but His holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death—in other words, He gave His very life. He gave everything for us. That's what we needed. Not a helping hand. Not a guide to reform our lives. Not a few pointers on how to live a better life. We needed a new life. That's what he offers us. Kill your life with its sin and evil desires, its love of things and self-preservation. Our Savior says, "Come, follow me, and die to all of that, and I will give you a new life that never ends."
Some might say the widow should have kept her two pennies for her own support, or at least half of it, because the gift was so small what good could it do? Remember when the woman poured the expensive perfume on Jesus, and Judas the thief said she should have sold it and given him the money? We always come up with reasons not to give. But the faith and trust of this woman's heart becomes the greatest gift in the eye of Jesus, bigger than that of the richest people in Jerusalem.
Poverty can be a great curse as well as a great blessing. It's a curse when it fills your heart with anxious care and worry, complaining, or leads to unbelief and dishonesty. Poverty is a blessing when it moves the poor man to cast himself on God who has promised to care for his children.
God gave all he had for us, His only Son. The Son gave all he had, His very life. It may not look like much in the course of history. One life. Thousands die every day. For God, His life was all he had. Jesus’ death is everything to believers. It makes the difference between life and death. It brings us forgiveness before God. It means we can live forever. We have peace and joy in our hearts because we are at peace with God through the life, death and resurrection of Our Savior.
Babette spent all her money on one meal because she was thankful for the people she worked for. What are you thankful for? Life, health, a job, a family, a place to live, good food to eat, clothes to wear? God gives these to us, and to everyone, even if they don't believe in Him. Christians learn to give thanks for such daily bread. God is the source of all good things, and for good things after life ends.
The Christian is a person who is thankful. One of the ways we give thanks is by giving monetary offerings. We can also give of our time and talents or abilities to help and serve others.
Usually the poor believer will give more in the offering, percentage wise, than the rich person. This is perhaps because they know what it is to be without and have learned that God takes care of them.
The people of Jerusalem mostly gave from what is over and above what they needed. There was a lot of money going into the receptacles that day. Jesus said the poor woman with her two pennies gave more than all of them. The poor widow woman gave from her poverty all she had. It was a sacrifice indeed. She placed herself completely into the hands of God, who could and would provide for her far better than any two pennies, or a million times that amount could. Great was her faith!
Many people who have enough to live on give too little because they are afraid they will not have enough for the future. They give from their lack of faith, and that robs their giving of it's true value, and the joy of giving. The widow's offering, though copper, was gold in the eyes of the Lord. How do your gifts look in his eye? Copy her faith, and you will be in her class, and the size of your gift will take care of itself.
So, to recap: First, God sees what man overlooks. The big gifts in the temple were surely noticed by people; that’s probably what the disciples were watching. But Jesus saw what no one else did: He saw the humble gift of a poor widow. This was the gift that Jesus thought worthy of comment; this was the gift that the disciples needed to be aware of. The other gifts in the treasury that day made a lot of noise as they jingled into the receptacles, but the widow’s mites were heard in heaven.
Second, God’s evaluation is different from man’s. The widow’s two mites added up to a penny, according to man’s tabulation. But Jesus said that she had given more than anyone else that day (Mark 12:43). How could this be, when “many rich people threw in large amounts” (Mark 12:41)? The difference is one of proportion. The rich were giving large sums, but they still retained their fortunes; the widow “put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44). Hers was a true sacrifice; the rich had not begun to give to the level of her sacrifice.
Third, God commends giving in faith. Here was a woman in need of receiving charity, yet she had a heart to give. Even though the amount was negligible—what could a widow’s mite buy?—she gave it in faith that God could use it. The widow’s faith is also evident in the fact that she gave the last of her money. Like the widow of Zarephath, who gave her last meal to Elijah (see 1 Kings 17:7–16), the widow in the temple gave away her last means of self-support. Does that mean the widow left the temple completely destitute, went home, and died of starvation? No. The Bible teaches that God provides for our needs (Matthew 6:25–34). We don’t know the details of this particular widow’s future, but we can be certain that she was provided for. Just as God provided for the widow and her son in Elijah’s day (1 Kings 17:15–16), God also provided for the widow in Jesus’ day.
It is interesting that, just before Jesus commented on the widow’s mite, He commented on the scribes “who devour widows’ houses” (Mark 12:40). The religious officials of the day, instead of helping the widows in need, were perfectly content to rob them of their livelihood and inheritance. The system was corrupt, and the darkness of the scribes’ greed makes the widow’s sacrifice shine even more brightly. “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), and He is faithful to take care of His own.
Babette gave everything to put on her meal. The Lord gives us everything today in His Supper, for it is His own body and blood, that was given to restore us. As we sing: “This is the feast of victory for our God: Alleluia!” And God’s people said: Amen.
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Stand
Offertory LSB 159
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 10 November 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You send Your Holy Spirit to sanctify and keep Your people in the true faith. Preserve us from false doctrine, and curb and restrain all error. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You send the Holy Spirit to call Your people to faith. Graciously keep us in the divine Word, and send out faithful laborers into Your harvest. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, grant us faith like that of the widow, who gave her last two coins, trusting that You would care for her every need. Deliver us from all hypocrisy, and give us genuine faith, joyful piety and cheerful giving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You call us to honor the authorities set over us. Look with favor upon those who hold office in this land, especially our president and Congress, our judges and magistrates, our governor and legislature. Preserve them from evil, and bless them in body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, Your Son came not to be served but to serve, especially to serve those who are ignored and despised. Comfort the afflicted and troubled, the sick [especially _____________ and all who have asked for our prayers], all women with child, all young children, all who mourn, and all who are in need. Keep them steadfast in the faith, and bring their suffering to an end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, grant repentance and faith to all who receive our Lord’s body and blood today, that in the unity of a true confession, they may receive it for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1 Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain
703 “How Can I Thank You, Lord”
1 How can I thank You, Lord,
For all Your loving-kindness,
That You have patiently
Borne with me in my blindness!
When dead in many sins
And trespasses I lay,
I kindled, holy God,
Your anger ev’ry day.
2 It is Your work alone
That I am now converted;
O’er Satan’s work in me
You have Your pow’r asserted.
Your mercy and Your grace
That rise afresh each morn
Have turned my stony heart
Into a heart newborn.
3 Lord, You have raised me up
To joy and exultation
And clearly shown the way
That leads me to salvation.
My sins are washed away;
For this I thank You, Lord.
Now with my heart and soul
All evil I abhor.
4 Grant that Your Spirit’s help
To me be always given
Lest I should fall again
And lose the way to heaven.
Grant that He give me strength
In my infirmity;
May He renew my heart
To serve You willingly.
D 5 O Father, God of love,
Now hear my supplication;
O Savior, Son of God,
Accept my adoration;
O Holy Spirit, be
My ever faithful guide
That I may serve You here
And there with You abide.
Text: David Denicke, 1603–80; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 784 “Take My Life and Let It Be”
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
All Saints’ Day (Observed) – November 3, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this real bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
+ + + +
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to Him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
All Saints’ Day (Observed)
November 3, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 677 “For All the Saints” stanzas 1-3
1 For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
2 Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
3 Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Revelation 7:14b; Psalm 31:1, 3, 5
P These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Revelation 7:9–17
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 149
1Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a | new song,*
his praise in the assembly of the | godly!
2Let Israel be glad in his | Maker;*
let the children of Zion rejoice | in their King!
3Let them praise his name with | dancing,*
making melody to him with tambou- | rine and lyre!
4For the Lord takes pleasure in his | people;*
he adorns the humble with sal- | vation.
5Let the godly exult in | glory;*
let them sing for joy | on their beds.
6Let the high praises of God be | in their throats*
and two-edged swords | in their hands,
7to execute vengeance on the | nations*
and punishments on the | peoples,
8to bind their | kings with chains*
and their nobles with fet- | ters of iron,
9to execute on them the judgment | written!*
This is honor for all his godly ones. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 3:1–3
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1–12
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 671 “Sing with All the Saints in Glory”
1 Sing with all the saints in glory,
Sing the resurrection song!
Death and sorrow, earth’s dark story,
To the former days belong.
All around the clouds are breaking;
Soon the storms of time shall cease;
In God’s likeness we awaken,
Knowing everlasting peace.
2 Oh, what glory, far exceeding
All that eye has yet perceived!
Holiest hearts for ages pleading
Never that full joy conceived.
God has promised, Christ prepares it;
There on high our welcome waits.
Ev’ry humble spirit shares it,
Christ has passed the_eternal gates.
3 Life eternal! Heav’n rejoices:
Jesus lives who once was dead.
Shout with joy, O deathless voices!
Child of God, lift up your head!
Life eternal! Oh, what wonders
Crowd on faith; what joy unknown,
When, amid earth’s closing thunders,
Saints shall stand before the throne!
Text: William J. Irons, 1812–83, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “For All the Saints” Revelation 7:9-17
FOR ALL THE SAINTS – Rev. 7:9-17
The first reading for this day is taken from the Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John. When we read from Revelation, we need to understand that almost everything is symbolic. When John heard the number of the sealed, he heard the number 144,000. The number 144,000 is not a specific quantity. Instead, it symbolizes the completeness of the salvation of all believers in all times and places. It even symbolizes that these believers come from both the Old and New Testaments. The actual description of all believers comes a few verses later when John looked and beheld a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John had a vision of the saints of heaven. Today's reading tells us that there are a lot of saints - more than anyone can number. More importantly, he is teaching us what it takes to make a saint. One of the elders tells John the exact process for making a saint. The elder said, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
The blood of the Lamb is the blood of Jesus Christ for when John the Baptist [John 1:29] saw Jesus coming toward him, [he] said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! The writer to the Hebrews also said, [Hebrews 13:12] "Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood." The Apostle John wrote, [1 John 1:7] "The blood of Jesus [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin." When the Bible talks about what it takes to make a saint, it means what Jesus did for us on the cross when He suffered and died and shed His blood to take away our sin.
You see the world has the idea that saints come about by virtue of their own moral character - their own good works. We will often hear someone say, "What a saint," when someone bears up under a tragedy with grace and dignity, or when someone endures and carries on even though everything in life seems to go against them, or when someone is a great encourager and cheerleader within the community. Now, such people are wonderful, gallant, noble, and so forth, but are they truly saints because of what they do or who they are?
Since our last All Saints’ observance, seven of our saints said good bye to life in this world: Marge Roe, Robert Haase, Shirley Everett, Verlyn Eisert, Irma Sprung, Ray Kirk and Jackie Dickey. I can confidently say that they are saints. Our Lord Jesus Christ has called them out of this veil of tears to Himself in heaven. And why are they saints? They are saints because they openly confessed their sins and they openly confessed their faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. They are saints because their filthy, sinful robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and are now the purest white.
You see, no one can confer sainthood on themselves for [Isaiah 64:6] we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. Instead, sainthood is conferred on us by the perfect life, and the innocent suffering and death of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. If we were to call ourselves saints according to the world's idea of sainthood, we would be pointing to our own accomplishments and the world would be right to call us arrogant and self-righteous. On the other hand, if we call ourselves saints according to the Bible, then we are pointing away from ourselves and toward the work of Jesus Christ. We are saying that [1 John 1:7] the blood of Jesus [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin and makes us into saints.
You may have noticed that I said that Carolyn and Audrey are saints. That will never change and the same could be said for all our loved ones who died with faith in the Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. When we say that someone is a saint in the Biblical sense of the word, we are simply saying that the Holy Spirit has worked faith in them - that they believe that the Son of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ so that He could earn the forgiveness of sins for us with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
Does the description of a saint sound a lot like the description of a Christian? It should. All Christians are saints and all saints are Christians. Today's epistle gives us yet another name for saint. John wrote, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." Child of God, saint, Christian - these are all different names for those who have saving faith in Jesus Christ - all different names for those of the great multitude who will stand before the throne of the Lamb.
When we talk of all the saints as one large group of believers, we are really talking about the Holy Christian Church. The Holy Christian Church is also known as the Communion of Saints.
This Communion of Saints spans two different worlds. Here on this earth, the Communion of Saints struggles with life in this sin-soaked world. We are the Church Militant. Even though Jesus has defeated Satan with His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, Satan still fights and the Church Militant is the battle field. We continuously look to our Champion, Jesus Christ to give us the victory.
Then there is the Church Triumphant gathered at the throne of the Lamb - the ones who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are without sin, without hunger, without misery, without tears, and without death itself. And the one called the Lamb is their Shepherd - who leads His own lambs to living fountains of water. All memory of pain, death, sin, sickness, poverty, hunger, persecution, and hatred are wiped from their eyes along with their tears.
Even though this church spans two worlds, there are not two churches: one here on earth and another in heaven. Rather we "believe in one holy Christian and apostolic church." The oneness of the church is not destroyed even by the separation of death. For where Jesus is, there are the saints - those here on earth, and those who have "come out of the great tribulation" of life in this world.
The church on earth and the church in heaven unite around the throne of God and in the presence of the Lamb. When we gather around the altar on Sunday, we know that our deceased relatives and friends who have likewise "washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb" are part of the company of heaven. The Lord who is with us in, with and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion with His holy body and precious blood, is also with them in heaven. So, we can say that they are with us in a supernatural way through our precious Savior, Jesus. When we sing "Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world," we sing along with the countless Christians of every age. When we chant "Holy, holy, holy," we do so with billions of the faithful from every time and place. And when we come before the Body and Blood of the Lord, we join with those whom we love but can no longer embrace. We are not only in the presence of Jesus, but are also surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, this host arrayed in white, those who fall on their faces night and day before the Lord Himself.
And so, it is proper that we praise God for the men and women of faith whose works of love inspire us and set an example of the godly Christian life for us. It is appropriate that we honor the work that God has done in their lives to give them the true saving faith. It is also appropriate that we honor the work that God has done through their lives to affect the lives of the people around them. It is appropriate that we honor those who have preceded us into the Church Triumphant.
For when we honor the redeemed, we are also honoring the Redeemer. The saints who are holy in God's eyes testify to the only One who is eternally holy: our Lord Jesus Christ. It is His blood that covers our sin and allows us to stand in His presence. It is being baptized into His death that gives us a white robe. It is His Word and Sacraments that usher us into the throne room where we will never again suffer or be unhappy.
What then shall we do while we wait for our turn to leave the battle of this world and enter the rest our Savior has prepared for us? Perhaps you've heard the short verse, "Living above with saints we love, that will be grace and glory; but living below with saints we know, that is a different story." Life in this world is problematic. Although we are saints in God's eyes, we still sin. The battle with sin rages around us and in us. We live in the great tribulation.
But the Savior promises never to leave us or forsake us. Though we live in a mortal body decaying with sin, these bodies will be raised and made new. Though our worship is imperfect, it will be perfected. Though our voices crack, they will one day sing in perfect harmony with the angels. Though we're tired and distracted, hungry and bored, we will one day be so alive and filled with joy that we will never grow weary of joining this great crowd in heaven, singing and praising God.
Dear friends, we who believe are already saints. By His death on the cross, the Lord Himself clothes us with His righteousness, and through His resurrection He will one day shepherd us to everlasting life. In that blessed place we will experience the eternal joy of God's presence along with the rest of the Communion of Saints. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - All Saints’ Day - 1 November 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father in heaven, remember the poor in spirit who gather this day to receive Your grace and steadfast love, by which we are made rich in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God, our Father, You have set apart a people for Yourself and washed them in the blood of the Lamb to be Your own. Restore us daily through repentance and forgiveness, and renew our hearts and spirits in holiness, righteousness and faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, bless all ministers of the Gospel and the congregations committed to their care, that the comfort of Christ’s sacrifice and the joy of His resurrection may be proclaimed to all who grieve their sin and mourn their dead. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we know Your deep love for us, for You have called us Your children. Deepen the love of children for their parents, and parents for their children. Strengthen fathers and mothers in their vocations, that they may raise their children in the way that they should go. Hear the prayers of those who long for families. Sustain [_____________ and] all expectant mothers and their little ones. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, remember all civil authorities in Your kindness, and give them wisdom, courage and integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of compassion, be near to the sick, the aged and infirm, the dying, the grieving, and all the afflicted [especially _____________]. Grant healing according to Your will, and comfort them with the certain hope of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, gather us in the blessed Sacrament around the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, whom saints and angels adore around Your eternal throne. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
“I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.’” We remember with thanksgiving those who have gone before us with the sign of faith, for they were redeemed by God. He gave them new life through His Son in Holy Baptism. He nourished them in the company of His people at His holy table. In His mercy and wisdom, He summoned them to His nearer presence so that they may rest in His blissful peace forever. For Your having given them to us to love and to know, we give you thanks. And God’s people said: AMEN.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
By faith the saints of old held fast to Your promise of things hoped for though not yet seen, leaving an example and encouragement for us who walk now by faith and not by sight.
Grant that we may faithfully eat and drink this Holy Supper of Your Son’s body and blood and in the union of His mystical body, the Church, be joined in unending praise with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses, Elijah, and all the faithful prophets; the blessed apostles and evangelists, the holy martyrs, and all the saints in glory who fought the good fight of faith before us.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
676 “Behold a Host, Arrayed in White”
1 Behold a host, arrayed in white,
Like thousand snow-clad mountains bright!
With palms they stand;
Who is this band
Before the throne of light?
These are the saints of glorious fame,
Who from the great affliction came
And in the flood
Of Jesus’ blood
Are cleansed from guilt and shame.
They now serve God both day and night;
They sing their songs in endless light.
Their anthems ring
As they all sing
With angels shining bright.
2 Despised and scorned, they sojourned here;
But now, how glorious they appear!
Those martyrs stand,
A priestly band,
God’s throne forever near.
On earth they wept through bitter years;
Now God has wiped away their tears,
Transformed their strife
To heav’nly life,
And freed them from their fears.
They now enjoy the Sabbath rest,
The heav’nly banquet of the blest;
The Lamb, their Lord,
At festive board
Himself is host and guest.
3 O blessèd saints in bright array
Now safely home in endless day,
Extol the Lord,
Who with His Word
Sustained you on the way.
The steep and narrow path you trod;
You toiled and sowed the Word abroad;
Rejoice and bring
Your fruits and sing
Before the throne of God.
The myriad angels raise their song;
O saints, sing with that happy throng!
Lift up one voice;
Let heav’n rejoice
In our Redeemer’s song!
Text: Hans Adolf Brorson, 1694–1764; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
675 “Oh, What Their Joy”
1 Oh, what their joy and their glory must be,
Those endless Sabbaths the blessèd ones see!
Crowns for the valiant, to weary ones rest;
God shall be all, and in all ever blest.
2 In new Jerusalem joy shall be found,
Blessings of peace shall forever abound;
Wish and fulfillment are not severed there,
Nor the things prayed for come short of the prayer.
3 We, where no trouble distraction can bring,
Safely the anthems of Zion shall sing;
While for Your grace, Lord, their voices of praise
Your blessèd people shall evermore raise.
D 4 Now let us worship our Lord and our King,
Joyfully raising our voices to sing:
Praise to the Father, and praise to the Son,
Praise to the Spirit, to God, Three in One.
Text: Peter Abelard, 1079–1142; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 677 “For All the Saints” stanzas 4-8
4 Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
5 And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
6 The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
7 But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
D 8 From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
All Saints’ Day (Observed) – November 3, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this real bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
+ + + +
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to Him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
All Saints’ Day (Observed)
November 3, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 677 “For All the Saints” stanzas 1-3
1 For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
2 Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
3 Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Revelation 7:14b; Psalm 31:1, 3, 5
P These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Revelation 7:9–17
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 149
1Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a | new song,*
his praise in the assembly of the | godly!
2Let Israel be glad in his | Maker;*
let the children of Zion rejoice | in their King!
3Let them praise his name with | dancing,*
making melody to him with tambou- | rine and lyre!
4For the Lord takes pleasure in his | people;*
he adorns the humble with sal- | vation.
5Let the godly exult in | glory;*
let them sing for joy | on their beds.
6Let the high praises of God be | in their throats*
and two-edged swords | in their hands,
7to execute vengeance on the | nations*
and punishments on the | peoples,
8to bind their | kings with chains*
and their nobles with fet- | ters of iron,
9to execute on them the judgment | written!*
This is honor for all his godly ones. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 3:1–3
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1–12
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 671 “Sing with All the Saints in Glory”
1 Sing with all the saints in glory,
Sing the resurrection song!
Death and sorrow, earth’s dark story,
To the former days belong.
All around the clouds are breaking;
Soon the storms of time shall cease;
In God’s likeness we awaken,
Knowing everlasting peace.
2 Oh, what glory, far exceeding
All that eye has yet perceived!
Holiest hearts for ages pleading
Never that full joy conceived.
God has promised, Christ prepares it;
There on high our welcome waits.
Ev’ry humble spirit shares it,
Christ has passed the_eternal gates.
3 Life eternal! Heav’n rejoices:
Jesus lives who once was dead.
Shout with joy, O deathless voices!
Child of God, lift up your head!
Life eternal! Oh, what wonders
Crowd on faith; what joy unknown,
When, amid earth’s closing thunders,
Saints shall stand before the throne!
Text: William J. Irons, 1812–83, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “For All the Saints” Revelation 7:9-17
FOR ALL THE SAINTS – Rev. 7:9-17
The first reading for this day is taken from the Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. John. When we read from Revelation, we need to understand that almost everything is symbolic. When John heard the number of the sealed, he heard the number 144,000. The number 144,000 is not a specific quantity. Instead, it symbolizes the completeness of the salvation of all believers in all times and places. It even symbolizes that these believers come from both the Old and New Testaments. The actual description of all believers comes a few verses later when John looked and beheld a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, John had a vision of the saints of heaven. Today's reading tells us that there are a lot of saints - more than anyone can number. More importantly, he is teaching us what it takes to make a saint. One of the elders tells John the exact process for making a saint. The elder said, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
The blood of the Lamb is the blood of Jesus Christ for when John the Baptist [John 1:29] saw Jesus coming toward him, [he] said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! The writer to the Hebrews also said, [Hebrews 13:12] "Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood." The Apostle John wrote, [1 John 1:7] "The blood of Jesus [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin." When the Bible talks about what it takes to make a saint, it means what Jesus did for us on the cross when He suffered and died and shed His blood to take away our sin.
You see the world has the idea that saints come about by virtue of their own moral character - their own good works. We will often hear someone say, "What a saint," when someone bears up under a tragedy with grace and dignity, or when someone endures and carries on even though everything in life seems to go against them, or when someone is a great encourager and cheerleader within the community. Now, such people are wonderful, gallant, noble, and so forth, but are they truly saints because of what they do or who they are?
Since our last All Saints’ observance, seven of our saints said good bye to life in this world: Marge Roe, Robert Haase, Shirley Everett, Verlyn Eisert, Irma Sprung, Ray Kirk and Jackie Dickey. I can confidently say that they are saints. Our Lord Jesus Christ has called them out of this veil of tears to Himself in heaven. And why are they saints? They are saints because they openly confessed their sins and they openly confessed their faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. They are saints because their filthy, sinful robes have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and are now the purest white.
You see, no one can confer sainthood on themselves for [Isaiah 64:6] we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. Instead, sainthood is conferred on us by the perfect life, and the innocent suffering and death of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. If we were to call ourselves saints according to the world's idea of sainthood, we would be pointing to our own accomplishments and the world would be right to call us arrogant and self-righteous. On the other hand, if we call ourselves saints according to the Bible, then we are pointing away from ourselves and toward the work of Jesus Christ. We are saying that [1 John 1:7] the blood of Jesus [God's] Son cleanses us from all sin and makes us into saints.
You may have noticed that I said that Carolyn and Audrey are saints. That will never change and the same could be said for all our loved ones who died with faith in the Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. When we say that someone is a saint in the Biblical sense of the word, we are simply saying that the Holy Spirit has worked faith in them - that they believe that the Son of God took on human flesh in the person of Jesus Christ so that He could earn the forgiveness of sins for us with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
Does the description of a saint sound a lot like the description of a Christian? It should. All Christians are saints and all saints are Christians. Today's epistle gives us yet another name for saint. John wrote, "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." Child of God, saint, Christian - these are all different names for those who have saving faith in Jesus Christ - all different names for those of the great multitude who will stand before the throne of the Lamb.
When we talk of all the saints as one large group of believers, we are really talking about the Holy Christian Church. The Holy Christian Church is also known as the Communion of Saints.
This Communion of Saints spans two different worlds. Here on this earth, the Communion of Saints struggles with life in this sin-soaked world. We are the Church Militant. Even though Jesus has defeated Satan with His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead, Satan still fights and the Church Militant is the battle field. We continuously look to our Champion, Jesus Christ to give us the victory.
Then there is the Church Triumphant gathered at the throne of the Lamb - the ones who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They are without sin, without hunger, without misery, without tears, and without death itself. And the one called the Lamb is their Shepherd - who leads His own lambs to living fountains of water. All memory of pain, death, sin, sickness, poverty, hunger, persecution, and hatred are wiped from their eyes along with their tears.
Even though this church spans two worlds, there are not two churches: one here on earth and another in heaven. Rather we "believe in one holy Christian and apostolic church." The oneness of the church is not destroyed even by the separation of death. For where Jesus is, there are the saints - those here on earth, and those who have "come out of the great tribulation" of life in this world.
The church on earth and the church in heaven unite around the throne of God and in the presence of the Lamb. When we gather around the altar on Sunday, we know that our deceased relatives and friends who have likewise "washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb" are part of the company of heaven. The Lord who is with us in, with and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion with His holy body and precious blood, is also with them in heaven. So, we can say that they are with us in a supernatural way through our precious Savior, Jesus. When we sing "Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world," we sing along with the countless Christians of every age. When we chant "Holy, holy, holy," we do so with billions of the faithful from every time and place. And when we come before the Body and Blood of the Lord, we join with those whom we love but can no longer embrace. We are not only in the presence of Jesus, but are also surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, this host arrayed in white, those who fall on their faces night and day before the Lord Himself.
And so, it is proper that we praise God for the men and women of faith whose works of love inspire us and set an example of the godly Christian life for us. It is appropriate that we honor the work that God has done in their lives to give them the true saving faith. It is also appropriate that we honor the work that God has done through their lives to affect the lives of the people around them. It is appropriate that we honor those who have preceded us into the Church Triumphant.
For when we honor the redeemed, we are also honoring the Redeemer. The saints who are holy in God's eyes testify to the only One who is eternally holy: our Lord Jesus Christ. It is His blood that covers our sin and allows us to stand in His presence. It is being baptized into His death that gives us a white robe. It is His Word and Sacraments that usher us into the throne room where we will never again suffer or be unhappy.
What then shall we do while we wait for our turn to leave the battle of this world and enter the rest our Savior has prepared for us? Perhaps you've heard the short verse, "Living above with saints we love, that will be grace and glory; but living below with saints we know, that is a different story." Life in this world is problematic. Although we are saints in God's eyes, we still sin. The battle with sin rages around us and in us. We live in the great tribulation.
But the Savior promises never to leave us or forsake us. Though we live in a mortal body decaying with sin, these bodies will be raised and made new. Though our worship is imperfect, it will be perfected. Though our voices crack, they will one day sing in perfect harmony with the angels. Though we're tired and distracted, hungry and bored, we will one day be so alive and filled with joy that we will never grow weary of joining this great crowd in heaven, singing and praising God.
Dear friends, we who believe are already saints. By His death on the cross, the Lord Himself clothes us with His righteousness, and through His resurrection He will one day shepherd us to everlasting life. In that blessed place we will experience the eternal joy of God's presence along with the rest of the Communion of Saints. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church - All Saints’ Day - 1 November 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father in heaven, remember the poor in spirit who gather this day to receive Your grace and steadfast love, by which we are made rich in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God, our Father, You have set apart a people for Yourself and washed them in the blood of the Lamb to be Your own. Restore us daily through repentance and forgiveness, and renew our hearts and spirits in holiness, righteousness and faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, bless all ministers of the Gospel and the congregations committed to their care, that the comfort of Christ’s sacrifice and the joy of His resurrection may be proclaimed to all who grieve their sin and mourn their dead. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we know Your deep love for us, for You have called us Your children. Deepen the love of children for their parents, and parents for their children. Strengthen fathers and mothers in their vocations, that they may raise their children in the way that they should go. Hear the prayers of those who long for families. Sustain [_____________ and] all expectant mothers and their little ones. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, remember all civil authorities in Your kindness, and give them wisdom, courage and integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of compassion, be near to the sick, the aged and infirm, the dying, the grieving, and all the afflicted [especially _____________]. Grant healing according to Your will, and comfort them with the certain hope of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, gather us in the blessed Sacrament around the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, whom saints and angels adore around Your eternal throne. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
“I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.’ ‘Blessed indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.’” We remember with thanksgiving those who have gone before us with the sign of faith, for they were redeemed by God. He gave them new life through His Son in Holy Baptism. He nourished them in the company of His people at His holy table. In His mercy and wisdom, He summoned them to His nearer presence so that they may rest in His blissful peace forever. For Your having given them to us to love and to know, we give you thanks. And God’s people said: AMEN.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
By faith the saints of old held fast to Your promise of things hoped for though not yet seen, leaving an example and encouragement for us who walk now by faith and not by sight.
Grant that we may faithfully eat and drink this Holy Supper of Your Son’s body and blood and in the union of His mystical body, the Church, be joined in unending praise with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses, Elijah, and all the faithful prophets; the blessed apostles and evangelists, the holy martyrs, and all the saints in glory who fought the good fight of faith before us.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
676 “Behold a Host, Arrayed in White”
1 Behold a host, arrayed in white,
Like thousand snow-clad mountains bright!
With palms they stand;
Who is this band
Before the throne of light?
These are the saints of glorious fame,
Who from the great affliction came
And in the flood
Of Jesus’ blood
Are cleansed from guilt and shame.
They now serve God both day and night;
They sing their songs in endless light.
Their anthems ring
As they all sing
With angels shining bright.
2 Despised and scorned, they sojourned here;
But now, how glorious they appear!
Those martyrs stand,
A priestly band,
God’s throne forever near.
On earth they wept through bitter years;
Now God has wiped away their tears,
Transformed their strife
To heav’nly life,
And freed them from their fears.
They now enjoy the Sabbath rest,
The heav’nly banquet of the blest;
The Lamb, their Lord,
At festive board
Himself is host and guest.
3 O blessèd saints in bright array
Now safely home in endless day,
Extol the Lord,
Who with His Word
Sustained you on the way.
The steep and narrow path you trod;
You toiled and sowed the Word abroad;
Rejoice and bring
Your fruits and sing
Before the throne of God.
The myriad angels raise their song;
O saints, sing with that happy throng!
Lift up one voice;
Let heav’n rejoice
In our Redeemer’s song!
Text: Hans Adolf Brorson, 1694–1764; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
675 “Oh, What Their Joy”
1 Oh, what their joy and their glory must be,
Those endless Sabbaths the blessèd ones see!
Crowns for the valiant, to weary ones rest;
God shall be all, and in all ever blest.
2 In new Jerusalem joy shall be found,
Blessings of peace shall forever abound;
Wish and fulfillment are not severed there,
Nor the things prayed for come short of the prayer.
3 We, where no trouble distraction can bring,
Safely the anthems of Zion shall sing;
While for Your grace, Lord, their voices of praise
Your blessèd people shall evermore raise.
D 4 Now let us worship our Lord and our King,
Joyfully raising our voices to sing:
Praise to the Father, and praise to the Son,
Praise to the Spirit, to God, Three in One.
Text: Peter Abelard, 1079–1142; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 677 “For All the Saints” stanzas 4-8
4 Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
5 And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
6 The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
7 But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
D 8 From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Festival of the Reformation (Observed) – October 27, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
WE WELCOME Gabe Dixon as a communicant member today as he publicly confesses his faith through the rite of Jr. Confirmation! Welcome in Jesus’ Name!
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
TODAY, at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:17
Reformation Day (Observed)
October 27, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 656 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need
That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe
Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
2 With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.
3 Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill;
They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none.
He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
4 The Word they still shall let remain
Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Though these all be gone,
Our vict’ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
Text: tr. composite; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 119:46; 34:1–2, 11, 22
P I will speak of your testimonies before kings, [O Lord,] and shall not be put to shame. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Revelation 14:6–7
6Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 46
1God is our ref- | uge and strength,*
a very present help in | trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the | earth gives way,*
though the mountains be moved into the heart | of the sea,
3though its waters | roar and foam,*
though the mountains tremble at its | swelling.
4There is a river whose streams make glad the cit- | y of God,*
the holy habitation of the | Most High.
5God is in the midst of her; she shall | not be moved;*
God will help her when | morning dawns.
6The nations rage, the kingdoms | totter;*
he utters his voice, the | earth melts.
7The Lord of hosts is | with us;*
the God of Jacob is our | fortress.
8Come, behold the works | of the Lord,*
how he has brought desolations | on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end | of the earth;*
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots | with fire.
10“Be still, and know that | I am God.*
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted | in the earth!”
11The Lord of hosts is | with us;*
the God of Jacob is our | fortress.
Epistle Romans 3:19–28
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 8:31–36
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighth chapter.
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 582 “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to the melody of 657, “A Mighty Fortress”
1 God’s Word is our great heritage
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way,
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure,
We keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations.
Text: Nikolai Fredrik Severin Grundtvig, 1783–1872; tr. Ole G. Belsheim, 1861–1925, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage” John 8:31-32
God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage – John 8:31-32
Today is Reformation Sunday. This coming Thursday is the actual 507th anniversary of Martin Luther posting the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg. It became the triggering event that led to a reformation in the church.
Many people are confused about what the word reformation means. Reformation is not the same as revolution. It is not about innovation. It is not about creativity. Reformation is about getting back to the basics. Reformation is about going back to the truth.
Most of the time, when we Lutherans say “Reformation,” we mean the sixteenth century reformation in Europe. While that reformation was important and while that reformation was a great event in world history, it is NOT the only reformation. In fact, there have been many reformations. We can find several of them in the Old Testament. For example, in 2 Kings 18 we read:
“In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles of the false gods. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.” (2 Kings 18:1,3-4a, 5) Hezekiah led people back to the truth. He brought back the true worship of the true God. That is what reformation is about---getting back to the truth
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. “In the eighteenth year of King Josiah [when he was 26 years old], Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.’ And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it before the king.”
“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, ‘Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.’" (2 Kings 22:1-13) Josiah's ancestors had strayed so far from the Lord that the Book of the Law got lost in the temple. When Josiah learned what the Book of the Law said, he and the members of his court became reformers. They were getting back to the truth.
There are many reformations in the Bible. Israel often strayed from the Lord, and God often sent a reformer to bring them back to the truth. In a way, Jesus Christ Himself was the greatest of all reformers, for He led the people back to the truth. In today's Gospel, we heard Him say, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
After Jesus ascended, He sent many people to lead the church back to the truth. Martin Luther is one of a long line of reformers that God used to bring a straying church back to the truth. We could say that because we are always straying from the truth, we always need reforming. We always need to get back to the truth. Reformation is not about starting something new. Instead, it is about getting back to the way things are supposed to be.
When Luther posted the 95 Theses, He had no intention of being a reformer. He only wanted to host a scholarly debate on indulgences. The 95 Theses were simply the points he wanted to debate. He not only posted them on the door of the church, but he also mailed them to people that he thought would be interested in the topic. He had no idea that he was exposing the corruption in the church. He had no idea that the church hierarchy would respond so aggressively.
As the church reacted to Luther's posting, they forced Luther to study the words of Holy Scripture in order to defend himself. As Luther immersed himself in Holy Scripture, he discovered a way of salvation that was very different from the teachings he had received as he grew up. The teaching that he received growing up filled him with terror and dread over his sins and the punishment he deserved. The teaching he discovered in Holy Scripture filled him with confidence in his salvation through Jesus Christ.
The Holy Scriptures taught Martin Luther that he had absolutely nothing to do with his salvation. Instead, Justification before God is solely through the righteousness of Christ, imputed to the believer, without the works of the law. If our salvation depends on Christ and Christ alone, then it is done. Jesus promised, and He died to keep that promise. It is just as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: “There is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:22-25)
Luther began to find this teaching everywhere in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6) Then there is the promise the Lord made to Abraham: "In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 22:18)
Our enemies, the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh, do not want you to know this truth. They continually tempt you to stray from it. They continually try to convince you that you don't need Jesus for salvation. The teachings of our enemies come in many ways. Nevertheless, in the end, they all want you to believe that you don't need the Jesus of the Bible.
+The Universalist reasons that a loving god would never send anyone to hell. Therefore, everyone will go to heaven. In other words, there is universal salvation for all
+Others try to explain that the laws in the Bible were written for the primitive people of long ago. Since we have become so advanced, we no longer need to keep those laws.
+Others judge themselves against the behavior of their other people. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed this way: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” (Luke 18:11-12) Have you ever tried to convince a police officer not to give you a ticket because other people were driving faster than you were? It probably only made them mad.
+Then there are the "good outweighs the bad" people. "Yes, I know I've done some really bad things, but I've also done a lot of good things. The good outweighs the bad, right?" I once saw a movie about a doctor who had an incredible knowledge of human anatomy. He used this knowledge to successfully treat hundreds of patients. He saved the lives of thousands. Everyone thought of him as a miracle worker. Then the people learned that his knowledge of the human body came from the "experiments" he conducted in NAZI concentration camps. Eventually, the world court found Josef Mengele guilty of crimes against humanity. He spent the rest of his life in prison. After all the lives he saved, he was still guilty.
There are countless other ways in which our enemies try to convince us that we do not need Jesus. Paul's words in today's epistle tell us otherwise. “By works of the law no human being will be justified in [God's] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” These words and many other verses in the Bible tell us that there is nothing that we can do in our own strength, there is nothing we can do that will earn or merit eternal life. Instead, God's divine law condemns us and shows our sin.
Our enemies constantly tempt us to stray. This is the reason God continually sends reformers, people to call us back to the truth. This is the reason pastors need to constantly follow the example of Paul who wrote, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2) We need to constantly proclaim Christ crucified, not Christ the life coach, not Christ the divine example, not Christ who was merely a good man, but Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, who led a perfect life and then exchanged His righteousness for your sin with His suffering and death on the cross who rose from the dead to give you absolute certainty of eternal life that even though you die, He will raise you and all the dead, and give eternal life to you and all believers in Christ.
The posting of the 95 Theses was like a small sound that triggers an avalanche. There are times when the deep snow accumulates in the mountains, and the smallest sound can trigger an avalanche of incredible power. Laughter, a sneeze, a shout, a baby's cry, and suddenly it is as if the side of the mountain has come to life with villages buried, lives lost and so forth. In October of 1517, all of Europe was like a mountain piled high with snow. Luther's 95 Theses set off a historical avalanche that we still feel today, an avalanche that restored the Gospel to the church and gave us comfort and confidence in our salvation. We give thanks for Martin Luther and his fellow reformers on this day. We also remember that we still stray, and God still works reformation in us to bring us back to the truth in His word.
As Nicolai Grundtvig penned 300 years after Oct. 31, 1517:
“God’s Word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever; To spread its truth from age to age shall be our chief endeavor. Through life, it guides our way, In death it is our stay. Lord, grant while worlds endure, we keep its teachings pure throughout all generations.”
Offertory
Offering
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Reformation Day - 31 October 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, we give You thanks and praise for all Your goodness and tender care, especially on this Reformation festival. Thank You for the gift of Your Son and for the revelation of Your will and grace. Implant Your Word in us, and give us fertile hearts to keep it and bring forth its good fruit in our lives. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of grace, keep us steadfast in Your Word, and prevent our wayward hearts from following false gospels that lead us away from You. Provide Your Church with faithful pastors who preach in purity and joy, that we are saved by Your grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty God, You have great power and yet You act with mercy. Teach those who lead us to use power rightly for the preservation of order, the accomplishment of justice, the protection of life and the defense of the weak. Give us wise, godly and faithful leaders who will follow Your commands and serve with integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, remember all who face adversity of any kind [especially _____________]. Comfort them by Your Holy Spirit, that they would acknowledge their afflictions as the manifestation of Your fatherly will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have given us the certainty of sins forgiven in Your Son, set forth as the propitiation by His blood to be received by faith. So lead us to eat and drink Your holy body and precious blood in repentance and faith, now and always. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve Your Church, O Lord, and each of us as members of Christ’s Body, that we may not surrender the true Gospel for any reason, but be kept in this faith and fear throughout the days of our earthly pilgrimage, until that day when we and all Your people shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the reward You have prepared for us and all who have loved His appearing; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
The Rite of Junior Confirmation for Gabriel Dixon LSB 272
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
557 “Seek Where You May to Find a Way”
1 Seek where you may
To find a way
That leads to your salvation.
My heart is stilled,
On Christ I build,
He is the one foundation.
His Word is sure,
His works endure;
He overthrows
All evil foes;
Through Him I more than conquer.
2 Seek whom you may
To be your stay,
None can redeem his brother.
All helpers failed;
This man prevailed,
The God-man and none other,
Our Servant-King
Of whom we sing.
We’re justified
Because He died,
The guilty being guiltless.
3 Seek Him alone
Who did atone,
Who did your souls deliver.
O seek Him first,
All you who thirst
For grace that fails you never.
In ev’ry need
Seek Him indeed;
To ev’ry heart
He will impart
His blessings without measure.
4 My heart’s delight,
My crown most bright,
O Christ, my joy forever.
Not wealth nor pride
Nor fortune’s tide
Our bonds of love shall sever.
You are my Lord;
Your precious Word
Shall guide my way
And help me stay
Forever in Your presence.
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Arthur P. Voss, 1899–1955, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
655 “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word”
1 Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son
And bring to naught all He has done.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow’r make known,
For You are Lord of lords alone;
Defend Your holy Church that we
May sing Your praise eternally.
3 O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Festival of the Reformation (Observed) – October 27, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
WE WELCOME Gabe Dixon as a communicant member today as he publicly confesses his faith through the rite of Jr. Confirmation! Welcome in Jesus’ Name!
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
TODAY, at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:17
Reformation Day (Observed)
October 27, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 656 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need
That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe
Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
2 With might of ours can naught be done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it is,
Of Sabaoth Lord,
And there’s none other God;
He holds the field forever.
3 Though devils all the world should fill,
All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill;
They shall not overpow’r us.
This world’s prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none.
He’s judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him.
4 The Word they still shall let remain
Nor any thanks have for it;
He’s by our side upon the plain
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Though these all be gone,
Our vict’ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
Text: tr. composite; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 119:46; 34:1–2, 11, 22
P I will speak of your testimonies before kings, [O Lord,] and shall not be put to shame. I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Revelation 14:6–7
6Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 46
1God is our ref- | uge and strength,*
a very present help in | trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the | earth gives way,*
though the mountains be moved into the heart | of the sea,
3though its waters | roar and foam,*
though the mountains tremble at its | swelling.
4There is a river whose streams make glad the cit- | y of God,*
the holy habitation of the | Most High.
5God is in the midst of her; she shall | not be moved;*
God will help her when | morning dawns.
6The nations rage, the kingdoms | totter;*
he utters his voice, the | earth melts.
7The Lord of hosts is | with us;*
the God of Jacob is our | fortress.
8Come, behold the works | of the Lord,*
how he has brought desolations | on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end | of the earth;*
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots | with fire.
10“Be still, and know that | I am God.*
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted | in the earth!”
11The Lord of hosts is | with us;*
the God of Jacob is our | fortress.
Epistle Romans 3:19–28
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 8:31–36
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighth chapter.
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 582 “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to the melody of 657, “A Mighty Fortress”
1 God’s Word is our great heritage
And shall be ours forever;
To spread its light from age to age
Shall be our chief endeavor.
Through life it guides our way,
In death it is our stay.
Lord, grant, while worlds endure,
We keep its teachings pure
Throughout all generations.
Text: Nikolai Fredrik Severin Grundtvig, 1783–1872; tr. Ole G. Belsheim, 1861–1925, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage” John 8:31-32
God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage – John 8:31-32
Today is Reformation Sunday. This coming Thursday is the actual 507th anniversary of Martin Luther posting the 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg. It became the triggering event that led to a reformation in the church.
Many people are confused about what the word reformation means. Reformation is not the same as revolution. It is not about innovation. It is not about creativity. Reformation is about getting back to the basics. Reformation is about going back to the truth.
Most of the time, when we Lutherans say “Reformation,” we mean the sixteenth century reformation in Europe. While that reformation was important and while that reformation was a great event in world history, it is NOT the only reformation. In fact, there have been many reformations. We can find several of them in the Old Testament. For example, in 2 Kings 18 we read:
“In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah poles of the false gods. He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.” (2 Kings 18:1,3-4a, 5) Hezekiah led people back to the truth. He brought back the true worship of the true God. That is what reformation is about---getting back to the truth
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. “In the eighteenth year of King Josiah [when he was 26 years old], Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.’ And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it before the king.”
“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, ‘Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.’" (2 Kings 22:1-13) Josiah's ancestors had strayed so far from the Lord that the Book of the Law got lost in the temple. When Josiah learned what the Book of the Law said, he and the members of his court became reformers. They were getting back to the truth.
There are many reformations in the Bible. Israel often strayed from the Lord, and God often sent a reformer to bring them back to the truth. In a way, Jesus Christ Himself was the greatest of all reformers, for He led the people back to the truth. In today's Gospel, we heard Him say, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
After Jesus ascended, He sent many people to lead the church back to the truth. Martin Luther is one of a long line of reformers that God used to bring a straying church back to the truth. We could say that because we are always straying from the truth, we always need reforming. We always need to get back to the truth. Reformation is not about starting something new. Instead, it is about getting back to the way things are supposed to be.
When Luther posted the 95 Theses, He had no intention of being a reformer. He only wanted to host a scholarly debate on indulgences. The 95 Theses were simply the points he wanted to debate. He not only posted them on the door of the church, but he also mailed them to people that he thought would be interested in the topic. He had no idea that he was exposing the corruption in the church. He had no idea that the church hierarchy would respond so aggressively.
As the church reacted to Luther's posting, they forced Luther to study the words of Holy Scripture in order to defend himself. As Luther immersed himself in Holy Scripture, he discovered a way of salvation that was very different from the teachings he had received as he grew up. The teaching that he received growing up filled him with terror and dread over his sins and the punishment he deserved. The teaching he discovered in Holy Scripture filled him with confidence in his salvation through Jesus Christ.
The Holy Scriptures taught Martin Luther that he had absolutely nothing to do with his salvation. Instead, Justification before God is solely through the righteousness of Christ, imputed to the believer, without the works of the law. If our salvation depends on Christ and Christ alone, then it is done. Jesus promised, and He died to keep that promise. It is just as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans: “There is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:22-25)
Luther began to find this teaching everywhere in the Bible. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4-6) Then there is the promise the Lord made to Abraham: "In your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 22:18)
Our enemies, the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh, do not want you to know this truth. They continually tempt you to stray from it. They continually try to convince you that you don't need Jesus for salvation. The teachings of our enemies come in many ways. Nevertheless, in the end, they all want you to believe that you don't need the Jesus of the Bible.
+The Universalist reasons that a loving god would never send anyone to hell. Therefore, everyone will go to heaven. In other words, there is universal salvation for all
+Others try to explain that the laws in the Bible were written for the primitive people of long ago. Since we have become so advanced, we no longer need to keep those laws.
+Others judge themselves against the behavior of their other people. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed this way: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.” (Luke 18:11-12) Have you ever tried to convince a police officer not to give you a ticket because other people were driving faster than you were? It probably only made them mad.
+Then there are the "good outweighs the bad" people. "Yes, I know I've done some really bad things, but I've also done a lot of good things. The good outweighs the bad, right?" I once saw a movie about a doctor who had an incredible knowledge of human anatomy. He used this knowledge to successfully treat hundreds of patients. He saved the lives of thousands. Everyone thought of him as a miracle worker. Then the people learned that his knowledge of the human body came from the "experiments" he conducted in NAZI concentration camps. Eventually, the world court found Josef Mengele guilty of crimes against humanity. He spent the rest of his life in prison. After all the lives he saved, he was still guilty.
There are countless other ways in which our enemies try to convince us that we do not need Jesus. Paul's words in today's epistle tell us otherwise. “By works of the law no human being will be justified in [God's] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” These words and many other verses in the Bible tell us that there is nothing that we can do in our own strength, there is nothing we can do that will earn or merit eternal life. Instead, God's divine law condemns us and shows our sin.
Our enemies constantly tempt us to stray. This is the reason God continually sends reformers, people to call us back to the truth. This is the reason pastors need to constantly follow the example of Paul who wrote, "I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2) We need to constantly proclaim Christ crucified, not Christ the life coach, not Christ the divine example, not Christ who was merely a good man, but Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, who led a perfect life and then exchanged His righteousness for your sin with His suffering and death on the cross who rose from the dead to give you absolute certainty of eternal life that even though you die, He will raise you and all the dead, and give eternal life to you and all believers in Christ.
The posting of the 95 Theses was like a small sound that triggers an avalanche. There are times when the deep snow accumulates in the mountains, and the smallest sound can trigger an avalanche of incredible power. Laughter, a sneeze, a shout, a baby's cry, and suddenly it is as if the side of the mountain has come to life with villages buried, lives lost and so forth. In October of 1517, all of Europe was like a mountain piled high with snow. Luther's 95 Theses set off a historical avalanche that we still feel today, an avalanche that restored the Gospel to the church and gave us comfort and confidence in our salvation. We give thanks for Martin Luther and his fellow reformers on this day. We also remember that we still stray, and God still works reformation in us to bring us back to the truth in His word.
As Nicolai Grundtvig penned 300 years after Oct. 31, 1517:
“God’s Word is our great heritage and shall be ours forever; To spread its truth from age to age shall be our chief endeavor. Through life, it guides our way, In death it is our stay. Lord, grant while worlds endure, we keep its teachings pure throughout all generations.”
Offertory
Offering
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Reformation Day - 31 October 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, we give You thanks and praise for all Your goodness and tender care, especially on this Reformation festival. Thank You for the gift of Your Son and for the revelation of Your will and grace. Implant Your Word in us, and give us fertile hearts to keep it and bring forth its good fruit in our lives. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of grace, keep us steadfast in Your Word, and prevent our wayward hearts from following false gospels that lead us away from You. Provide Your Church with faithful pastors who preach in purity and joy, that we are saved by Your grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty God, You have great power and yet You act with mercy. Teach those who lead us to use power rightly for the preservation of order, the accomplishment of justice, the protection of life and the defense of the weak. Give us wise, godly and faithful leaders who will follow Your commands and serve with integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, remember all who face adversity of any kind [especially _____________]. Comfort them by Your Holy Spirit, that they would acknowledge their afflictions as the manifestation of Your fatherly will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have given us the certainty of sins forgiven in Your Son, set forth as the propitiation by His blood to be received by faith. So lead us to eat and drink Your holy body and precious blood in repentance and faith, now and always. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve Your Church, O Lord, and each of us as members of Christ’s Body, that we may not surrender the true Gospel for any reason, but be kept in this faith and fear throughout the days of our earthly pilgrimage, until that day when we and all Your people shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ to receive the reward You have prepared for us and all who have loved His appearing; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
The Rite of Junior Confirmation for Gabriel Dixon LSB 272
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
557 “Seek Where You May to Find a Way”
1 Seek where you may
To find a way
That leads to your salvation.
My heart is stilled,
On Christ I build,
He is the one foundation.
His Word is sure,
His works endure;
He overthrows
All evil foes;
Through Him I more than conquer.
2 Seek whom you may
To be your stay,
None can redeem his brother.
All helpers failed;
This man prevailed,
The God-man and none other,
Our Servant-King
Of whom we sing.
We’re justified
Because He died,
The guilty being guiltless.
3 Seek Him alone
Who did atone,
Who did your souls deliver.
O seek Him first,
All you who thirst
For grace that fails you never.
In ev’ry need
Seek Him indeed;
To ev’ry heart
He will impart
His blessings without measure.
4 My heart’s delight,
My crown most bright,
O Christ, my joy forever.
Not wealth nor pride
Nor fortune’s tide
Our bonds of love shall sever.
You are my Lord;
Your precious Word
Shall guide my way
And help me stay
Forever in Your presence.
Text: Georg Weissel, 1590–1635; tr. Arthur P. Voss, 1899–1955, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
655 “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word”
1 Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son
And bring to naught all He has done.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow’r make known,
For You are Lord of lords alone;
Defend Your holy Church that we
May sing Your praise eternally.
3 O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost – October 20, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Randy Peeters
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Devra Eisert
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
NEXT SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27TH at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.” Zephaniah 3:17
The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
October 20, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ecclesiastes 5:10–20
L A reading from Ecclesiastes, chapter 5.
10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Hebrews 4:1–13
L A reading from Hebrews, chapter 4.
1Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5And again in this passage he said,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
6Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
11Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Mark 10:23–31
L A reading from St. Mark, chapter 10.
23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 690 “Hope of the World”
1 Hope of the world, Thou Christ of great compassion;
Speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent.
Save us, Thy people, from consuming passion,
Who by our own false hopes and aims are spent.
2 Hope of the world, God’s gift from highest heaven,
Bringing to hungry souls the bread of life,
Still let Thy Spirit unto us be given
To heal earth’s wounds and end our bitter strife.
3 Hope of the world, afoot on dusty highways,
Showing to wand’ring souls the path of light,
Walk Thou beside us lest the tempting byways
Lure us away from Thee to endless night.
4 Hope of the world, who by Thy cross didst save us
From death and dark despair, from sin and guilt,
We render back the love Thy mercy gave us;
Take Thou our lives and use them as Thou wilt.
5 Hope of the world, O Christ, o’er death victorious,
Who by this sign didst conquer grief and pain,
We would be faithful to Thy Gospel glorious.
Thou art our Lord! Thou dost forever reign!
Text: Georgia Harkness, 1891–1974
Text: © 1954, renewed 1982 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Then Who Can Be Saved?” Mark 10:23-31
Then Who Can Be Saved? Mark 10:23-31
Last week we heard an encounter that Jesus had with a man who ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) Jesus used this question to teach this man and us that there is nothing that anyone can do to earn eternal life for himself. God is the one who must act if we are to have eternal life.
Jesus specifically showed the man that he loved his stuff more than he loved God. Jesus said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:21–22) Jesus gave the man a lot to think about. He had to come to grips with his sin of idolatry and his need for forgiveness from Jesus.
Today’s Gospel then continues this account. “As the man went away sorrowful, Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were amazed at his words.” (Mark 10:23–24) Jesus said something that seems fairly reasonable to us, but the disciples were amazed at His words. Why did these words seem so unusual to the disciples when they don’t seem all that unusual to us?
This is where we need to remember those three things that are very important for Biblical interpretation … (You’ve heard this before.) … context, context, and context. In this case, we need to review the cultural context of First Century Israel.
The twenty-first century culture of the United States simply does not have the respect for wealth that was common in First Century Israel. In fact, there are quite a few people who look down on wealth. The first instinct of many people in our culture is to assume that wealthy people are somehow unethical, cruel, heartless, unfeeling, and so forth. This was not the case in First Century Israel.
The average citizen of First Century Israel looked up to the wealthy. As long as a person came by wealth honestly … hard work, good fortune, inheritance, and so forth … Wealthy people were considered especially blessed by God. Ordinarily, people assumed that honest wealth on earth indicated an equivalent treasure in heaven. People assumed that the wealthy would be at the front of the line when it came time to enter the kingdom of God.
So when Jesus said, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God,” everyone who heard Him would think, “Well, if the wealthy have a hard time, then the rest of us don’t have a chance!” That is the reason that the disciples were amazed at his words.
Then Jesus reinforced His teaching with the camel through the eye of the needle metaphor. Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” (Mark 10:24–26) Remember now, that culture thought that it was easier for rich people to enter the kingdom of God than for poor people. So, if the impossibility of a rich person entering the kingdom of God is greater than the impossibility of a camel passing through the eye of a needle, then Jesus is basically saying that no one has a chance.
When the disciples asked the question, “Then who can be saved,” (Mark 10:26) the obvious answer is that nobody can do this. No one, not the rich, not the poor, no one can enter the Kingdom of God. That is the message of the law in today’s Gospel. The teaching in today’s Gospel is not that it is bad to be rich, but that no one is able to enter the Kingdom of God with their own resources. When Jesus said that the most respected members of the culture could not earn their way into God’s Kingdom, He was saying that none of us rich or poor can earn a place in God’s Kingdom. All of us are as likely to enter God’s Kingdom as a camel is likely to pass through the eye of a needle.
Jesus then revealed the one and only way to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) Here is the main teaching of today’s reading from the Gospel. It is indeed true that no one can earn his or her own way into the Kingdom of God. Instead, God must do all the work.
When God does all the work, it makes it look easy for us. Earlier in the service, I stood up here and forgave your sins. All I did was say the words. It was easy for me because God does all the work. Holy Baptism looks simple … a few words … a little water. It doesn’t look like much. God makes it look easy because He does all the work. Later on in the service, I will say a few words over some bread wafers and some wine. It doesn’t look like much because God does all the work. Even now, this sermon sounds like any other speech. It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal because God makes it look easy.
In fact, in all these things, you are witnessing something more amazing than a camel passing through the eye of a needle. You are witnessing God at work forgiving sins. In Holy Baptism … in holy absolution … in the preaching and reading of the Word … in the Lord’s Table … God is at work. The Holy Spirit is busy pulling people into the Kingdom of God.
Now I said before that it looked easy for us. We say a few simple words. We apply a little water. We eat a tasteless wafer of flour. We drink a swallow of wine. Although it is easy for us, it was not easy for Jesus. A camel through a needle’s eye pales in comparison to what Jesus did to bring you and me into His kingdom.
In order to bring you and me into the Kingdom of God, Jesus, the Son of God, had to take on human flesh and become one of us. He had to live with sinful people without sinning Himself. Then He had to suffer unjust torture and a cruel death by crucifixion. That is the price that God paid so that you and I could enter His kingdom. Jesus had to sacrifice Himself for us on a cross. His death, the death of a perfect, holy, and innocent man, did for us what it is impossible for us to do for ourselves. He made it possible for the Kingdom of God to be in us and for us to be in the Kingdom of God.
When God brought you and me into the Kingdom of God, everything that Jesus did now belongs to us. Jesus lived the perfect life and you and I get the credit. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross and you and I get the credit. Jesus rose from the dead and you and I have the promise of eternal life. Jesus did all the work. You and I receive all the blessings.
When we think about the miracles that God works so that we inherit eternal life, there are three that stand out. First of all, Jesus had to take our place and satisfy God’s justice. Second of all, the Holy Spirit had to work the miracle of faith in us. Finally, the Holy Spirit continually delivers forgiveness through the Gospel. Jesus took our place by living the perfect life, dying on the cross, and rising from the dead. The Holy Spirit did His part by joining us to Jesus in faith so that everything Jesus did now belongs to us. Now the Holy Spirit delivers forgiveness to us in the wet Gospel of Water and Word, the audible Gospel of absolution and preaching the Word, and the very body and blood of Christ in our mouths. That is quite a set of miracles. “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24B) - 20 October 2024
Lord, You are near to the brokenhearted, and You save the crushed in spirit. Deliver us from every fear and trouble, that the praise of Your name would continually be in our mouths. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, with us salvation is impossible, but with You all things are possible. Give boldness to Your Church to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, by whose death and resurrection the way to Your kingdom has been opened. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, bless all who study at our universities and seminaries. Raise up more church workers, for the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Spare the servants of Your Church from love of wealth and from fear of the difficulty of their task, that they would gladly set aside every comfort for Your sake and for the Gospel. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, lead our households to find eternal rest in Your Son and His Word. Give fathers and mothers diligence in teaching their children, and preserve us all from hardness of heart. Give us urgency to hear the good message of salvation today. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guide our nation and its leaders in true wisdom to promote honest labor, temporal protection and fitting enjoyment under the sun. Guide Your Christians to serve Christ in their citizenship and callings. Do not let our hearts be occupied with the vanity of riches that perish, but with the true joy of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
When the righteous cry, You hear, O Lord, and deliver them out of all their troubles. Draw near to save the brokenhearted, the crushed in spirit, the sick and those in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Since we have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ, hold us fast in our confession through all temptation and preserve us from sin, O Lord. Give Your blessing to all who draw near to Your throne of grace, especially those who receive the blessed Sacrament this day, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, Your Son left His earthly home to do His saving work, and so He knows what it is to leave family behind. Comfort Your children who have left home and loved ones for the sake of the Gospel. Set them firmly into the family of the Church, and sustain them in the hope of eternal life in the age to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
782 “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
1 Gracious God, You send great blessings
New each morning all our days.
For Your mercies never ending,
For Your love we offer praise. Refrain
ref Lord, we pray that we, Your people
Who Your gifts unnumbered claim,
Through the sharing of Your blessings
May bring glory to Your name.
2 By Your Word You formed creation
Filled with creatures large and small;
As we tend that endless treasure
May our care encircle all. Refrain
3 In His earthly life, our Savior
Knew the care of faithful friends;
May our deeds of dedication
Offer love that never ends. Refrain
D 4 Heav’nly Father, may our caring
Bear the imprint of Your grace;
With the Son and Holy Spirit,
Praise be Yours in ev’ry place! Refrain
Text: Gregory J. Wismar, 1946
Text: © 2004 Gregory J. Wismar. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O God, Your divine wisdom sets in order all things in heaven and on earth. Put away from us all things hurtful and give us those things that are beneficial for us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 850 “God of Grace and God of Glory”
1 God of grace and God of glory,
On Your people pour Your pow’r;
Crown Your ancient Church’s story;
Bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.
2 Lo, the hosts of evil round us
Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
3 Cure Your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to Your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Your salvation
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving You whom we adore,
Serving You whom we adore.
Text: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1878–1969
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost – October 20, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Randy Peeters
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Devra Eisert
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
NEXT SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27TH at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.” Zephaniah 3:17
The Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
October 20, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ecclesiastes 5:10–20
L A reading from Ecclesiastes, chapter 5.
10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. 19Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Hebrews 4:1–13
L A reading from Hebrews, chapter 4.
1Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said,
“As I swore in my wrath,
‘They shall not enter my rest,’”
although his works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” 5And again in this passage he said,
“They shall not enter my rest.”
6Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, 7again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
8For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. 9So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, 10for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.
11Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel Mark 10:23–31
L A reading from St. Mark, chapter 10.
23Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 690 “Hope of the World”
1 Hope of the world, Thou Christ of great compassion;
Speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent.
Save us, Thy people, from consuming passion,
Who by our own false hopes and aims are spent.
2 Hope of the world, God’s gift from highest heaven,
Bringing to hungry souls the bread of life,
Still let Thy Spirit unto us be given
To heal earth’s wounds and end our bitter strife.
3 Hope of the world, afoot on dusty highways,
Showing to wand’ring souls the path of light,
Walk Thou beside us lest the tempting byways
Lure us away from Thee to endless night.
4 Hope of the world, who by Thy cross didst save us
From death and dark despair, from sin and guilt,
We render back the love Thy mercy gave us;
Take Thou our lives and use them as Thou wilt.
5 Hope of the world, O Christ, o’er death victorious,
Who by this sign didst conquer grief and pain,
We would be faithful to Thy Gospel glorious.
Thou art our Lord! Thou dost forever reign!
Text: Georgia Harkness, 1891–1974
Text: © 1954, renewed 1982 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Then Who Can Be Saved?” Mark 10:23-31
Then Who Can Be Saved? Mark 10:23-31
Last week we heard an encounter that Jesus had with a man who ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) Jesus used this question to teach this man and us that there is nothing that anyone can do to earn eternal life for himself. God is the one who must act if we are to have eternal life.
Jesus specifically showed the man that he loved his stuff more than he loved God. Jesus said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:21–22) Jesus gave the man a lot to think about. He had to come to grips with his sin of idolatry and his need for forgiveness from Jesus.
Today’s Gospel then continues this account. “As the man went away sorrowful, Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were amazed at his words.” (Mark 10:23–24) Jesus said something that seems fairly reasonable to us, but the disciples were amazed at His words. Why did these words seem so unusual to the disciples when they don’t seem all that unusual to us?
This is where we need to remember those three things that are very important for Biblical interpretation … (You’ve heard this before.) … context, context, and context. In this case, we need to review the cultural context of First Century Israel.
The twenty-first century culture of the United States simply does not have the respect for wealth that was common in First Century Israel. In fact, there are quite a few people who look down on wealth. The first instinct of many people in our culture is to assume that wealthy people are somehow unethical, cruel, heartless, unfeeling, and so forth. This was not the case in First Century Israel.
The average citizen of First Century Israel looked up to the wealthy. As long as a person came by wealth honestly … hard work, good fortune, inheritance, and so forth … Wealthy people were considered especially blessed by God. Ordinarily, people assumed that honest wealth on earth indicated an equivalent treasure in heaven. People assumed that the wealthy would be at the front of the line when it came time to enter the kingdom of God.
So when Jesus said, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God,” everyone who heard Him would think, “Well, if the wealthy have a hard time, then the rest of us don’t have a chance!” That is the reason that the disciples were amazed at his words.
Then Jesus reinforced His teaching with the camel through the eye of the needle metaphor. Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” (Mark 10:24–26) Remember now, that culture thought that it was easier for rich people to enter the kingdom of God than for poor people. So, if the impossibility of a rich person entering the kingdom of God is greater than the impossibility of a camel passing through the eye of a needle, then Jesus is basically saying that no one has a chance.
When the disciples asked the question, “Then who can be saved,” (Mark 10:26) the obvious answer is that nobody can do this. No one, not the rich, not the poor, no one can enter the Kingdom of God. That is the message of the law in today’s Gospel. The teaching in today’s Gospel is not that it is bad to be rich, but that no one is able to enter the Kingdom of God with their own resources. When Jesus said that the most respected members of the culture could not earn their way into God’s Kingdom, He was saying that none of us rich or poor can earn a place in God’s Kingdom. All of us are as likely to enter God’s Kingdom as a camel is likely to pass through the eye of a needle.
Jesus then revealed the one and only way to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) Here is the main teaching of today’s reading from the Gospel. It is indeed true that no one can earn his or her own way into the Kingdom of God. Instead, God must do all the work.
When God does all the work, it makes it look easy for us. Earlier in the service, I stood up here and forgave your sins. All I did was say the words. It was easy for me because God does all the work. Holy Baptism looks simple … a few words … a little water. It doesn’t look like much. God makes it look easy because He does all the work. Later on in the service, I will say a few words over some bread wafers and some wine. It doesn’t look like much because God does all the work. Even now, this sermon sounds like any other speech. It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal because God makes it look easy.
In fact, in all these things, you are witnessing something more amazing than a camel passing through the eye of a needle. You are witnessing God at work forgiving sins. In Holy Baptism … in holy absolution … in the preaching and reading of the Word … in the Lord’s Table … God is at work. The Holy Spirit is busy pulling people into the Kingdom of God.
Now I said before that it looked easy for us. We say a few simple words. We apply a little water. We eat a tasteless wafer of flour. We drink a swallow of wine. Although it is easy for us, it was not easy for Jesus. A camel through a needle’s eye pales in comparison to what Jesus did to bring you and me into His kingdom.
In order to bring you and me into the Kingdom of God, Jesus, the Son of God, had to take on human flesh and become one of us. He had to live with sinful people without sinning Himself. Then He had to suffer unjust torture and a cruel death by crucifixion. That is the price that God paid so that you and I could enter His kingdom. Jesus had to sacrifice Himself for us on a cross. His death, the death of a perfect, holy, and innocent man, did for us what it is impossible for us to do for ourselves. He made it possible for the Kingdom of God to be in us and for us to be in the Kingdom of God.
When God brought you and me into the Kingdom of God, everything that Jesus did now belongs to us. Jesus lived the perfect life and you and I get the credit. Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross and you and I get the credit. Jesus rose from the dead and you and I have the promise of eternal life. Jesus did all the work. You and I receive all the blessings.
When we think about the miracles that God works so that we inherit eternal life, there are three that stand out. First of all, Jesus had to take our place and satisfy God’s justice. Second of all, the Holy Spirit had to work the miracle of faith in us. Finally, the Holy Spirit continually delivers forgiveness through the Gospel. Jesus took our place by living the perfect life, dying on the cross, and rising from the dead. The Holy Spirit did His part by joining us to Jesus in faith so that everything Jesus did now belongs to us. Now the Holy Spirit delivers forgiveness to us in the wet Gospel of Water and Word, the audible Gospel of absolution and preaching the Word, and the very body and blood of Christ in our mouths. That is quite a set of miracles. “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24B) - 20 October 2024
Lord, You are near to the brokenhearted, and You save the crushed in spirit. Deliver us from every fear and trouble, that the praise of Your name would continually be in our mouths. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, with us salvation is impossible, but with You all things are possible. Give boldness to Your Church to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord, by whose death and resurrection the way to Your kingdom has been opened. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, bless all who study at our universities and seminaries. Raise up more church workers, for the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Spare the servants of Your Church from love of wealth and from fear of the difficulty of their task, that they would gladly set aside every comfort for Your sake and for the Gospel. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, lead our households to find eternal rest in Your Son and His Word. Give fathers and mothers diligence in teaching their children, and preserve us all from hardness of heart. Give us urgency to hear the good message of salvation today. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guide our nation and its leaders in true wisdom to promote honest labor, temporal protection and fitting enjoyment under the sun. Guide Your Christians to serve Christ in their citizenship and callings. Do not let our hearts be occupied with the vanity of riches that perish, but with the true joy of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
When the righteous cry, You hear, O Lord, and deliver them out of all their troubles. Draw near to save the brokenhearted, the crushed in spirit, the sick and those in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Since we have a great High Priest, Jesus Christ, hold us fast in our confession through all temptation and preserve us from sin, O Lord. Give Your blessing to all who draw near to Your throne of grace, especially those who receive the blessed Sacrament this day, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, Your Son left His earthly home to do His saving work, and so He knows what it is to leave family behind. Comfort Your children who have left home and loved ones for the sake of the Gospel. Set them firmly into the family of the Church, and sustain them in the hope of eternal life in the age to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
782 “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
1 Gracious God, You send great blessings
New each morning all our days.
For Your mercies never ending,
For Your love we offer praise. Refrain
ref Lord, we pray that we, Your people
Who Your gifts unnumbered claim,
Through the sharing of Your blessings
May bring glory to Your name.
2 By Your Word You formed creation
Filled with creatures large and small;
As we tend that endless treasure
May our care encircle all. Refrain
3 In His earthly life, our Savior
Knew the care of faithful friends;
May our deeds of dedication
Offer love that never ends. Refrain
D 4 Heav’nly Father, may our caring
Bear the imprint of Your grace;
With the Son and Holy Spirit,
Praise be Yours in ev’ry place! Refrain
Text: Gregory J. Wismar, 1946
Text: © 2004 Gregory J. Wismar. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O God, Your divine wisdom sets in order all things in heaven and on earth. Put away from us all things hurtful and give us those things that are beneficial for us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 850 “God of Grace and God of Glory”
1 God of grace and God of glory,
On Your people pour Your pow’r;
Crown Your ancient Church’s story;
Bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.
2 Lo, the hosts of evil round us
Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
3 Cure Your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to Your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Your salvation
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving You whom we adore,
Serving You whom we adore.
Text: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1878–1969
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 13, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Gena Dillon
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27TH at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 13, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 915 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”
1 Today Your mercy calls us
To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
And make us clean today.
2 Today Your gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv’n,
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav’n.
3 Today our Father calls us;
His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessèd angels gather
Around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
It is our Father’s home.
4 O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You
When heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.
Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 112:1, 3–6
P Praise the Lord! Blessèd is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.
Kyrie
Canticle: “This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, whose grace always precedes and follows us, help us to forsake all trust in earthly gain and to find in You our heavenly treasure; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Amos 5:6–7, 10–15
6Seek the Lord and live,
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
7O you who turn justice to wormwood
and cast down righteousness to the earth! . . .
10They hate him who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
11Therefore because you trample on the poor
and you exact taxes of grain from him,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
12For I know how many are your transgressions
and how great are your sins--
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
and turn aside the needy in the gate.
13Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,
for it is an evil time.
14Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
15Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 90:1,12–17
12So teach us to number | our days*
that we may get a heart of | wisdom.
13Return, O Lord! | How long?*
Have pity on your | servants!
14Satisfy us in the morning with your | steadfast love,*
that we may rejoice and be glad | all our days.
15Make us glad for as many days as you have af- | flicted us,*
and for as many years as we have seen | evil.
16Let your work be shown to your | servants,*
and your glorious power to their | children.
17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands up- | on us;*
yes, establish the work | of our hands!
Epistle Hebrews 3:12–19
12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 10:17–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the tenth chapter.
17As [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: “694 Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower”
1 Thee will I love, my strength, my tower;
Thee will I love, my hope, my joy.
Thee will I love with all my power,
With ardor time shall ne’er destroy.
Thee will I love, O Light divine,
So long as life is mine.
2 Thee will I love, my life, my Savior,
Who art my best and truest friend.
Thee will I love and praise forever,
For never shall Thy kindness end.
Thee will I love with all my heart--
Thou my Redeemer art!
3 I thank Thee, Jesus, Sun from heaven,
Whose radiance hath brought light to me;
I thank Thee, who hast richly given
All that could make me glad and free;
I thank Thee that my soul is healed
By what Thy lips revealed.
4 O keep me watchful, then, and humble;
Permit me nevermore to stray.
Uphold me when my feet would stumble,
And keep me on the narrow way.
Fill all my nature with Thy light,
O Radiance strong and bright!
5 Thee will I love, my crown of gladness;
Thee will I love, my God and Lord,
Amid the darkest depths of sadness,
And not for hope of high reward,
For Thine own sake, O Light divine,
So long as life is mine.
Text: Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Look What God Has Done” Mark 10:17-22
Look What God Has Done – Mark 10:17-22
The Gospel we just heard begins as a man ran up and knelt before [Jesus] and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) This question is a form of a very basic question that every human being asks. He was really asking a form of the question, “What must I do to get ahead?”
Every baby enters this world with the belief that he or she is the center of the universe. And, for a short time, the world does seem to cater to every little whim the baby has. The slightest squawk from the baby and someone … usually Mom … scrambles to care for every desire. For a brief moment in time, as infants, we all believed that we were the most important person in the universe. We thought we were the sum total of why the universe is even here.
But then we grow up. We learn that other people have rights. We learn to share. We learn to take our turn. We learn to stand in line. We learn that not only are we not the most important person in the universe, but we are not even the most important person in our own house. We begin to learn that there are rules that govern the way we should live.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that some rules will help us get ahead. The right education will help get a better job. The right investments will produce a wealthier portfolio. The right friends will open up new opportunities. And on, and on, and on.
At some point in time, we begin to wonder if there isn’t some sort of rule that will get us ahead indefinitely … some technique that will insure that we always win … that we always come out on top. We begin a search for the key to happiness, health, wealth, wisdom, and so forth. Naturally, there are thousands of authors in the “self-help” section of Amazon.com who would be more than happy to share the key to success with you for $12.95 plus shipping, and tax.
The fact that there are so many books in the self-help section indicates that no one really has the secret to success. But even if there was help for you in a book, or a seminar, or some other program, it would not be enough. Supposedly, someone once asked John D. Rockefeller how much is enough, and He replied, “Just a little bit more.” Now, whether he said that or not, it does reflect the desires of our inborn sinful nature. We are always on the lookout for that magic formula that will give us an advantage … a magic formula that will give us just a little bit more.
The man who came to Jesus seemed to want a little bit more. He wanted a little bit more assurance of his salvation. He had done everything that he could think of to guarantee his salvation, but he wasn’t really sure. Did he have all the bases covered? Was there one more technique that would give him confidence? Would one more bit of self-help give him that confidence he needed to live in victory? Maybe Jesus had that one gimmick that would insure his salvation forever. So he asked Jesus a question that demonstrated that he didn’t have a clue. He asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17)
Perhaps some of you have been heirs of a will or two. Did you do anything that made you heirs of those wills? You were heirs of the wills because someone else wrote you into the wills. You had nothing to do with it. When the man came to Jesus and talked about doing something to inherit something, he showed a basic lack of understanding about his salvation.
Jesus showed love for this man by showing him the reality of his situation. There is nothing the man could do to earn salvation.
Jesus began by reminding the man that only God is good enough to provide salvation. Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18) At this point the man should have stopped to think, “If only God is good and I am not God, then I cannot be good.” Then Jesus reviewed the commandments that deal with loving the neighbor. He said, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” (Mark 10:19)
At this point the man should have realized that he did not love his neighbor as he loved himself. He should have come to understand that he could not possibly do anything to earn salvation, but he didn’t. Instead, he said to [Jesus], “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” (Mark 10:20) Once again, he demonstrated his basic lack of understanding about his salvation. He had deluded himself into thinking he had kept these commandments perfectly.
It is at this point that the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to remind us that Jesus loved this man. The Greek word is ηγαπησεν (agapesen), a verb form of the word ἀγάπη (agape), that selfless form of giving love. Jesus loved him enough to tell him the truth about his condition. Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21) Jesus set up a condition that forced this man to realize that he loved his wealth more than he loved God.
How did the man respond? “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:22) The man’s possessions were literally more important to him than his own salvation. This man’s possessions were his god.
Is there anything or anyone that Jesus would ask of you that would cause you to be disheartened and walk away sorrowful? What gods are important to you? Financial security? Family? Friends? Happiness? Getting your own way? Your reputation among your peers? Later on this month, we will sing “A Mighty Fortress.” In that hymn we say, “And take they our life, goods, fame, child, or spouse, though these all be gone, our victory has been won.” Could you really surrender your life, goods, fame, child, or spouse?
Our Gospel tells us that Jesus loved this man with ἀγάπη love. ἀγάπη love gives people what they need, and that often means that it does not give people what they want. Jesus told this man what he needed to hear, not what he wanted to hear. This man needed to learn the hopelessness of his situation. He needed to learn that he could not save himself. He needed to understand that he needed a savior outside of himself. That is how Jesus showed His love to this man … even if it meant that the man would walk away sorrowful.
Jesus loves us the same way. He sends the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin. The Holy Spirit comes to us through the proclamation of the Word of God in order to shine the searing light of the law into our hearts. He shows our true nature to us. He takes us to the depths of pure terror as He shows us the future we have earned for ourselves. He shows us the true hopelessness of our good works.
It is only after we begin to understand that hopelessness of our own works that the Holy Spirit points to the one who actually did surrender everything … Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. He surrendered His throne at God the Father’s right hand and took up our human flesh. Even as a human being, He lived in poverty. Even though He is the author of the law, He lived under the law.
Jesus surrendered everything. He even surrendered His life, and when He died, He did not even own the clothes on His back. “They crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.” (Mark 15:24) Jesus surrendered Himself so that you and I would inherit eternal life. It is not what I do that inherits eternal life. It is what Jesus has already done. We inherit eternal life because Jesus made us heirs in His last will and testament by the promise of His word and the seal of His blood on the cross.
Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated the inheritance that He offers to all people by rising from the dead. In His resurrection, we have the promise that He will raise all the dead and give eternal life to all who believe in Him.
Jesus has named an executor to His estate, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works through the Gospel to deliver the inheritance of eternal life. The Holy Spirit also works through the Gospel to establish the faith that receives the inheritance of eternal life. Through that faith we constantly receive the forgiveness of our sins, and God declares us holy in his eyes. We stop asking the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Instead, the Holy Spirit uses us to point to Jesus and declare “Look what God has done to give me eternal life.”
We who believe already have our inheritance of eternal life. But when the time comes for us to leave this life, we will experience our inheritance more fully as members of the Church Triumphant in heaven. There, in heaven, we shall leave our sins behind and live under Jesus in His kingdom. There, we shall wait with Jesus for the Last Day when Jesus will raise our bodies to immortality, and we shall once again be complete in body and spirit and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23B) - 13 October 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty and everlasting God, look with compassion on Your Church. Protect Your children from an evil, unbelieving heart that would lead us away from You into the deceitfulness of sin. By Your Spirit’s power, enable us to hold our original confidence firm to the end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, God of hosts, keep us from hating those You send to reprove us with Your law. Do not let us abhor those who speak Your truth to us, that we might repent and live. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son warns us against the danger of trusting in wealth and earthly goods. Give us hearts that are content with His promises and hands that are generous with our worldly possessions. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in kindness remember the president of our country, our Congress and justices, and all who bear office in this land. Protect them from the temptations of power and wealth that would lead them away from their calling. Make their service a blessing to our land and its people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, have pity on [_____________ and] all Your servants afflicted in body or soul. Satisfy them with Your steadfast love in Christ, and grant health and healing in accord with Your perfect will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, satisfy our longing hearts with Your steadfast love here in the feast of Christ’s body and blood, that we may rejoice and be glad in You all our days and into eternity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, for the faithful of every time and place who heard Your Word and held their confidence firm to the end. Keep us steadfast in the faith, that we may have our share with them in the eternal inheritance that You have promised; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
565 “Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ”
1 Thy works, not mine, O Christ,
Speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done,
They bid my fear depart. Refrain
ref To whom save Thee,
Who canst alone
For sin atone,
Lord, shall I flee?
2 Thy wounds, not mine, O Christ,
Can heal my bruisèd soul;
Thy stripes, not mine, contain
The balm that makes me whole. Refrain
3 Thy cross, not mine, O Christ,
Has borne the crushing load
Of sins that none could bear
But the incarnate God. Refrain
4 Thy death, not mine, O Christ,
Has paid the ransom due;
Ten thousand deaths like mine
Would have been all too few. Refrain
5 Thy righteousness, O Christ,
Alone can cover me;
No righteousness avails
Save that which is of Thee. Refrain
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89, alt.
Text: Public domain
753 “All for Christ I Have Forsaken”
1 All for Christ I have forsaken
And have taken up my cross;
Worldly joy, its fame and fortune,
Now I count as worthless dross.
2 Who is sweeter than Christ Jesus?
No good thing in Him I lack!
Hand to plow, at peace I follow
Where He leads me . . . why look back?
3 Gone the past, unknown the future--
Grace supplies my daily breath;
Strong in Christ through death’s dark valley,
Firm and faithful unto death.
4 When God takes me home to heaven,
Should this be the day I die,
God will keep my spouse and children
As the apple of His eye.
5 Though the road ahead be thorny,
Though dark clouds all light obscure,
Though my cross-shaped path grows steeper,
With the Lord, I am secure.
Text: Calvin Chao, 1906–96; tr. Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 13, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Gena Dillon
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27TH at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 13, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 915 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”
1 Today Your mercy calls us
To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
And make us clean today.
2 Today Your gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv’n,
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav’n.
3 Today our Father calls us;
His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessèd angels gather
Around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
It is our Father’s home.
4 O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You
When heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.
Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 112:1, 3–6
P Praise the Lord! Blessèd is the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in his commandments! Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. It is well with the man who deals generously and lends; who conducts his affairs with justice. For the righteous will never be moved; he will be remembered forever.
Kyrie
Canticle: “This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Lord Jesus Christ, whose grace always precedes and follows us, help us to forsake all trust in earthly gain and to find in You our heavenly treasure; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Amos 5:6–7, 10–15
6Seek the Lord and live,
lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
7O you who turn justice to wormwood
and cast down righteousness to the earth! . . .
10They hate him who reproves in the gate,
and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
11Therefore because you trample on the poor
and you exact taxes of grain from him,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
but you shall not dwell in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you shall not drink their wine.
12For I know how many are your transgressions
and how great are your sins--
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
and turn aside the needy in the gate.
13Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,
for it is an evil time.
14Seek good, and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
as you have said.
15Hate evil, and love good,
and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 90:1,12–17
12So teach us to number | our days*
that we may get a heart of | wisdom.
13Return, O Lord! | How long?*
Have pity on your | servants!
14Satisfy us in the morning with your | steadfast love,*
that we may rejoice and be glad | all our days.
15Make us glad for as many days as you have af- | flicted us,*
and for as many years as we have seen | evil.
16Let your work be shown to your | servants,*
and your glorious power to their | children.
17Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands up- | on us;*
yes, establish the work | of our hands!
Epistle Hebrews 3:12–19
12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15As it is said,
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
16For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 10:17–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the tenth chapter.
17As [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: “694 Thee Will I Love, My Strength, My Tower”
1 Thee will I love, my strength, my tower;
Thee will I love, my hope, my joy.
Thee will I love with all my power,
With ardor time shall ne’er destroy.
Thee will I love, O Light divine,
So long as life is mine.
2 Thee will I love, my life, my Savior,
Who art my best and truest friend.
Thee will I love and praise forever,
For never shall Thy kindness end.
Thee will I love with all my heart--
Thou my Redeemer art!
3 I thank Thee, Jesus, Sun from heaven,
Whose radiance hath brought light to me;
I thank Thee, who hast richly given
All that could make me glad and free;
I thank Thee that my soul is healed
By what Thy lips revealed.
4 O keep me watchful, then, and humble;
Permit me nevermore to stray.
Uphold me when my feet would stumble,
And keep me on the narrow way.
Fill all my nature with Thy light,
O Radiance strong and bright!
5 Thee will I love, my crown of gladness;
Thee will I love, my God and Lord,
Amid the darkest depths of sadness,
And not for hope of high reward,
For Thine own sake, O Light divine,
So long as life is mine.
Text: Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Look What God Has Done” Mark 10:17-22
Look What God Has Done – Mark 10:17-22
The Gospel we just heard begins as a man ran up and knelt before [Jesus] and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) This question is a form of a very basic question that every human being asks. He was really asking a form of the question, “What must I do to get ahead?”
Every baby enters this world with the belief that he or she is the center of the universe. And, for a short time, the world does seem to cater to every little whim the baby has. The slightest squawk from the baby and someone … usually Mom … scrambles to care for every desire. For a brief moment in time, as infants, we all believed that we were the most important person in the universe. We thought we were the sum total of why the universe is even here.
But then we grow up. We learn that other people have rights. We learn to share. We learn to take our turn. We learn to stand in line. We learn that not only are we not the most important person in the universe, but we are not even the most important person in our own house. We begin to learn that there are rules that govern the way we should live.
It doesn’t take long to figure out that some rules will help us get ahead. The right education will help get a better job. The right investments will produce a wealthier portfolio. The right friends will open up new opportunities. And on, and on, and on.
At some point in time, we begin to wonder if there isn’t some sort of rule that will get us ahead indefinitely … some technique that will insure that we always win … that we always come out on top. We begin a search for the key to happiness, health, wealth, wisdom, and so forth. Naturally, there are thousands of authors in the “self-help” section of Amazon.com who would be more than happy to share the key to success with you for $12.95 plus shipping, and tax.
The fact that there are so many books in the self-help section indicates that no one really has the secret to success. But even if there was help for you in a book, or a seminar, or some other program, it would not be enough. Supposedly, someone once asked John D. Rockefeller how much is enough, and He replied, “Just a little bit more.” Now, whether he said that or not, it does reflect the desires of our inborn sinful nature. We are always on the lookout for that magic formula that will give us an advantage … a magic formula that will give us just a little bit more.
The man who came to Jesus seemed to want a little bit more. He wanted a little bit more assurance of his salvation. He had done everything that he could think of to guarantee his salvation, but he wasn’t really sure. Did he have all the bases covered? Was there one more technique that would give him confidence? Would one more bit of self-help give him that confidence he needed to live in victory? Maybe Jesus had that one gimmick that would insure his salvation forever. So he asked Jesus a question that demonstrated that he didn’t have a clue. He asked Jesus, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17)
Perhaps some of you have been heirs of a will or two. Did you do anything that made you heirs of those wills? You were heirs of the wills because someone else wrote you into the wills. You had nothing to do with it. When the man came to Jesus and talked about doing something to inherit something, he showed a basic lack of understanding about his salvation.
Jesus showed love for this man by showing him the reality of his situation. There is nothing the man could do to earn salvation.
Jesus began by reminding the man that only God is good enough to provide salvation. Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” (Mark 10:18) At this point the man should have stopped to think, “If only God is good and I am not God, then I cannot be good.” Then Jesus reviewed the commandments that deal with loving the neighbor. He said, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” (Mark 10:19)
At this point the man should have realized that he did not love his neighbor as he loved himself. He should have come to understand that he could not possibly do anything to earn salvation, but he didn’t. Instead, he said to [Jesus], “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” (Mark 10:20) Once again, he demonstrated his basic lack of understanding about his salvation. He had deluded himself into thinking he had kept these commandments perfectly.
It is at this point that the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to remind us that Jesus loved this man. The Greek word is ηγαπησεν (agapesen), a verb form of the word ἀγάπη (agape), that selfless form of giving love. Jesus loved him enough to tell him the truth about his condition. Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21) Jesus set up a condition that forced this man to realize that he loved his wealth more than he loved God.
How did the man respond? “Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:22) The man’s possessions were literally more important to him than his own salvation. This man’s possessions were his god.
Is there anything or anyone that Jesus would ask of you that would cause you to be disheartened and walk away sorrowful? What gods are important to you? Financial security? Family? Friends? Happiness? Getting your own way? Your reputation among your peers? Later on this month, we will sing “A Mighty Fortress.” In that hymn we say, “And take they our life, goods, fame, child, or spouse, though these all be gone, our victory has been won.” Could you really surrender your life, goods, fame, child, or spouse?
Our Gospel tells us that Jesus loved this man with ἀγάπη love. ἀγάπη love gives people what they need, and that often means that it does not give people what they want. Jesus told this man what he needed to hear, not what he wanted to hear. This man needed to learn the hopelessness of his situation. He needed to learn that he could not save himself. He needed to understand that he needed a savior outside of himself. That is how Jesus showed His love to this man … even if it meant that the man would walk away sorrowful.
Jesus loves us the same way. He sends the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin. The Holy Spirit comes to us through the proclamation of the Word of God in order to shine the searing light of the law into our hearts. He shows our true nature to us. He takes us to the depths of pure terror as He shows us the future we have earned for ourselves. He shows us the true hopelessness of our good works.
It is only after we begin to understand that hopelessness of our own works that the Holy Spirit points to the one who actually did surrender everything … Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. He surrendered His throne at God the Father’s right hand and took up our human flesh. Even as a human being, He lived in poverty. Even though He is the author of the law, He lived under the law.
Jesus surrendered everything. He even surrendered His life, and when He died, He did not even own the clothes on His back. “They crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take.” (Mark 15:24) Jesus surrendered Himself so that you and I would inherit eternal life. It is not what I do that inherits eternal life. It is what Jesus has already done. We inherit eternal life because Jesus made us heirs in His last will and testament by the promise of His word and the seal of His blood on the cross.
Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated the inheritance that He offers to all people by rising from the dead. In His resurrection, we have the promise that He will raise all the dead and give eternal life to all who believe in Him.
Jesus has named an executor to His estate, the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works through the Gospel to deliver the inheritance of eternal life. The Holy Spirit also works through the Gospel to establish the faith that receives the inheritance of eternal life. Through that faith we constantly receive the forgiveness of our sins, and God declares us holy in his eyes. We stop asking the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Instead, the Holy Spirit uses us to point to Jesus and declare “Look what God has done to give me eternal life.”
We who believe already have our inheritance of eternal life. But when the time comes for us to leave this life, we will experience our inheritance more fully as members of the Church Triumphant in heaven. There, in heaven, we shall leave our sins behind and live under Jesus in His kingdom. There, we shall wait with Jesus for the Last Day when Jesus will raise our bodies to immortality, and we shall once again be complete in body and spirit and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23B) - 13 October 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty and everlasting God, look with compassion on Your Church. Protect Your children from an evil, unbelieving heart that would lead us away from You into the deceitfulness of sin. By Your Spirit’s power, enable us to hold our original confidence firm to the end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, God of hosts, keep us from hating those You send to reprove us with Your law. Do not let us abhor those who speak Your truth to us, that we might repent and live. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son warns us against the danger of trusting in wealth and earthly goods. Give us hearts that are content with His promises and hands that are generous with our worldly possessions. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in kindness remember the president of our country, our Congress and justices, and all who bear office in this land. Protect them from the temptations of power and wealth that would lead them away from their calling. Make their service a blessing to our land and its people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, have pity on [_____________ and] all Your servants afflicted in body or soul. Satisfy them with Your steadfast love in Christ, and grant health and healing in accord with Your perfect will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, satisfy our longing hearts with Your steadfast love here in the feast of Christ’s body and blood, that we may rejoice and be glad in You all our days and into eternity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, for the faithful of every time and place who heard Your Word and held their confidence firm to the end. Keep us steadfast in the faith, that we may have our share with them in the eternal inheritance that You have promised; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
565 “Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ”
1 Thy works, not mine, O Christ,
Speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done,
They bid my fear depart. Refrain
ref To whom save Thee,
Who canst alone
For sin atone,
Lord, shall I flee?
2 Thy wounds, not mine, O Christ,
Can heal my bruisèd soul;
Thy stripes, not mine, contain
The balm that makes me whole. Refrain
3 Thy cross, not mine, O Christ,
Has borne the crushing load
Of sins that none could bear
But the incarnate God. Refrain
4 Thy death, not mine, O Christ,
Has paid the ransom due;
Ten thousand deaths like mine
Would have been all too few. Refrain
5 Thy righteousness, O Christ,
Alone can cover me;
No righteousness avails
Save that which is of Thee. Refrain
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89, alt.
Text: Public domain
753 “All for Christ I Have Forsaken”
1 All for Christ I have forsaken
And have taken up my cross;
Worldly joy, its fame and fortune,
Now I count as worthless dross.
2 Who is sweeter than Christ Jesus?
No good thing in Him I lack!
Hand to plow, at peace I follow
Where He leads me . . . why look back?
3 Gone the past, unknown the future--
Grace supplies my daily breath;
Strong in Christ through death’s dark valley,
Firm and faithful unto death.
4 When God takes me home to heaven,
Should this be the day I die,
God will keep my spouse and children
As the apple of His eye.
5 Though the road ahead be thorny,
Though dark clouds all light obscure,
Though my cross-shaped path grows steeper,
With the Lord, I am secure.
Text: Calvin Chao, 1906–96; tr. Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
OCTOBER 10TH – 13TH is our Annual Camping Trip. This year it is at the Coloma Resort which includes spending half a day at the Gold Discovery Days event. Seventeen campers are signed up for overnight stays. Those wishing to come just for a day are welcome to join us on Friday for the special event. If doing so, please add your name to the list on the church bulletin board and indicate “Day Tripper.” Thanks.
ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27TH at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 839, “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: O God, the Strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully
accept our prayer, and because through the weakness of our
mortal nature we can do no good thing without Your aid, grant
us the help of Your grace that, keeping Your commandments,
we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ,
Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29
4Now the rabble that was among [the children of Israel] had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. . . .
10Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”
16Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. . . .”
24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
26Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
EPISTLE LESSON James 5:13-20
13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 9:38-50
38John said to [Jesus], “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40For the one who is not against us is for us. 41For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
42“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 845, “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
SERMON “Removing the Scandal” Mark 9:38-50
Removing the Scandal – Mark 9:38-50
Hell is far worse than anything we can experience in this world. It is so terrifying that many people refuse to believe that it exists. Even more people believe that it so distressing that we should not talk about it. Today’s reading from Mark’s Gospel account forces us to talk about hell because Jesus talked about hell. He said, “It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:43, 45, 47-48) Jesus described hell with terms such as unquenchable fire and undying worms. He also said it was better to lose body parts than to enter hell with an intact body.
Jesus then spoke of one of the many reasons we deserve to go to hell. He spoke about causing someone or something to sin. Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. (Mark 9:42–46)
The Greek behind the phrase causing someone to sin is from the word that gives English the word “scandalize.” Whoever scandalizes one of these little ones who believe in me … If your hand scandalizes you … If your foot scandalizes you … If your eye scandalizes you … throw it into the sea. Cut it off. Gouge it out. Do whatever it takes to get rid of the scandal.
Imagine your surgeon holding up a slide from the CT-scan of your left kidney. He points to the very obvious growth and simply says, “This needs to come out.” In other words, “It is better for you to live with one kidney than to have both kidneys and die of cancer.” Jesus said that the “cause” of scandal in our lives needs to come out just like a cancerous kidney.
Notice also that Jesus used the word “if.” Although that word is only two letters long, it is very important. Yes, the eyes see the scandal. Yes, the feet take us to the scandal. Yes, the hands participate in the scandal. Nevertheless, are any of these body parts the root cause of the scandal? Jesus said that if they are, we should get rid of them. But did any of these body parts participate in the actual decision process that led to the scandal?
Ultimately, none of these body parts had any choice. It is the mind that interprets the information from the eye and distributes orders to the feet and the hands. The eyes, the feet, and the hands have no choice. It is the mind that is the true source of the scandal. In the Gospel reading from a few weeks ago, we heard Jesus say, “From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21–23) So it is our thoughts, feelings, desires, and so forth that are the true cause of scandal. And, if Jesus is right about removing the cause of scandal from our lives … and He is … then it is our inner being that has to go. That means that we must die.
It is at this point that I begin to wonder if Jesus hasn’t painted Himself into a corner. He has said that in order to enter eternal life, we must remove everything that scandalizes us, but at an earlier time in His ministry, He taught that main source of scandal is our inner being … our essence … the thing that makes me … me. Has Jesus really gotten us to the point that we must understand that God gives us eternal life by destroying the self? Has He really said that God gives us eternal life by putting us to death?
This is one of those marvelous paradoxes that God gives to us. In order to avoid death, we must die. It doesn’t sound right, does it? That is the reason that God must do the work of rescuing us from sin and death. It is God who must put us to death in such a way that we live forever.
The earlier words of Jesus give us a hint at how this might work. He said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9:42) While this is horrible, crushing law, there is also Gospel here if you know where to look.
Here is another hint. Consider the teaching of Martin Luther in the Small Catechism: What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Do you believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? Then you are one of those little ones who believes in Jesus. Do you also have a sinful nature that constantly leads you into scandal? Martin Luther often talked about that sinful nature and he called it the Old Adam. His words tell us to remember our baptism every day. Every day our baptism ties a stone around the neck of our old sinful nature and throws it into the deep waters of baptism.
Now, although people call us Lutherans, we don’t believe in something just because Martin Luther said so. Instead, we follow Martin Luther’s example and believe in things because we can find them in God’s Word … the Bible. So where did Luther get his teaching of drowning the Old Adam?
One of the places we find this teaching is in the words that the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to the Romans. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3–4)
The Apostle Paul then went on to say, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:5–11)
These words teach us that our old self … what Luther called the Old Adam … was crucified with Jesus. The sinful corruption that was already part of us at conception along with all the sins that we actually committed were crucified with Jesus. As Jesus hung on the cross, He took on all the guilt and the punishment of our sin. It all died with Him.
But Jesus did not stay dead. He rose from the dead and when He rose, He left our sin and its guilt in the grave. Since His body no longer carries our sin, it is immortal.
Our Baptism joins us to Christ so that we died with Jesus. But it also promises that we live with Him. We are now dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) Yes, we must pass through death, but, on the Last day, Jesus shall raise us just as He rose. “The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:52–53)
It is utterly impossible for us to cut off the true cause of scandal in our lives. Even if we killed ourselves, we would only accompany our scandal into the eternal punishment where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies. Only God can deal with the scandal in our lives. He has done this by sending His Son into the world to take up our human flesh and suffer the punishment of our scandal in Himself. Only in this way can He put us to death in order to give us eternal life.
In the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are already dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) We already have eternal life in Jesus, but we cannot experience it to its fullest while we live in this world. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17) Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away, Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all, Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
637, “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
521, “Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 730, “What Is the World to Me”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS, POST-SERVICE MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
OCTOBER 10TH – 13TH is our Annual Camping Trip. This year it is at the Coloma Resort which includes spending half a day at the Gold Discovery Days event. Seventeen campers are signed up for overnight stays. Those wishing to come just for a day are welcome to join us on Friday for the special event. If doing so, please add your name to the list on the church bulletin board and indicate “Day Tripper.” Thanks.
ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27TH at 4 p.m., there will be a Reformation Celebration for all congregations of the greater Sacramento area at Town and Country Lutheran Church (corner of Watt and Norris Avenues in NE Sacramento). The special guest speaker is Dr. Scott Stiegemeyer, professor of Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. All are invited to attend and bring along a friend (or two)!
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 29, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 839, “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: O God, the Strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully
accept our prayer, and because through the weakness of our
mortal nature we can do no good thing without Your aid, grant
us the help of Your grace that, keeping Your commandments,
we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ,
Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29
4Now the rabble that was among [the children of Israel] had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! 5We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. 6But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at. . . .
10Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the Lord blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. 11Moses said to the Lord, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? 12Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? 13Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ 14I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. 15If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”
16Then the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. . . .”
24So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
26Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!”
EPISTLE LESSON James 5:13-20
13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 9:38-50
38John said to [Jesus], “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40For the one who is not against us is for us. 41For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.
42“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 845, “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
SERMON “Removing the Scandal” Mark 9:38-50
Removing the Scandal – Mark 9:38-50
Hell is far worse than anything we can experience in this world. It is so terrifying that many people refuse to believe that it exists. Even more people believe that it so distressing that we should not talk about it. Today’s reading from Mark’s Gospel account forces us to talk about hell because Jesus talked about hell. He said, “It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’” (Mark 9:43, 45, 47-48) Jesus described hell with terms such as unquenchable fire and undying worms. He also said it was better to lose body parts than to enter hell with an intact body.
Jesus then spoke of one of the many reasons we deserve to go to hell. He spoke about causing someone or something to sin. Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. (Mark 9:42–46)
The Greek behind the phrase causing someone to sin is from the word that gives English the word “scandalize.” Whoever scandalizes one of these little ones who believe in me … If your hand scandalizes you … If your foot scandalizes you … If your eye scandalizes you … throw it into the sea. Cut it off. Gouge it out. Do whatever it takes to get rid of the scandal.
Imagine your surgeon holding up a slide from the CT-scan of your left kidney. He points to the very obvious growth and simply says, “This needs to come out.” In other words, “It is better for you to live with one kidney than to have both kidneys and die of cancer.” Jesus said that the “cause” of scandal in our lives needs to come out just like a cancerous kidney.
Notice also that Jesus used the word “if.” Although that word is only two letters long, it is very important. Yes, the eyes see the scandal. Yes, the feet take us to the scandal. Yes, the hands participate in the scandal. Nevertheless, are any of these body parts the root cause of the scandal? Jesus said that if they are, we should get rid of them. But did any of these body parts participate in the actual decision process that led to the scandal?
Ultimately, none of these body parts had any choice. It is the mind that interprets the information from the eye and distributes orders to the feet and the hands. The eyes, the feet, and the hands have no choice. It is the mind that is the true source of the scandal. In the Gospel reading from a few weeks ago, we heard Jesus say, “From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21–23) So it is our thoughts, feelings, desires, and so forth that are the true cause of scandal. And, if Jesus is right about removing the cause of scandal from our lives … and He is … then it is our inner being that has to go. That means that we must die.
It is at this point that I begin to wonder if Jesus hasn’t painted Himself into a corner. He has said that in order to enter eternal life, we must remove everything that scandalizes us, but at an earlier time in His ministry, He taught that main source of scandal is our inner being … our essence … the thing that makes me … me. Has Jesus really gotten us to the point that we must understand that God gives us eternal life by destroying the self? Has He really said that God gives us eternal life by putting us to death?
This is one of those marvelous paradoxes that God gives to us. In order to avoid death, we must die. It doesn’t sound right, does it? That is the reason that God must do the work of rescuing us from sin and death. It is God who must put us to death in such a way that we live forever.
The earlier words of Jesus give us a hint at how this might work. He said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9:42) While this is horrible, crushing law, there is also Gospel here if you know where to look.
Here is another hint. Consider the teaching of Martin Luther in the Small Catechism: What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.
Do you believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? Then you are one of those little ones who believes in Jesus. Do you also have a sinful nature that constantly leads you into scandal? Martin Luther often talked about that sinful nature and he called it the Old Adam. His words tell us to remember our baptism every day. Every day our baptism ties a stone around the neck of our old sinful nature and throws it into the deep waters of baptism.
Now, although people call us Lutherans, we don’t believe in something just because Martin Luther said so. Instead, we follow Martin Luther’s example and believe in things because we can find them in God’s Word … the Bible. So where did Luther get his teaching of drowning the Old Adam?
One of the places we find this teaching is in the words that the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to the Romans. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:3–4)
The Apostle Paul then went on to say, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:5–11)
These words teach us that our old self … what Luther called the Old Adam … was crucified with Jesus. The sinful corruption that was already part of us at conception along with all the sins that we actually committed were crucified with Jesus. As Jesus hung on the cross, He took on all the guilt and the punishment of our sin. It all died with Him.
But Jesus did not stay dead. He rose from the dead and when He rose, He left our sin and its guilt in the grave. Since His body no longer carries our sin, it is immortal.
Our Baptism joins us to Christ so that we died with Jesus. But it also promises that we live with Him. We are now dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) Yes, we must pass through death, but, on the Last day, Jesus shall raise us just as He rose. “The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:52–53)
It is utterly impossible for us to cut off the true cause of scandal in our lives. Even if we killed ourselves, we would only accompany our scandal into the eternal punishment where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dies. Only God can deal with the scandal in our lives. He has done this by sending His Son into the world to take up our human flesh and suffer the punishment of our scandal in Himself. Only in this way can He put us to death in order to give us eternal life.
In the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we are already dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) We already have eternal life in Jesus, but we cannot experience it to its fullest while we live in this world. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12) “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17) Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away, Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all, Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
637, “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
521, “Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 730, “What Is the World to Me”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS, POST-SERVICE MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 22, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Carla Lanz
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
T-O-D-A-Y: THERE IS A VOTERS’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs!
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 22, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 37:4–7
P Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, whose strength is made perfect in weakness, grant us humility and childlike faith that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 11:18–20
18The Lord made it known to me and I knew;
then you showed me their deeds.
19But I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
I did not know it was against me
they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.”
20But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously,
who tests the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 54
1O God, save me, | by your name,*
and vindicate me | by your might.
2O God, | hear my prayer;*
give ear to the words | of my mouth.
3For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men | seek my life;*
they do not set God be- | fore themselves.
4Behold, God is my | helper;*
the Lord is the upholder | of my life.
5He will return the evil to my | enemies;*
in your faithfulness put an | end to them.
6With a freewill offering I will sacri- | fice to you;*
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for | it is good.
7For he has delivered me from every | trouble,*
and my eye has looked in triumph on my | enemies.
Epistle James 3:13—4:10
13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 9:30–37
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the ninth chapter.
30[The disciples] went on from there and passed through Galilee. And [Jesus] did not want anyone to know, 31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 851 “Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us”
1 Lord of glory, You have bought us
With Your lifeblood as the price,
Never grudging for the lost ones
That tremendous sacrifice;
And with that have freely given
Blessings countless as the sand
To the_unthankful and the evil
With Your own unsparing hand.
2 Grant us hearts, dear Lord, to give You
Gladly, freely of Your own.
With the sunshine of Your goodness
Melt our thankless hearts of stone
Till our cold and selfish natures,
Warmed by You, at length believe
That more happy and more blessèd
’Tis to give than to receive.
3 Wondrous honor You have given
To our humblest charity
In Your own mysterious sentence,
“You have done it all to Me.”
Can it be, O gracious Master,
That You deign for alms to sue,
Saying by Your poor and needy,
“Give as I have giv’n to you”?
4 Lord of glory, You have bought us
With Your lifeblood as the price,
Never grudging for the lost ones
That tremendous sacrifice.
Give us faith to trust You boldly,
Hope, to stay our souls on You;
But, oh, best of all Your graces,
With Your love our love renew.
Text: Eliza S. Alderson, 1818–89, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Savior Who Serves” Mark 9:30-37
The Savior Who Serves – Mark 9:30-37
As we now make our way through the Gospel according to Mark, there is a change in focus. In fact, all four Gospel accounts have this change of focus. The beginning of the Gospel accounts focus on the teachings and signs that point to Jesus as the promised Messiah. These signs and teachings all fulfill the promises that He made through His prophets in the Old Testament. They certify that Jesus really is the Messiah sent from God. They make Him known to the multitudes.
There comes a point, however, when there is a change in focus as Jesus began to prepare His disciples for Good Friday. Over the past few Sundays, we have heard that Jesus began to seek solitude so that He could teach His disciples in a more private setting. He spent more time in Gentile territory in order to get away from the crowds. He still performed the signs, and He still proclaimed the Gospel, but His main focus was on preparing the disciples for His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. That is the reason He went to the areas of Tyre and Sidon, Caesarea Philippi, and the Decapolis. That is the reason today’s reading from Mark’s account of the Gospel begins with the words: “They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples.” (Mark 9:30–31)
All four Gospel accounts make it very clear that Jesus prepared His disciples for Good Friday by regularly teaching them about His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Today’s reading makes that very clear. He was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” (Mark 9:31) This is the focus of His teaching during those times when He had them off by themselves.
Now, although Jesus was being very clear, the disciples were not catching on. Today’s reading informs us that they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:32) This must have been very frustrating for Jesus, but before we get too hard on the disciples, remember that no one had ever done this before. There are accounts in the Old Testament of prophets raising OTHER people from the dead. Jesus Himself had raised people from the dead, but no one had come back from the dead under his own power. This was totally outside the disciples’ experience. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to understand Jesus, but they simply did not have the mental, emotional, or spiritual tools they needed to understand what Jesus said. So, let’s not be so arrogant that we think that we would have been any different if we had been there.
After the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to record Jesus’ teaching, He then inspired Mark to give an example of how clueless the disciples really were. We not only hear that the disciples did not understand, but we also have a record of an incident that demonstrated how much they did not understand. The disciples were debating among themselves about who was the greatest in the kingdom.
Think about it. When Jesus prayed to the Father in Gethsemane, He sweat drops of blood. Nevertheless, when He shared this intense fate with His disciples, their response was to discuss who was the greatest. Jesus was telling them about the single greatest event in the entire history of the world … salvation earned on the cross for all people. And they were debating who would be the leader of their little band when Jesus was gone. How embarrassing it must have been when Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” (Mark 9:33)
Jesus used this moment of embarrassment as an opportunity to teach them and us what it means to be a leader in His church. He sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) In God’s family, the leader serves. The one who is the highest makes himself the lowest. The leader in God’s family sacrifices not to get power, but to serve others.
Then to emphasize His point, He took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:36–37) Jesus connected the child to Himself and then connected both Himself and the child to our Father in Heaven. To receive a child is to receive God the Father Almighty.
The Greek word that is translated as child indicates a child whose age would be somewhere between pre-school and second grade. At that age most children can feed themselves, get dressed, understand simple sentences, and so forth, but we are still talking about an age when children still need a lot of help just to survive. This child can do a few things for himself, but for the most part, this child is pretty much helpless. The greatest serves the most helpless.
This is pretty much the opposite of the way the world thinks. From the time that Adam and Eve sinned until now, people have wanted power and control. People have thought that the greatest people controlled other people and forced them to serve. If we look at the other readings for today, we see that each of them talks about the problems we have because we always want people to serve us. In the Old Testament Lesson, people want to kill Jeremiah. In our epistle, James considers the reasons people fight. Through the entire Bible, people have had trouble with greed, power, and control.
We aren’t different today. Our culture praises people who are the best. Who is beautiful? Who is strong? Who is wealthy? Who has the most power? Sooner or later, we all fall to this temptation. We all want people to serve us and think that we are important.
The desire to be important doesn’t change with time. It is the reason Cain killed Abel. It is a deep part of our sinful nature. It attacks us from the day we enter the world until the day we die. So the things Jesus teaches His disciples are good for us also.
Sadly, today’s gospel is not the only time the disciples argued about who was the greatest in God’s kingdom. There was a time that Jesus told the disciples to go to a friend’s house and prepare for the Passover. When everyone arrived, the disciples began discussing who should wash the feet. You see they had been walking in the hot sun all day. Their feet were hot, sweaty, and dirty. It was the tradition for the host to have a servant wash the feet of His guests. None of the disciples wanted to do a servant’s work so no one was washing any feet. Then Jesus arrived and He washed their feet. It was one more way that He showed service to them.
Jesus continued to show service to the disciples and us beginning that very evening. He served you and me by allowing a band of soldiers to arrest Him so that He could endure a day of torture and shame as He took your sin to Himself and carried it to a cross and to death. He served you and me by enduring God’s holy wrath against our sin while He hung on that cross. He served you and me after His friends laid Him in a tomb by rising from the dead and proclaiming His victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil.
Jesus said that the greatest is the servant of all. Jesus is the greatest because He served the entire world by offering Himself up as the atonement for all our sins. Jesus still serves us as the Holy Spirit gives us forgiveness by the Gospel … the Gospel we hear in the Absolution and in preaching … the Gospel combined with the water of Holy Baptism … the Gospel combined with bread and wine as Jesus Himself enters us with His forgiveness, one mouth at a time.
Jesus, the greatest, serves us who are the most helpless … helpless in sin and facing death. We who would be great in our greed receive the generosity of a Savior who serves. Now that Jesus has served us with the ultimate service, He is able to work through us to serve others. He gives us the power to share His service with the people in our lives.
Ultimately, it is the desire of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to serve us with new, holy bodies that will rise from the dead just as He rose. On that day of resurrection, we will serve one another in perfect harmony and joy. Our service will be so perfect that it won’t even cross our minds to ask who is the greatest. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church—Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 22 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You have taken us from all nations and united us in the Body of Your Son. Send Your Holy Spirit to rid Your children of all bitter jealousy, boasting and selfish ambition. Fill the baptized with Your wisdom, that we may lead peaceable lives with sincerity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, give our Synod’s leaders and all pastors the wisdom that comes down from above, that they may be peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. Let them sow among us in peace, and grant a harvest of righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Uphold this world in Your order. Preserve the Church and the preaching of Your Word against all enemies. Bless our homes, that parents and children may serve one another faithfully and grow in instruction and faith until life’s end. Give health and wisdom to all who serve in public office, that their authority may be exercised for the benefit of our people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, in Your lovingkindness You do not abandon Your children to suffer alone but promise to care for all who call upon Your name. Bless the homebound, the lonely, the depressed and anxious, those preparing for surgery, the ill and the dying [and especially those who desire our prayers: _____________]. Comfort them in their distress, heal all their ills of body and soul, and grant them Your peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, Your Son was cut off from the land of the living on the tree of the cross, that we might eat and drink the fruit of His body and blood and live forever. Grant that we may worthily receive His Supper in remembrance of Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, grant that what we ask from You may not be squandered after our passions but sought rightly in faith, that we may receive them and put them into service for You and our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1 Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain
629 “What Is This Bread”
1 What is this bread?
Christ’s body risen from the dead:
This bread we break,
This life we take,
Was crushed to pay for our release.
O taste and see—the Lord is peace.
2 What is this wine?
The blood of Jesus shed for mine;
The cup of grace
Brings His embrace
Of life and love until I sing!
O taste and see—the Lord is King.
3 So who am I,
That I should live and He should die
Under the rod?
My God, my God,
Why have You not forsaken me?
O taste and see—the Lord is free.
4 Yet is God here?
Oh, yes! By Word and promise clear,
In mouth and soul
He makes us whole--
Christ, truly present in this meal.
O taste and see—the Lord is real.
5 Is this for me?
I am forgiven and set free!
I do believe
That I receive
His very body and His blood.
O taste and see—the Lord is good.
Text: Frederic W. Baue, 1946
Text: © 1991 Fred and Jean Baue. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 825 “Rise, Shine, You People”
1 Rise, shine, you people! Christ the Lord has entered
Our human story; God in Him is centered.
He comes to us, by death and sin surrounded,
With grace unbounded.
2 See how He sends the pow’rs of evil reeling;
He brings us freedom, light and life and healing.
All men and women, who by guilt are driven,
Now are forgiven.
3 Come, celebrate, your banners high unfurling,
Your songs and prayers against the darkness hurling.
To all the world go out and tell the story
Of Jesus’ glory.
4 Tell how the Father sent His Son to save us.
Tell of the Son, who life and freedom gave us.
Tell how the Spirit calls from ev’ry nation
His new creation.
Text: Ronald A. Klug, 1939, alt.
Text: © 1974 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 22, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Carla Lanz
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
T-O-D-A-Y: THERE IS A VOTERS’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs!
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 22, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 37:4–7
P Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, whose strength is made perfect in weakness, grant us humility and childlike faith that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 11:18–20
18The Lord made it known to me and I knew;
then you showed me their deeds.
19But I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
I did not know it was against me
they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit,
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.”
20But, O Lord of hosts, who judges righteously,
who tests the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 54
1O God, save me, | by your name,*
and vindicate me | by your might.
2O God, | hear my prayer;*
give ear to the words | of my mouth.
3For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men | seek my life;*
they do not set God be- | fore themselves.
4Behold, God is my | helper;*
the Lord is the upholder | of my life.
5He will return the evil to my | enemies;*
in your faithfulness put an | end to them.
6With a freewill offering I will sacri- | fice to you;*
I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for | it is good.
7For he has delivered me from every | trouble,*
and my eye has looked in triumph on my | enemies.
Epistle James 3:13—4:10
13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 9:30–37
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the ninth chapter.
30[The disciples] went on from there and passed through Galilee. And [Jesus] did not want anyone to know, 31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
33And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 851 “Lord of Glory, You Have Bought Us”
1 Lord of glory, You have bought us
With Your lifeblood as the price,
Never grudging for the lost ones
That tremendous sacrifice;
And with that have freely given
Blessings countless as the sand
To the_unthankful and the evil
With Your own unsparing hand.
2 Grant us hearts, dear Lord, to give You
Gladly, freely of Your own.
With the sunshine of Your goodness
Melt our thankless hearts of stone
Till our cold and selfish natures,
Warmed by You, at length believe
That more happy and more blessèd
’Tis to give than to receive.
3 Wondrous honor You have given
To our humblest charity
In Your own mysterious sentence,
“You have done it all to Me.”
Can it be, O gracious Master,
That You deign for alms to sue,
Saying by Your poor and needy,
“Give as I have giv’n to you”?
4 Lord of glory, You have bought us
With Your lifeblood as the price,
Never grudging for the lost ones
That tremendous sacrifice.
Give us faith to trust You boldly,
Hope, to stay our souls on You;
But, oh, best of all Your graces,
With Your love our love renew.
Text: Eliza S. Alderson, 1818–89, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Savior Who Serves” Mark 9:30-37
The Savior Who Serves – Mark 9:30-37
As we now make our way through the Gospel according to Mark, there is a change in focus. In fact, all four Gospel accounts have this change of focus. The beginning of the Gospel accounts focus on the teachings and signs that point to Jesus as the promised Messiah. These signs and teachings all fulfill the promises that He made through His prophets in the Old Testament. They certify that Jesus really is the Messiah sent from God. They make Him known to the multitudes.
There comes a point, however, when there is a change in focus as Jesus began to prepare His disciples for Good Friday. Over the past few Sundays, we have heard that Jesus began to seek solitude so that He could teach His disciples in a more private setting. He spent more time in Gentile territory in order to get away from the crowds. He still performed the signs, and He still proclaimed the Gospel, but His main focus was on preparing the disciples for His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. That is the reason He went to the areas of Tyre and Sidon, Caesarea Philippi, and the Decapolis. That is the reason today’s reading from Mark’s account of the Gospel begins with the words: “They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples.” (Mark 9:30–31)
All four Gospel accounts make it very clear that Jesus prepared His disciples for Good Friday by regularly teaching them about His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Today’s reading makes that very clear. He was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” (Mark 9:31) This is the focus of His teaching during those times when He had them off by themselves.
Now, although Jesus was being very clear, the disciples were not catching on. Today’s reading informs us that they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:32) This must have been very frustrating for Jesus, but before we get too hard on the disciples, remember that no one had ever done this before. There are accounts in the Old Testament of prophets raising OTHER people from the dead. Jesus Himself had raised people from the dead, but no one had come back from the dead under his own power. This was totally outside the disciples’ experience. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to understand Jesus, but they simply did not have the mental, emotional, or spiritual tools they needed to understand what Jesus said. So, let’s not be so arrogant that we think that we would have been any different if we had been there.
After the Holy Spirit inspired Mark to record Jesus’ teaching, He then inspired Mark to give an example of how clueless the disciples really were. We not only hear that the disciples did not understand, but we also have a record of an incident that demonstrated how much they did not understand. The disciples were debating among themselves about who was the greatest in the kingdom.
Think about it. When Jesus prayed to the Father in Gethsemane, He sweat drops of blood. Nevertheless, when He shared this intense fate with His disciples, their response was to discuss who was the greatest. Jesus was telling them about the single greatest event in the entire history of the world … salvation earned on the cross for all people. And they were debating who would be the leader of their little band when Jesus was gone. How embarrassing it must have been when Jesus asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” (Mark 9:33)
Jesus used this moment of embarrassment as an opportunity to teach them and us what it means to be a leader in His church. He sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) In God’s family, the leader serves. The one who is the highest makes himself the lowest. The leader in God’s family sacrifices not to get power, but to serve others.
Then to emphasize His point, He took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.” (Mark 9:36–37) Jesus connected the child to Himself and then connected both Himself and the child to our Father in Heaven. To receive a child is to receive God the Father Almighty.
The Greek word that is translated as child indicates a child whose age would be somewhere between pre-school and second grade. At that age most children can feed themselves, get dressed, understand simple sentences, and so forth, but we are still talking about an age when children still need a lot of help just to survive. This child can do a few things for himself, but for the most part, this child is pretty much helpless. The greatest serves the most helpless.
This is pretty much the opposite of the way the world thinks. From the time that Adam and Eve sinned until now, people have wanted power and control. People have thought that the greatest people controlled other people and forced them to serve. If we look at the other readings for today, we see that each of them talks about the problems we have because we always want people to serve us. In the Old Testament Lesson, people want to kill Jeremiah. In our epistle, James considers the reasons people fight. Through the entire Bible, people have had trouble with greed, power, and control.
We aren’t different today. Our culture praises people who are the best. Who is beautiful? Who is strong? Who is wealthy? Who has the most power? Sooner or later, we all fall to this temptation. We all want people to serve us and think that we are important.
The desire to be important doesn’t change with time. It is the reason Cain killed Abel. It is a deep part of our sinful nature. It attacks us from the day we enter the world until the day we die. So the things Jesus teaches His disciples are good for us also.
Sadly, today’s gospel is not the only time the disciples argued about who was the greatest in God’s kingdom. There was a time that Jesus told the disciples to go to a friend’s house and prepare for the Passover. When everyone arrived, the disciples began discussing who should wash the feet. You see they had been walking in the hot sun all day. Their feet were hot, sweaty, and dirty. It was the tradition for the host to have a servant wash the feet of His guests. None of the disciples wanted to do a servant’s work so no one was washing any feet. Then Jesus arrived and He washed their feet. It was one more way that He showed service to them.
Jesus continued to show service to the disciples and us beginning that very evening. He served you and me by allowing a band of soldiers to arrest Him so that He could endure a day of torture and shame as He took your sin to Himself and carried it to a cross and to death. He served you and me by enduring God’s holy wrath against our sin while He hung on that cross. He served you and me after His friends laid Him in a tomb by rising from the dead and proclaiming His victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil.
Jesus said that the greatest is the servant of all. Jesus is the greatest because He served the entire world by offering Himself up as the atonement for all our sins. Jesus still serves us as the Holy Spirit gives us forgiveness by the Gospel … the Gospel we hear in the Absolution and in preaching … the Gospel combined with the water of Holy Baptism … the Gospel combined with bread and wine as Jesus Himself enters us with His forgiveness, one mouth at a time.
Jesus, the greatest, serves us who are the most helpless … helpless in sin and facing death. We who would be great in our greed receive the generosity of a Savior who serves. Now that Jesus has served us with the ultimate service, He is able to work through us to serve others. He gives us the power to share His service with the people in our lives.
Ultimately, it is the desire of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ to serve us with new, holy bodies that will rise from the dead just as He rose. On that day of resurrection, we will serve one another in perfect harmony and joy. Our service will be so perfect that it won’t even cross our minds to ask who is the greatest. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church—Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 22 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You have taken us from all nations and united us in the Body of Your Son. Send Your Holy Spirit to rid Your children of all bitter jealousy, boasting and selfish ambition. Fill the baptized with Your wisdom, that we may lead peaceable lives with sincerity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, give our Synod’s leaders and all pastors the wisdom that comes down from above, that they may be peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere. Let them sow among us in peace, and grant a harvest of righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Uphold this world in Your order. Preserve the Church and the preaching of Your Word against all enemies. Bless our homes, that parents and children may serve one another faithfully and grow in instruction and faith until life’s end. Give health and wisdom to all who serve in public office, that their authority may be exercised for the benefit of our people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, in Your lovingkindness You do not abandon Your children to suffer alone but promise to care for all who call upon Your name. Bless the homebound, the lonely, the depressed and anxious, those preparing for surgery, the ill and the dying [and especially those who desire our prayers: _____________]. Comfort them in their distress, heal all their ills of body and soul, and grant them Your peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, Your Son was cut off from the land of the living on the tree of the cross, that we might eat and drink the fruit of His body and blood and live forever. Grant that we may worthily receive His Supper in remembrance of Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, grant that what we ask from You may not be squandered after our passions but sought rightly in faith, that we may receive them and put them into service for You and our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1 Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain
629 “What Is This Bread”
1 What is this bread?
Christ’s body risen from the dead:
This bread we break,
This life we take,
Was crushed to pay for our release.
O taste and see—the Lord is peace.
2 What is this wine?
The blood of Jesus shed for mine;
The cup of grace
Brings His embrace
Of life and love until I sing!
O taste and see—the Lord is King.
3 So who am I,
That I should live and He should die
Under the rod?
My God, my God,
Why have You not forsaken me?
O taste and see—the Lord is free.
4 Yet is God here?
Oh, yes! By Word and promise clear,
In mouth and soul
He makes us whole--
Christ, truly present in this meal.
O taste and see—the Lord is real.
5 Is this for me?
I am forgiven and set free!
I do believe
That I receive
His very body and His blood.
O taste and see—the Lord is good.
Text: Frederic W. Baue, 1946
Text: © 1991 Fred and Jean Baue. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 825 “Rise, Shine, You People”
1 Rise, shine, you people! Christ the Lord has entered
Our human story; God in Him is centered.
He comes to us, by death and sin surrounded,
With grace unbounded.
2 See how He sends the pow’rs of evil reeling;
He brings us freedom, light and life and healing.
All men and women, who by guilt are driven,
Now are forgiven.
3 Come, celebrate, your banners high unfurling,
Your songs and prayers against the darkness hurling.
To all the world go out and tell the story
Of Jesus’ glory.
4 Tell how the Father sent His Son to save us.
Tell of the Son, who life and freedom gave us.
Tell how the Spirit calls from ev’ry nation
His new creation.
Text: Ronald A. Klug, 1939, alt.
Text: © 1974 Augsburg Publishing House, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 15, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Steve Broach
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, there will be a voters’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs! There are flyers about the event on the table in the Fellowship Room.
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 15, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 819, “Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good”
1 Sing praise to God, the highest good,
The author of creation,
The God of love who understood
Our need for His salvation.
With healing balm our souls He fills
And ev’ry faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory!
2 What God’s almighty pow’r has made,
In mercy He is keeping.
By morning glow or evening shade
His eye is never sleeping.
Within the kingdom of His might
All things are just and good and right:
To God all praise and glory!
3 We sought the Lord in our distress;
O God, in mercy hear us.
Our Savior saw our helplessness
And came with peace to cheer us.
For this we thank and praise the Lord,
Who is by one and all adored:
To God all praise and glory!
4 He never shall forsake His flock,
His chosen generation;
He is their refuge and their rock,
Their peace and their salvation.
As with a mother’s tender hand,
He leads His own, His chosen band:
To God all praise and glory!
5 All who confess Christ’s holy name,
Give God the praise and glory.
Let all who know His pow’r proclaim
Aloud the wondrous story.
Cast ev’ry idol from its throne,
For God is God, and He alone:
To God all praise and glory!
Text: Johann Jacob Schütz, 1640–90; (sts. 1–3, 5): tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, adapt.; (st. 4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, adapt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Isaiah 50:4–10
L A reading from Isaiah, chapter 50.
4The Lord God has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught.
5The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
6I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
7But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
8He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
9Behold, the Lord God helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
10Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading James 3:1–12
L A reading from James, chapter 3.
1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 9:14–29
L A reading from St. Mark, chapter 9.
14When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to [Jesus] and greeted him. 16And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken] LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn: 849, “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness”
1 Praise the One who breaks the darkness
With a liberating light;
Praise the One who frees the pris’ners,
Turning blindness into sight.
Praise the One who preached the Gospel,
Healing ev’ry dread disease,
Calming storms, and feeding thousands
With the very Bread of peace.
2 Praise the One who blessed the children
With a strong, yet gentle, word;
Praise the One who drove out demons
With the piercing, two-edged sword.
Praise the One who brings cool water
To the desert’s burning sand;
From this Well comes living water,
Quenching thirst in ev’ry land.
3 Let us praise the Word Incarnate,
Christ, who suffered in our place.
Jesus died and rose victorious
That we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness,
Seeing what our God has done;
Let us praise the true Redeemer,
Praise the One who makes us one.
Text: Rusty Edwards, 1955
Text: © 1987 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Help Our Unbelief” Mark 9:14-29
Help Our Unbelief – Mark 9:14-29
The paragraph before today’s reading from the Gospel according to Mark begins with these words: “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.” (Mark 9:2–3) This is the beginning of the account of the Transfiguration that we heard at the end of the Epiphany season last February. This means that Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John, were on their way back from the Transfiguration at the beginning of today’s reading. The other nine disciples were at the foot of the mountain waiting for their return. While they were waiting a father brought his son to see Jesus. An evil spirit tormented the son, and the father wanted Jesus to remove it.
If a father came to you with this request, you would have every right to be more than a little bit bewildered. On the other hand, the disciples should have been able to help this father and his son. The difference is that earlier in His ministry, Jesus had appointed the twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. (Mark 3:14–15) Jesus has not given this authority to you in the same way that He gave it to His disciples. The disciples had received this authority and so they should have been able to drive the evil spirit out of the boy. Nevertheless, they were unable to help this boy.
There were also critics waiting for Jesus to come down from the mountain. By this time in His ministry, the scribes and Pharisees always sent a few of their people to keep an eye on Jesus. So when the disciples failed to drive the demon out of the boy, a few of those critics began to debate the disciples about the best way to drive out demons. When Jesus came with Peter, James, and John and returned to the other disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. (Mark 9:14)
Jesus asked what the problem was and the father came forward and answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” (Mark 9:17–18)
Jesus expressed His disappointment with the disciples in rather strong terms. He said, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” (Mark 9:19) Jesus had given the disciples authority over demons and they did not trust His promise. His primary frustration was the disciples’ lack of faith.
When they brought the boy to Jesus, the demon’s response reminds us that every demon knows who Jesus is. “When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.” (Mark 9:20) It is just as the Apostle James wrote; “The demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19) The evil spirit in the boy was terrified of Jesus. Although the demon believed in Jesus, it was the faith that knew an eternal future of punishment.
The father also had a kind of faith. It was the faith of desperation. It was as if he was thinking, “I’ve tried everything else and I’ve got nothing to lose by trying Jesus.” He said, “… But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (Mark 9:22) The father had enough faith to bring his boy to Jesus, but it was the faith of desperation.
Jesus’ rebuke of the boy’s father is gentler than His rebuke of the disciples, but it is still a rebuke. Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23) The father trusted in his past experiences. Everything he had tried before had failed. He expected disappointment once again.
The lack of faith in the disciples and the father represent the two possibilities for the faith that comes by human power. The disciples began to have faith in past success. The father began to have faith in past failures.
The disciples had at one time been able to drive out demons, but now they could not. Like many people who have success, they began to believe that the success was the result of their own skill and ability. They had begun to rely on their own power instead of the true source of power, God. Like many people who experience God’s blessing, they began to forget about God.
The father had faith in a different kind of experience. No one had been able to heal his son. He had placed his faith in many earthly cures and been disappointed. When he asked for help, the disappointments of the past came through. He said, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The world had disappointed him so many times that his request had no confidence. He expected disappointment once again.
The struggles that the disciples and the father had with faith demonstrate the war that the devil, the world, and even our own sinful flesh constantly wage against us. One of their strategies is to convince us that we are responsible for our own faith … that our relationship with Jesus depends on our decision to accept Christ.
The possibility that any part of salvation, including our faith, depends on us usually produces one of two possible reactions … self-deception and despair. Despair asks: “Is my faith strong enough;” “Am I really sincere;” “What happens to my faith when I fall asleep;” “What happens to faith during surgery;” and so forth. If you really are responsible for your own faith then you must be ready for every possibility. On the other hand, self-deception simply refuses to think about all these problems and proceeds in ignorance.
The truth is that if our faith truly did depend on us, we would never have it. The Apostle Paul reminds us that “you were dead in the trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) Dead people can do nothing much less work up any kind of faith. He also wrote, “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:7) From this we learn that not only is it impossible for anyone to produce faith within themselves, but the person without faith is hostile to God.
The only way out of this is for the Holy Spirit to put our old sinful nature to death. When Jesus drove the unclean spirit out of the boy He said, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.” (Mark 9:25–27) The corpse-like appearance of the boy reminds us that the Old Adam in us must die with all sins and evil desires. Then, just as Jesus took the boy by the hand and raised him, the Holy Spirit must bring forth a new man in us.
The faith that the Holy Spirit brings to life in us is a faith in Jesus … the same Jesus who drove the demon from the boy in today’s Gospel. Just as Jesus was the only solution for the demon-possessed son, so also Jesus is the only solution for us. Just as Jesus dealt with the demon in today’s Gospel, He also deals with the sin in us. He does not ask us to work off our own sin. Instead, He worked off our sins for us. He took our sins onto Himself and then carried them to the cross. He took the punishment of our sins on Himself so that we do not have to suffer for them. He conquered sin with His suffering and death and then conquered death by rising from the grave. Now He offers the cure for sin to all mankind. This Jesus is the object of the faith that the Holy Spirit gives to us as He drowns the Old Adam and brings the new man to life in us.
This brings us back again to the father’s prayer: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) When we Christians pray this prayer, we acknowledge that our faith is weak and we can do nothing to maintain it let alone strengthen it. We are crying out to God from our utter helplessness and begging Him to keep us in the one, true faith until He comes to take us home to Himself in heaven.
The Holy Spirit works to give us a faith that believes in God’s grace, not in our own works. He calls us to believe in the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He calls us to believe in the one who drives out demons and gives us true life instead. He calls us to believe in Jesus Christ. The faith that comes from within us will fail. The faith that comes from the world will fail. Only the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith in Jesus Christ will last forever. And only through that faith will Jesus give us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church—Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - 15 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, we believe; help our unbelief! Sustain us through the many troubles and trials of this world. When unclean spirits afflict us and those that we love, revive our trust in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, You have given Your beloved Son the tongue of one who is taught, that He may know how to sustain with a word those who are weary. Prosper in every place the preaching of Your Gospel. By Your Spirit, enable Your pastors to proclaim the Word with clarity and joy, and by the same Spirit open the ears of Your children to believe it with gladness and action. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guard the tongues of our governing authorities, [especially _____________,] that they may not stumble in what they say, but speak wisely, leading in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have promised that “all things are possible for one who believes.” In such faith, we bring before You _____________ and all others in need, asking You to grant them health and healing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, we know that Your Son is near in His Holy Supper, giving in His body and blood His saving righteousness for the forgiveness of sins. Grant repentance and faith to all who come to His table, that they may welcome Him with joy, praying, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken] LSB 227
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
554, “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful”
1 O Jesus, King most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found:
2 When once You visit darkened hearts,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanity departs,
Then kindles love divine.
3 O Jesus, light of all below,
The fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
All that we can desire:
4 May ev’ry heart confess Your name,
Forever You adore,
And, seeking You, itself inflame
To seek You more and more!
5 Oh, may our tongues forever bless,
May we love You alone
And ever in our lives express
The image of Your own!
Text: attr. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091–1153; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
784, “Take My Life and Let It Be”
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Lord Jesus Christ, our support and defense in every need, continue to preserve Your Church in safety, govern her by Your goodness, and bless her with Your peace; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 846 “Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old”
1 Your hand, O Lord, in days of old
Was strong to heal and save;
It triumphed over ills and death,
O’er darkness and the grave.
To You they came, the blind, the mute,
The palsied and the lame,
The lepers in their misery,
The sick with fevered frame.
2 Your touch then, Lord, brought life and health,
Gave speech and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and frenzy calmed
Revealed You, Lord of light.
And now, O Lord, be near to bless,
Almighty as before,
In crowded street, by beds of pain,
As by Gennes’ret’s shore.
3 O be our great deliv’rer still,
The Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless,
With Your life-giving breath.
To hands that work and eyes that see
Give wisdom’s healing pow’r
That whole and sick and weak and strong
May praise You evermore.
Text: Edward H. Plumptre, 1821–91, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 15, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Steve Broach
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay at 10 a.m., with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, there will be a voters’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs! There are flyers about the event on the table in the Fellowship Room.
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 15, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 819, “Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good”
1 Sing praise to God, the highest good,
The author of creation,
The God of love who understood
Our need for His salvation.
With healing balm our souls He fills
And ev’ry faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory!
2 What God’s almighty pow’r has made,
In mercy He is keeping.
By morning glow or evening shade
His eye is never sleeping.
Within the kingdom of His might
All things are just and good and right:
To God all praise and glory!
3 We sought the Lord in our distress;
O God, in mercy hear us.
Our Savior saw our helplessness
And came with peace to cheer us.
For this we thank and praise the Lord,
Who is by one and all adored:
To God all praise and glory!
4 He never shall forsake His flock,
His chosen generation;
He is their refuge and their rock,
Their peace and their salvation.
As with a mother’s tender hand,
He leads His own, His chosen band:
To God all praise and glory!
5 All who confess Christ’s holy name,
Give God the praise and glory.
Let all who know His pow’r proclaim
Aloud the wondrous story.
Cast ev’ry idol from its throne,
For God is God, and He alone:
To God all praise and glory!
Text: Johann Jacob Schütz, 1640–90; (sts. 1–3, 5): tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, adapt.; (st. 4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, adapt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Isaiah 50:4–10
L A reading from Isaiah, chapter 50.
4The Lord God has given me
the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
he awakens my ear
to hear as those who are taught.
5The Lord God has opened my ear,
and I was not rebellious;
I turned not backward.
6I gave my back to those who strike,
and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face
from disgrace and spitting.
7But the Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame.
8He who vindicates me is near.
Who will contend with me?
Let us stand up together.
Who is my adversary?
Let him come near to me.
9Behold, the Lord God helps me;
who will declare me guilty?
Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment;
the moth will eat them up.
10Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the voice of his servant?
Let him who walks in darkness
and has no light
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on his God.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading James 3:1–12
L A reading from James, chapter 3.
1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 9:14–29
L A reading from St. Mark, chapter 9.
14When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to [Jesus] and greeted him. 16And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. 18And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” 19And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23And Jesus said to him, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken] LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn: 849, “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness”
1 Praise the One who breaks the darkness
With a liberating light;
Praise the One who frees the pris’ners,
Turning blindness into sight.
Praise the One who preached the Gospel,
Healing ev’ry dread disease,
Calming storms, and feeding thousands
With the very Bread of peace.
2 Praise the One who blessed the children
With a strong, yet gentle, word;
Praise the One who drove out demons
With the piercing, two-edged sword.
Praise the One who brings cool water
To the desert’s burning sand;
From this Well comes living water,
Quenching thirst in ev’ry land.
3 Let us praise the Word Incarnate,
Christ, who suffered in our place.
Jesus died and rose victorious
That we may know God by grace.
Let us sing for joy and gladness,
Seeing what our God has done;
Let us praise the true Redeemer,
Praise the One who makes us one.
Text: Rusty Edwards, 1955
Text: © 1987 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Help Our Unbelief” Mark 9:14-29
Help Our Unbelief – Mark 9:14-29
The paragraph before today’s reading from the Gospel according to Mark begins with these words: “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.” (Mark 9:2–3) This is the beginning of the account of the Transfiguration that we heard at the end of the Epiphany season last February. This means that Jesus, along with Peter, James, and John, were on their way back from the Transfiguration at the beginning of today’s reading. The other nine disciples were at the foot of the mountain waiting for their return. While they were waiting a father brought his son to see Jesus. An evil spirit tormented the son, and the father wanted Jesus to remove it.
If a father came to you with this request, you would have every right to be more than a little bit bewildered. On the other hand, the disciples should have been able to help this father and his son. The difference is that earlier in His ministry, Jesus had appointed the twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. (Mark 3:14–15) Jesus has not given this authority to you in the same way that He gave it to His disciples. The disciples had received this authority and so they should have been able to drive the evil spirit out of the boy. Nevertheless, they were unable to help this boy.
There were also critics waiting for Jesus to come down from the mountain. By this time in His ministry, the scribes and Pharisees always sent a few of their people to keep an eye on Jesus. So when the disciples failed to drive the demon out of the boy, a few of those critics began to debate the disciples about the best way to drive out demons. When Jesus came with Peter, James, and John and returned to the other disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. (Mark 9:14)
Jesus asked what the problem was and the father came forward and answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able.” (Mark 9:17–18)
Jesus expressed His disappointment with the disciples in rather strong terms. He said, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” (Mark 9:19) Jesus had given the disciples authority over demons and they did not trust His promise. His primary frustration was the disciples’ lack of faith.
When they brought the boy to Jesus, the demon’s response reminds us that every demon knows who Jesus is. “When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth.” (Mark 9:20) It is just as the Apostle James wrote; “The demons believe—and shudder!” (James 2:19) The evil spirit in the boy was terrified of Jesus. Although the demon believed in Jesus, it was the faith that knew an eternal future of punishment.
The father also had a kind of faith. It was the faith of desperation. It was as if he was thinking, “I’ve tried everything else and I’ve got nothing to lose by trying Jesus.” He said, “… But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (Mark 9:22) The father had enough faith to bring his boy to Jesus, but it was the faith of desperation.
Jesus’ rebuke of the boy’s father is gentler than His rebuke of the disciples, but it is still a rebuke. Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23) The father trusted in his past experiences. Everything he had tried before had failed. He expected disappointment once again.
The lack of faith in the disciples and the father represent the two possibilities for the faith that comes by human power. The disciples began to have faith in past success. The father began to have faith in past failures.
The disciples had at one time been able to drive out demons, but now they could not. Like many people who have success, they began to believe that the success was the result of their own skill and ability. They had begun to rely on their own power instead of the true source of power, God. Like many people who experience God’s blessing, they began to forget about God.
The father had faith in a different kind of experience. No one had been able to heal his son. He had placed his faith in many earthly cures and been disappointed. When he asked for help, the disappointments of the past came through. He said, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The world had disappointed him so many times that his request had no confidence. He expected disappointment once again.
The struggles that the disciples and the father had with faith demonstrate the war that the devil, the world, and even our own sinful flesh constantly wage against us. One of their strategies is to convince us that we are responsible for our own faith … that our relationship with Jesus depends on our decision to accept Christ.
The possibility that any part of salvation, including our faith, depends on us usually produces one of two possible reactions … self-deception and despair. Despair asks: “Is my faith strong enough;” “Am I really sincere;” “What happens to my faith when I fall asleep;” “What happens to faith during surgery;” and so forth. If you really are responsible for your own faith then you must be ready for every possibility. On the other hand, self-deception simply refuses to think about all these problems and proceeds in ignorance.
The truth is that if our faith truly did depend on us, we would never have it. The Apostle Paul reminds us that “you were dead in the trespasses and sins.” (Ephesians 2:1) Dead people can do nothing much less work up any kind of faith. He also wrote, “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.” (Romans 8:7) From this we learn that not only is it impossible for anyone to produce faith within themselves, but the person without faith is hostile to God.
The only way out of this is for the Holy Spirit to put our old sinful nature to death. When Jesus drove the unclean spirit out of the boy He said, “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again. And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, ‘He is dead.’ But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.” (Mark 9:25–27) The corpse-like appearance of the boy reminds us that the Old Adam in us must die with all sins and evil desires. Then, just as Jesus took the boy by the hand and raised him, the Holy Spirit must bring forth a new man in us.
The faith that the Holy Spirit brings to life in us is a faith in Jesus … the same Jesus who drove the demon from the boy in today’s Gospel. Just as Jesus was the only solution for the demon-possessed son, so also Jesus is the only solution for us. Just as Jesus dealt with the demon in today’s Gospel, He also deals with the sin in us. He does not ask us to work off our own sin. Instead, He worked off our sins for us. He took our sins onto Himself and then carried them to the cross. He took the punishment of our sins on Himself so that we do not have to suffer for them. He conquered sin with His suffering and death and then conquered death by rising from the grave. Now He offers the cure for sin to all mankind. This Jesus is the object of the faith that the Holy Spirit gives to us as He drowns the Old Adam and brings the new man to life in us.
This brings us back again to the father’s prayer: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) When we Christians pray this prayer, we acknowledge that our faith is weak and we can do nothing to maintain it let alone strengthen it. We are crying out to God from our utter helplessness and begging Him to keep us in the one, true faith until He comes to take us home to Himself in heaven.
The Holy Spirit works to give us a faith that believes in God’s grace, not in our own works. He calls us to believe in the one who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He calls us to believe in the one who drives out demons and gives us true life instead. He calls us to believe in Jesus Christ. The faith that comes from within us will fail. The faith that comes from the world will fail. Only the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith in Jesus Christ will last forever. And only through that faith will Jesus give us forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church—Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost - 15 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, we believe; help our unbelief! Sustain us through the many troubles and trials of this world. When unclean spirits afflict us and those that we love, revive our trust in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, You have given Your beloved Son the tongue of one who is taught, that He may know how to sustain with a word those who are weary. Prosper in every place the preaching of Your Gospel. By Your Spirit, enable Your pastors to proclaim the Word with clarity and joy, and by the same Spirit open the ears of Your children to believe it with gladness and action. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guard the tongues of our governing authorities, [especially _____________,] that they may not stumble in what they say, but speak wisely, leading in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have promised that “all things are possible for one who believes.” In such faith, we bring before You _____________ and all others in need, asking You to grant them health and healing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, we know that Your Son is near in His Holy Supper, giving in His body and blood His saving righteousness for the forgiveness of sins. Grant repentance and faith to all who come to His table, that they may welcome Him with joy, praying, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.” Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken] LSB 227
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
554, “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful”
1 O Jesus, King most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found:
2 When once You visit darkened hearts,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanity departs,
Then kindles love divine.
3 O Jesus, light of all below,
The fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
All that we can desire:
4 May ev’ry heart confess Your name,
Forever You adore,
And, seeking You, itself inflame
To seek You more and more!
5 Oh, may our tongues forever bless,
May we love You alone
And ever in our lives express
The image of Your own!
Text: attr. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091–1153; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
784, “Take My Life and Let It Be”
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Lord Jesus Christ, our support and defense in every need, continue to preserve Your Church in safety, govern her by Your goodness, and bless her with Your peace; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 846 “Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old”
1 Your hand, O Lord, in days of old
Was strong to heal and save;
It triumphed over ills and death,
O’er darkness and the grave.
To You they came, the blind, the mute,
The palsied and the lame,
The lepers in their misery,
The sick with fevered frame.
2 Your touch then, Lord, brought life and health,
Gave speech and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and frenzy calmed
Revealed You, Lord of light.
And now, O Lord, be near to bless,
Almighty as before,
In crowded street, by beds of pain,
As by Gennes’ret’s shore.
3 O be our great deliv’rer still,
The Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless,
With Your life-giving breath.
To hands that work and eyes that see
Give wisdom’s healing pow’r
That whole and sick and weak and strong
May praise You evermore.
Text: Edward H. Plumptre, 1821–91, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 8, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay, with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, there will be a voters’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs! There are flyers about the event on the table in the Fellowship Room.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 528, “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 35:4-7a
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON James 2:1-10, 14-18
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:31-37
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 797, “Praise the Almighty”
SERMON “Hearing Jesus” Mark 7:31-37
Hearing Jesus – Mark 7:31-37
Every so often, the chemistry and physics classes I took when in college cause me to marvel at the wonders of Almighty God. This starts right off in Genesis 1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1–3) There is just all kinds of amazing stuff happening in these few short verses.
When I consider that simple phrase, God said, “Let there be light,” I have to wonder how that happened. Talking normally travels as sound from mouth to ear. Sound can travel in solids, liquids, and gasses, but it cannot travel in a vacuum. Nevertheless, when God said, “Let there be light,” God had not yet created any solids, liquids, or gasses to carry His voice. Furthermore, there were no ears to hear His voice. Even the light that He called forth did not yet exist.
Think about it. God spoke when there was nothing to carry His voice. He spoke to something that did not exist. Nevertheless, when He spoke, the thing He commanded happened. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. This shows that God’s Word has power and authority that far exceeds our understanding.
Most of the time we take the power of the Word of God for granted. How often do we think that light, air, water, the earth beneath our feet, gravity, and everything else that we have in our existence is there because God said it should be there. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to the Hebrews to say, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:1–3) and “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) The Bible makes it very clear that the universe exists because of the power of the Word of God.
The Gospel according to John begins by telling us that this very Word of God entered our world and took on human flesh in order to make us Sons of God. The Holy Spirit inspired John to write, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) and “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12–13) These words teach us that Jesus is the very Word of God in human flesh who has come to make us His adopted brothers and sisters and children of God.
The event we recently heard about in this morning’s Gospel tells us even more about the power of this Word of God in human flesh. Today’s reading tells us that He gave hearing and speech to a deaf man. The Holy Spirit inspired Mark to inform us that this sign happened in Gentile territory … the region of Tyre and Sidon, and the region of the Decapolis. This account shows us that Jesus did not just come to save the Jews, but He also came to save Gentiles.
Jesus, who is the Word of God, once again demonstrated that His word is still able to command something that does not exist. The man’s hearing did not exist. Nevertheless, Jesus spoke to him. He said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” (Mark 7:34–35) In the beginning, God spoke to the light that did not exist and the light came into being. In the Gospel we recently heard, God spoke to hearing that did not exist and it also came into being.
Note that Jesus did not simply give the sense of hearing to the man. If that was all He did, then the man would have had to listen to people for a long time before he could interpret the sounds as words. It would take even more time for this man to learn to reproduce those words with clear speech. When Jesus gave hearing to the man, He did not just give the sense of hearing, but He also gave him the understanding to hear and speak intelligent words. Jesus made it as though this man had had a sense of hearing for his entire life.
It is by the Word of His power that Jesus creates, and His creation is very good. It is by the Word of His power that Jesus heals, and His healing is complete. It is by the word of His power that Jesus saves, and His salvation is eternal.
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to explain the connection between salvation and the word of God as he wrote to the church in Rome. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:13–15, 17) The Word of Christ speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. It is this faith that receives the eternal salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross.
There is yet another way that we see the power of God’s Word in today’s Gospel. This time, it is the power of God’s Word in the mouth of people. How did the friends know that Jesus was able to give hearing to the deaf man? Jesus did not spend a lot of time in these Gentile areas. Someone, somewhere, somehow had shared the Word of God with these people. Somehow the story of Jesus had reached clear up to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Somehow the story of Jesus had traveled clear over to the area of the Decapolis. Even if it was only neighborhood gossip, the Holy Spirit had used the Holy Spirit used the Word of God to cause these friends to bring the deaf man to Jesus.
You are also here in this building by the power of the Word of God. Faithful brothers and sisters shared the Word of God with their friends and their sons and their daughters. From mouth to ear, across the lands, down through the generations, the Word of God spread and the Holy Spirit used that Word to work faith in those who heard it. Eventually the power of that word came to your ear. That is the reason you are here … in this place … to receive the gifts that Jesus purchased for you with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
The Holy Spirit eliminates barriers with the Word and tells us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. As the Holy Spirit works through the Word we learn that our sin separates us from God, but that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross takes away our sins. We learn that His resurrection from the dead opens up the way to everlasting life. Through the Word, Christ reveals Himself to us. In that revelation, He also reveals the Father and the Holy Spirit and shows us God’s salvation. The Holy Spirit uses this knowledge to make that salvation personal through His gift of faith.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to the water of Holy Baptism, He joins us to Christ in that crucifixion so that the price He paid for sin is credited to us. By joining us to the death of Christ, the Holy Spirit also joins us to His resurrection. We become brothers of Christ and sons of God. We have the right and privilege to come before God, confess our sins, and receive the enduring comfort of the forgiveness of our sins. We become heirs to eternal life in heaven.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to bread and wine, Jesus Himself comes to us in the body He gave for us and in the blood He shed for us. As we take Him into our mouths, He feeds our souls. He strengthens our faith in Him. He has promised us that this sacrament is ours for the forgiveness of sins and with the forgiveness of sins comes life and salvation.
God’s process for sustaining Christ’s church in this world is amazing. Just as friends brought the deaf man to Jesus, so also God works through His people to bring His Word into our lives. He brings this word to our ears. He uses the wet Word of Holy Baptism to join us to Christ. Then the Word made flesh comes to us in the Bread and Wine of the Lord’s Table. The Holy Spirit works through this Word to work faith in us and bring us into the Church.
Now that we have the Word of God, we also have the authority to ask people to do the impossible. We can tell people about Jesus and the work He did to earn salvation for them. Then we can invite people and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Even though no one can believe in Jesus Christ by their own reason or strength, we trust the promise of Christ that the Holy Spirit will work wherever the Word of God is present. The Augsburg Confession expresses this very well: “Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.” (AC: I, art. v)
As the Holy Spirit sustains us in the one, true faith, He sends us into the world to confess the faith he has given to us and so in this way to spread His Word throughout the World. As we confess our faith to family, friends, associates, and all the other people in our lives, He has promised to use our confession to bring others before Christ for healing – the healing that produces faith and delivers forgiveness. In this amazingly crazy way, the Word of Christ still speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church—Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 8 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, by Your Spirit open our deaf ears to hear Your Word, that our tongues would be released to proclaim with zeal how Your Son has done all things well. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, You have commanded Your Church to take the Word of life to the ends of the earth. Strengthen and support all who travel to foreign lands on behalf of the Church’s mission. Give them wisdom and courage as they tell others about Christ. Bless their hearers with hearts that are receptive to Your gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, help parents to raise up their children to know You as their help and hope, that they may not put their trust in princes in whom there is no salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we place our hope in You and ask Your blessing on _____________ and all rulers, that their plans would be ordered for the welfare of those they govern and that You would execute Your justice for the oppressed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, graciously behold the sick and those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give us a humble and urgent faith that would beg even for crumbs from Your Son’s table, that as Your children we may receive the fullness of the feast He gives in His body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, create and sustain in us a lively faith in Christ Jesus, and lead us by Your Spirit to be active in all good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Source of all life and the life that never ends, receive our prayers this day in the name of Your beloved Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymn-- no. 545, “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
no. 852, “O God of Mercy, God of Might”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 924, “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 8, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
THE WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY group meets the first and third Thursdays at Depoe Bay, with an activity on the fourth Thursday. For more information, please speak with Barb Whitley.
ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd, there will be a voters’ meeting following the worship service and refreshment time. AND after the meeting a BBQ with ribs, hamburgers, and other food, will be offered. All are welcome to attend the meeting (even if you aren’t a voting member) and the BBQ following the meeting at approximately 11:30 a.m. You won’t want to miss the ribs! There are flyers about the event on the table in the Fellowship Room.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 528, “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 35:4-7a
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON James 2:1-10, 14-18
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:31-37
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 797, “Praise the Almighty”
SERMON “Hearing Jesus” Mark 7:31-37
Hearing Jesus – Mark 7:31-37
Every so often, the chemistry and physics classes I took when in college cause me to marvel at the wonders of Almighty God. This starts right off in Genesis 1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1–3) There is just all kinds of amazing stuff happening in these few short verses.
When I consider that simple phrase, God said, “Let there be light,” I have to wonder how that happened. Talking normally travels as sound from mouth to ear. Sound can travel in solids, liquids, and gasses, but it cannot travel in a vacuum. Nevertheless, when God said, “Let there be light,” God had not yet created any solids, liquids, or gasses to carry His voice. Furthermore, there were no ears to hear His voice. Even the light that He called forth did not yet exist.
Think about it. God spoke when there was nothing to carry His voice. He spoke to something that did not exist. Nevertheless, when He spoke, the thing He commanded happened. God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. This shows that God’s Word has power and authority that far exceeds our understanding.
Most of the time we take the power of the Word of God for granted. How often do we think that light, air, water, the earth beneath our feet, gravity, and everything else that we have in our existence is there because God said it should be there. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired the writer to the Hebrews to say, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:1–3) and “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) The Bible makes it very clear that the universe exists because of the power of the Word of God.
The Gospel according to John begins by telling us that this very Word of God entered our world and took on human flesh in order to make us Sons of God. The Holy Spirit inspired John to write, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) and “To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12–13) These words teach us that Jesus is the very Word of God in human flesh who has come to make us His adopted brothers and sisters and children of God.
The event we recently heard about in this morning’s Gospel tells us even more about the power of this Word of God in human flesh. Today’s reading tells us that He gave hearing and speech to a deaf man. The Holy Spirit inspired Mark to inform us that this sign happened in Gentile territory … the region of Tyre and Sidon, and the region of the Decapolis. This account shows us that Jesus did not just come to save the Jews, but He also came to save Gentiles.
Jesus, who is the Word of God, once again demonstrated that His word is still able to command something that does not exist. The man’s hearing did not exist. Nevertheless, Jesus spoke to him. He said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.” (Mark 7:34–35) In the beginning, God spoke to the light that did not exist and the light came into being. In the Gospel we recently heard, God spoke to hearing that did not exist and it also came into being.
Note that Jesus did not simply give the sense of hearing to the man. If that was all He did, then the man would have had to listen to people for a long time before he could interpret the sounds as words. It would take even more time for this man to learn to reproduce those words with clear speech. When Jesus gave hearing to the man, He did not just give the sense of hearing, but He also gave him the understanding to hear and speak intelligent words. Jesus made it as though this man had had a sense of hearing for his entire life.
It is by the Word of His power that Jesus creates, and His creation is very good. It is by the Word of His power that Jesus heals, and His healing is complete. It is by the word of His power that Jesus saves, and His salvation is eternal.
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to explain the connection between salvation and the word of God as he wrote to the church in Rome. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ … So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:13–15, 17) The Word of Christ speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. It is this faith that receives the eternal salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross.
There is yet another way that we see the power of God’s Word in today’s Gospel. This time, it is the power of God’s Word in the mouth of people. How did the friends know that Jesus was able to give hearing to the deaf man? Jesus did not spend a lot of time in these Gentile areas. Someone, somewhere, somehow had shared the Word of God with these people. Somehow the story of Jesus had reached clear up to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Somehow the story of Jesus had traveled clear over to the area of the Decapolis. Even if it was only neighborhood gossip, the Holy Spirit had used the Holy Spirit used the Word of God to cause these friends to bring the deaf man to Jesus.
You are also here in this building by the power of the Word of God. Faithful brothers and sisters shared the Word of God with their friends and their sons and their daughters. From mouth to ear, across the lands, down through the generations, the Word of God spread and the Holy Spirit used that Word to work faith in those who heard it. Eventually the power of that word came to your ear. That is the reason you are here … in this place … to receive the gifts that Jesus purchased for you with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.
The Holy Spirit eliminates barriers with the Word and tells us of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. As the Holy Spirit works through the Word we learn that our sin separates us from God, but that Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross takes away our sins. We learn that His resurrection from the dead opens up the way to everlasting life. Through the Word, Christ reveals Himself to us. In that revelation, He also reveals the Father and the Holy Spirit and shows us God’s salvation. The Holy Spirit uses this knowledge to make that salvation personal through His gift of faith.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to the water of Holy Baptism, He joins us to Christ in that crucifixion so that the price He paid for sin is credited to us. By joining us to the death of Christ, the Holy Spirit also joins us to His resurrection. We become brothers of Christ and sons of God. We have the right and privilege to come before God, confess our sins, and receive the enduring comfort of the forgiveness of our sins. We become heirs to eternal life in heaven.
When the Holy Spirit joins the Word to bread and wine, Jesus Himself comes to us in the body He gave for us and in the blood He shed for us. As we take Him into our mouths, He feeds our souls. He strengthens our faith in Him. He has promised us that this sacrament is ours for the forgiveness of sins and with the forgiveness of sins comes life and salvation.
God’s process for sustaining Christ’s church in this world is amazing. Just as friends brought the deaf man to Jesus, so also God works through His people to bring His Word into our lives. He brings this word to our ears. He uses the wet Word of Holy Baptism to join us to Christ. Then the Word made flesh comes to us in the Bread and Wine of the Lord’s Table. The Holy Spirit works through this Word to work faith in us and bring us into the Church.
Now that we have the Word of God, we also have the authority to ask people to do the impossible. We can tell people about Jesus and the work He did to earn salvation for them. Then we can invite people and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” (Acts 16:31) Even though no one can believe in Jesus Christ by their own reason or strength, we trust the promise of Christ that the Holy Spirit will work wherever the Word of God is present. The Augsburg Confession expresses this very well: “Through the Word and Sacraments, as through instruments, the Holy Spirit is given. He works faith, when and where it pleases God, in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who believe that they are received into grace for Christ’s sake. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.” (AC: I, art. v)
As the Holy Spirit sustains us in the one, true faith, He sends us into the world to confess the faith he has given to us and so in this way to spread His Word throughout the World. As we confess our faith to family, friends, associates, and all the other people in our lives, He has promised to use our confession to bring others before Christ for healing – the healing that produces faith and delivers forgiveness. In this amazingly crazy way, the Word of Christ still speaks to a faith that does not exist and brings it into being. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church—Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 8 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, by Your Spirit open our deaf ears to hear Your Word, that our tongues would be released to proclaim with zeal how Your Son has done all things well. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, You have commanded Your Church to take the Word of life to the ends of the earth. Strengthen and support all who travel to foreign lands on behalf of the Church’s mission. Give them wisdom and courage as they tell others about Christ. Bless their hearers with hearts that are receptive to Your gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, help parents to raise up their children to know You as their help and hope, that they may not put their trust in princes in whom there is no salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we place our hope in You and ask Your blessing on _____________ and all rulers, that their plans would be ordered for the welfare of those they govern and that You would execute Your justice for the oppressed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, graciously behold the sick and those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give us a humble and urgent faith that would beg even for crumbs from Your Son’s table, that as Your children we may receive the fullness of the feast He gives in His body and blood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, create and sustain in us a lively faith in Christ Jesus, and lead us by Your Spirit to be active in all good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Source of all life and the life that never ends, receive our prayers this day in the name of Your beloved Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymn-- no. 545, “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
no. 852, “O God of Mercy, God of Might”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 924, “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 1, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn. The ladies’ study meets on the first and third Thursdays and has an activity on the fourth Thursday.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 1, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 869 “With the Lord Begin Your Task”
1 With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For His aid and counsel ask;
Jesus will perfect it.
Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise,
And when day is ended,
In His name then close your eyes;
Be to Him commended.
2 Let each day begin with prayer,
Praise, and adoration.
On the Lord cast ev’ry care;
He is your salvation.
Morning, evening, and at night
Jesus will be near you,
Save you from the tempter’s might,
With His presence cheer you.
3 With your Savior at your side,
Foes need not alarm you;
In His promises confide,
And no ill can harm you.
All your trust and hope repose
In the mighty Master,
Who in wisdom truly knows
How to stem disaster.
4 If your task be thus begun
With the Savior’s blessing,
Safely then your course will run,
Toward the promise pressing.
Good will follow ev’rywhere
While you here must wander;
You at last the joy will share
In the mansions yonder.
5 Thus, Lord Jesus, ev’ry task
Be to You commended;
May Your will be done, I ask,
Until life is ended.
Jesus, in Your name begun
Be the day’s endeavor;
Grant that it may well be done
To Your praise forever.
Text: Morgen- und Abend-segen, 1734, Waldenburg; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890–1950, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 51:2, 7, 10–12
P Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Kyrie [sung] LSB 204
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Gloria in Excelsis [sung] LSB 204
C 1 To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth;
Goodwill from God in heaven
Proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father;
Your holy name, we sing--
Our thanks for Your great glory,
Lord God, our heav’nly King.
2 To You, O sole-begotten,
The Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior,
You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus;
Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated
At God’s right hand on high--
3 For You alone are holy;
You only are the Lord.
Forever and forever,
Be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit
Alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory.
“Amen!” our glad reply.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the source of all that is just and good, nourish in us every virtue and bring to completion every good intent that we may grow in grace and bring forth the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–9
1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the just decrees that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. . . .
6Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8And what great nation is there, that has statutes and just decrees so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
9“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:129–136
Pe
129Your testimonies are | wonderful;*
therefore my soul | keeps them.
130The unfolding of your | words gives light;*
it imparts understanding to the | simple.
131I open my | mouth and pant,*
because I long for your com- | mandments.
132Turn to me and be gra- | cious to me,*
as is your way with those who | love your name.
133Keep steady my steps according to your | promise,*
and let no iniquity get dominion | over me.
134Redeem me from man’s op- | pression,*
that I may keep your | precepts.
135Make your face shine upon your | servant,*
and teach me your | statutes.
136My eyes shed | streams of tears,*
because people do not | keep your law.
Epistle Ephesians 6:10–20
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse [sung] LSB 205
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
C These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel Mark 7:14–23
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the seventh chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
14[Jesus] called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 566 “By Grace I’m Saved”
1 By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No! Then this word must true remain:
By grace you too will life obtain.
2 By grace! None dare lay claim to merit;
Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer,
Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone,
And we are saved by grace alone.
3 By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought Him from His heav’nly throne.
4 By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
As long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in His Word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done
Depends on grace—grace through His Son.
5 By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?
6 By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.
Text: Christian Ludwig Scheidt, 1709–61; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us?” Mk 7:14-23
What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us? – Mark 7:14-23
We first heard the phrase, “The Force” many years ago. But you can still hear people using it, as in “May the Force be with you.” The phrase actually goes back to 1977 when George Lucas released the first of the Star Wars series of movies. At the time, he simply called it Star Wars, but most fans may now know it now by the title of the latest installment, Star Wars: The Acolyte. The movies have been an incredible success and made a lot of money for a lot of people.
One of the early plot devices was something called “The Force.” People who were strong in “The Force” were basically wizards. They could anticipate other people’s actions, move objects with their minds, control other people’s thoughts, and so forth. Using “The Force” required a great deal of training and skill.
Proper control of “The Force” depended a lot on feelings. The trainers were constantly telling the learners to search their feelings … trust their feelings … feel, don’t think … trust your instincts … and so forth. Eventually, the main character learned to trust his feelings … control “The Force” … win the day … and become a hero.
All of this trusting in instincts and feelings makes for a fun movie. It is great fiction, and the movies are very popular. Unfortunately, there are people who believe that trusting your feelings and instincts works in real life. This is especially sad when it comes to making choices between right and wrong. People think that if they follow their heart, it will always lead them in the right way.
Jesus taught the exact opposite. He said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20–23) According to Jesus, following your heart is a very dangerous thing to do.
The book of Judges in the Old Testament gives an account of some of the deepest, darkest, most immoral days of Israel. Cruelty, obscenity, and hardness of heart all reach their deepest depths in this book. The book of Judges ends with these words of judgment, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25) Some of the most horrible things described in the Bible were considered right at that time because people judged by what was right in their own eyes. This is just another way of saying that they were following their heart.
If we take a few moments to think about it, it makes sense that it is dangerous to trust our feelings as a guide to the ultimate truth. Think about it. Do you feel the same every day? If your feelings change from day to day, does that mean that the truth changes from day to day? What about other peoples’ feelings? If you interview a hundred people on any given topic, the odds are pretty good that you will get three or four different feelings on that topic. If you interview those exact same hundred people a year later, their feelings will change. Many of them won’t agree with the answer they gave the previous year. Think about it … honestly … do you really want to stake your eternity on a feeling that you have … a feeling that might change tomorrow … a feeling that varies from person to person?
This is probably one of the biggest problems in the world today. People base their ideas of right and wrong on philosophies that come from within. They don’t ask, “Is this the right thing to do?” Instead, they ask, “Does this seem right … to me?” “Does this make me happy?” “Does this give me pleasure?” It is all about what makes me feel good … today. Our society thinks this is good, healthy, wholesome, and so forth.
On the other hand, Jesus says, “… evil things come from within …” The Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Jeremiah to say, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) After the flood, the Lord Himself said, “… For the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth …” (Genesis 8:21) Our culture wants you to believe that what comes from inside of you is basically good. The Bible tells us that man is actually evil to the core.
I don’t know about you, but this teaching frightens me. It means that while I live in this sin-filled world, I carry a traitor around inside of me. Jesus says that deep down in my heart is a source of evil, not good. Jesus says that I can’t trust my heart for good. I can’t trust my heart for truth. Jesus basically says that I can’t trust my heart – that my heart is a traitor within me. I carry within me a deep core of rotten filth that is my sin. It is terrifying for Jesus to tell me that my own heart betrays me.
The most frightening aspect of this rotten sin within me is that I can do nothing about it. Every righteous deed I try to do … every pure thought I try to have is polluted by the evil that is within me. I cannot help myself because my own heart betrays me and works tirelessly to drag me down to hell. What hope do I have against such a severe traitor? I would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation by a salvation that is beyond me – outside of me – greater than me.
The introit for this morning was part of the cry of David as he called out for rescue from this sinful condition. King David had followed his traitorous heart. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his finest and most loyal army officers. Then he murdered that army officer in an empty attempt to cover up his adultery.
What was his prayer when his pastor, Nathan the prophet, uncovered his horrible sin? We have his words in Psalm 51. In this psalm, David finally did the only honest thing a sinner can do before Almighty God. He pled guilty to all the charges leveled against him and threw himself on the mercy of the court. He begged Almighty God to kill his old sinful heart and create a new clean heart within him. This psalm is a psalm we all need to pray.
God has already answered this prayer that we pray with David. He sent His Son Christ Jesus into the world to take up our human flesh. Since Jesus is the Son of God and was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, He was born with a clean heart. He experienced all the temptations we experience, but He never sinned. Instead He took the sin of our hearts onto Himself and carried it to the cross. As He hung on that cross, He paid the price that God’s justice demands of our sin. He suffered the punishment of hell in our place for us. We know that the price He paid was more than enough because the grave could not hold Him. His resurrection from the dead shows us that God is now ready to create a clean heart in each of us.
In order to create a clean heart in us, God first puts the old, filthy, toxic, sinful heart to death. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3) and “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6) and “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) God works … not from the inside … but from the external Word to drown our old sinful nature.
He then works in us to create that new, clean heart for which we prayed. Again, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5) and “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8) When the Holy Spirit plants faith in us, He does a heart transplant. He removes our filthy hearts of sin and replaces them with new, clean hearts.
Now, although we have new, clean hearts, we still live in a sinful world. Temptations still attack us from all directions, and we often suffer defeat. That is when our new hearts convict us of sin and drive us back to the cross. There we once again confess our sins and receive forgiveness for all our sins. In this way, God keeps our new heart clean until He takes us away from this world of sin. On that day, the angels will carry us to His side in Heaven. There we shall wait for the Last Day when He will raise the dead and take all who believe in Him into eternal life. In that new earth, we shall never be sinful again.
Each and every one of us was born with a toxic heart. It was a heart that loved sin and hated God. Over time our continuous sinning only made our hearts blacker and more toxic. There was no way that we can trust such hearts to guide us in the truth. Instead, God took our filthy, sinful hearts and destroyed them at the cross. Now through Holy Baptism, He gives us newly created hearts – hearts that fear, love and trust in Him above all things – hearts that turn to Him in time of trouble – and when temptations overwhelm us, hearts that confess our sin in the sure and certain knowledge that God loves us for Christ’s sake and will forgive us. These are new hearts that will live with Him in heaven and rejoice before His throne forever. These are the new hearts that God has created in us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church—Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost -- 1 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, be near us with Your Word and Spirit. Guide and lead us, that we may not stray from the way of Your commandments nor forget the wonderful blessings that You have given to us. Direct us always with Your Word of truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember, kind Father, the preachers of Your Word. Keep them from adding to it or taking from it. Give them grace to proclaim Your whole counsel in Christ Jesus. Raise up new laborers for Your harvest fields, and prosper Your Law and promises throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all knowledge and wisdom, grant us to know You and Your love. Bless pastors and teachers, parents and grandparents, and all teachers of the faith, that we may grow up into You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, look with compassion on our nation and all who bear public office. Give them wisdom, courage and integrity. Destroy and hinder in our common life whatever is not pleasing to You, and bless and prosper whatever accords with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, bring health and healing to Your people. We pray for everyone in need of Your mercy today [including _____________]. Strengthen them with Your Word of grace, that they would look to You for comfort in the midst of suffering and pain. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, we thank You that Christ has given His body and blood into death for our forgiveness. Bless us as we receive this same body and blood in His Holy Sacrament, remembering and proclaiming with joy the salvation He accomplished for us in His death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we offer You our thanks and praise for Your servants who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Bring us with them to the unspeakable joys of Your new heavens and new earth at the day of our Savior’s glorious appearing. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus [sung] LSB 208
C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;
Heav’n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;
Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei [sung] LSB 210
C 1 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray.
2 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ,
And grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
569 “In Adam We Have All Been One”
1 In Adam we have all been one,
One huge rebellious man;
We all have fled that evening voice
That sought us as we ran.
2 We fled Thee, and in losing Thee
We lost our brother too;
Each singly sought and claimed his own;
Each man his brother slew.
3 But Thy strong love, it sought us still
And sent Thine only Son
That we might hear His Shepherd’s voice
And, hearing Him, be one.
4 O Thou who, when we loved Thee not,
Didst love and save us all,
Thou great Good Shepherd of mankind,
O hear us when we call.
5 Send us Thy Spirit, teach us truth;
Thou Son, O set us free
From fancied wisdom, self-sought ways,
To make us one in Thee.
D 6 Then shall our song united rise
To Thine eternal throne,
Where with the Father evermore
And Spirit Thou art one.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
567 “Not What These Hands Have Done”
1 Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
2 Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
3 Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
4 Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.
5 Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
6 I bless the Christ of God,
I rest on love divine,
And with unfalt’ring lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis [sung] LSB 211
C 1 O Lord, now let Your servant
Depart in heav’nly peace,
For I have seen the glory
Of Your redeeming grace:
A light to lead the Gentiles
Unto Your holy hill,
The glory of Your people,
Your chosen Israel.
2 All glory to the Father,
All glory to the Son,
All glory to the Spirit,
Forever Three in One;
For as in the beginning,
Is now, shall ever be,
God’s triune name resounding
Through all eternity.
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 662 “Onward, Christian Soldiers”
1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle
See His banners go! Refrain
ref Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
2 Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod.
We are not divided,
All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity. Refrain
3 Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never
’Gainst that Church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise,
And that cannot fail. Refrain
4 Onward, then, ye faithful,
Join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the king;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing. Refrain
Text: Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834–1924, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, followed by Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 1, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. The men’s study is held weekly except on holidays.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will be held on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn. The ladies’ study meets on the first and third Thursdays and has an activity on the fourth Thursday.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 1, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 869 “With the Lord Begin Your Task”
1 With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For His aid and counsel ask;
Jesus will perfect it.
Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise,
And when day is ended,
In His name then close your eyes;
Be to Him commended.
2 Let each day begin with prayer,
Praise, and adoration.
On the Lord cast ev’ry care;
He is your salvation.
Morning, evening, and at night
Jesus will be near you,
Save you from the tempter’s might,
With His presence cheer you.
3 With your Savior at your side,
Foes need not alarm you;
In His promises confide,
And no ill can harm you.
All your trust and hope repose
In the mighty Master,
Who in wisdom truly knows
How to stem disaster.
4 If your task be thus begun
With the Savior’s blessing,
Safely then your course will run,
Toward the promise pressing.
Good will follow ev’rywhere
While you here must wander;
You at last the joy will share
In the mansions yonder.
5 Thus, Lord Jesus, ev’ry task
Be to You commended;
May Your will be done, I ask,
Until life is ended.
Jesus, in Your name begun
Be the day’s endeavor;
Grant that it may well be done
To Your praise forever.
Text: Morgen- und Abend-segen, 1734, Waldenburg; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890–1950, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 51:2, 7, 10–12
P Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Kyrie [sung] LSB 204
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Gloria in Excelsis [sung] LSB 204
C 1 To God on high be glory
And peace to all the earth;
Goodwill from God in heaven
Proclaimed at Jesus’ birth!
We praise and bless You, Father;
Your holy name, we sing--
Our thanks for Your great glory,
Lord God, our heav’nly King.
2 To You, O sole-begotten,
The Father’s Son, we pray;
O Lamb of God, our Savior,
You take our sins away.
Have mercy on us, Jesus;
Receive our heartfelt cry,
Where You in pow’r are seated
At God’s right hand on high--
3 For You alone are holy;
You only are the Lord.
Forever and forever,
Be worshiped and adored;
You with the Holy Spirit
Alone are Lord Most High,
In God the Father’s glory.
“Amen!” our glad reply.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the source of all that is just and good, nourish in us every virtue and bring to completion every good intent that we may grow in grace and bring forth the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 4:1–2, 6–9
1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the just decrees that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. . . .
6Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8And what great nation is there, that has statutes and just decrees so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
9“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:129–136
Pe
129Your testimonies are | wonderful;*
therefore my soul | keeps them.
130The unfolding of your | words gives light;*
it imparts understanding to the | simple.
131I open my | mouth and pant,*
because I long for your com- | mandments.
132Turn to me and be gra- | cious to me,*
as is your way with those who | love your name.
133Keep steady my steps according to your | promise,*
and let no iniquity get dominion | over me.
134Redeem me from man’s op- | pression,*
that I may keep your | precepts.
135Make your face shine upon your | servant,*
and teach me your | statutes.
136My eyes shed | streams of tears,*
because people do not | keep your law.
Epistle Ephesians 6:10–20
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse [sung] LSB 205
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
C These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel Mark 7:14–23
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the seventh chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
14[Jesus] called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 566 “By Grace I’m Saved”
1 By grace I’m saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Has Scripture ever falsehood taught?
No! Then this word must true remain:
By grace you too will life obtain.
2 By grace! None dare lay claim to merit;
Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in His love sent our Redeemer,
Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone,
And we are saved by grace alone.
3 By grace God’s Son, our only Savior,
Came down to earth to bear our sin.
Was it because of your own merit
That Jesus died your soul to win?
No, it was grace, and grace alone,
That brought Him from His heav’nly throne.
4 By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
As long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in His Word our God commands,
Our faith in what our God has done
Depends on grace—grace through His Son.
5 By grace to timid hearts that tremble,
In tribulation’s furnace tried,
By grace, in spite of fear and trouble,
The Father’s heart is open wide.
Where could I help and strength secure
If grace were not my anchor sure?
6 By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying;
In Jesus’ promise I rejoice;
For though I know my heart’s condition,
I also know my Savior’s voice.
My heart is glad, all grief has flown
Since I am saved by grace alone.
Text: Christian Ludwig Scheidt, 1709–61; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us?” Mk 7:14-23
What Defiles Us? Who Alone Can Save Us? – Mark 7:14-23
We first heard the phrase, “The Force” many years ago. But you can still hear people using it, as in “May the Force be with you.” The phrase actually goes back to 1977 when George Lucas released the first of the Star Wars series of movies. At the time, he simply called it Star Wars, but most fans may now know it now by the title of the latest installment, Star Wars: The Acolyte. The movies have been an incredible success and made a lot of money for a lot of people.
One of the early plot devices was something called “The Force.” People who were strong in “The Force” were basically wizards. They could anticipate other people’s actions, move objects with their minds, control other people’s thoughts, and so forth. Using “The Force” required a great deal of training and skill.
Proper control of “The Force” depended a lot on feelings. The trainers were constantly telling the learners to search their feelings … trust their feelings … feel, don’t think … trust your instincts … and so forth. Eventually, the main character learned to trust his feelings … control “The Force” … win the day … and become a hero.
All of this trusting in instincts and feelings makes for a fun movie. It is great fiction, and the movies are very popular. Unfortunately, there are people who believe that trusting your feelings and instincts works in real life. This is especially sad when it comes to making choices between right and wrong. People think that if they follow their heart, it will always lead them in the right way.
Jesus taught the exact opposite. He said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20–23) According to Jesus, following your heart is a very dangerous thing to do.
The book of Judges in the Old Testament gives an account of some of the deepest, darkest, most immoral days of Israel. Cruelty, obscenity, and hardness of heart all reach their deepest depths in this book. The book of Judges ends with these words of judgment, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21:25) Some of the most horrible things described in the Bible were considered right at that time because people judged by what was right in their own eyes. This is just another way of saying that they were following their heart.
If we take a few moments to think about it, it makes sense that it is dangerous to trust our feelings as a guide to the ultimate truth. Think about it. Do you feel the same every day? If your feelings change from day to day, does that mean that the truth changes from day to day? What about other peoples’ feelings? If you interview a hundred people on any given topic, the odds are pretty good that you will get three or four different feelings on that topic. If you interview those exact same hundred people a year later, their feelings will change. Many of them won’t agree with the answer they gave the previous year. Think about it … honestly … do you really want to stake your eternity on a feeling that you have … a feeling that might change tomorrow … a feeling that varies from person to person?
This is probably one of the biggest problems in the world today. People base their ideas of right and wrong on philosophies that come from within. They don’t ask, “Is this the right thing to do?” Instead, they ask, “Does this seem right … to me?” “Does this make me happy?” “Does this give me pleasure?” It is all about what makes me feel good … today. Our society thinks this is good, healthy, wholesome, and so forth.
On the other hand, Jesus says, “… evil things come from within …” The Holy Spirit inspired the prophet Jeremiah to say, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9) After the flood, the Lord Himself said, “… For the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth …” (Genesis 8:21) Our culture wants you to believe that what comes from inside of you is basically good. The Bible tells us that man is actually evil to the core.
I don’t know about you, but this teaching frightens me. It means that while I live in this sin-filled world, I carry a traitor around inside of me. Jesus says that deep down in my heart is a source of evil, not good. Jesus says that I can’t trust my heart for good. I can’t trust my heart for truth. Jesus basically says that I can’t trust my heart – that my heart is a traitor within me. I carry within me a deep core of rotten filth that is my sin. It is terrifying for Jesus to tell me that my own heart betrays me.
The most frightening aspect of this rotten sin within me is that I can do nothing about it. Every righteous deed I try to do … every pure thought I try to have is polluted by the evil that is within me. I cannot help myself because my own heart betrays me and works tirelessly to drag me down to hell. What hope do I have against such a severe traitor? I would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation by a salvation that is beyond me – outside of me – greater than me.
The introit for this morning was part of the cry of David as he called out for rescue from this sinful condition. King David had followed his traitorous heart. He committed adultery with the wife of one of his finest and most loyal army officers. Then he murdered that army officer in an empty attempt to cover up his adultery.
What was his prayer when his pastor, Nathan the prophet, uncovered his horrible sin? We have his words in Psalm 51. In this psalm, David finally did the only honest thing a sinner can do before Almighty God. He pled guilty to all the charges leveled against him and threw himself on the mercy of the court. He begged Almighty God to kill his old sinful heart and create a new clean heart within him. This psalm is a psalm we all need to pray.
God has already answered this prayer that we pray with David. He sent His Son Christ Jesus into the world to take up our human flesh. Since Jesus is the Son of God and was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, He was born with a clean heart. He experienced all the temptations we experience, but He never sinned. Instead He took the sin of our hearts onto Himself and carried it to the cross. As He hung on that cross, He paid the price that God’s justice demands of our sin. He suffered the punishment of hell in our place for us. We know that the price He paid was more than enough because the grave could not hold Him. His resurrection from the dead shows us that God is now ready to create a clean heart in each of us.
In order to create a clean heart in us, God first puts the old, filthy, toxic, sinful heart to death. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3) and “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6) and “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24) God works … not from the inside … but from the external Word to drown our old sinful nature.
He then works in us to create that new, clean heart for which we prayed. Again, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to say, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) and “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” (Romans 6:5) and “If we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8) When the Holy Spirit plants faith in us, He does a heart transplant. He removes our filthy hearts of sin and replaces them with new, clean hearts.
Now, although we have new, clean hearts, we still live in a sinful world. Temptations still attack us from all directions, and we often suffer defeat. That is when our new hearts convict us of sin and drive us back to the cross. There we once again confess our sins and receive forgiveness for all our sins. In this way, God keeps our new heart clean until He takes us away from this world of sin. On that day, the angels will carry us to His side in Heaven. There we shall wait for the Last Day when He will raise the dead and take all who believe in Him into eternal life. In that new earth, we shall never be sinful again.
Each and every one of us was born with a toxic heart. It was a heart that loved sin and hated God. Over time our continuous sinning only made our hearts blacker and more toxic. There was no way that we can trust such hearts to guide us in the truth. Instead, God took our filthy, sinful hearts and destroyed them at the cross. Now through Holy Baptism, He gives us newly created hearts – hearts that fear, love and trust in Him above all things – hearts that turn to Him in time of trouble – and when temptations overwhelm us, hearts that confess our sin in the sure and certain knowledge that God loves us for Christ’s sake and will forgive us. These are new hearts that will live with Him in heaven and rejoice before His throne forever. These are the new hearts that God has created in us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: HEAR OUR PRAYER.
Prayer of the Church—Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost -- 1 September 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, be near us with Your Word and Spirit. Guide and lead us, that we may not stray from the way of Your commandments nor forget the wonderful blessings that You have given to us. Direct us always with Your Word of truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Remember, kind Father, the preachers of Your Word. Keep them from adding to it or taking from it. Give them grace to proclaim Your whole counsel in Christ Jesus. Raise up new laborers for Your harvest fields, and prosper Your Law and promises throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all knowledge and wisdom, grant us to know You and Your love. Bless pastors and teachers, parents and grandparents, and all teachers of the faith, that we may grow up into You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, look with compassion on our nation and all who bear public office. Give them wisdom, courage and integrity. Destroy and hinder in our common life whatever is not pleasing to You, and bless and prosper whatever accords with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, bring health and healing to Your people. We pray for everyone in need of Your mercy today [including _____________]. Strengthen them with Your Word of grace, that they would look to You for comfort in the midst of suffering and pain. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, we thank You that Christ has given His body and blood into death for our forgiveness. Bless us as we receive this same body and blood in His Holy Sacrament, remembering and proclaiming with joy the salvation He accomplished for us in His death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we offer You our thanks and praise for Your servants who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Bring us with them to the unspeakable joys of Your new heavens and new earth at the day of our Savior’s glorious appearing. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus [sung] LSB 208
C Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth adored;
Heav’n and earth with full acclaim shout the glory of Your name.
Sing hosanna in the highest, sing hosanna to the Lord;
Truly blest is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei [sung] LSB 210
C 1 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
Have mercy on us, Lord, we pray.
2 O Jesus Christ, true Lamb of God,
You take the sin of the world away;
Have mercy on us, Jesus Christ,
And grant us peace, O Lord, we pray.
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
569 “In Adam We Have All Been One”
1 In Adam we have all been one,
One huge rebellious man;
We all have fled that evening voice
That sought us as we ran.
2 We fled Thee, and in losing Thee
We lost our brother too;
Each singly sought and claimed his own;
Each man his brother slew.
3 But Thy strong love, it sought us still
And sent Thine only Son
That we might hear His Shepherd’s voice
And, hearing Him, be one.
4 O Thou who, when we loved Thee not,
Didst love and save us all,
Thou great Good Shepherd of mankind,
O hear us when we call.
5 Send us Thy Spirit, teach us truth;
Thou Son, O set us free
From fancied wisdom, self-sought ways,
To make us one in Thee.
D 6 Then shall our song united rise
To Thine eternal throne,
Where with the Father evermore
And Spirit Thou art one.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
567 “Not What These Hands Have Done”
1 Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
2 Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
3 Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
4 Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.
5 Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
6 I bless the Christ of God,
I rest on love divine,
And with unfalt’ring lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis [sung] LSB 211
C 1 O Lord, now let Your servant
Depart in heav’nly peace,
For I have seen the glory
Of Your redeeming grace:
A light to lead the Gentiles
Unto Your holy hill,
The glory of Your people,
Your chosen Israel.
2 All glory to the Father,
All glory to the Son,
All glory to the Spirit,
Forever Three in One;
For as in the beginning,
Is now, shall ever be,
God’s triune name resounding
Through all eternity.
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 662 “Onward, Christian Soldiers”
1 Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
Christ, the royal master,
Leads against the foe;
Forward into battle
See His banners go! Refrain
ref Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before.
2 Like a mighty army
Moves the Church of God;
Brothers, we are treading
Where the saints have trod.
We are not divided,
All one body we,
One in hope and doctrine,
One in charity. Refrain
3 Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never
’Gainst that Church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise,
And that cannot fail. Refrain
4 Onward, then, ye faithful,
Join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices
In the triumph song:
Glory, laud, and honor
Unto Christ, the king;
This through countless ages
Men and angels sing. Refrain
Text: Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834–1924, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, followed by Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 25, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 25, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 616, “Baptismal Waters Cover Me”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 29:11-19
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 5:22-33
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:1-13
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 865, “Lord, Help Us Ever to Retain”
SERMON “Obeying the Word of God” Mark 7:1-13
Obeying the Word of God – Mark 7:1-13
Something very strange has happened to our culture over the past few years. People can gain power by portraying themselves as victims. True enough, sometimes a person really is a victim. And yet, some “portray” themselves as victims by taking offense at something. For example, if someone offends you, then you can claim that you are a victim and acquire the power of the victim. As a result, people are finding new and more creative ways to take offense to the point that we wonder if we can say anything about anything.
Jesus encountered a similar problem in the reading we just heard. “Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’” (Mark 7:1–5)
Notice that the problem isn’t that the disciples didn’t wash their hands. The problem is that they didn’t wash their hands according to the tradition of the elders, a special kind of ceremonial washing. The scribes and Pharisees take offense because the disciples don’t wash their hands the right way.
Now the phrase “tradition of the Elders” has a certain ring to it. It sounds very official and very noble. It sounds like a good thing. The problem is that the hypocrites among the scribes and Pharisees studied Holy Scripture and the “tradition of the Elders” in order to determine what they could get away with and still consider themselves righteous according to the law. They were interpreting the law in the way they wanted to interpret it and condemning everyone who did not agree with them. Does that sound familiar? It should because our culture still does that today.
Jesus had very little patience with hypocrites. He very quickly showed that these scribes and Pharisees valued their tradition above the Word of God. He even showed how their traditions allowed them to violate the Word of God as given to Moses. The scribes and Pharisees were teaching and practicing a man-made religion instead of the faith given by God. He said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6–8)
Notice that it is Jesus who quotes the Old Testament. It is Jesus who calls for faithfulness to God and not just an outward hypocrisy. We often ignore the fact that Jesus is the “old-fashioned” ultra-conservative doctrinal purist who was always taking His hearers back to the Word of God.
Jesus pointed out that while the scribes and Pharisees were offended that the disciples didn’t wash their hands the right way, they also broke the actual commandments of God. For example, they used their tradition to avoid caring for their parents. [Jesus] said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:9–13)
These words from Jesus invite us to ask some very uncomfortable questions. “Do I worship God with my lips, but reject Him in my heart?” Do I express my own ideas as true doctrine?” “Do I have any traditions that reject the commandment of God?” How often do I behave exactly like the scribes and Pharisees … offended by every little thing while I myself ignore the Word of God?
Ultimately, acquiring power by taking offense does no good and makes life miserable. It is just another way to be a bully. It is as King Solomon said, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12) He also said, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11) By the power of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Peter also wrote, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) Instead of taking offense, we ought to seek ways to build one another up.
Although the scribes and Pharisees were indeed foolish with their washing rituals, there is a kind of washing that God did give for all people. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20) This Baptism is not a “tradition of the Elders.” Instead, it is the Word of the Christ who is both God and Lord.
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:3–6) These words teach us that the washing of Holy Baptism joins us to the cross of Christ. Therefore, the washing of Holy Baptism delivers the forgiveness of sins that He earned with His suffering and death on the cross. This Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this.
The Greek word for wash in the reading we just heard is βαπτίζω (baptidzo). This is the root of the word for baptize. If we used this word in the reading we just heard, we would hear, “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they baptize their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they baptize. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the baptizing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.”
The scribes and Pharisees were right in thinking that washing was important. They were wrong in thinking that it was the washing of the “tradition of the Elders.” The important washing is the washing away of sin for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit delivers that forgiveness of sins through the washing of Holy Baptism. This washing even delivers forgiveness for the sin of taking offense on our own terms rather than obeying the Word of God. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 25 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are known, grant us a true faith, that we would honor You not only with our lips, but serve You faithfully with all our heart, mind and strength. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You call men into the Office of the Ministry to be shepherds to Your sheep. Grant Your wisdom to those who guide Your Church: our Synod president, our district president, our circuit visitor, our pastor; and all servants of the Church. Keep them steadfast in the faith, so that they do not set forth as divine truth those things that are only human tradition, but rather teach Your Word with honesty and clarity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve us from rejecting Your commandments for the doctrines of men. By Your Spirit’s aid, lead all Christians to keep Your commandments in thought, word and deed, honoring You in all that we do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve Your estate of marriage. Grant that wives would submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and that husbands would love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, hear our prayers for our nation and its leaders, for all civil servants, and for those whose work imperils them for the sake of their neighbor. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in His earthly ministry Your Son healed the sick and comforted the hurting. Grant healing and peace to those taking treatments, to the ill or injured, to the lonely and the imprisoned, and to all in need of our prayers, [including _____________,] that in meekness each hurting heart would obtain fresh joy in Your Son and exult in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, strengthen the faith and sustain to life everlasting all who partake in the fellowship of this altar and receive Christ’s body and blood this day in the Holy Communion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymn-- no. 556, “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 582, “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to a different melody
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 25, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 25, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 616, “Baptismal Waters Cover Me”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 29:11-19
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 5:22-33
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 7:1-13
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 865, “Lord, Help Us Ever to Retain”
SERMON “Obeying the Word of God” Mark 7:1-13
Obeying the Word of God – Mark 7:1-13
Something very strange has happened to our culture over the past few years. People can gain power by portraying themselves as victims. True enough, sometimes a person really is a victim. And yet, some “portray” themselves as victims by taking offense at something. For example, if someone offends you, then you can claim that you are a victim and acquire the power of the victim. As a result, people are finding new and more creative ways to take offense to the point that we wonder if we can say anything about anything.
Jesus encountered a similar problem in the reading we just heard. “Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’” (Mark 7:1–5)
Notice that the problem isn’t that the disciples didn’t wash their hands. The problem is that they didn’t wash their hands according to the tradition of the elders, a special kind of ceremonial washing. The scribes and Pharisees take offense because the disciples don’t wash their hands the right way.
Now the phrase “tradition of the Elders” has a certain ring to it. It sounds very official and very noble. It sounds like a good thing. The problem is that the hypocrites among the scribes and Pharisees studied Holy Scripture and the “tradition of the Elders” in order to determine what they could get away with and still consider themselves righteous according to the law. They were interpreting the law in the way they wanted to interpret it and condemning everyone who did not agree with them. Does that sound familiar? It should because our culture still does that today.
Jesus had very little patience with hypocrites. He very quickly showed that these scribes and Pharisees valued their tradition above the Word of God. He even showed how their traditions allowed them to violate the Word of God as given to Moses. The scribes and Pharisees were teaching and practicing a man-made religion instead of the faith given by God. He said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” (Mark 7:6–8)
Notice that it is Jesus who quotes the Old Testament. It is Jesus who calls for faithfulness to God and not just an outward hypocrisy. We often ignore the fact that Jesus is the “old-fashioned” ultra-conservative doctrinal purist who was always taking His hearers back to the Word of God.
Jesus pointed out that while the scribes and Pharisees were offended that the disciples didn’t wash their hands the right way, they also broke the actual commandments of God. For example, they used their tradition to avoid caring for their parents. [Jesus] said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:9–13)
These words from Jesus invite us to ask some very uncomfortable questions. “Do I worship God with my lips, but reject Him in my heart?” Do I express my own ideas as true doctrine?” “Do I have any traditions that reject the commandment of God?” How often do I behave exactly like the scribes and Pharisees … offended by every little thing while I myself ignore the Word of God?
Ultimately, acquiring power by taking offense does no good and makes life miserable. It is just another way to be a bully. It is as King Solomon said, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” (Proverbs 10:12) He also said, “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11) By the power of the Holy Spirit the Apostle Peter also wrote, “Love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) Instead of taking offense, we ought to seek ways to build one another up.
Although the scribes and Pharisees were indeed foolish with their washing rituals, there is a kind of washing that God did give for all people. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20) This Baptism is not a “tradition of the Elders.” Instead, it is the Word of the Christ who is both God and Lord.
By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:3–6) These words teach us that the washing of Holy Baptism joins us to the cross of Christ. Therefore, the washing of Holy Baptism delivers the forgiveness of sins that He earned with His suffering and death on the cross. This Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this.
The Greek word for wash in the reading we just heard is βαπτίζω (baptidzo). This is the root of the word for baptize. If we used this word in the reading we just heard, we would hear, “For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they baptize their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they baptize. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the baptizing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.”
The scribes and Pharisees were right in thinking that washing was important. They were wrong in thinking that it was the washing of the “tradition of the Elders.” The important washing is the washing away of sin for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit delivers that forgiveness of sins through the washing of Holy Baptism. This washing even delivers forgiveness for the sin of taking offense on our own terms rather than obeying the Word of God. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 25 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, to whom all hearts are known, grant us a true faith, that we would honor You not only with our lips, but serve You faithfully with all our heart, mind and strength. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You call men into the Office of the Ministry to be shepherds to Your sheep. Grant Your wisdom to those who guide Your Church: our Synod president, our district president, our circuit visitor, our pastor; and all servants of the Church. Keep them steadfast in the faith, so that they do not set forth as divine truth those things that are only human tradition, but rather teach Your Word with honesty and clarity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve us from rejecting Your commandments for the doctrines of men. By Your Spirit’s aid, lead all Christians to keep Your commandments in thought, word and deed, honoring You in all that we do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve Your estate of marriage. Grant that wives would submit to their husbands as to the Lord, and that husbands would love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, hear our prayers for our nation and its leaders, for all civil servants, and for those whose work imperils them for the sake of their neighbor. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, in His earthly ministry Your Son healed the sick and comforted the hurting. Grant healing and peace to those taking treatments, to the ill or injured, to the lonely and the imprisoned, and to all in need of our prayers, [including _____________,] that in meekness each hurting heart would obtain fresh joy in Your Son and exult in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, strengthen the faith and sustain to life everlasting all who partake in the fellowship of this altar and receive Christ’s body and blood this day in the Holy Communion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymn-- no. 556, “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 582, “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to a different melody
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 18, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and a Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
Danger Inside!
Could it be that we should put a sign over the doors of our churches: Danger Inside!? Then the worship folder might have a heading that says, “This is a warning. In this service you may actually encounter the holy God who has awesome power, and an intense interest in a relationship with you. You may be totally changed here. You may have to leave your worries and anxieties here. (Then what will occupy your time?) You may be emboldened to live a courageous, victorious life, fearful of nothing, able for anything.”
You may also find the most loyal of friends who wear you out with their concern and love, who seem to want to have a steadfast relationship with you to the point where you may say ‘Enough already!’
Finally, in this place you may receive so much joy you simply won’t know what to do with it except to share it with others wherever you go. What a dangerous bore you may become! This is indeed a hazardous place and we have warned you.”
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The 13th Sunday after Pentecost
August 18, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 802 “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
1 Immortal, invisible,
God only wise,
In light inaccessible
hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious,
the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.
2 Unresting, unhasting,
and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains
high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains
of goodness and love.
3 To all life Thou givest--
to both great and small--
In all life Thou livest,
the true Life of all;
We blossom and flourish
as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish--
but naught changes Thee.
4 Great Father of glory,
pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee,
all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render:
O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor
of light that hides Thee.
Text: W. Chalmers Smith, 1824–1908, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Proverbs 9:1–10
L A reading from Proverbs, chapter 9.
1Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 5:6–21
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 5.
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Gospel Reading John 6:51–69
L A reading from St. John’s Gospel, chapter 6.
51[Jesus said:] “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Sermon “You Have the Words of Eternal Life” John 6:51-69
You Have the Words of Eternal Life – John 6:51-69
We just heard the ending words of John 6. John 6 is also known as the “Bread of Life” chapter. In order to properly understand the words at the end of the chapter, we need to take a few moments to review the rest of the chapter.
The events at the beginning of the chapter show us that Jesus is, in fact, the Lord of Creation. The chapter begins with the account of Jesus using a boy’s lunch to feed 5,000 men and their families. This happened in an empty area on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus fed the 5,000, He put the disciples in a boat and sent them back to Capernaum while He went up on the mountain to pray. The disciples encountered a headwind and were not able to cross the sea. When Jesus finished praying, He walked to the boat on the water. Immediately the headwind stopped and Jesus and the disciples landed on the other side. These two events demonstrate that Jesus is well able to supply us with all our needs and protect us from every danger.
Jesus and His disciples arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee around dawn of the day after He fed the 5,000. The word immediately went out, and people from the surrounding area began bringing friends and family to Jesus for healing. Jesus healed and taught as He made His way to the synagogue in Capernaum.
Some of the 5,000 that Jesus fed the previous day also found Jesus as He was on His way to the synagogue. Although they never came right out and asked Jesus for more food, Jesus could see into their hearts and knew that they were only interested in Him in order to get more free food. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach that although He supplies all our earthly needs, that is not the main reason He came down from heaven and took on human flesh. His main reason for coming was to provide us with all our eternal needs.
The crowd wanted to compare Jesus and Moses. They claimed that Moses was better because he fed the entire nation of Israel for decades. Jesus only fed a few thousand for one meal. Jesus first of all pointed out that it was God who gave the manna in the wilderness. Moses was the servant of God at the time. Jesus also pointed out that all the people who ate the manna in the wilderness are dead. The people who participate in the eternal food that Jesus gives will rise from the dead on the last day and never die again.
Jesus taught that just as a person needs food to live here on this earth, so also a person needs eternal food for eternal life. He taught that He is that eternal food. As He taught that He is the eternal food, He explained that eating the eternal food meant believing in Him. He said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29) He also said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) With these words and others, Jesus taught that eating eternal food meant believing in Him.
It is important that we understand all this context from the preceding verses of John 6. It is especially important that we understand that when Jesus is talking about eternal eating, He is speaking of faith that believes. Otherwise, these last few verses of John 6 will sound a lot like cannibalism.
Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51) Now that we know the context of these words, we know that Jesus is talking about believing in Him for eternal life.
The people in the synagogue struggled to understand what Jesus meant. They had not made the connection between eating and believing. The Jews … disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52) They know that Jesus is not talking about the kind of eating that they did the day before when they ate the bread and fish that Jesus gave them. Nevertheless, they know no other kind of eating and they are confused.
Jesus kept right on teaching. If you understand that eternal eating means believing, then Jesus’ words make perfect sense. On the other hand, if you are like most of the hearers in the synagogue and do not understand … if you are still thinking about eating bread and fish, then Jesus’ words are disgusting.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53–58)
The signs that Jesus performed in this chapter and others demonstrate that He is from God. It is as the blind man told the Jewish authorities, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:32–33) As a man from God, His word is true. He has told the crowd that He is the bread of life from heaven. He claimed God the Father as His Father and that He is the Son of God. He taught that He came to give eternal life to those who believe in Him. He explained that those who put their trust in His body and blood will have eternal life.
The rest of the chapter shows that there are two ways to react to Jesus’ message: belief and unbelief. Some who heard Jesus’ words said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60) The text then tells us that many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:66) This is the response of the unbeliever.
As Jesus watched His congregation shrink in size, He turned to His disciples and said, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67) This gave Peter one of those rare opportunities to say exactly the right thing. In fact, Peter’s reply is so excellent that part of it is in the Alleluia verse for Divine Service Setting One. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68–69) This is the response of the believer.
The reaction of these people shows the truth of the words written by the writer to the Hebrews: The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Whenever anyone proclaims the Gospel, some will believe and some will reject.
The full meaning of Jesus’ words on this day became clear to the disciples when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Feeding on Christ’s flesh and drinking Christ’s blood means believing in His body broken and His blood shed on the cross. Christ’s shed blood and broken body earned the forgiveness of sins. That forgiveness is the source of eternal life for us. This is the central teaching of Christianity.
The “Bread of Life” chapter, John 6 is an excellent summary of the signs and teachings of Jesus as He began to prepare His disciples for His suffering, death, and resurrection. He taught them and He teaches us that He is the source of eternal life. It is by faith in His body broken and His blood shed that we receive the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. For those of us who live after His death and resurrection, these words point us to the cross that saves us.
Another thing we learn from this chapter is that some people will reject eternal life. In spite of the fact that Jesus is the only perfect teacher who ever walked this earth, some who heard Him rejected Him. We often forget that the Gospel divides people. The Holy Spirit uses the Gospel to draw people into the family of God. At the same time, the very same Gospel will drive away those who refuse to believe.
Jesus made it very clear that we are to proclaim the Gospel as we live our lives in this world. At the same time, we are not called to convert an unbeliever. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. When we proclaim the Gospel and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,” (Acts 16:31) we are asking our hearers to do something that they cannot do. We are relying on the Holy Spirit to bring them into the family of God. We are asking the Holy Spirit to work in them so that they also believe in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins that leads to eternal life. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer
Prayer of the Church - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15B) - 18 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father, we thank You that You have sent the great Good Shepherd who has compassion on His flock. In His name, we lift up our prayers for the family of God; for every nation, tribe, people and language; and for all those who hunger for the true bread of life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant us always, O God, to work for the food that endures to eternal life. Bless the ministry of this congregation in our community, that many may embrace Jesus as the Christ and believe that He is the true bread of God who has come from heaven. Grant that we would never hunger or thirst for anything but Christ and His righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for Your blessing upon all homes and schools, especially the schools, universities and seminaries of our church. Bless all places where Your people gather to teach and learn Your Word, and help us to remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You place men in positions of authority for the sake of order. Grant wisdom to our president, our governor, our judge, those in law enforcement; and all who hold offices of public trust in our land, that they might not act for selfish gain but serve according to Your will for the benefit of all people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bestow Your power of healing upon the sick, [especially _____________,] that in accordance with Your will, they may give thanks to Your name. Give Your Spirit of hope to the depressed, the lonely and those who mourn the death of loved ones [especially _____________]. Strengthen their faith and assure them of Your presence in all circumstances. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, Your Son assures us that His flesh is true food and His blood true drink, and that those who feed on Him will live forever because of Him. By Your Spirit, prepare our hearts to welcome Him as He comes to us in this Holy Supper, that we may rejoice in His promises and depart in His peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymn:
696 “O God, My Faithful God”
1 O God, my faithful God,
True fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing:
Give me a healthy frame,
And may I have within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unstained by sin.
2 Grant me the strength to do
With ready heart and willing
Whatever You command,
My calling here fulfilling;
That I do what I should
While trusting You to bless
The outcome for my good,
For You must give success.
3 Keep me from saying words
That later need recalling;
Guard me lest idle speech
May from my lips be falling;
But when within my place
I must and ought to speak,
Then to my words give grace
Lest I offend the weak.
4 Lord, let me win my foes
With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends
For counsel and correction.
Help me, as You have taught,
To love both great and small
And by Your Spirit’s might
To live in peace with all.
5 Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
By grace receive my soul
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting place
Within a Christian grave;
And let it sleep in peace.
6 And on that final day
When all the dead are waking,
Stretch out Your mighty hand,
My deathly slumber breaking.
Then let me hear Your voice,
Redeem this earthly frame,
And bid me to rejoice
With those who love Your name.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow His steps in the way that leads to life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 526 “You Are the Way”
1 You are the way; through You alone
Can we the Father find;
In You, O Christ, has God revealed
His heart and will and mind.
2 You are the truth; Your Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
You only can inform the mind
And purify the heart.
3 You are the life; the empty tomb
Proclaims Your conqu’ring arm,
And those who put their trust in You
Not death nor hell shall harm.
4 You are the way, the truth, the life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win
Whose joys eternal flow.
Text: George W. Doane, 1799–1859, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 18, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and a Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
Danger Inside!
Could it be that we should put a sign over the doors of our churches: Danger Inside!? Then the worship folder might have a heading that says, “This is a warning. In this service you may actually encounter the holy God who has awesome power, and an intense interest in a relationship with you. You may be totally changed here. You may have to leave your worries and anxieties here. (Then what will occupy your time?) You may be emboldened to live a courageous, victorious life, fearful of nothing, able for anything.”
You may also find the most loyal of friends who wear you out with their concern and love, who seem to want to have a steadfast relationship with you to the point where you may say ‘Enough already!’
Finally, in this place you may receive so much joy you simply won’t know what to do with it except to share it with others wherever you go. What a dangerous bore you may become! This is indeed a hazardous place and we have warned you.”
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The 13th Sunday after Pentecost
August 18, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 802 “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
1 Immortal, invisible,
God only wise,
In light inaccessible
hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious,
the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious,
Thy great name we praise.
2 Unresting, unhasting,
and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting,
Thou rulest in might;
Thy justice like mountains
high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains
of goodness and love.
3 To all life Thou givest--
to both great and small--
In all life Thou livest,
the true Life of all;
We blossom and flourish
as leaves on the tree
And wither and perish--
but naught changes Thee.
4 Great Father of glory,
pure Father of light,
Thine angels adore Thee,
all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render:
O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor
of light that hides Thee.
Text: W. Chalmers Smith, 1824–1908, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Proverbs 9:1–10
L A reading from Proverbs, chapter 9.
1Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
3She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
4“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
5“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
7Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 5:6–21
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 5.
6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7Therefore do not associate with them; 8for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Gospel Reading John 6:51–69
L A reading from St. John’s Gospel, chapter 6.
51[Jesus said:] “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” 61But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
66After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Sermon “You Have the Words of Eternal Life” John 6:51-69
You Have the Words of Eternal Life – John 6:51-69
We just heard the ending words of John 6. John 6 is also known as the “Bread of Life” chapter. In order to properly understand the words at the end of the chapter, we need to take a few moments to review the rest of the chapter.
The events at the beginning of the chapter show us that Jesus is, in fact, the Lord of Creation. The chapter begins with the account of Jesus using a boy’s lunch to feed 5,000 men and their families. This happened in an empty area on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus fed the 5,000, He put the disciples in a boat and sent them back to Capernaum while He went up on the mountain to pray. The disciples encountered a headwind and were not able to cross the sea. When Jesus finished praying, He walked to the boat on the water. Immediately the headwind stopped and Jesus and the disciples landed on the other side. These two events demonstrate that Jesus is well able to supply us with all our needs and protect us from every danger.
Jesus and His disciples arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee around dawn of the day after He fed the 5,000. The word immediately went out, and people from the surrounding area began bringing friends and family to Jesus for healing. Jesus healed and taught as He made His way to the synagogue in Capernaum.
Some of the 5,000 that Jesus fed the previous day also found Jesus as He was on His way to the synagogue. Although they never came right out and asked Jesus for more food, Jesus could see into their hearts and knew that they were only interested in Him in order to get more free food. Jesus used this as an opportunity to teach that although He supplies all our earthly needs, that is not the main reason He came down from heaven and took on human flesh. His main reason for coming was to provide us with all our eternal needs.
The crowd wanted to compare Jesus and Moses. They claimed that Moses was better because he fed the entire nation of Israel for decades. Jesus only fed a few thousand for one meal. Jesus first of all pointed out that it was God who gave the manna in the wilderness. Moses was the servant of God at the time. Jesus also pointed out that all the people who ate the manna in the wilderness are dead. The people who participate in the eternal food that Jesus gives will rise from the dead on the last day and never die again.
Jesus taught that just as a person needs food to live here on this earth, so also a person needs eternal food for eternal life. He taught that He is that eternal food. As He taught that He is the eternal food, He explained that eating the eternal food meant believing in Him. He said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29) He also said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) With these words and others, Jesus taught that eating eternal food meant believing in Him.
It is important that we understand all this context from the preceding verses of John 6. It is especially important that we understand that when Jesus is talking about eternal eating, He is speaking of faith that believes. Otherwise, these last few verses of John 6 will sound a lot like cannibalism.
Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (John 6:51) Now that we know the context of these words, we know that Jesus is talking about believing in Him for eternal life.
The people in the synagogue struggled to understand what Jesus meant. They had not made the connection between eating and believing. The Jews … disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52) They know that Jesus is not talking about the kind of eating that they did the day before when they ate the bread and fish that Jesus gave them. Nevertheless, they know no other kind of eating and they are confused.
Jesus kept right on teaching. If you understand that eternal eating means believing, then Jesus’ words make perfect sense. On the other hand, if you are like most of the hearers in the synagogue and do not understand … if you are still thinking about eating bread and fish, then Jesus’ words are disgusting.
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:53–58)
The signs that Jesus performed in this chapter and others demonstrate that He is from God. It is as the blind man told the Jewish authorities, “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” (John 9:32–33) As a man from God, His word is true. He has told the crowd that He is the bread of life from heaven. He claimed God the Father as His Father and that He is the Son of God. He taught that He came to give eternal life to those who believe in Him. He explained that those who put their trust in His body and blood will have eternal life.
The rest of the chapter shows that there are two ways to react to Jesus’ message: belief and unbelief. Some who heard Jesus’ words said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60) The text then tells us that many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (John 6:66) This is the response of the unbeliever.
As Jesus watched His congregation shrink in size, He turned to His disciples and said, “Do you want to go away as well?” (John 6:67) This gave Peter one of those rare opportunities to say exactly the right thing. In fact, Peter’s reply is so excellent that part of it is in the Alleluia verse for Divine Service Setting One. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68–69) This is the response of the believer.
The reaction of these people shows the truth of the words written by the writer to the Hebrews: The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Whenever anyone proclaims the Gospel, some will believe and some will reject.
The full meaning of Jesus’ words on this day became clear to the disciples when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. Feeding on Christ’s flesh and drinking Christ’s blood means believing in His body broken and His blood shed on the cross. Christ’s shed blood and broken body earned the forgiveness of sins. That forgiveness is the source of eternal life for us. This is the central teaching of Christianity.
The “Bread of Life” chapter, John 6 is an excellent summary of the signs and teachings of Jesus as He began to prepare His disciples for His suffering, death, and resurrection. He taught them and He teaches us that He is the source of eternal life. It is by faith in His body broken and His blood shed that we receive the forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life. For those of us who live after His death and resurrection, these words point us to the cross that saves us.
Another thing we learn from this chapter is that some people will reject eternal life. In spite of the fact that Jesus is the only perfect teacher who ever walked this earth, some who heard Him rejected Him. We often forget that the Gospel divides people. The Holy Spirit uses the Gospel to draw people into the family of God. At the same time, the very same Gospel will drive away those who refuse to believe.
Jesus made it very clear that we are to proclaim the Gospel as we live our lives in this world. At the same time, we are not called to convert an unbeliever. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. When we proclaim the Gospel and say, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved,” (Acts 16:31) we are asking our hearers to do something that they cannot do. We are relying on the Holy Spirit to bring them into the family of God. We are asking the Holy Spirit to work in them so that they also believe in the broken body and shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins that leads to eternal life. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Tune: Gustav Holst, 1874–1934, alt.
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Tune: Public domain
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer
Prayer of the Church - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15B) - 18 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father, we thank You that You have sent the great Good Shepherd who has compassion on His flock. In His name, we lift up our prayers for the family of God; for every nation, tribe, people and language; and for all those who hunger for the true bread of life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant us always, O God, to work for the food that endures to eternal life. Bless the ministry of this congregation in our community, that many may embrace Jesus as the Christ and believe that He is the true bread of God who has come from heaven. Grant that we would never hunger or thirst for anything but Christ and His righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, we pray for Your blessing upon all homes and schools, especially the schools, universities and seminaries of our church. Bless all places where Your people gather to teach and learn Your Word, and help us to remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You place men in positions of authority for the sake of order. Grant wisdom to our president, our governor, our judge, those in law enforcement; and all who hold offices of public trust in our land, that they might not act for selfish gain but serve according to Your will for the benefit of all people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bestow Your power of healing upon the sick, [especially _____________,] that in accordance with Your will, they may give thanks to Your name. Give Your Spirit of hope to the depressed, the lonely and those who mourn the death of loved ones [especially _____________]. Strengthen their faith and assure them of Your presence in all circumstances. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, Your Son assures us that His flesh is true food and His blood true drink, and that those who feed on Him will live forever because of Him. By Your Spirit, prepare our hearts to welcome Him as He comes to us in this Holy Supper, that we may rejoice in His promises and depart in His peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymn:
696 “O God, My Faithful God”
1 O God, my faithful God,
True fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing:
Give me a healthy frame,
And may I have within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unstained by sin.
2 Grant me the strength to do
With ready heart and willing
Whatever You command,
My calling here fulfilling;
That I do what I should
While trusting You to bless
The outcome for my good,
For You must give success.
3 Keep me from saying words
That later need recalling;
Guard me lest idle speech
May from my lips be falling;
But when within my place
I must and ought to speak,
Then to my words give grace
Lest I offend the weak.
4 Lord, let me win my foes
With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends
For counsel and correction.
Help me, as You have taught,
To love both great and small
And by Your Spirit’s might
To live in peace with all.
5 Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
By grace receive my soul
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting place
Within a Christian grave;
And let it sleep in peace.
6 And on that final day
When all the dead are waking,
Stretch out Your mighty hand,
My deathly slumber breaking.
Then let me hear Your voice,
Redeem this earthly frame,
And bid me to rejoice
With those who love Your name.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us to know Your Son, Jesus, to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly follow His steps in the way that leads to life eternal; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 526 “You Are the Way”
1 You are the way; through You alone
Can we the Father find;
In You, O Christ, has God revealed
His heart and will and mind.
2 You are the truth; Your Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
You only can inform the mind
And purify the heart.
3 You are the life; the empty tomb
Proclaims Your conqu’ring arm,
And those who put their trust in You
Not death nor hell shall harm.
4 You are the way, the truth, the life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win
Whose joys eternal flow.
Text: George W. Doane, 1799–1859, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 11, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE WILL BE a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35)
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 11, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 803, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Kings 19:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 4:17-5:2
GOSPEL LESSON John 6:35-51
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 774, “Feed Thy Children”
SERMON “The Bread of Life” John 6:35-51
The Bread of Life – John 6:35-51
Today is the second of three straight Sundays in which the Holy Gospel is a portion of Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse from John chapter 6. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus declares, several times in John 6, and that is the motif running through this chapter. Last week we heard Jesus say, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” And then he said, in the verse that concluded last week’s reading and also begins today’s, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And so our theme this morning, as we continue on in this discourse, is an obvious one, namely, “The Bread of Life.”
Now why does Jesus use this phrase, “the bread of life”? Well, keep in mind, Jesus had just miraculously fed a multitude of thousands of hungry people from just five loaves of bread and two fish. So bread was on everybody’s mind. And Jesus wants to direct those minds from not just the bread that fills the belly for a day, but more than that, to the bread that gives life to both body and soul for eternity. Because that is the gift Jesus comes to give. He comes here, to us, to give this bread of life to you today. We need it, and Jesus gives it, so let’s listen now.
“I am the bread of life,” says Jesus. Why bread? Because bread, across all cultures–bread is universally seen as the staple of life. It is that which gives life and sustains life. Without bread, which is kind of a shorthand for food in general–without bread, without food, without sustenance, we die. It’s true in the physical realm. And when Jesus applies this term to himself, it’s true in the spiritual realm as well. Without the bread of life, that is, without Jesus, we die. And it would be death forever, apart from Christ.
So we need the life that Jesus gives. We need this more than anything else in the world. Jesus is the only one who can give us this life. Jesus is the only one who can sustain this life. That is why he says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This is why Jesus comes. He says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Note that, and mark it well. Jesus Christ came down from heaven to do the will of his heavenly Father. This tells us that Jesus is the very Son of God, the eternal Son of God from before the foundation of the world, who at a certain point in human history came down from heaven and became incarnate, became one of us, in the flesh, for us men and for our salvation. This is why he came.
The crowd back then didn’t get it. They could only think of this man Jesus as the person growing up in the home of Joseph and Mary. How can he say, “I have come down from heaven”? But that is the mystery of the incarnation. And only God can reveal Jesus to us as the divine Savior sent from heaven. Jesus says as much: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” This happens as God’s Word works repentance and faith in your heart, so that you know you need a Savior and you discover that Jesus is the very one who meets that need. God’s Word is at work in your heart, so that you know and feel your sins, you recognize your need for forgiveness, and you hear that Jesus gives you just that.
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus tells the crowd. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” You know, you can eat the best and healthiest diet in the world. You can try the Paleo Diet, Mediterranean Diet or whatever the latest fad is, and go all-natural. You can eat high-fiber, whole-grain, and heart-healthy. You may need to go gluten-free, it doesn’t matter. Regardless, you’re still going to die one day. What then? Who will rescue you from this body of death?
Who will do this? Jesus. He’s the one. “I am the bread of life,” he says. That’s why he came. And how does he give us this life? How does he meet our greatest need? Jesus tells us: “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. Let me repeat that: Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. This is the heart of the gospel. Jesus gives his life, so that you and I and the rest of the world might have life.
Jesus did this on the cross, of course. There he offered the perfect sacrifice that covers the sins of the whole world. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is God’s supreme solution to our deepest and most pressing problem: our sin, which results in death and eternal damnation, under God’s judgment. Jesus takes all that from us. He gives his flesh into death, taking our place under that judgment. He lifts that load off our shoulders and takes it on his own. In his flesh, in his body on the cross, he bore our sins. And by his blood, the holy precious blood he shed on our behalf, our sins are forgiven. Cleansed. No longer held against us. Jesus atones for them all. For you. You are free, at peace with God, for Christ’s sake. Believe it. It’s true. It’s the truest and most freeing thing you’ll ever hear.
And what is the result? Now you have life. New life. Eternal life. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And again: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.” And again: “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”
Everlasting life. How good does that sound? Well, if it were just an endless continuation of the heartaches and sorrows we suffer now in this vale of tears, that would not be so great. But the life that Jesus gives is much better than that. It will be life with no more tears, no more sorrow, no more sin or death. This is the eternal life that Jesus gives, and we have the sure hope of it even now.
We even get a tantalizing taste of it now, in the blessings Jesus showers upon us: That we know God now. That we have the joy of the Lord now. That now we have the peace that passes all understanding, standing guard over our hearts and minds. We have a new ability to love and forgive others now, to put off the old self and to put on the new self, and to walk in love, as we heard about in the Epistle reading from Ephesians. Sealed with the Holy Spirit. Beloved children of our heavenly Father. New persons in Christ. All this belongs to the new life we have now, the life Christ freely gives us.
And this is life that will overcome the grave. The body we lay in the grave will rise one day, on the day when Christ returns, that is, on the last day. Notice how Jesus repeats this promise in today’s reading. He says: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” And again Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Did you catch that? It was repeated several times: “And I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus here is talking about the bodily resurrection on the day when he returns. Our physical bodies will be raised up glorious, perfect, no longer subject to disease or death. When? On the last day. This is our great hope, the return of Christ and the resurrection of the body. We confess it in the Creed, don’t we? I believe in “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
The Bible teaches, throughout, the physical, bodily resurrection of the dead on the last day. And these repeated promises of Jesus in our text today are the prime examples. Jesus will raise and give life to our dead bodies on the last day, which in turn will be the first day of our new life everlasting in a restored creation, a renewed heaven and earth where righteousness will be at home. And we will dwell with God, and see God, along with all the saints from ages past, all the believers of all time, in perfect fellowship and harmony and superabundant joy! What a hope! What a thing to look forward to! This is the life that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ won for us and gives to us, purely out of his grace and mercy. Trust in Jesus. The gift is yours.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Here is Jesus’ promise for you today. So come trusting his promise now and receive life-giving bread, yes, Christ’s own body and blood in his Sacrament. Here Jesus gives you the living bread from heaven. Here he gives you “The Bread of Life.”
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14B) - 11 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life, giving eternal life to all who come to Him. By Your Holy Spirit, lead the whole Church on earth to imitate You and walk in Your love as beloved children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give strength and courage to all pastors and those who assist them, especially those suffering from conflict, burnout or depression. Hearten them by the example of Elijah and the prophets and apostles before them. Comfort them through the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, through Holy Baptism You have joined the faithful together as Your children, making us brothers in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us grace to believe that, through Christ, we belong to one another. Lead us to put away all falsehood and malice and instead to speak Christ’s truth to one another in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all families and homes, that one generation may tell to the next the wonderful works of God in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayers for our nation. Cause us to live in harmony with one another, and free our citizens from want, suffering, danger and fear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show kindness to the sick [including _____________]. Never let them be in doubt that You hear their prayers. Relieve all pain and provide for those who suffer from any kind of hardship. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless those who commune this day, that reconciled to each other in Christ’s body and blood, they may rejoice to receive Your forgiveness through this precious gift, be strengthened in times of doubt, and be nourished in body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life. Together with all the faithful who have gone before us, we give You thanks and praise. Keep us steadfast in the faith, so that when our last hour comes, we may rejoice with them at the marriage feast in His kingdom, which has no end. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymns-- no. 680, “Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 850, “God of Grace and God of Glory”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 11, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class and Children's Study at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE WILL BE a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35)
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 11, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 803, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON 1 Kings 19:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 4:17-5:2
GOSPEL LESSON John 6:35-51
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 774, “Feed Thy Children”
SERMON “The Bread of Life” John 6:35-51
The Bread of Life – John 6:35-51
Today is the second of three straight Sundays in which the Holy Gospel is a portion of Jesus’ “Bread of Life” discourse from John chapter 6. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus declares, several times in John 6, and that is the motif running through this chapter. Last week we heard Jesus say, “My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” And then he said, in the verse that concluded last week’s reading and also begins today’s, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And so our theme this morning, as we continue on in this discourse, is an obvious one, namely, “The Bread of Life.”
Now why does Jesus use this phrase, “the bread of life”? Well, keep in mind, Jesus had just miraculously fed a multitude of thousands of hungry people from just five loaves of bread and two fish. So bread was on everybody’s mind. And Jesus wants to direct those minds from not just the bread that fills the belly for a day, but more than that, to the bread that gives life to both body and soul for eternity. Because that is the gift Jesus comes to give. He comes here, to us, to give this bread of life to you today. We need it, and Jesus gives it, so let’s listen now.
“I am the bread of life,” says Jesus. Why bread? Because bread, across all cultures–bread is universally seen as the staple of life. It is that which gives life and sustains life. Without bread, which is kind of a shorthand for food in general–without bread, without food, without sustenance, we die. It’s true in the physical realm. And when Jesus applies this term to himself, it’s true in the spiritual realm as well. Without the bread of life, that is, without Jesus, we die. And it would be death forever, apart from Christ.
So we need the life that Jesus gives. We need this more than anything else in the world. Jesus is the only one who can give us this life. Jesus is the only one who can sustain this life. That is why he says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
This is why Jesus comes. He says, “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.” Note that, and mark it well. Jesus Christ came down from heaven to do the will of his heavenly Father. This tells us that Jesus is the very Son of God, the eternal Son of God from before the foundation of the world, who at a certain point in human history came down from heaven and became incarnate, became one of us, in the flesh, for us men and for our salvation. This is why he came.
The crowd back then didn’t get it. They could only think of this man Jesus as the person growing up in the home of Joseph and Mary. How can he say, “I have come down from heaven”? But that is the mystery of the incarnation. And only God can reveal Jesus to us as the divine Savior sent from heaven. Jesus says as much: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” This happens as God’s Word works repentance and faith in your heart, so that you know you need a Savior and you discover that Jesus is the very one who meets that need. God’s Word is at work in your heart, so that you know and feel your sins, you recognize your need for forgiveness, and you hear that Jesus gives you just that.
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus tells the crowd. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” You know, you can eat the best and healthiest diet in the world. You can try the Paleo Diet, Mediterranean Diet or whatever the latest fad is, and go all-natural. You can eat high-fiber, whole-grain, and heart-healthy. You may need to go gluten-free, it doesn’t matter. Regardless, you’re still going to die one day. What then? Who will rescue you from this body of death?
Who will do this? Jesus. He’s the one. “I am the bread of life,” he says. That’s why he came. And how does he give us this life? How does he meet our greatest need? Jesus tells us: “And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. Let me repeat that: Jesus gives life to the world by giving his life for the world. This is the heart of the gospel. Jesus gives his life, so that you and I and the rest of the world might have life.
Jesus did this on the cross, of course. There he offered the perfect sacrifice that covers the sins of the whole world. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is God’s supreme solution to our deepest and most pressing problem: our sin, which results in death and eternal damnation, under God’s judgment. Jesus takes all that from us. He gives his flesh into death, taking our place under that judgment. He lifts that load off our shoulders and takes it on his own. In his flesh, in his body on the cross, he bore our sins. And by his blood, the holy precious blood he shed on our behalf, our sins are forgiven. Cleansed. No longer held against us. Jesus atones for them all. For you. You are free, at peace with God, for Christ’s sake. Believe it. It’s true. It’s the truest and most freeing thing you’ll ever hear.
And what is the result? Now you have life. New life. Eternal life. Jesus says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And again: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life.” And again: “This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”
Everlasting life. How good does that sound? Well, if it were just an endless continuation of the heartaches and sorrows we suffer now in this vale of tears, that would not be so great. But the life that Jesus gives is much better than that. It will be life with no more tears, no more sorrow, no more sin or death. This is the eternal life that Jesus gives, and we have the sure hope of it even now.
We even get a tantalizing taste of it now, in the blessings Jesus showers upon us: That we know God now. That we have the joy of the Lord now. That now we have the peace that passes all understanding, standing guard over our hearts and minds. We have a new ability to love and forgive others now, to put off the old self and to put on the new self, and to walk in love, as we heard about in the Epistle reading from Ephesians. Sealed with the Holy Spirit. Beloved children of our heavenly Father. New persons in Christ. All this belongs to the new life we have now, the life Christ freely gives us.
And this is life that will overcome the grave. The body we lay in the grave will rise one day, on the day when Christ returns, that is, on the last day. Notice how Jesus repeats this promise in today’s reading. He says: “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” And again Jesus says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
Did you catch that? It was repeated several times: “And I will raise him up on the last day.” Jesus here is talking about the bodily resurrection on the day when he returns. Our physical bodies will be raised up glorious, perfect, no longer subject to disease or death. When? On the last day. This is our great hope, the return of Christ and the resurrection of the body. We confess it in the Creed, don’t we? I believe in “the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
The Bible teaches, throughout, the physical, bodily resurrection of the dead on the last day. And these repeated promises of Jesus in our text today are the prime examples. Jesus will raise and give life to our dead bodies on the last day, which in turn will be the first day of our new life everlasting in a restored creation, a renewed heaven and earth where righteousness will be at home. And we will dwell with God, and see God, along with all the saints from ages past, all the believers of all time, in perfect fellowship and harmony and superabundant joy! What a hope! What a thing to look forward to! This is the life that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ won for us and gives to us, purely out of his grace and mercy. Trust in Jesus. The gift is yours.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Here is Jesus’ promise for you today. So come trusting his promise now and receive life-giving bread, yes, Christ’s own body and blood in his Sacrament. Here Jesus gives you the living bread from heaven. Here he gives you “The Bread of Life.”
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 14B) - 11 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life, giving eternal life to all who come to Him. By Your Holy Spirit, lead the whole Church on earth to imitate You and walk in Your love as beloved children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give strength and courage to all pastors and those who assist them, especially those suffering from conflict, burnout or depression. Hearten them by the example of Elijah and the prophets and apostles before them. Comfort them through the forgiveness of sins and the promise of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, through Holy Baptism You have joined the faithful together as Your children, making us brothers in Your Son, Jesus Christ. Give us grace to believe that, through Christ, we belong to one another. Lead us to put away all falsehood and malice and instead to speak Christ’s truth to one another in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless all families and homes, that one generation may tell to the next the wonderful works of God in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear our prayers for our nation. Cause us to live in harmony with one another, and free our citizens from want, suffering, danger and fear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show kindness to the sick [including _____________]. Never let them be in doubt that You hear their prayers. Relieve all pain and provide for those who suffer from any kind of hardship. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless those who commune this day, that reconciled to each other in Christ’s body and blood, they may rejoice to receive Your forgiveness through this precious gift, be strengthened in times of doubt, and be nourished in body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, heavenly Father, You sent Your Son to be the bread of life. Together with all the faithful who have gone before us, we give You thanks and praise. Keep us steadfast in the faith, so that when our last hour comes, we may rejoice with them at the marriage feast in His kingdom, which has no end. Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMN
Hymns-- no. 680, “Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 850, “God of Grace and God of Glory”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
August 4, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 554 “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful”
1 O Jesus, King most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found:
2 When once You visit darkened hearts,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanity departs,
Then kindles love divine.
3 O Jesus, light of all below,
The fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
All that we can desire:
4 May ev’ry heart confess Your name,
Forever You adore,
And, seeking You, itself inflame
To seek You more and more!
5 Oh, may our tongues forever bless,
May we love You alone
And ever in our lives express
The image of Your own!
Text: attr. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091–1153; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 78:72, 23–25
P With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 16:2–15
2The whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11And the Lord said to Moses, 12“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 145:10–16
10All your works shall give thanks to you, | O Lord,*
and all your saints shall | bless you!
11They shall speak of the glory of your | kingdom*
and tell | of your power,
12to make known to the children of man your | mighty deeds,*
and the glorious splendor of your | kingdom.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting | kingdom,*
and your dominion endures throughout all gener- | ations.
The Lord is faithful in | all his words*
and kind in | all his works.
14The Lord upholds all who are | falling*
and raises up all who are | bowed down.
15The eyes of all | look to you,*
and you give them their food in due | season.
16You open | your hand;*
you satisfy the desire of every | living thing.
Epistle Ephesians 4:1–16
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 6:22–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
22On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Food That Endures” John 6:22-35
The Food That Endures – John 6:22-35
It has been a long time without any rest for Jesus and His disciples. Jesus spent the previous day ministering to people in the wilderness. He even multiplied a boy’s lunch of bread and fish and used it to feed 5,000 men and their families. Then the disciples spent all night trying to get across the sea against a strong wind and weren’t able to cross until Jesus walked to them on the sea. As the day dawned they arrived at the other side of the sea and the people ran all over the countryside to bring the sick and injured to Jesus for healing. There was no stop … no letup.
The crowd that Jesus left on the far side of the sea showed up for breakfast, but quickly figured out that Jesus was no longer there. When some more boats came along, they also came across the water and found Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” (John 6:25) They were trying to figure out how Jesus got across the water and back to Capernaum. This seems like a fairly innocent question.
Nevertheless, Jesus can look at the heart. He understood that the motive of the crowd was not as innocent as it might seem. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:26–27) Jesus understood that they were just interested in another free meal. They did not understand that Jesus came to give eternal life, not just a free breakfast or lunch.
The question and answer session they have with Jesus demonstrates that they don’t understand. Eventually the crowd asked a question that clearly demonstrated their unbelief. “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” (John 6:30–31) Jesus has been healing the sick, curing the lame, causing the deaf to hear and the blind to see. He has been casting out demons and raising people from the dead. This very crowd had eaten bread and fish multiplied from His hand and they asked for a sign. The stubborn, unbelieving heart is never satisfied. It will always ask for more signs.
Not much has changed down through the centuries. We might not believe in Jesus for free food, but how many T.V. preachers do you hear that will promise you monetary wealth if you will simply send a seed offering their way? How many preachers will tell you that a life with Jesus means prosperity, success, victory, and so forth? Some preachers will tell you that if you get your life right, you will get a better job with more pay and fewer responsibilities … your children will start to get better grades in school … your spouse will find you more attractive … and on and on and on.
Here are just a few of the quotes I found on the Internet: “God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you're able to pay off your house. That's God shifting things in your favor.” (Joel Osteen) “Obedience to God is the pathway to the life you really want to live.” (Joyce Meyer) “Poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous.” (Benny Hinn) “Poverty is caused by sin and disobeying the word of God.” (John Hagee) These are just a few of the popular T.V. preachers who teach that worldly wealth and success is the reward for those who obey God.
These very popular people teach about a god who is like a great big vending machine in the sky. You do your part and then God will give you what you want. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that we can do nothing, but God, in His grace, freely gives us, not what we want, but what we need. These teachers make promises for life here and now, and, when their promises fail, they teach that you just haven’t done it right. God, on the other hand, makes eternal promises, and His promises never fail.
If these teachers are such liars, and their promises fail so often, why are they all so wealthy? Why do they fly in their own private planes and ride in limousines? Why do they live in mansions?
These scam artists are wealthy because the sinful nature is never satisfied with the simplicity of God’s perfect gifts. Adam and Eve were not satisfied in Eden. The Israelites in today’s Old Testament reading were not satisfied even though God fed them every day. The crowds in today’s Gospel wanted just one more sign. The Bible is full of people who were not satisfied by God’s promise to them. Our sinful human nature has not changed and many scam artists make their fortune from those who are not satisfied with the gifts God gives in His promises.
What about you? God has promised to care for you and provide all you need. He has promised eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. He has opened up rivers of forgiveness in word, water, bread and wine. Is God’s forgiveness not enough for you?
Think about it. Each and every one of us deserves to suffer in eternal hell. Nevertheless, God sent His Son to take up your humanity and take that eternal hell into Himself as He hung on a cross. He has poured out His righteousness upon you. You have eternal life for the sake of the perfect life, suffering, and death of the Son of God! Furthermore, you have the assurance of all of this by virtue of the immortal, bodily resurrection of that very same Son!
Yet what do faithful pastors hear? “Could you do something to make your message a little more exciting?” “Could you make things a little peppier?” “Could you make things a little more self-affirming?” … The eternal Father sent the eternal Son to suffer eternal punishment on the cross so that you could have eternal life, and you aren’t satisfied! You want what you want instead of what God wants to give you! It is like God is a chef who wants to serve you a seven-course feast, but you sit down and tell Him that you don’t want it because you are used to rancid bologna on moldy bread and prefer that.
The devil is more than happy to provide a wide variety of con-artists to give you exactly what you want. He is happy to do this because when he gives you what you want, it will draw you away from what you need. It will draw you away from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and poison your soul instead. So it is that those who preach lies rake in billions, while those who preach the truth find themselves gathering shopping carts, re-stocking shelves, and doing “cleanup in aisle 9” in order to feed their families. We are willing to pay big bucks to people who tell us the lies even though those lies lead to eternal destruction because those lies make us feel good about ourselves. At the same time, we drive out those who tell us the truth we need for our salvation. It is exactly as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to Timothy. The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)
In spite of the fact that the crowds resisted His message Jesus continued teaching them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (John 6:32) Here Jesus corrected them. The manna from heaven came from God. Moses was merely God’s servant at the time. In fact, all of the signs that Moses did began with God. Moses was a great prophet of God, not because he was anything great, but because God chose him and called him.
Jesus continued, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) Here Jesus taught that He Himself is the bread who comes down from heaven. Just as God sent manna to give temporary life to the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness, so also He sent His Son to give eternal life to all people by His perfect life and sacrificial death on a cross. This is how Jesus is the bread of God who gives life to the world.
The poor crowds are still thinking of their stomachs when they respond, “Sir, give us this bread always.” (John 6:34) Martin Luther preached about these people and said, “This announcement that the Gospel would fill their bellies, that it would provide plentifully for this life and afford a good living, pleases them. They say, as it were: “This would be the man for us. Who would not like him?” We, too, would like such a preacher. They pay no attention to Christ’s words to learn where He wants to lead them, but they are happy over the prospect that He will fill their bellies and give them only earthly goods and money. But that is not the point. The Gospel does not fill the belly; it has something different to do. Times have not changed. When the Gospel is preached, everyone is eager to reap a sufficient store of earthly goods from it.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John)
But then Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) With these words Jesus made it clear that He is speaking of a different kind of bread for a different kind of life. When it comes to the things of this world Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) Never the less, when it comes to the things of eternity, He said, “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
These are words that we can never truly understand, but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them. Through the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them and in the Christ who said them. By that gift of faith, we can believe that Jesus is eternal food and drink who will keep us alive with Him in eternity. For just as Jesus rose from the dead, so also will the Holy Spirit raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
God, in His infinite knowledge and perfect wisdom, will give us, not what we want, but exactly what He knows we need … both here in time and forever in eternity. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32) Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13B) - 4 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Gracious heavenly Father, as You provided for the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness to the land You had promised, give us confidence to trust in You and to look to Your hand to provide all we need for this life and for the life to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy One, Your Son gives us the Office of the Ministry, that Your people might be equipped to serve and be built up into His one Body. Remember in Your compassion all who speak Your Word. Give them faithfulness and honesty in their teaching, that Your children would be freed from all deceit to speak Your truth to one another in love, growing up in every way into Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant us true unity in the faith. Preserve us in pure doctrine; grant harmony in our congregation, district and Synod; and bestow on us charitable hearts that put the best construction on what we see and hear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God and Father of all, enable us to walk in humility, gentleness and patience, that we would bear with one another in love and be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty One, You establish civil government to be a blessing. To Your mercy, then, we commend our president, our Congress, our justices and magistrates, and all who serve the public in any way. Keep them honest, fill them with wisdom and uphold them in every good deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show Your mercy to the sick and hospitalized [including _____________]. Provide doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to care for those who need health and healing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving Father, You provided manna for Your ancient people to sustain them in the wilderness. By Your grace, You provide the living bread from heaven: the very body of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, that endures to eternal life. Help us to approach Your table with thankful and contrite hearts, that we might receive Your Son’s precious body and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, we come as a people tossed to and fro by the manifold changes of this mortal life. Help us to know, in You, that which is eternal. Give us confidence in the suffering and death of Christ, that we may rejoice that You are with us always and await His joyous appearing with all the saints; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymn:
821 “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus”
1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
2 Alleluia! Not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received Him
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget His promise:
“I am with you evermore”?
3 Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
Here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to You from day to day.
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.
4 Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne.
As within the veil You entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.
5 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be held on Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
August 4, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 554 “O Jesus, King Most Wonderful”
1 O Jesus, King most wonderful!
O Conqueror renowned!
O Source of peace ineffable,
In whom all joys are found:
2 When once You visit darkened hearts,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanity departs,
Then kindles love divine.
3 O Jesus, light of all below,
The fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
All that we can desire:
4 May ev’ry heart confess Your name,
Forever You adore,
And, seeking You, itself inflame
To seek You more and more!
5 Oh, may our tongues forever bless,
May we love You alone
And ever in our lives express
The image of Your own!
Text: attr. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091–1153; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 78:72, 23–25
P With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Merciful Father, You gave Your Son Jesus as the heavenly bread of life. Grant us faith to feast on Him in Your Word and Sacraments that we may be nourished unto life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 16:2–15
2The whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
9Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11And the Lord said to Moses, 12“I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
13In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 145:10–16
10All your works shall give thanks to you, | O Lord,*
and all your saints shall | bless you!
11They shall speak of the glory of your | kingdom*
and tell | of your power,
12to make known to the children of man your | mighty deeds,*
and the glorious splendor of your | kingdom.
13Your kingdom is an everlasting | kingdom,*
and your dominion endures throughout all gener- | ations.
The Lord is faithful in | all his words*
and kind in | all his works.
14The Lord upholds all who are | falling*
and raises up all who are | bowed down.
15The eyes of all | look to you,*
and you give them their food in due | season.
16You open | your hand;*
you satisfy the desire of every | living thing.
Epistle Ephesians 4:1–16
1I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 6:22–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
22On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
25When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Food That Endures” John 6:22-35
The Food That Endures – John 6:22-35
It has been a long time without any rest for Jesus and His disciples. Jesus spent the previous day ministering to people in the wilderness. He even multiplied a boy’s lunch of bread and fish and used it to feed 5,000 men and their families. Then the disciples spent all night trying to get across the sea against a strong wind and weren’t able to cross until Jesus walked to them on the sea. As the day dawned they arrived at the other side of the sea and the people ran all over the countryside to bring the sick and injured to Jesus for healing. There was no stop … no letup.
The crowd that Jesus left on the far side of the sea showed up for breakfast, but quickly figured out that Jesus was no longer there. When some more boats came along, they also came across the water and found Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” (John 6:25) They were trying to figure out how Jesus got across the water and back to Capernaum. This seems like a fairly innocent question.
Nevertheless, Jesus can look at the heart. He understood that the motive of the crowd was not as innocent as it might seem. Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (John 6:26–27) Jesus understood that they were just interested in another free meal. They did not understand that Jesus came to give eternal life, not just a free breakfast or lunch.
The question and answer session they have with Jesus demonstrates that they don’t understand. Eventually the crowd asked a question that clearly demonstrated their unbelief. “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” (John 6:30–31) Jesus has been healing the sick, curing the lame, causing the deaf to hear and the blind to see. He has been casting out demons and raising people from the dead. This very crowd had eaten bread and fish multiplied from His hand and they asked for a sign. The stubborn, unbelieving heart is never satisfied. It will always ask for more signs.
Not much has changed down through the centuries. We might not believe in Jesus for free food, but how many T.V. preachers do you hear that will promise you monetary wealth if you will simply send a seed offering their way? How many preachers will tell you that a life with Jesus means prosperity, success, victory, and so forth? Some preachers will tell you that if you get your life right, you will get a better job with more pay and fewer responsibilities … your children will start to get better grades in school … your spouse will find you more attractive … and on and on and on.
Here are just a few of the quotes I found on the Internet: “God can cause opportunity to find you. He has unexpected blessings where you suddenly meet the right person, or suddenly your health improves, or suddenly you're able to pay off your house. That's God shifting things in your favor.” (Joel Osteen) “Obedience to God is the pathway to the life you really want to live.” (Joyce Meyer) “Poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous.” (Benny Hinn) “Poverty is caused by sin and disobeying the word of God.” (John Hagee) These are just a few of the popular T.V. preachers who teach that worldly wealth and success is the reward for those who obey God.
These very popular people teach about a god who is like a great big vending machine in the sky. You do your part and then God will give you what you want. The Bible, on the other hand, teaches that we can do nothing, but God, in His grace, freely gives us, not what we want, but what we need. These teachers make promises for life here and now, and, when their promises fail, they teach that you just haven’t done it right. God, on the other hand, makes eternal promises, and His promises never fail.
If these teachers are such liars, and their promises fail so often, why are they all so wealthy? Why do they fly in their own private planes and ride in limousines? Why do they live in mansions?
These scam artists are wealthy because the sinful nature is never satisfied with the simplicity of God’s perfect gifts. Adam and Eve were not satisfied in Eden. The Israelites in today’s Old Testament reading were not satisfied even though God fed them every day. The crowds in today’s Gospel wanted just one more sign. The Bible is full of people who were not satisfied by God’s promise to them. Our sinful human nature has not changed and many scam artists make their fortune from those who are not satisfied with the gifts God gives in His promises.
What about you? God has promised to care for you and provide all you need. He has promised eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. He has opened up rivers of forgiveness in word, water, bread and wine. Is God’s forgiveness not enough for you?
Think about it. Each and every one of us deserves to suffer in eternal hell. Nevertheless, God sent His Son to take up your humanity and take that eternal hell into Himself as He hung on a cross. He has poured out His righteousness upon you. You have eternal life for the sake of the perfect life, suffering, and death of the Son of God! Furthermore, you have the assurance of all of this by virtue of the immortal, bodily resurrection of that very same Son!
Yet what do faithful pastors hear? “Could you do something to make your message a little more exciting?” “Could you make things a little peppier?” “Could you make things a little more self-affirming?” … The eternal Father sent the eternal Son to suffer eternal punishment on the cross so that you could have eternal life, and you aren’t satisfied! You want what you want instead of what God wants to give you! It is like God is a chef who wants to serve you a seven-course feast, but you sit down and tell Him that you don’t want it because you are used to rancid bologna on moldy bread and prefer that.
The devil is more than happy to provide a wide variety of con-artists to give you exactly what you want. He is happy to do this because when he gives you what you want, it will draw you away from what you need. It will draw you away from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord and poison your soul instead. So it is that those who preach lies rake in billions, while those who preach the truth find themselves gathering shopping carts, re-stocking shelves, and doing “cleanup in aisle 9” in order to feed their families. We are willing to pay big bucks to people who tell us the lies even though those lies lead to eternal destruction because those lies make us feel good about ourselves. At the same time, we drive out those who tell us the truth we need for our salvation. It is exactly as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write to Timothy. The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3–4)
In spite of the fact that the crowds resisted His message Jesus continued teaching them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (John 6:32) Here Jesus corrected them. The manna from heaven came from God. Moses was merely God’s servant at the time. In fact, all of the signs that Moses did began with God. Moses was a great prophet of God, not because he was anything great, but because God chose him and called him.
Jesus continued, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33) Here Jesus taught that He Himself is the bread who comes down from heaven. Just as God sent manna to give temporary life to the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness, so also He sent His Son to give eternal life to all people by His perfect life and sacrificial death on a cross. This is how Jesus is the bread of God who gives life to the world.
The poor crowds are still thinking of their stomachs when they respond, “Sir, give us this bread always.” (John 6:34) Martin Luther preached about these people and said, “This announcement that the Gospel would fill their bellies, that it would provide plentifully for this life and afford a good living, pleases them. They say, as it were: “This would be the man for us. Who would not like him?” We, too, would like such a preacher. They pay no attention to Christ’s words to learn where He wants to lead them, but they are happy over the prospect that He will fill their bellies and give them only earthly goods and money. But that is not the point. The Gospel does not fill the belly; it has something different to do. Times have not changed. When the Gospel is preached, everyone is eager to reap a sufficient store of earthly goods from it.” (Luther’s Works, Vol. 23: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John)
But then Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (John 6:35) With these words Jesus made it clear that He is speaking of a different kind of bread for a different kind of life. When it comes to the things of this world Jesus said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20) Never the less, when it comes to the things of eternity, He said, “whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
These are words that we can never truly understand, but, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them. Through the gift of faith given by the Holy Spirit, we can believe in them and in the Christ who said them. By that gift of faith, we can believe that Jesus is eternal food and drink who will keep us alive with Him in eternity. For just as Jesus rose from the dead, so also will the Holy Spirit raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
God, in His infinite knowledge and perfect wisdom, will give us, not what we want, but exactly what He knows we need … both here in time and forever in eternity. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31–32) Amen
Prayer of the Church
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13B) - 4 August 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Gracious heavenly Father, as You provided for the Israelites during their journey through the wilderness to the land You had promised, give us confidence to trust in You and to look to Your hand to provide all we need for this life and for the life to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy One, Your Son gives us the Office of the Ministry, that Your people might be equipped to serve and be built up into His one Body. Remember in Your compassion all who speak Your Word. Give them faithfulness and honesty in their teaching, that Your children would be freed from all deceit to speak Your truth to one another in love, growing up in every way into Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant us true unity in the faith. Preserve us in pure doctrine; grant harmony in our congregation, district and Synod; and bestow on us charitable hearts that put the best construction on what we see and hear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God and Father of all, enable us to walk in humility, gentleness and patience, that we would bear with one another in love and be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty One, You establish civil government to be a blessing. To Your mercy, then, we commend our president, our Congress, our justices and magistrates, and all who serve the public in any way. Keep them honest, fill them with wisdom and uphold them in every good deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Show Your mercy to the sick and hospitalized [including _____________]. Provide doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to care for those who need health and healing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving Father, You provided manna for Your ancient people to sustain them in the wilderness. By Your grace, You provide the living bread from heaven: the very body of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, that endures to eternal life. Help us to approach Your table with thankful and contrite hearts, that we might receive Your Son’s precious body and blood for the forgiveness of all our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, we come as a people tossed to and fro by the manifold changes of this mortal life. Help us to know, in You, that which is eternal. Give us confidence in the suffering and death of Christ, that we may rejoice that You are with us always and await His joyous appearing with all the saints; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymn:
821 “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus”
1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
2 Alleluia! Not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received Him
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget His promise:
“I am with you evermore”?
3 Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
Here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to You from day to day.
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.
4 Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne.
As within the veil You entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.
5 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – July 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Doak Whitley
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
“The Christian faith is a unity and may not be subdivided into favored and disapproved doctrines. Luther calls the Christian teaching the punctum mathematicum, “the mathematical point.” This means that it is incapable of subdivision. Doctrine may not be subjected to more and less, better and worse, or tugging and pulling. That is love’s business, our business. We have no right to take the chain saw of our wisdom to the inviolate whole of God’s Word and chop out what we dislike. It would bring the death of the patient. God’s teaching is not ours to control. God controls it (John 3:8). We only teach it.” The Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, LCMS pastor in Texas and our church body’s southwest regional vice-president.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
July 28, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 595, “O Blessed Spring”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Genesis 9:8-17
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 3:14-21
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:45-56
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 715, “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
SERMON “Safe and Sound with Jesus” Mark 6:45-56
Safe and Sound with Jesus – Mark 6:45-56
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31) I am so glad He said that; because no matter how much I study God’s Word, there is always more to learn. I look forward to studying His Word in eternity and continuing to learn more and more.
During the last couple of years, I learned something about the Gospel according to Mark that I didn’t know before. I was listening to an interview with Dr. James Voelz, former professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Dr. Voelz has written a commentary on the Gospel according to Mark. He indicated that one of the major themes of this account is that, with one major exception, all of creation knows exactly who Jesus is. The major exception: the human race.
God the Father announced the identity of Jesus at His baptism and again at the transfiguration. The demons in Mark are terrified because they know exactly who Jesus is as He casts them out. All sorts of diseases and harmful conditions know who Jesus is as He heals them. Death knows who Jesus is as He raises the daughter of Jairus. The wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee know who Jesus is as He calms them with a word. Nevertheless, even His own disciples … the ones who witnessed these things … even they don’t have a clue. It is not until the centurion witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross that a human being finally said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)
Once you know this about the Gospel of Mark, it’s difficult to not think about it. Today’s account of Jesus walking on the water is no different. Once again we see that nature knows who Jesus is, but the disciples remain confused.
Today’s reading began as Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side. (Mark 6:45) That word made could also be translated as compelled or forced. It is as though there is something dangerous at work and Jesus is eager to get His disciples to safety.
To understand why Jesus was on “RED ALERT”, we need to review the reading from last week. Jesus had just finished providing bread and fish for 5,000 men plus women and children. This was pretty spectacular stuff in a subsistence culture where only the privileged few were regularly satisfied after every meal. You can’t really blame the people for wanting to make Jesus their king. Who wouldn’t want a king who could provide free food for life?
The only thing is that Jesus didn’t come to be an earthly king. As He Himself said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) the people’s desire to make Jesus their king was a tremendous temptation. It was a temptation to give up His mission to the cross and become a “bread king” instead. He could have avoided the cross. He could have been very popular. Of course, the rest of us would all be condemned in our trespasses and sins. Obviously, the people who had eaten their fill did not know that Jesus was the Christ who had come to take on the punishment of their sins with His suffering and death on the cross.
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12B) - 28 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You have made us Your own dear children through Holy Baptism. Strengthen us with power by Your Holy Spirit in our inner being, that Your Son may dwell in our hearts through faith and that we would be rooted and grounded in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. Be glorified in Your Church and in Christ Jesus! Ground us in love. Give us a faith rooted in the promises of Christ and strength to comprehend with all the saints His love that surpasses all knowledge. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, as You preserved Noah and his family and brought forth new life from the ark under the promise of Your covenant, bless now our families also. Make marriages strong and fruitful according to Your will. Let Your Word rule in every home, uniting its members in forgiveness and causing Your Son to dwell in every heart through faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of might, spare us and future generations from wickedness. Give blessing to our nation and its leaders to rule according to Your good pleasure. Protect the members of our armed forces, police and other public servants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we Your people cry out for Your healing upon [_____________ and] all those in need. Even as You sent Your Son to heal and make whole, teach them ever to trust in Your love, for You never leave nor forsake them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, do not allow our hearts to become hardened by indifference or frustration in this world. Give us understanding and courage to sustain us through this valley of sorrows. Lead us to Your blessed Sacrament with repentance and faith, that eating Your true body and drinking Your blood, we may receive forgiveness of sins and confidence according to Christ’s New Testament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You name every family in heaven and on earth. We give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Preserve us in the faith so that Christ might dwell in our hearts richly until that day when we join them around Your throne; for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymns-- no. 557, “Seek Where You May, to Find a Way”
no. 806, “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 849, “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – July 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Doak Whitley
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
“The Christian faith is a unity and may not be subdivided into favored and disapproved doctrines. Luther calls the Christian teaching the punctum mathematicum, “the mathematical point.” This means that it is incapable of subdivision. Doctrine may not be subjected to more and less, better and worse, or tugging and pulling. That is love’s business, our business. We have no right to take the chain saw of our wisdom to the inviolate whole of God’s Word and chop out what we dislike. It would bring the death of the patient. God’s teaching is not ours to control. God controls it (John 3:8). We only teach it.” The Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, LCMS pastor in Texas and our church body’s southwest regional vice-president.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
July 28, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 595, “O Blessed Spring”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Genesis 9:8-17
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 3:14-21
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:45-56
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 715, “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
SERMON “Safe and Sound with Jesus” Mark 6:45-56
Safe and Sound with Jesus – Mark 6:45-56
Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” (Mark 13:31) I am so glad He said that; because no matter how much I study God’s Word, there is always more to learn. I look forward to studying His Word in eternity and continuing to learn more and more.
During the last couple of years, I learned something about the Gospel according to Mark that I didn’t know before. I was listening to an interview with Dr. James Voelz, former professor at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Dr. Voelz has written a commentary on the Gospel according to Mark. He indicated that one of the major themes of this account is that, with one major exception, all of creation knows exactly who Jesus is. The major exception: the human race.
God the Father announced the identity of Jesus at His baptism and again at the transfiguration. The demons in Mark are terrified because they know exactly who Jesus is as He casts them out. All sorts of diseases and harmful conditions know who Jesus is as He heals them. Death knows who Jesus is as He raises the daughter of Jairus. The wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee know who Jesus is as He calms them with a word. Nevertheless, even His own disciples … the ones who witnessed these things … even they don’t have a clue. It is not until the centurion witnessed the death of Jesus on the cross that a human being finally said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)
Once you know this about the Gospel of Mark, it’s difficult to not think about it. Today’s account of Jesus walking on the water is no different. Once again we see that nature knows who Jesus is, but the disciples remain confused.
Today’s reading began as Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side. (Mark 6:45) That word made could also be translated as compelled or forced. It is as though there is something dangerous at work and Jesus is eager to get His disciples to safety.
To understand why Jesus was on “RED ALERT”, we need to review the reading from last week. Jesus had just finished providing bread and fish for 5,000 men plus women and children. This was pretty spectacular stuff in a subsistence culture where only the privileged few were regularly satisfied after every meal. You can’t really blame the people for wanting to make Jesus their king. Who wouldn’t want a king who could provide free food for life?
The only thing is that Jesus didn’t come to be an earthly king. As He Himself said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) the people’s desire to make Jesus their king was a tremendous temptation. It was a temptation to give up His mission to the cross and become a “bread king” instead. He could have avoided the cross. He could have been very popular. Of course, the rest of us would all be condemned in our trespasses and sins. Obviously, the people who had eaten their fill did not know that Jesus was the Christ who had come to take on the punishment of their sins with His suffering and death on the cross.
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 12B) - 28 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You have made us Your own dear children through Holy Baptism. Strengthen us with power by Your Holy Spirit in our inner being, that Your Son may dwell in our hearts through faith and that we would be rooted and grounded in love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. Be glorified in Your Church and in Christ Jesus! Ground us in love. Give us a faith rooted in the promises of Christ and strength to comprehend with all the saints His love that surpasses all knowledge. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, as You preserved Noah and his family and brought forth new life from the ark under the promise of Your covenant, bless now our families also. Make marriages strong and fruitful according to Your will. Let Your Word rule in every home, uniting its members in forgiveness and causing Your Son to dwell in every heart through faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of might, spare us and future generations from wickedness. Give blessing to our nation and its leaders to rule according to Your good pleasure. Protect the members of our armed forces, police and other public servants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we Your people cry out for Your healing upon [_____________ and] all those in need. Even as You sent Your Son to heal and make whole, teach them ever to trust in Your love, for You never leave nor forsake them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, do not allow our hearts to become hardened by indifference or frustration in this world. Give us understanding and courage to sustain us through this valley of sorrows. Lead us to Your blessed Sacrament with repentance and faith, that eating Your true body and drinking Your blood, we may receive forgiveness of sins and confidence according to Christ’s New Testament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You name every family in heaven and on earth. We give thanks for our brothers and sisters in Christ who have finished their course in faith and now rest from their labors. Preserve us in the faith so that Christ might dwell in our hearts richly until that day when we join them around Your throne; for the sake of Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION HYMNS
Hymns-- no. 557, “Seek Where You May, to Find a Way”
no. 806, “Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 849, “Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for TODAY at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). As one poem puts it: “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 21, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Psalm [spoken] Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 23:1–6
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 23.
1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 2:11–22
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 2.
11Remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading Mark 6:30–44
L A reading from St. Mark’s Gospel, the sixth chapter.
30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate and were satisfied. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Being Satisfied with His Gifts” Mark 6:30-44
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
545 “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
Living rain from heav’n descending;
Touch our hearts and bring to birth
Faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere You;
Word made flesh, we long to hear You.
2 Word eternal, throned on high,
Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav’n to die,
Crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring,
Speak to us, Your love outpouring.
3 Word that caused blind eyes to see,
Speak and heal our mortal blindness;
Deaf we are: our healer be;
Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken,
Heal the world, by sin now broken.
4 Word that speaks God’s tender love,
One with God beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above,
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us;
Word of life, with one bread feed us.
Text: James Quinn, 1919–2010
Text: © 1969 OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
Prayer of the Church - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11B) - 21 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your compassion shown in Christ Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep and the righteous Son of David. Keep us trusting at all times in Your right hand, in whom true satisfaction is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of Israel, You promise to set caring shepherds over the sheep of Your pasture. Drive away deceitful shepherds who scatter Your flock, and gather Your sheep into Your heavenly kingdom by the hands of pious and faithful men whom You send in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, He provided bread and fish until all had eaten their fill and were satisfied. Give us our daily bread, according to Your will. Help us to use the gifts that You have given us to care for those who are hungry and in need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us good government and faithful rulers, while reminding us always that all provision comes from You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your constant care and all we need to support this body and life. Attend to those in need among us [especially _____________]. Free them from dismay and fear by the certainty that Christ is their righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son once set a feast in a desolate place, miraculously multiplying loaves and fish to feed a multitude. Through the miracle of the Holy Supper, He continues to bless and give us a heavenly feast: His very body and blood for our forgiveness. Give us faith as we meet Him at His table, that we may greet Him always as the Lord, our righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, that You have made us fellow citizens with the saints in light. Keep us in the true faith for as long as You preserve us in this world, that we would hopefully and eagerly await the day when we stand in Your presence with them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 748 “I’m But a Stranger Here”
1 I’m but a stranger here,
Heav’n is my home;
Earth is a desert drear,
Heav’n is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on ev’ry hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
2 What though the tempest rage,
Heav’n is my home;
Short is my pilgrimage,
Heav’n is my home;
And time’s wild wintry blast
Soon shall be overpast;
I shall reach home at last,
Heav’n is my home.
3 Therefore I murmur not,
Heav’n is my home;
Whate’er my earthly lot,
Heav’n is my home;
And I shall surely stand
There at my Lord’s right hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
Text: Thomas R. Taylor, 1807–35
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for TODAY at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Irma Sprung will be next month, Saturday, August 17th at 11 a.m.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). As one poem puts it: “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
July 21, 2024
Prelude and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Psalm [spoken] Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 23:1–6
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 23.
1“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. 2Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. 3Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. 4I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.
5“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 6In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Ephesians 2:11–22
L A reading from Ephesians, chapter 2.
11Remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Gospel Reading Mark 6:30–44
L A reading from St. Mark’s Gospel, the sixth chapter.
30The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42And they all ate and were satisfied. 43And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Being Satisfied with His Gifts” Mark 6:30-44
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
545 “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
Living rain from heav’n descending;
Touch our hearts and bring to birth
Faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere You;
Word made flesh, we long to hear You.
2 Word eternal, throned on high,
Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav’n to die,
Crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring,
Speak to us, Your love outpouring.
3 Word that caused blind eyes to see,
Speak and heal our mortal blindness;
Deaf we are: our healer be;
Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken,
Heal the world, by sin now broken.
4 Word that speaks God’s tender love,
One with God beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above,
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us;
Word of life, with one bread feed us.
Text: James Quinn, 1919–2010
Text: © 1969 OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
Prayer of the Church - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11B) - 21 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your compassion shown in Christ Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep and the righteous Son of David. Keep us trusting at all times in Your right hand, in whom true satisfaction is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of Israel, You promise to set caring shepherds over the sheep of Your pasture. Drive away deceitful shepherds who scatter Your flock, and gather Your sheep into Your heavenly kingdom by the hands of pious and faithful men whom You send in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ compassion for the crowd, He provided bread and fish until all had eaten their fill and were satisfied. Give us our daily bread, according to Your will. Help us to use the gifts that You have given us to care for those who are hungry and in need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us good government and faithful rulers, while reminding us always that all provision comes from You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for Your constant care and all we need to support this body and life. Attend to those in need among us [especially _____________]. Free them from dismay and fear by the certainty that Christ is their righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son once set a feast in a desolate place, miraculously multiplying loaves and fish to feed a multitude. Through the miracle of the Holy Supper, He continues to bless and give us a heavenly feast: His very body and blood for our forgiveness. Give us faith as we meet Him at His table, that we may greet Him always as the Lord, our righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, that You have made us fellow citizens with the saints in light. Keep us in the true faith for as long as You preserve us in this world, that we would hopefully and eagerly await the day when we stand in Your presence with them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 748 “I’m But a Stranger Here”
1 I’m but a stranger here,
Heav’n is my home;
Earth is a desert drear,
Heav’n is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on ev’ry hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
2 What though the tempest rage,
Heav’n is my home;
Short is my pilgrimage,
Heav’n is my home;
And time’s wild wintry blast
Soon shall be overpast;
I shall reach home at last,
Heav’n is my home.
3 Therefore I murmur not,
Heav’n is my home;
Whate’er my earthly lot,
Heav’n is my home;
And I shall surely stand
There at my Lord’s right hand;
Heav’n is my fatherland,
Heav’n is my home.
Text: Thomas R. Taylor, 1807–35
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. A Women’s Study is at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay.
WE THANK EVERYONE who was able to come to our one-day Vacation Bible School event yesterday. Thank you one and all!
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for next Sunday, July 21st at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you! Could you imagine later one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 14, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 580, “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Amos 7:7-15
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 1:3-14
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:14-29
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 743, “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”
SERMON “Hearing but Still Rejecting the Word” Mark 6:14-29
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10B) - 14 July 2024
Preserve Your Church, O Lord, for Your name’s sake. Answer us in Your righteousness and in Your faithfulness. Since You have sent us forth in this world to testify to Your Word, let us find conviction and confidence in our confession that salvation is found in the forgiveness of sins through Christ Jesus alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, we commend to You all ministers of Your Word. Make them zealous and faithful, that through their service Your kingdom would grow. Turn the hearts of all who hear from the love of sin to the love of You. Remember in mercy our Synod’s president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Grant them wisdom in their work and joy in their calling. Send laborers into Your harvest. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve Your blessed estate of marriage, O Lord. Let chastity be prized among Your Christians and honored also in the world. Bind husband and wife together in love and forgiveness. Equip them by Your Spirit with every good gift to care for and teach the children You give. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You, O Lord, are King over all the earth. You bring ruin on wicked nations and their rulers and are no respecter of persons. Spare our nation and its leaders, O Lord. Let the conduct of our civil servants and of our people be wise, just and honorable in accord with Your revealed will. For the sake of Christ, be merciful to those who oppose You and remember that You desire all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Emboldened by our adoption through Jesus Christ, O Father, we bring before You every need of body and soul. Lavish the riches of Your grace on _____________. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have blessed us, O Father, in Your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood: the forgiveness of our trespasses. As You have sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit for an eternal inheritance in Him, bring us now in repentance and faith to receive His Sacrament and be strengthened to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Author of life, as the disciples of John laid his body in a tomb in expectation of the resurrection of the dead, so lead us to respect the bodies of the saints in life and death, at all times confessing by word and deed our confidence in the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, join these, our prayers and praises, with those of Your faithful people in every time and in every place. Unite them in the ceaseless petitions of our great High Priest until He comes again on the Last Day. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION
Hymn-- no. 633, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 585, “Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. A Women’s Study is at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay.
WE THANK EVERYONE who was able to come to our one-day Vacation Bible School event yesterday. Thank you one and all!
A MEMORIAL SERVICE for Jackie Dickey is scheduled for next Sunday, July 21st at 2 p.m.
PROGRESS IS BEING MADE on the church re-landscaping project. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you! Could you imagine later one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 14, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 580, “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Amos 7:7-15
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Ephesians 1:3-14
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 6:14-29
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 743, “Jesus, Priceless Treasure”
SERMON “Hearing but Still Rejecting the Word” Mark 6:14-29
Hearing But Still Rejecting the Word – Mark 6:14-29
Today’s reading from the Gospel comes immediately after last week’s reading that told us that [the twelve] “went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” (Mark 6:12–13)
This kind of activity would draw a lot of attention and today’s reading begins by informing us that even Herod heard about it. Everyone was speculating about Jesus. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” (Mark 6:14–15)
Mark’s Gospel account does not tell us whether Herod had genuine pangs of conscience or whether Herod was merely being superstitious. Either way, King Herod seemed to be afraid that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. He was afraid because the history of Israel records many instances of bad things happening to people who kill God’s prophets, and he had killed John the Baptist.
John’s death came because one of the jobs of a prophet is to speak the truth to power. This usually meant saying very unpleasant things to very powerful people. In the case of Herod, this meant condemning his marriage. The Herod in today’s Gospel is actually Herod Antipas, and he was one of the sons of Herod the Great. His wife, Herodias was the granddaughter of Herod the Great. She had been previously married to Herod’s half-brother Philip. In other words, both of Herodias’s husbands were also her uncles. Herod had gotten an illegal divorce from his first wife to marry Herodias. Herodias had also illegally divorced Philip in order to marry Herod. It was a mess and John the Baptist condemned the whole thing.
The text sort of gives the impression that Herod himself would have left John alone if it were not for his wife. Herod … sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife … and Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. (Mark 6:17–19) Herod, on the other hand, seemed to have a different attitude toward John. Herodias wanted to put [John] to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:19–20)
Herodias finally got a chance to execute John at Herod’s birthday party. Her daughter provided entertainment for the party with a dance. Most commentators say this dance was fairly provocative and that is the reason it pleased Herod and his guests. At any rate, her dance pleased Herod so much that he made an extremely foolish promise. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” (Mark 6:22–25) Herodias took advantage of Herod’s foolishness and got her wish. That was the end of John.
As we hear this story, one of the many puzzling behaviors of Herod is his attitude toward John. Biblical scholars have used a lot of ink trying to evaluate the contradictory behavior of Herod with regard to John. Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. (Mark 6:20) These words indicate that Herod enjoyed listening to John. Other words in the text indicate that Herod respected John as a prophet. He even seemed to be concerned about the result of killing one God’s prophets. Herod seemed to be afraid of some sort of curse or something if he killed John. Nevertheless, Herod ordered John’s death anyway. He was more concerned about his reputation before men than before God.
Jesus described John by saying, “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) So when God allowed John to get arrested, He placed the greatest prophet of all time in Herod’s dungeon, and Herod heard him. Herod also met Jesus the night before the crucifixion. Herod even interacted with the Apostles after Jesus rose from the dead. Nevertheless, Herod rejected the message of salvation from all of them.
It is as Martin Luther preached about the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy:” (Exodus 20:8)
“It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. Up to this point the opinion prevailed that you had properly hallowed Sunday when you had heard a Mass or the Gospel read. But no one cared for God’s Word, and no one taught it. Now that we have God’s Word, we fail to correct the abuse. We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
While it is definitely beneficial to make it a habit to attend Divine Service on the Lord’s Day and the other festival days, it does little good if the Word of God rolls off you like water off a duck’s back. When we hear the Word of God, but do not listen to it, we are little Herod’s … hearing God’s Word, but not really listening. We are like the rocky soil in the parable that Jesus explained and said, “These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:16–17)
Martin Luther put it this way in his sermon: “Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you [Romans 14:12] about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.” (Large Catechism: Third Commandment)
The mere fact that it is God’s Word should be enough all by itself to compel us to learn it. Neverthe- less, there is an even greater reason to learn, retain, and meditate on God’s Word. It is God’s Word that communicates salvation to us. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to bring us into the family of God. It is God’s Word that the Holy Spirit uses to keep us in the family of God. It is God’s Word that gives us confidence in the salvation that Jesus earned for us on the cross. It is God’s Word that constantly comforts and assures us with the eternal promises of God to take us to be His own forever.
God’s Word tells us about the love that God has for us in that He sent His only begotten son into this world to take up our human flesh and work salvation for us. His Son fulfilled the law in our place with a holy, innocent life … a life that began in the womb of the Virgin Mary and continued until His lifeless body lay in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. His Son also endured our punishment in His suffering and death on a cross. In this way, He took our sin onto Himself and gave us His holiness to take its place. God looks at you and sees the righteousness of His holy Son.
King Herod was concerned that Jesus was John the Baptist come back from the dead. John didn’t come back from the dead, but Jesus did. Death could not hold Him and He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for us. On the Last Day, Jesus will raise all the dead including John the Baptist. Then He will give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.
King Herod was actually a historical participant in the salvation Jesus earned for us. Had he listened to John, he would now be with Jesus waiting for the Last Day and the resurrection to eternal life. Because he rejected the saving words of John, he has lost his salvation. He has not lost his salvation because he killed John. Jesus died in order to forgive that sin. Herod is lost simply because he rejected the salvation contained in the words that John, Jesus, and the Apostles had for him.
God has given the facts of salvation in His Word. God the Holy Spirit uses that Word to work salvation. Through that Word, Jesus still calls and says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) That Gospel is Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Unlike Herod and the other people in Mark’s Gospel account, you know who Jesus is. He is your Savior and He wants you to live with Him forever. Amen
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10B) - 14 July 2024
Preserve Your Church, O Lord, for Your name’s sake. Answer us in Your righteousness and in Your faithfulness. Since You have sent us forth in this world to testify to Your Word, let us find conviction and confidence in our confession that salvation is found in the forgiveness of sins through Christ Jesus alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, we commend to You all ministers of Your Word. Make them zealous and faithful, that through their service Your kingdom would grow. Turn the hearts of all who hear from the love of sin to the love of You. Remember in mercy our Synod’s president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Grant them wisdom in their work and joy in their calling. Send laborers into Your harvest. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve Your blessed estate of marriage, O Lord. Let chastity be prized among Your Christians and honored also in the world. Bind husband and wife together in love and forgiveness. Equip them by Your Spirit with every good gift to care for and teach the children You give. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You, O Lord, are King over all the earth. You bring ruin on wicked nations and their rulers and are no respecter of persons. Spare our nation and its leaders, O Lord. Let the conduct of our civil servants and of our people be wise, just and honorable in accord with Your revealed will. For the sake of Christ, be merciful to those who oppose You and remember that You desire all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Emboldened by our adoption through Jesus Christ, O Father, we bring before You every need of body and soul. Lavish the riches of Your grace on _____________. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have blessed us, O Father, in Your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood: the forgiveness of our trespasses. As You have sealed us with the promised Holy Spirit for an eternal inheritance in Him, bring us now in repentance and faith to receive His Sacrament and be strengthened to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Author of life, as the disciples of John laid his body in a tomb in expectation of the resurrection of the dead, so lead us to respect the bodies of the saints in life and death, at all times confessing by word and deed our confidence in the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, join these, our prayers and praises, with those of Your faithful people in every time and in every place. Unite them in the ceaseless petitions of our great High Priest until He comes again on the Last Day. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION
Hymn-- no. 633, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 585, “Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 7, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organists Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Doak Whitley
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 7, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 966 “Before You, Lord, We Bow”
1 Before You, Lord, we bow,
Our God who reigns above
And rules the world below,
Boundless in pow’r and love.
Our thanks we bring
In joy and praise,
Our hearts we raise
To You, our King!
2 The nation You have blest
May well Your love declare,
From foes and fears at rest,
Protected by Your care.
For this bright day,
For this fair land--
Gifts of Your hand--
Our thanks we pay.
3 May ev’ry mountain height,
Each vale and forest green,
Shine in Your Word’s pure light,
And its rich fruits be seen!
May ev’ry tongue
Be tuned to praise
And join to raise
A grateful song.
4 Earth, hear your Maker’s voice;
Your great Redeemer own;
Believe, obey, rejoice,
And worship Him alone.
Cast down your pride,
Your sin deplore,
And bow before
The Crucified.
5 And when in pow’r He comes,
Oh, may our native land
From all its rending tombs
Send forth a glorious band,
A countless throng,
With joy to sing
To heav’n’s high King
Salvation’s song!
Text: Francis Scott Key, 1779–1843, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalms 34:8; 132:13–16
P Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessèd is the man who takes refuge in him! For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: “This is my resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread. Her priests I will clothe with sal- vation, and her saints will shout for joy.”
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 2:1–5
1 He said to me, “Son of man, stand on your feet, and I will speak with you.” 2And as he spoke to me, the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, I send you to the people of Israel, to nations of rebels, who have rebelled against me. They and their fathers have transgressed against me to this very day. 4The descendants also are impudent and stubborn: I send you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ 5And whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious house) they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 123
1To you I lift | up my eyes,*
O you who are enthroned in the | heavens!
2Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her | mistress,*
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy up- | on us.
3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy up- | on us,*
for we have had more than enough | of contempt.
4Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who | are at ease,*
of the contempt | of the proud.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 12:1–10
1I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7So to keep me from being too elated by the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 6:1–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the sixth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1[Jesus] went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
7And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Taking Offense” Mark 6:1-13
Taking Offense – Mark 6:1-13
One of the things that makes any language difficult is that it is possible for a single word to have a wide variety of meanings. This is most certainly true of the English word “love.” I love pizza. I love a gentle breeze on a spring day. I love my family. I love my wife. I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I used the word love properly in each sentence and yet the word meant something different in each sentence. A quick check in a typical dictionary will yield almost two dozen entries under the word love.
Many people in our culture seem to think that love means letting others do whatever they want to do. Others think that love is all about keeping people happy … building up their self-esteem … telling them what they want to hear … and so forth.
The love of a parent for a child demonstrates that most of these ideas about love are wrong. Consider the toddler who sees an open flame for the first time. It could be a burning candle … a campfire … a fireplace … or whatever. The flame is bright and shiny. It almost seems alive. Ordinarily, a toddler’s curiosity is a good thing, but not this time. The toddler reaches out to touch the flame. The loving parent intervenes and says, “No! Hot! Ow!” The toddler is not happy. The toddler, who loves to say the word no, hates it when others say it to him. The loving parent has deeply offended the toddler. The toddler is unhappy. Nevertheless, this is love.
The lover wants what is best for his belovéd. The lover wants what is best even if it means that the belovéd will hate him. How many times has a parent lovingly said “no” only to hear the angry shout, “I hate you!?” The example of the parent’s love shows that it is possible to tell someone that he is wrong and still love him. Sometimes, love offends. Sometimes, love is divisive.
The Gospel we just heard told us that Jesus encountered this kind of offense in His hometown of Nazareth. In the perfect love that only God has for us, Jesus proclaimed the truth that the people of Nazareth needed to hear. The people responded to Jesus’ perfect loving words with offense. The parallel record of this event in the other Gospel accounts tell us that the people were ready to throw Jesus over a nearby cliff because they were so offended.
This offense was nothing new. Down through the centuries, the prophets foreshadowed this rejection. The reading we just heard from the Old Testament tells us that God wanted to give His words through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel. God gave words of warning that Israel needed to hear, but He also warned Ezekiel that the people were rebellious. He described them as impudent and stubborn. Even after their stubborn rebellion handed Jerusalem over to Nebuchadnezzar, they still would not listen. Even after they found themselves in exile in Babylon, they still took offense at the words God gave to His prophet.
Jesus will always offend the devil, the world, and our own sinful nature. This offense has expressed itself in many ways down through the centuries. Torture, death, and other blatant forms of persecution have expressed this offense all the way from the Coliseum in Rome to the beheadings of ISIS in our modern day.
As bad as these are, the worst expression of offense happens when the forces of evil infiltrate the earthly institutions of the church. Then the world can point to events like the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witchcraft Trials, and so forth, and say, “See! Those self-righteous jerks in the church are the greatest source of trouble in the world!” It is then that they fulfill the words of Jesus when He said, “The hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.” (John 16:2)
For several centuries, we in the United States have not had to suffer such blatant, aggressive offense. Today we celebrate the signing of a document that incudes these words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The very first amendment to the constitution of the United States begins with these words: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
The institutional church in the United States has gotten used to these freedoms. The institutional church has grown complacent. Slowly, over the generations, she has forgotten that while she lives in this world, she is not of this world. Because the culture has not taken any outward offense at her, she has gotten used to the idea that the culture, more or less, agrees with her teachings. She has gotten used to the idea that her values … for the most part … are more or less the same as the values of the culture around her. She dropped her guard. The culture has taken advantage of this lapse to infiltrate the church.
As the culture infiltrated the institutional church in the United States, the institutional church has forgotten that there are times to be offensive. Jesus offended the culture in Nazareth, and His bride, the Church, will also offend the culture of this world. Sadly, here in the United States and the other parts of the western culture, we have largely forgotten this. In fact, some people even talk as though it is a sin to be offensive to the world. In fact, the institutional church in the United States often goes out of its way to offend God Almighty rather than offend the culture around us.
On Mount Sinai, God told His people, “You shall not murder.” (Exodus 20:13) Jesus unpacked that commandment in the Sermon on the Mount when He taught, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21–22) Nevertheless, when our culture decided to kill children in the womb, many who call themselves Christian, decided to offend God rather than offend the culture. Instead of loving the culture enough to call it to repentance, they were silent. They forgot the love of the parent who must sometimes do what is best for the child even though it means the child hates him.
On Mount Sinai, God told His people, “You shall not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14) Jesus expanded on that in the Sermon on the Mount when He taught, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28) Nevertheless, when our children co-habitate and begin to raise families without the benefit of marriage, we decide to offend God rather than offend our children. Instead of loving our children enough to call them to repentance, we allow them to continue in their sin. We have forgotten the love of the parent who must sometimes do what is best for the child even though it means the child hates him.
When Jesus was debating the nature of marriage with the Pharisees, He said, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4–6) Jesus went on to say, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:8–9) Nevertheless, many who call themselves Christian claim that Jesus had nothing to say about marriage. Instead of calling the culture to repentance, they went along to get along. We have forgotten that true love does what is best for others even if it means hatred from them.
Because we in the United States have had a peaceful coexistence with western culture for so long, we have forgotten the words of Jesus when He said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” (John 15:18–20) We have forgotten that the world hates those who belong to Christ.
A preacher by the name of Adrian Rogers once said, “It is better to be divided by truth, than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than to speak a lie that will comfort and then kill. It is better to be hated for telling the truth, than to be loved for telling a lie. It is better to stand alone with the truth, than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately die with the truth, than to live with a lie.”
In our complaisance we have not followed Christ’s example to endure offense for the truth. What then shall we do?
The first step is what it always is. We all have sins that separate us from God. While different sins have different consequences here on this earth, every sin condemns us in the eyes of God. It is time to repent and look to our Lord Jesus Christ hanging on the cross for all our sins. It is on that cross that Jesus took away the offense of our sins and made us holy in God’s eyes.
The earthly reason for that cross was the offense that the culture took at His teachings. The religious leaders were so offended at Jesus that they arranged His death. They used all their influence to force the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, to condemn Jesus to crucifixion. Jesus hung on the cross because He was an offense to the religious leaders of that day.
While He hung on the cross He not only endured the offense of man, but He also endured the righteous offense that God has against every one of our sins. He endured the holy wrath of God for all the offense we have accumulated in our sin against God and each other. That includes our acts of cowardice for not being ready to endure the offense of the world for proclaiming the love of God.
Right now it seems as though Christ’s teachings on the family are the most offensive teachings to the world, but there is one teaching that the world hates even more. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) The world hates it that Jesus is the only way to salvation. They find this teaching offensive.
Nevertheless, Jesus is the only Son of God who took on human flesh in order to keep God’s law perfectly in our place. He is the only one who can or wants to give us that righteousness in exchange for our sin. He is the only one who made the exchange of His righteousness for our sin on the cross. He is the first one to rise from the dead with a human body that is as eternal as His divine essence. He is the only one who has promised to raise us in the same way on the Last Day.
Even though the message of Jesus offends the world, it is a message of the purist love. Like the parent who disciplines his child in love even if means that the child hates him, so also Jesus has a message for the world: “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) Amen
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Prayer of the Church [P: Lord, in Your mercy, C: hear our prayer.]
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9B) - 7 July 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We bless You, Lord, for You have heard the voice of our pleas for mercy and sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, our strength and shield. Save Your people and bless Your heritage forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Send laborers into Your harvest, Lord. Preserve Your ministers among us devoted to Your Word and to prayer. Give many servants to Your Church, that neither the preaching nor the care of Your people may fall into neglect or disregard. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, You have revealed Your righteousness in the sight of the nations: Christ Jesus, Your holy arm. By His death and resurrection, You have worked salvation. Strengthen the song of Your Church. Give skill to musicians, poets and artists. Give boldness to Your congregation in this and every place to sing the eternally new song of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, soften the hearts of Your people in every home. Turn parents and children toward each other in love and patience. Banish the spirit of impudence, stubbornness and rebellion from all. Sanctify us in Your truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, protect and defend our nation from its enemies. Support our leaders, and preserve them from temptation. Through the work of all civil authorities, enable us to live a quiet and peaceable life according to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, in our weakness we are strong for the sake of Christ, whose grace is sufficient for every need. Give comfort to those whose pain is chronic, whose suffering is unknown, who wrestle with difficult thorns in body or mind, or who are tempted to despair. [Intercede also on behalf of _____________.] In weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities, let us boast in Christ and His cross, by which we and our sufferings are sanctified. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bountiful God, out of Your abundant blessing You satisfy us with Christ, the bread of life. Give repentance and faith to all who commune this day, that finding refuge in Your Son’s true body and blood, we may taste and see that You are good. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
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Offering
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
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Distribution and Hymns:
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
628 “Your Table I Approach”
1 Your table I approach;
Dear Savior, hear my prayer.
Let not an unrepentant heart
Prove hurtful to me there.
2 Lord, I confess my sins
And mourn their wretched bands;
A contrite heart is sure to find
Forgiveness at Your hands.
3 Your body and Your blood,
Once slain and shed for me,
Are taken at Your table, Lord,
In blest reality.
4 Search not how this takes place,
This wondrous mystery;
God can accomplish vastly more
Than what we think could be.
5 O grant, most blessèd Lord,
That earth and hell combined
May not about this sacrament
Raise doubt within my mind.
6 Oh, may I never fail
To thank You day and night
For Your true body and true blood,
O God, my peace and light.
Text: Gerhard Wolter Molanus, 1633–1722; tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 718 “Jesus, Lead Thou On”
1 Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won;
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow calm and fearless.
Guide us by Thy hand
To our fatherland.
2 If the way be drear,
If the foe be near,
Let not faithless fears o’ertake us;
Let not faith and hope forsake us;
For through many_a woe
To our home we go.
3 When we seek relief
From a long-felt grief,
When temptations come alluring,
Make us patient and enduring.
Show us that bright shore
Where we weep no more.
4 Jesus, lead Thou on
Till our rest is won.
Heav’nly leader, still direct us,
Still support, console, protect us,
Till we safely stand
In our fatherland.
Text: Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, 1700–60; tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK The Rev. Jay Weideman, husband of Anna (nee Poganski) for being our guest preacher today. Rev. Weideman serves a dual parish ministry in NE Iowa (Peace-Oelwein and Our Redeemer-Independence).
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Guest Preacher The Rev. Jay Weideman
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organists Karen Broach and Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 524, “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: O God, because You have prepared for those who love You
such good things as surpass our understanding, pour into our
hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all
things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we
can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
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OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Lamentations 3:22-33
22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
28Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29let him put his mouth in the dust--
there may yet be hope;
30let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve the children of men.
EPISTLE LESSON 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15
1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, 4begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
8I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. . . .
13I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
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GOSPEL LESSON Mark 5:21-43
21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
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SERMON HYMN: 809, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
SERMON “Great Is God’s Faithfulness” Lamentations 3:22-33
[This sermon is by a guest preacher, The Rev. Jay Weideman of Oelwein and Independence, IA]
Grace Mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What is your favorite book of the Bible? I highly doubt any of you would say that your favorite book of the Bible is Lamentations. In Lamentations, Jeremiah tells us of the horrific things that he saw with his own eyes in the year 587 BC. He saw Jerusalem burning; he saw the Temple of Solomon destroyed, and he saw most of the people of the Kingdom of Judah being led to Babylon as captives.
These things happened because the people disobeyed God. They worshiped false idols instead of the Triune God. They listened to false prophets who corrupted the Word by teaching false doctrine. These false prophets preached based on public opinion; they didn't want to say anything too controversial; they just told people that God loved them no matter what they did and accepted them just as they were and would always bless them. So many preachers do the same today. And many people eat it up and listen to them.
God had clearly warned His people about what would happen if they fell away from the faith and were unfaithful to His covenant with them. We can read these warnings in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. God told the people of Israel that they would be punished, that He would get angry at them for their disobedience. He said that they would be defeated by enemies, oppressed, and crushed continually. But He also said that if they would repent of their disobedience, then He would relent of sending His judgment upon them; they would be forgiven instead. He sent them prophets, like Jeremiah, to call them to repentance and faith.
But the people of Judah didn’t listen. The people of Judah didn’t repent. They had itching ears and so listened to the words of false prophets instead of listening to the words of God’s prophets. They loved the word of man that made them feel good about themselves and hated the Word of God because the Word of God is clear, and it clearly showed them that they were in the wrong, needed to repent and needed God’s forgiveness. And let this, too, be a lesson for us. We must hold fast to the Word of God. When we come to church we should want to hear God’s Word in all its truth and purity. We shouldn’t come here to hear what we want to hear. We shouldn’t come here to feel good about ourselves, certainly not to feel good about our sinful ways. God’s Word doesn’t make us comfortable with ourselves. God’s Word confronts us with the reality of our sin. But yes, it also provides comfort by speaking of the love of God shown to us in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Well, returning to Lamentations, we know that because the people didn’t listen to God’s Word, the Lord did what He threatened to do. We read in chapter 2 of Lamentations that God was filled with anger; he cut down all the might of Israel, became like an enemy, scorned His altar, disowned His sanctuary, and delivered the people up into the hands of the enemy, the Babylonians. The knowledge and sorrow over sin and the sight of its consequences is what leads Jeremiah to cry out, to lament, to be filled with tears, and his pain is evident when reading the book. But he doesn't blame God for what is happening. Jeremiah says in chapter 1 that the LORD is in the right. God was not in the wrong, His people were. God wasn’t being unreasonable; the people of Judah were being wicked. God wasn’t unfaithful; the people were. Sin is evil, not God; He is holy and just. And so, He punishes wrongdoing; He gets angry at sin, sin has consequences. When we read Lamentations, this becomes clear to us. We should read Lamentations and know that God’s anger against sin is real. And yes, this should lead us to repent of our own sin.
But God’s wrath against sin is not the only message we take from Lamentations. In the midst of his sorrow and lamenting, Jeremiah reminds his readers and us today in the verses we read from chapter 3 of something else about our God. Like a ray of light bursting through darkness, Jeremiah tells us that the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. What a startling thing to say. All Jeremiah sees with his eyes is destruction and devastation and yet Jeremiah knows who His God is. God is just, this is true, and that is why He acts justly and punishes wickedness. But God is love, and His love never ceases and it is abundant. Because God is love, God does not desire to punish, nor does He take pleasure in punishing. He longs to have mercy. God promises that His mercy never ends and is new every morning. God is faithful to do everything that He says He’ll do. Jeremiah has seen that God is faithful to His threat to punish sin, and yet what He writes here is that He knows that God is also faithful to His promises to show undeserved kindness and ultimately have mercy. God is faithful to never cast away those whom He has chosen, He is faithful to always forgive and He forgives for Christ’s sake who endured the fullness of God’s wrath and was punished on account of our sin in our place on the cross in order that He could declare us free from these sins by rising again from the dead.
How can Jeremiah write about God's love and mercy and faithfulness in the midst of this suffering, in the midst of his personal anguish? Because God’s Word says who God is. Jeremiah knows that the LORD is my portion; therefore I hope in him. Hope is not based on what we see, or what we feel, or what we experience. Hope is based on what God’s Word says about God and what He has done for us. Hope is built on the Gospel and the promise of a Savior. Hope is built on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the basis of Jeremiah’s hope, and it is the basis of our hope. And it’s because of this, it is because of what God has done for us and promised to us in Christ Jesus that we can endure everything that we may have to in this life with true and certain hope. This is what God promises to us.
Our hope is in a present promise that looks to the future for its fulfillment. So we must wait. That’s what we’re doing right now. Waiting is a part of the Christian life. Jeremiah continues and writes The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. And so, we are here. We are waiting. We are waiting for the fullness of our salvation to be revealed to us. To be sure, salvation has fully been accomplished for us, and we are truly and completely saved already right now, that's what God has promised to us in Christ, but not everything that our salvation entails has come to pass for us. But it will, just not yet, so we wait. We wait to finally be rid of the old sinful flesh that clings to us like a disease. We wait for our souls entrance into heaven. We wait for the glorious resurrection in which our mortal and perishable bodies become imperishable and take on immortality. We wait. And the wait is worth it because we are waiting for something better. It’s good for us to wait. God makes us grow while we are waiting. There is a great deal of truth in that old saying, “good things come to those who wait.”
But we know what waiting looks like in this life. It looks like suffering. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, says Acts 14:22. Jesus says in John 16 that while the world rejoices, you will weep and lament. What so often causes us consternation is that God permits these hardships to happen to us, He causes grief and affliction as our text says. How can we make sense of this? How can we still trust in God knowing this? Though we must admit that the will of God is mysterious, and though not everything bad that happens to us is a direct punishment for something wrong we’ve done, we must know that the root of everything wrong is sin. But let us never forget that despite our still far too frequent unfaithfulness to God, that He is always faithful to us. He sees us through everything, and everything means everything. God is always faithful to us. That’s all you need to know no matter what you're going through. God does not cast us off forever, no matter what it may seem like. Jesus promises that our sorrow will turn to joy when we see Him again, a joy no one can take from us. We wait to see Jesus. We wait for the life to come, though eternal life is already ours now by faith.
As we wait, as we wait for the fullness of our salvation, as we wait through all the difficulties of life and as we suffer patiently as is commendable, we do so knowing that God is faithful to us and that He is faithful to us in His Son who has saved us and has given us forgiveness, life and salvation. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. Great is Thy faithfulness! All that I have needed Thy hand hath provided! Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Great is the faithfulness of our God, indeed.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
760, “What God Ordains Is Always Good”
637, “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 782, “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS, POST-SERVICE MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK The Rev. Jay Weideman, husband of Anna (nee Poganski) for being our guest preacher today. Rev. Weideman serves a dual parish ministry in NE Iowa (Peace-Oelwein and Our Redeemer-Independence).
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Guest Preacher The Rev. Jay Weideman
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organists Karen Broach and Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – June 30, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 524, “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.[cont.]
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: O God, because You have prepared for those who love You
such good things as surpass our understanding, pour into our
hearts such love towards You that we, loving You above all
things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we
can desire; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Lamentations 3:22-33
22The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
28Let him sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29let him put his mouth in the dust--
there may yet be hope;
30let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve the children of men.
EPISTLE LESSON 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 13-15
1We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, 4begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us. 6Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace. 7But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.
8I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. . . .
13I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 5:21-43
21When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24And he went with him.
And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32And he looked around to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 809, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
SERMON “Great Is God’s Faithfulness” Lamentations 3:22-33
[This sermon is by a guest preacher, The Rev. Jay Weideman of Oelwein and Independence, IA]
Grace Mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What is your favorite book of the Bible? I highly doubt any of you would say that your favorite book of the Bible is Lamentations. In Lamentations, Jeremiah tells us of the horrific things that he saw with his own eyes in the year 587 BC. He saw Jerusalem burning; he saw the Temple of Solomon destroyed, and he saw most of the people of the Kingdom of Judah being led to Babylon as captives.
These things happened because the people disobeyed God. They worshiped false idols instead of the Triune God. They listened to false prophets who corrupted the Word by teaching false doctrine. These false prophets preached based on public opinion; they didn't want to say anything too controversial; they just told people that God loved them no matter what they did and accepted them just as they were and would always bless them. So many preachers do the same today. And many people eat it up and listen to them.
God had clearly warned His people about what would happen if they fell away from the faith and were unfaithful to His covenant with them. We can read these warnings in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. God told the people of Israel that they would be punished, that He would get angry at them for their disobedience. He said that they would be defeated by enemies, oppressed, and crushed continually. But He also said that if they would repent of their disobedience, then He would relent of sending His judgment upon them; they would be forgiven instead. He sent them prophets, like Jeremiah, to call them to repentance and faith.
But the people of Judah didn’t listen. The people of Judah didn’t repent. They had itching ears and so listened to the words of false prophets instead of listening to the words of God’s prophets. They loved the word of man that made them feel good about themselves and hated the Word of God because the Word of God is clear, and it clearly showed them that they were in the wrong, needed to repent and needed God’s forgiveness. And let this, too, be a lesson for us. We must hold fast to the Word of God. When we come to church we should want to hear God’s Word in all its truth and purity. We shouldn’t come here to hear what we want to hear. We shouldn’t come here to feel good about ourselves, certainly not to feel good about our sinful ways. God’s Word doesn’t make us comfortable with ourselves. God’s Word confronts us with the reality of our sin. But yes, it also provides comfort by speaking of the love of God shown to us in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Well, returning to Lamentations, we know that because the people didn’t listen to God’s Word, the Lord did what He threatened to do. We read in chapter 2 of Lamentations that God was filled with anger; he cut down all the might of Israel, became like an enemy, scorned His altar, disowned His sanctuary, and delivered the people up into the hands of the enemy, the Babylonians. The knowledge and sorrow over sin and the sight of its consequences is what leads Jeremiah to cry out, to lament, to be filled with tears, and his pain is evident when reading the book. But he doesn't blame God for what is happening. Jeremiah says in chapter 1 that the LORD is in the right. God was not in the wrong, His people were. God wasn’t being unreasonable; the people of Judah were being wicked. God wasn’t unfaithful; the people were. Sin is evil, not God; He is holy and just. And so, He punishes wrongdoing; He gets angry at sin, sin has consequences. When we read Lamentations, this becomes clear to us. We should read Lamentations and know that God’s anger against sin is real. And yes, this should lead us to repent of our own sin.
But God’s wrath against sin is not the only message we take from Lamentations. In the midst of his sorrow and lamenting, Jeremiah reminds his readers and us today in the verses we read from chapter 3 of something else about our God. Like a ray of light bursting through darkness, Jeremiah tells us that the steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. What a startling thing to say. All Jeremiah sees with his eyes is destruction and devastation and yet Jeremiah knows who His God is. God is just, this is true, and that is why He acts justly and punishes wickedness. But God is love, and His love never ceases and it is abundant. Because God is love, God does not desire to punish, nor does He take pleasure in punishing. He longs to have mercy. God promises that His mercy never ends and is new every morning. God is faithful to do everything that He says He’ll do. Jeremiah has seen that God is faithful to His threat to punish sin, and yet what He writes here is that He knows that God is also faithful to His promises to show undeserved kindness and ultimately have mercy. God is faithful to never cast away those whom He has chosen, He is faithful to always forgive and He forgives for Christ’s sake who endured the fullness of God’s wrath and was punished on account of our sin in our place on the cross in order that He could declare us free from these sins by rising again from the dead.
How can Jeremiah write about God's love and mercy and faithfulness in the midst of this suffering, in the midst of his personal anguish? Because God’s Word says who God is. Jeremiah knows that the LORD is my portion; therefore I hope in him. Hope is not based on what we see, or what we feel, or what we experience. Hope is based on what God’s Word says about God and what He has done for us. Hope is built on the Gospel and the promise of a Savior. Hope is built on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the basis of Jeremiah’s hope, and it is the basis of our hope. And it’s because of this, it is because of what God has done for us and promised to us in Christ Jesus that we can endure everything that we may have to in this life with true and certain hope. This is what God promises to us.
Our hope is in a present promise that looks to the future for its fulfillment. So we must wait. That’s what we’re doing right now. Waiting is a part of the Christian life. Jeremiah continues and writes The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. And so, we are here. We are waiting. We are waiting for the fullness of our salvation to be revealed to us. To be sure, salvation has fully been accomplished for us, and we are truly and completely saved already right now, that's what God has promised to us in Christ, but not everything that our salvation entails has come to pass for us. But it will, just not yet, so we wait. We wait to finally be rid of the old sinful flesh that clings to us like a disease. We wait for our souls entrance into heaven. We wait for the glorious resurrection in which our mortal and perishable bodies become imperishable and take on immortality. We wait. And the wait is worth it because we are waiting for something better. It’s good for us to wait. God makes us grow while we are waiting. There is a great deal of truth in that old saying, “good things come to those who wait.”
But we know what waiting looks like in this life. It looks like suffering. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, says Acts 14:22. Jesus says in John 16 that while the world rejoices, you will weep and lament. What so often causes us consternation is that God permits these hardships to happen to us, He causes grief and affliction as our text says. How can we make sense of this? How can we still trust in God knowing this? Though we must admit that the will of God is mysterious, and though not everything bad that happens to us is a direct punishment for something wrong we’ve done, we must know that the root of everything wrong is sin. But let us never forget that despite our still far too frequent unfaithfulness to God, that He is always faithful to us. He sees us through everything, and everything means everything. God is always faithful to us. That’s all you need to know no matter what you're going through. God does not cast us off forever, no matter what it may seem like. Jesus promises that our sorrow will turn to joy when we see Him again, a joy no one can take from us. We wait to see Jesus. We wait for the life to come, though eternal life is already ours now by faith.
As we wait, as we wait for the fullness of our salvation, as we wait through all the difficulties of life and as we suffer patiently as is commendable, we do so knowing that God is faithful to us and that He is faithful to us in His Son who has saved us and has given us forgiveness, life and salvation. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide, strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside. Great is Thy faithfulness! All that I have needed Thy hand hath provided! Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Great is the faithfulness of our God, indeed.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRESENTATION AND PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
760, “What God Ordains Is Always Good”
637, “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 782, “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS, POST-SERVICE MUSIC, REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – June 23, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or an Escort, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
June 23, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 715 “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
1 Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treach’rous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee.
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
2 As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boist’rous waves obey Thy will
When Thou say’st to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sov’reign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
3 When at last I near the shore
And the fearful breakers roar
Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”
Text: Edward Hopper, 1818–88
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 107:28–32
P Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the chil- dren of men! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, in Your mercy guide the course of this world so that Your Church may joyfully serve You in godly peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Job 38:1–11
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8“Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
9when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
11and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 124
1If it had not been the Lord who was on | our side—*
let Israel | now say--
2if it had not been the Lord who was | on our side*
when people rose up a- | gainst us,
3then they would have swallowed us | up alive,*
when their anger was kindled a- | gainst us;
4then the flood would have swept | us away,*
the torrent would have gone | over us;
5then over us | would have gone*
the raging | waters.
6Blessèd | be the Lord,*
who has not given us
as prey | to their teeth!
7We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the | fowlers;*
the snare is broken,
and we | have escaped!
8Our help is in the name | of the Lord,*
who made | heaven and earth.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 6:1–13
1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 4:35–41
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fourth chapter.
35On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 752 “Be Still, My Soul”
1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
3 Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in this vale of tears;
Then you will better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Text: Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1697–1752; tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Peace! Be Still!” Mark 4:35-41
Peace! Be Still! – Mark 4:35-41
The incident recorded for us in the Gospel we just heard is not just a nice story about Miracle Worker Jesus saving His followers from a watery grave. It is also full of teachings concerning the nature of Jesus as the Christ and the nature of the sinners in the boat with Him.
The context leading up to the events in today’s Gospel include a very full day of teaching for Jesus. We heard two of the parables He taught in last week’s Gospel. It’s been a long day. Jesus is tired. As is often the case after a busy time of ministry, Jesus decided to get away with His disciples for some much needed rest and relaxation. In this case, He elected to take a cruise to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
The Sea of Galilee is about eight miles across from west to east at its widest point. Ordinarily, the crossing should only take a few hours, but on this crossing, a storm came up. Even though several of the disciples were experienced fishermen, they were still frightened. This indicates that the storm was fairly powerful.
Where was Jesus during this storm? He was asleep in the stern of the boat. He was exhausted from His long day and fell into a sleep so sound that even the storm did not wake Him.
The fact that Jesus was asleep is an important demonstration of the nature of the Christ. Other than His actual death on the cross, there is no better demonstration of the humanity of Jesus than the sleep of exhaustion. Every human being on the planet knows what it is to grow tired and fall asleep. Here Jesus demonstrates His unity with all people. He sleeps like any other human being.
But then the disciples wake Him and ask for His help. We should not assume that the disciples were expecting much from Jesus. After all, he was brought up as a carpenter, not as a sailor. It is more likely that they were thinking in terms of another set of hands to help bail the water out of the boat or some other similar activity. It may even be that they just wanted Him to move away from the stern so that they had better access to the rudder. In any case, they woke Him and asked for help, but they did not expect what happened next.
Jesus woke up and had a word with the elements. The word “rebuke” in the text means that Jesus scolded the wind and the water rather harshly. After that, the wind and the water became calm. “Peace! Be still!”
Now, you and I could scold the weather until we were blue in the face and nothing would change. In fact, if we continued in that sort of activity, people might wonder if they should call the authorities to take us somewhere to get a mental checkup. Jesus, on the other hand, scolded the weather and the weather paid attention. “Peace! Be still!” It paid attention because Jesus is not just your ordinary, sleepy human being. He is also the God of all creation. Jesus’ ability to control the wind and the waves with just a word clearly shows that He is God. So it is that this one event very clearly demonstrates that Jesus is both 100 % man and 100 % God in one person.
The disciples, on the other hand, were terrified. The original Greek says that they feared a “great” fear. They were in a boat with someone who could talk to the wind and the waves and the wind and the waves would pay attention to what He said. They began to question who their master and teacher really was.
This is one of the themes in Jesus’ life. People often ask who Jesus is. Today, we heard that the wind and the waves know who Jesus is. In other parts of the Gospel account, we learn that diseases, birth defects, and injuries know who Jesus is. Even the demons know who Jesus is. But, when it comes to the human beings, Jesus is a great mystery. They regularly ask, “Who is this? Where does He get this authority?” This reminds me of the words that the Holy Spirit spoke through His prophet Isaiah. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” (Isaiah 1:3)
The terror of God traces its way clear back to Eden. God called and Adam replied, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid.” (Genesis 3:10) Adam had sinned and the presence of the holy and almighty God terrified him. It is the same for all people who see their sin clearly in the holy presence of Almighty God. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
That is the reason it so important that Jesus be both man and God. If Jesus were only God, He could not take our place under the law and live a holy life for us. He also could not suffer the penalty we have earned for our sin. If Jesus were a man, and nothing more, then His perfect life and sacrificial death would earn the salvation of one and only one person. The rest of the world would be lost. It is essential for our salvation that Jesus be both God and man.
We need the salvation that Jesus provides because the storm on the Sea of Galilee is just one instance of the many disasters that the sin of humanity has brought into this world. The destruction that storms bring is an expression of the curse that came when sin entered the world. Our sin not only brings sickness and death to us, but even the world is cursed. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write to the Romans: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:22) Floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, lightening, earthquakes, and all the other natural disasters are the result of the curse that our sin brought into the world.
These natural disasters are not the only storms that our sin has brought into the world. There are other storms in our lives as well. There are the medical storms of infections, heart disease, diabetes, strokes, cancer, viruses and so forth. There are the relational storms of broken families and friendships. There are the financial storms of plant closings and layoffs. Ultimately, there is the storm of death that comes to all of us sooner or later. We may try to deny the existence of sin in our lives, but these storms, both private and public, say otherwise.
It is in the incarnation of Jesus Christ – the fact that the Son of God assumed human nature – that we see God’s loving plan to deal with sin. In Jesus Christ, God assumed human nature to save humans from their nature – their sinful nature. For our own sin doomed us to perish – not just from this earth, but also from the blessings of God’s presence with us. “But the blood of Jesus [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Christ’s human nature allowed Him to be the target of God’s wrath as He hung on the cross. Christ’s Divine nature allowed Him to endure that wrath for all people in all times and places. So it is that God took on human flesh and saved us from our sins.
We have complete confidence in that salvation that Jesus earned for us because death was unable to hold Him. For Christ did not remain in the grave, but, after He conquered death, He rose from death never to die again. After He rose, He showed Himself to His disciples. He encouraged them to examine the marks of the cross in His body. He talked with them and ate with them. He interacted with them in very human ways. At the same time, locked doors and windows were no barrier to Him as He appeared and disappeared at will. In His resurrection, He demonstrated that He lives forever as both God and man in one person.
Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. With that combination, we find our full salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In His humanity, He was able to suffer on the cross in our place and for our good. In His deity, He was able to defeat our foes and rise from the dead to give us eternal life. It is in the person of Jesus Christ who both slept and stilled the storm that we have our faith and the promise of eternal life. “Peace! Be still!” The Lord God omnipotent reigneth! Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7B) - 23 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We thank You, Lord, for Your steadfast love and Your wondrous works to the children of men. You hold power over wind and wave, sin and death. Deliver us from every trouble and distress, and bring us at last to our eternal haven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, You have ushered in the favorable time and day of salvation through the incarnation of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Support all Your ministers, and remove all obstacles from hearing and believing the Word they preach. Let Your grace be proclaimed through every hardship, struggle and suffering, and encourage us by the example of many saints to consider ourselves rich and alive despite every opposition, for since we have Christ, we possess everything. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, open wide the hearts of Christians to one another, especially within the home and between neighbors. Let love be genuine, speech truthful and patience constant. Let us commend ourselves in everything as those known by God’s love and, therefore, unashamed to serve one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You rule this world by Your power. Give to our civil servants respect and recognition of Your creation and its nature. When they use the authority given them from above, let it be in accord with Your good design for our world and not the corruption of sin, which they are to rebuke for the good of their citizens. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Lord, You command wind and wave. Out of Your mercy, spare us from disaster. Give success to crops; send suitable rain for the earth; give protection to those endangered by storms on land, sea or air; and give us faith both to call to You in trouble and to trust that You will work everything for our good for the sake of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, You see that we are perishing, yet You bid us to set our fears aside and trust in You for the sake of Christ, by whose blood we have received peace for our troubled consciences. Do not reject our prayers for their faithlessness, but teach us to trust in You fully. Give Your protection and peace to those in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, we join with the sons of God and shout for joy as Christ Jesus gives to us His true body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Let us not doubt but firmly believe Your Word, that You who formed our world and its matter know well how to be present for us and our forgiveness in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, heavenly Father, for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord, followed by
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
739 “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”
1 Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand;
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
2 When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call;
Hold my hand lest I fall.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
3 When the darkness appears
And the night draws near
And the day is almost gone,
At the river I stand;
Guide my feet, hold my hand,
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
Text: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899–1993
Text: © 1938 (renewed) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., admin. Alfred Music. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 722 “Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me”
1 Lord, take my hand and lead me
Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me
From day to day.
Without Your grace and favor
I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior,
And lead the way.
2 Lord, when the tempest rages,
I need not fear,
For You, the Rock of Ages,
Are always near.
Close by Your side abiding,
I fear no foe,
For when Your hand is guiding,
In peace I go.
3 Lord, when the shadows lengthen
And night has come,
I know that You will strengthen
My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me,
O blessèd Friend;
So take my hand and lead me
Unto the end.
Text: Julie von Hausmann, 1825–1901; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – June 23, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or an Escort, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
June 23, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 715 “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”
1 Jesus, Savior, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treach’rous shoal.
Chart and compass come from Thee.
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
2 As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boist’rous waves obey Thy will
When Thou say’st to them, “Be still!”
Wondrous Sov’reign of the sea,
Jesus, Savior, pilot me.
3 When at last I near the shore
And the fearful breakers roar
Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”
Text: Edward Hopper, 1818–88
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 107:28–32
P Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the chil- dren of men! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, in Your mercy guide the course of this world so that Your Church may joyfully serve You in godly peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Job 38:1–11
1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
2“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
5Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
7when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8“Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb,
9when I made clouds its garment
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10and prescribed limits for it
and set bars and doors,
11and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 124
1If it had not been the Lord who was on | our side—*
let Israel | now say--
2if it had not been the Lord who was | on our side*
when people rose up a- | gainst us,
3then they would have swallowed us | up alive,*
when their anger was kindled a- | gainst us;
4then the flood would have swept | us away,*
the torrent would have gone | over us;
5then over us | would have gone*
the raging | waters.
6Blessèd | be the Lord,*
who has not given us
as prey | to their teeth!
7We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the | fowlers;*
the snare is broken,
and we | have escaped!
8Our help is in the name | of the Lord,*
who made | heaven and earth.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 6:1–13
1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 4:35–41
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the fourth chapter.
35On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 752 “Be Still, My Soul”
1 Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to your God to order and provide;
In ev’ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2 Be still, my soul; your God will undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
3 Be still, my soul; though dearest friends depart
And all is darkened in this vale of tears;
Then you will better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrows and your fears.
Be still, my soul; your Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.
4 Be still, my soul; the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul; when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessèd we shall meet at last.
Text: Catharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1697–1752; tr. Jane L. Borthwick, 1813–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Peace! Be Still!” Mark 4:35-41
Peace! Be Still! – Mark 4:35-41
The incident recorded for us in the Gospel we just heard is not just a nice story about Miracle Worker Jesus saving His followers from a watery grave. It is also full of teachings concerning the nature of Jesus as the Christ and the nature of the sinners in the boat with Him.
The context leading up to the events in today’s Gospel include a very full day of teaching for Jesus. We heard two of the parables He taught in last week’s Gospel. It’s been a long day. Jesus is tired. As is often the case after a busy time of ministry, Jesus decided to get away with His disciples for some much needed rest and relaxation. In this case, He elected to take a cruise to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
The Sea of Galilee is about eight miles across from west to east at its widest point. Ordinarily, the crossing should only take a few hours, but on this crossing, a storm came up. Even though several of the disciples were experienced fishermen, they were still frightened. This indicates that the storm was fairly powerful.
Where was Jesus during this storm? He was asleep in the stern of the boat. He was exhausted from His long day and fell into a sleep so sound that even the storm did not wake Him.
The fact that Jesus was asleep is an important demonstration of the nature of the Christ. Other than His actual death on the cross, there is no better demonstration of the humanity of Jesus than the sleep of exhaustion. Every human being on the planet knows what it is to grow tired and fall asleep. Here Jesus demonstrates His unity with all people. He sleeps like any other human being.
But then the disciples wake Him and ask for His help. We should not assume that the disciples were expecting much from Jesus. After all, he was brought up as a carpenter, not as a sailor. It is more likely that they were thinking in terms of another set of hands to help bail the water out of the boat or some other similar activity. It may even be that they just wanted Him to move away from the stern so that they had better access to the rudder. In any case, they woke Him and asked for help, but they did not expect what happened next.
Jesus woke up and had a word with the elements. The word “rebuke” in the text means that Jesus scolded the wind and the water rather harshly. After that, the wind and the water became calm. “Peace! Be still!”
Now, you and I could scold the weather until we were blue in the face and nothing would change. In fact, if we continued in that sort of activity, people might wonder if they should call the authorities to take us somewhere to get a mental checkup. Jesus, on the other hand, scolded the weather and the weather paid attention. “Peace! Be still!” It paid attention because Jesus is not just your ordinary, sleepy human being. He is also the God of all creation. Jesus’ ability to control the wind and the waves with just a word clearly shows that He is God. So it is that this one event very clearly demonstrates that Jesus is both 100 % man and 100 % God in one person.
The disciples, on the other hand, were terrified. The original Greek says that they feared a “great” fear. They were in a boat with someone who could talk to the wind and the waves and the wind and the waves would pay attention to what He said. They began to question who their master and teacher really was.
This is one of the themes in Jesus’ life. People often ask who Jesus is. Today, we heard that the wind and the waves know who Jesus is. In other parts of the Gospel account, we learn that diseases, birth defects, and injuries know who Jesus is. Even the demons know who Jesus is. But, when it comes to the human beings, Jesus is a great mystery. They regularly ask, “Who is this? Where does He get this authority?” This reminds me of the words that the Holy Spirit spoke through His prophet Isaiah. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” (Isaiah 1:3)
The terror of God traces its way clear back to Eden. God called and Adam replied, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid.” (Genesis 3:10) Adam had sinned and the presence of the holy and almighty God terrified him. It is the same for all people who see their sin clearly in the holy presence of Almighty God. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebrews 10:31)
That is the reason it so important that Jesus be both man and God. If Jesus were only God, He could not take our place under the law and live a holy life for us. He also could not suffer the penalty we have earned for our sin. If Jesus were a man, and nothing more, then His perfect life and sacrificial death would earn the salvation of one and only one person. The rest of the world would be lost. It is essential for our salvation that Jesus be both God and man.
We need the salvation that Jesus provides because the storm on the Sea of Galilee is just one instance of the many disasters that the sin of humanity has brought into this world. The destruction that storms bring is an expression of the curse that came when sin entered the world. Our sin not only brings sickness and death to us, but even the world is cursed. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write to the Romans: “We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” (Romans 8:22) Floods, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, lightening, earthquakes, and all the other natural disasters are the result of the curse that our sin brought into the world.
These natural disasters are not the only storms that our sin has brought into the world. There are other storms in our lives as well. There are the medical storms of infections, heart disease, diabetes, strokes, cancer, viruses and so forth. There are the relational storms of broken families and friendships. There are the financial storms of plant closings and layoffs. Ultimately, there is the storm of death that comes to all of us sooner or later. We may try to deny the existence of sin in our lives, but these storms, both private and public, say otherwise.
It is in the incarnation of Jesus Christ – the fact that the Son of God assumed human nature – that we see God’s loving plan to deal with sin. In Jesus Christ, God assumed human nature to save humans from their nature – their sinful nature. For our own sin doomed us to perish – not just from this earth, but also from the blessings of God’s presence with us. “But the blood of Jesus [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) Christ’s human nature allowed Him to be the target of God’s wrath as He hung on the cross. Christ’s Divine nature allowed Him to endure that wrath for all people in all times and places. So it is that God took on human flesh and saved us from our sins.
We have complete confidence in that salvation that Jesus earned for us because death was unable to hold Him. For Christ did not remain in the grave, but, after He conquered death, He rose from death never to die again. After He rose, He showed Himself to His disciples. He encouraged them to examine the marks of the cross in His body. He talked with them and ate with them. He interacted with them in very human ways. At the same time, locked doors and windows were no barrier to Him as He appeared and disappeared at will. In His resurrection, He demonstrated that He lives forever as both God and man in one person.
Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. With that combination, we find our full salvation from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In His humanity, He was able to suffer on the cross in our place and for our good. In His deity, He was able to defeat our foes and rise from the dead to give us eternal life. It is in the person of Jesus Christ who both slept and stilled the storm that we have our faith and the promise of eternal life. “Peace! Be still!” The Lord God omnipotent reigneth! Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7B) - 23 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We thank You, Lord, for Your steadfast love and Your wondrous works to the children of men. You hold power over wind and wave, sin and death. Deliver us from every trouble and distress, and bring us at last to our eternal haven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, You have ushered in the favorable time and day of salvation through the incarnation of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Support all Your ministers, and remove all obstacles from hearing and believing the Word they preach. Let Your grace be proclaimed through every hardship, struggle and suffering, and encourage us by the example of many saints to consider ourselves rich and alive despite every opposition, for since we have Christ, we possess everything. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, open wide the hearts of Christians to one another, especially within the home and between neighbors. Let love be genuine, speech truthful and patience constant. Let us commend ourselves in everything as those known by God’s love and, therefore, unashamed to serve one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You rule this world by Your power. Give to our civil servants respect and recognition of Your creation and its nature. When they use the authority given them from above, let it be in accord with Your good design for our world and not the corruption of sin, which they are to rebuke for the good of their citizens. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Lord, You command wind and wave. Out of Your mercy, spare us from disaster. Give success to crops; send suitable rain for the earth; give protection to those endangered by storms on land, sea or air; and give us faith both to call to You in trouble and to trust that You will work everything for our good for the sake of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, You see that we are perishing, yet You bid us to set our fears aside and trust in You for the sake of Christ, by whose blood we have received peace for our troubled consciences. Do not reject our prayers for their faithlessness, but teach us to trust in You fully. Give Your protection and peace to those in need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, we join with the sons of God and shout for joy as Christ Jesus gives to us His true body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Let us not doubt but firmly believe Your Word, that You who formed our world and its matter know well how to be present for us and our forgiveness in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, heavenly Father, for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord, followed by
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
739 “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”
1 Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand;
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
2 When my way grows drear,
Precious Lord, linger near,
When my life is almost gone,
Hear my cry, hear my call;
Hold my hand lest I fall.
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
3 When the darkness appears
And the night draws near
And the day is almost gone,
At the river I stand;
Guide my feet, hold my hand,
Take my hand, precious Lord; lead me home.
Text: Thomas A. Dorsey, 1899–1993
Text: © 1938 (renewed) Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., admin. Alfred Music. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
729 “I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus”
1 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free.
2 I am trusting Thee for pardon;
At Thy feet I bow,
For Thy grace and tender mercy
Trusting now.
3 I am trusting Thee for cleansing
In the crimson flood;
Trusting Thee to make me holy
By Thy blood.
4 I am trusting Thee to guide me;
Thou alone shalt lead,
Ev’ry day and hour supplying
All my need.
5 I am trusting Thee for power;
Thine can never fail.
Words which Thou Thyself shalt give me
Must prevail.
6 I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus;
Never let me fall.
I am trusting Thee forever
And for all.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 722 “Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me”
1 Lord, take my hand and lead me
Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me
From day to day.
Without Your grace and favor
I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior,
And lead the way.
2 Lord, when the tempest rages,
I need not fear,
For You, the Rock of Ages,
Are always near.
Close by Your side abiding,
I fear no foe,
For when Your hand is guiding,
In peace I go.
3 Lord, when the shadows lengthen
And night has come,
I know that You will strengthen
My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me,
O blessèd Friend;
So take my hand and lead me
Unto the end.
Text: Julie von Hausmann, 1825–1901; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 16, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE IS A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. ALSO, THERE IS A Women’s Bible Study at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay Coffee Shop on High Street.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 16, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 17:22–24
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 17.
22Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 2 Corinthians 5:1–10
L A reading from 2 Corinthians, chapter 5.
1We know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Please stand if able
Reading Mark 4:26–34
L A reading from Mark, chapter 4.
26[Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken] LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 892 “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”
1 Come, ye thankful people, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
All be safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
2 All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear.
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
3 For the Lord, our God, shall come
And shall take His harvest home,
From His field shall in that day
All offenses purge away,
Give His angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.
4 Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide:
Come with all Thine angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.
Text: Henry Alford, 1810–71, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Seeds Sprout and Grow” Mark 4:26-34
Seeds Sprout and Grow – Mark 4:26-34
This morning, we heard Jesus tell two parables. Both parables use seed and growth to illustrate a point. The central point of the first parable is that the farmer does not know how seed grows. The central point of the second parable is that something very small grows to become very large.
There is something in the first parable that even we as an agricultural community don’t think about too often. We know that farmers work hard to bring a crop to market. But what about the work that the plants do? What about germination or the complex biochemical processes that use the energy from the sun to draw water and nutrients from the soil and other nutrients from the air to grow? Pollen moves from tassels to silks and other complex biochemical processes use the genetic information to produce grain. How much work does it take to begin with a seed buried in the ground, germinate, grow a stalk that is more than seven feet tall, and produce an ear that is full of grain? The farmer puts in a lot of work to provide the conditions that encourage his plants to grow and produce a good crop, but it is the plants themselves that do the growing.
Current biological science understands a lot about the various processes that take place as a plant makes its way from seed to maturity. We can modify the genetic code to increase yield, produce resistance to pests, and so forth. That was not the case back when Jesus told the parable that we just heard. Farmers knew enough to plant, water, fertilize, and keep the weeds down, but the biology behind plant growth was a mystery to them.
Jesus used the mystery of growing crops to illustrate one of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.” (Mark 4:26) The seed represents the proclamation of the Gospel. It could be you reading a Bible story to a child or grandchild or confessing Christ to friends and neighbors. It could be a missionary in a foreign land. It could be the pastor proclaiming God’s word from the pulpit. God has many ways to scatter seed on the ground … to put His Word into the hearts of people.
The next sentence contains the main illustration. Jesus went on to say, “[The man] sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” (Mark 4:27) Just as crop growth was a mystery to the people back then, so the work of God’s Word is a mystery as well. It is as Jesus told Nicodemus in the Gospel that we had a few weeks ago: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) [The Holy Spirit] works faith, when and where it pleases God. (AC: I, art. v, par. 2) These words have great comfort for us … especially when it comes to confessing our faith to our neighbor.
Have you ever felt guilty because you don’t confess your faith to your neighbor as effectively as you wish? Every so often some famous evangelist will give an interview, and, during that interview, he will tell the story of the flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. During that flight, the evangelist always manages to sit next to someone who is dealing with some sort of crisis. This other passenger is always some sort of flaming liberal pagan. Well, the evangelist does his thing and while the two of them are waiting for their luggage, the other passenger draws the evangelist aside, drops to his knees, and begs him to tell him where he can learn more about Jesus. Then the interview proceeds to make all the listeners feel guilty because that sort of thing never happens to them.
The Old Adam is devious. If he can convince us that we are responsible for making Christians, then he can load us up with guilt and fear. He accuses, “See, you confessed your faith, and nothing happened. You must be doing it wrong. You should stop confessing your faith until you can get it right.” In this way, the Old Adam produces guilt and fear within. In this way, the Old Adam prevents us from telling our neighbor about Jesus.
The first parable that we heard today illustrates the words that Jesus gave to Nicodemus. It is the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Just as the farmer was not responsible for the growth process of the crops … indeed, he did not even know how the growth process works, so also, you are not responsible for making Christians … you do not even know how that works. It is the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains faith in the believer.
The best example of this is the criminals who were crucified with Jesus. “Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” (Luke 23:32–33) These two criminals experienced the greatest proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus hung between these two men as He paid for the sins of the world. These two men experienced the Gospel with every fiber of their being. All five senses … seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling … they were all at work bringing the Gospel to these two men. In the end, the Holy Spirit worked faith in one of the criminals. [The criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) The other criminal rejected the work of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate expression of the Gospel and one of the men said no.
So, we tell people about our sin. We tell people that Jesus removed that sin with His death on the cross. We tell people that Jesus rose from the dead for us. We tell people that Jesus ascended to heaven to prepare eternal paradise for us. We tell people that Jesus promised eternal paradise to us. Then we tell them that Jesus has done all this for them too. We follow the example of the Apostles who said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will work faith immediately. Other times the Holy Spirit will take His time. The Holy Spirit has His own timetable. Sometimes the person will reject the Holy Spirit and never believe. We do not take the credit if people believe. We receive no blame if they don’t.
Jesus gives us the comforting assurance that responsibility for the kingdom’s growth does not rest on our shoulders. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to supervise the scattering of the seed that is the Word of God. Perhaps He will give you the privilege of scattering the Word of God by confessing your faith to your family … your friends … your associates. Perhaps He will work in some other way to scatter the Word of God. The point is that the Holy Spirit will see to the scattering of the Word of God, and He will attend to the growth. The growth will not come as the product of our efforts and ingenuity. The Lord of the harvest is in control. There’s no need to worry.
Instead Jesus calls us to trust the promise of the scattered seed which is the Word of God. We need the seed of the Word of God to continue to grow its roots deep into our hearts. This is the source of the faith that receives the gifts of God as the Apostle Paul writes, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) He also writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (Romans 1:16) Jesus Himself said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) It is this seed that that the Holy Spirit uses to maintain our faith in our savior Jesus Christ who died to save us and rose to give us eternal life.
Just as we trust the Word of God for salvation in us, we also trust it for salvation in others. Just as Jesus told Nicodemus and illustrated in today’s parable, the Holy Spirit works faith, when and where it pleases God. He works faith in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who trust Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.
The Old Adam wants to shift the responsibility for salvation back to us and burden us with guilt for not attaining that salvation. This applies not only to our own salvation, but also the salvation of others. Either way, the Old Adam wants to take us into the pit of despair.
Jesus teaches that salvation is never our responsibility in the whole or in any part. It is not our responsibility to save ourselves or to save others. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit as Martin Luther explains in the Small Catechism:
“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.” Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6B) - 16 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Most High, we give thanks to You that You have planted Your Holy Word among us. Give healthy growth to Your Church, that she may weather the storm-winds of this world steadfast in Christ, ever bearing the fruits of love and singing praises to Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Your Holy Spirit plants Your Word and causes it to sprout and grow as it pleases You. Bless the preaching and teaching of Your Word, that Your kingdom may be extended, and give us thankful hearts to marvel at Your work. Send faithful laborers into Your fields to scatter Your seed here and abroad, that in due time a harvest may be reaped for Your glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, the great I AM, what You have spoken You will surely do. We implore You for the sake of Christ and Your many precious promises to bless and defend our homes, to make the efforts of parents fruitful in the teaching of their children, and to preserve them in the saving faith of Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we are bold to ask for all things because You have given us Your Spirit as a guarantee. Hear us as we intercede in Jesus’ name for those in every need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all mercy, through the abundance of Your steadfast love You gather us into Your house and to Your Supper. Give all who commune this day a holy fear of Your wrath and faith in Your promises, that they would receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, we groan under many burdens in this earthly tent and long to be clothed with Your eternal life, which will swallow up all mortal sorrow. Give good courage to Your servants [especially those who mourn the death of _____________] to walk by faith and not sight, to mourn our dead in the hope of the resurrection, and to make it our aim to please You while here in the body, until at last we are at home with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood is named, we give You thanks for earthly fathers. Give them confidence in their station and zeal for their task to care for their families faithfully. Make them examples to their children of godly life and love of Your Word. Bless their work of bringing up children in the fear and instruction of the Lord, and give them the comfort of Your absolution over all their shortcomings. Gather us together with all our fathers to Your eternal household; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
586 “Preach You the Word”
1 Preach you the Word and plant it home
To men who like or like it not,
The Word that shall endure and stand
When flow’rs and men shall be forgot.
2 We know how hard, O Lord, the task
Your servant bade us undertake:
To preach Your Word and never ask
What prideful profit it may make.
3 The sower sows; his reckless love
Scatters abroad the goodly seed,
Intent alone that all may have
The wholesome loaves that all men need.
4 Though some be snatched and some be scorched
And some be choked and matted flat,
The sower sows; his heart cries out,
“Oh, what of that, and what of that?”
5 Of all his scattered plenteousness
One-fourth waves ripe on hill and flat,
And bears a harvest hundredfold:
“Ah, what of that, Lord, what of that!”
6 Preach you the Word and plant it home
And never faint; the Harvest Lord
Who gave the sower seed to sow
Will watch and tend His planted Word.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76, alt.
Text: © 1971 The Franzmann Family. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 16, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Robert Potts
(captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE IS A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room. ALSO, THERE IS A Women’s Bible Study at 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay Coffee Shop on High Street.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
COMING ON SATURDAY, JULY 13th ----
Family Vacation Bible School is coming on July 13th! It will be a one-day event for the family, whether you are 9 days old or 999 years old, in other words—it’s for everybody! The theme for the event is “Celebrating the Savior” and will feature stations for Bible stories, crafts, games, singing, etc., and will culminate with a BBQ at noon. For more information, or to volunteer, please speak with Barb Whitley.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 16, 2024
Prelude, Prayer and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 901 “Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty”
1 Open now thy gates of beauty;
Zion, let me enter there,
Where my soul in joyful duty
Waits for Him who answers prayer.
Oh, how blessèd is this place,
Filled with solace, light, and grace!
2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;
Come Thou also unto me.
Where we find Thee and adore Thee,
There a heav’n on earth must be.
To my heart, O enter Thou;
Let it be Thy temple now!
3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted;
Here Thy seed is duly sown.
Let my soul, where it is planted,
Bring forth precious sheaves alone,
So that all I hear may be
Fruitful unto life in me.
4 Thou my faith increase and quicken;
Let me keep Thy gift divine,
Howsoe’er temptations thicken;
May Thy Word still o’er me shine
As my guiding star through life,
As my comfort in all strife.
5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee;
Let Thy will be done indeed.
May I undisturbed draw near Thee
While Thou dost Thy people feed.
Here of life the fountain flows;
Here is balm for all our woes.
Text: Benjamin Schmolck, 1672–1737; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 17:22–24
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 17.
22Thus says the Lord God: “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of the cedar and will set it out. I will break off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. 23On the mountain height of Israel will I plant it, that it may bear branches and produce fruit and become a noble cedar. And under it will dwell every kind of bird; in the shade of its branches birds of every sort will nest. 24And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 2 Corinthians 5:1–10
L A reading from 2 Corinthians, chapter 5.
1We know that if the tent, which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Please stand if able
Reading Mark 4:26–34
L A reading from Mark, chapter 4.
26[Jesus] said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken] LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 892 “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”
1 Come, ye thankful people, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
All be safely gathered in
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied.
Come to God’s own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest home.
2 All the world is God’s own field,
Fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear,
Then the full corn shall appear.
Lord of harvest, grant that we
Wholesome grain and pure may be.
3 For the Lord, our God, shall come
And shall take His harvest home,
From His field shall in that day
All offenses purge away,
Give His angels charge at last
In the fire the tares to cast,
But the fruitful ears to store
In His garner evermore.
4 Even so, Lord, quickly come
To Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in,
Free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified,
In Thy garner to abide:
Come with all Thine angels, come,
Raise the glorious harvest home.
Text: Henry Alford, 1810–71, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Seeds Sprout and Grow” Mark 4:26-34
Seeds Sprout and Grow – Mark 4:26-34
This morning, we heard Jesus tell two parables. Both parables use seed and growth to illustrate a point. The central point of the first parable is that the farmer does not know how seed grows. The central point of the second parable is that something very small grows to become very large.
There is something in the first parable that even we as an agricultural community don’t think about too often. We know that farmers work hard to bring a crop to market. But what about the work that the plants do? What about germination or the complex biochemical processes that use the energy from the sun to draw water and nutrients from the soil and other nutrients from the air to grow? Pollen moves from tassels to silks and other complex biochemical processes use the genetic information to produce grain. How much work does it take to begin with a seed buried in the ground, germinate, grow a stalk that is more than seven feet tall, and produce an ear that is full of grain? The farmer puts in a lot of work to provide the conditions that encourage his plants to grow and produce a good crop, but it is the plants themselves that do the growing.
Current biological science understands a lot about the various processes that take place as a plant makes its way from seed to maturity. We can modify the genetic code to increase yield, produce resistance to pests, and so forth. That was not the case back when Jesus told the parable that we just heard. Farmers knew enough to plant, water, fertilize, and keep the weeds down, but the biology behind plant growth was a mystery to them.
Jesus used the mystery of growing crops to illustrate one of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground.” (Mark 4:26) The seed represents the proclamation of the Gospel. It could be you reading a Bible story to a child or grandchild or confessing Christ to friends and neighbors. It could be a missionary in a foreign land. It could be the pastor proclaiming God’s word from the pulpit. God has many ways to scatter seed on the ground … to put His Word into the hearts of people.
The next sentence contains the main illustration. Jesus went on to say, “[The man] sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” (Mark 4:27) Just as crop growth was a mystery to the people back then, so the work of God’s Word is a mystery as well. It is as Jesus told Nicodemus in the Gospel that we had a few weeks ago: “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) [The Holy Spirit] works faith, when and where it pleases God. (AC: I, art. v, par. 2) These words have great comfort for us … especially when it comes to confessing our faith to our neighbor.
Have you ever felt guilty because you don’t confess your faith to your neighbor as effectively as you wish? Every so often some famous evangelist will give an interview, and, during that interview, he will tell the story of the flight from Chicago to Los Angeles. During that flight, the evangelist always manages to sit next to someone who is dealing with some sort of crisis. This other passenger is always some sort of flaming liberal pagan. Well, the evangelist does his thing and while the two of them are waiting for their luggage, the other passenger draws the evangelist aside, drops to his knees, and begs him to tell him where he can learn more about Jesus. Then the interview proceeds to make all the listeners feel guilty because that sort of thing never happens to them.
The Old Adam is devious. If he can convince us that we are responsible for making Christians, then he can load us up with guilt and fear. He accuses, “See, you confessed your faith, and nothing happened. You must be doing it wrong. You should stop confessing your faith until you can get it right.” In this way, the Old Adam produces guilt and fear within. In this way, the Old Adam prevents us from telling our neighbor about Jesus.
The first parable that we heard today illustrates the words that Jesus gave to Nicodemus. It is the Holy Spirit who produces faith. Just as the farmer was not responsible for the growth process of the crops … indeed, he did not even know how the growth process works, so also, you are not responsible for making Christians … you do not even know how that works. It is the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains faith in the believer.
The best example of this is the criminals who were crucified with Jesus. “Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.” (Luke 23:32–33) These two criminals experienced the greatest proclamation of the Gospel. Jesus hung between these two men as He paid for the sins of the world. These two men experienced the Gospel with every fiber of their being. All five senses … seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, smelling … they were all at work bringing the Gospel to these two men. In the end, the Holy Spirit worked faith in one of the criminals. [The criminal] said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) The other criminal rejected the work of the Holy Spirit. The ultimate expression of the Gospel and one of the men said no.
So, we tell people about our sin. We tell people that Jesus removed that sin with His death on the cross. We tell people that Jesus rose from the dead for us. We tell people that Jesus ascended to heaven to prepare eternal paradise for us. We tell people that Jesus promised eternal paradise to us. Then we tell them that Jesus has done all this for them too. We follow the example of the Apostles who said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)
Sometimes the Holy Spirit will work faith immediately. Other times the Holy Spirit will take His time. The Holy Spirit has His own timetable. Sometimes the person will reject the Holy Spirit and never believe. We do not take the credit if people believe. We receive no blame if they don’t.
Jesus gives us the comforting assurance that responsibility for the kingdom’s growth does not rest on our shoulders. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to supervise the scattering of the seed that is the Word of God. Perhaps He will give you the privilege of scattering the Word of God by confessing your faith to your family … your friends … your associates. Perhaps He will work in some other way to scatter the Word of God. The point is that the Holy Spirit will see to the scattering of the Word of God, and He will attend to the growth. The growth will not come as the product of our efforts and ingenuity. The Lord of the harvest is in control. There’s no need to worry.
Instead Jesus calls us to trust the promise of the scattered seed which is the Word of God. We need the seed of the Word of God to continue to grow its roots deep into our hearts. This is the source of the faith that receives the gifts of God as the Apostle Paul writes, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) He also writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …” (Romans 1:16) Jesus Himself said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) It is this seed that that the Holy Spirit uses to maintain our faith in our savior Jesus Christ who died to save us and rose to give us eternal life.
Just as we trust the Word of God for salvation in us, we also trust it for salvation in others. Just as Jesus told Nicodemus and illustrated in today’s parable, the Holy Spirit works faith, when and where it pleases God. He works faith in those who hear the good news that God justifies those who trust Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This happens not through our own merits, but for Christ’s sake.
The Old Adam wants to shift the responsibility for salvation back to us and burden us with guilt for not attaining that salvation. This applies not only to our own salvation, but also the salvation of others. Either way, the Old Adam wants to take us into the pit of despair.
Jesus teaches that salvation is never our responsibility in the whole or in any part. It is not our responsibility to save ourselves or to save others. It is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit as Martin Luther explains in the Small Catechism:
“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.” Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6B) - 16 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Most High, we give thanks to You that You have planted Your Holy Word among us. Give healthy growth to Your Church, that she may weather the storm-winds of this world steadfast in Christ, ever bearing the fruits of love and singing praises to Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, Your Holy Spirit plants Your Word and causes it to sprout and grow as it pleases You. Bless the preaching and teaching of Your Word, that Your kingdom may be extended, and give us thankful hearts to marvel at Your work. Send faithful laborers into Your fields to scatter Your seed here and abroad, that in due time a harvest may be reaped for Your glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, the great I AM, what You have spoken You will surely do. We implore You for the sake of Christ and Your many precious promises to bless and defend our homes, to make the efforts of parents fruitful in the teaching of their children, and to preserve them in the saving faith of Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we are bold to ask for all things because You have given us Your Spirit as a guarantee. Hear us as we intercede in Jesus’ name for those in every need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all mercy, through the abundance of Your steadfast love You gather us into Your house and to Your Supper. Give all who commune this day a holy fear of Your wrath and faith in Your promises, that they would receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, we groan under many burdens in this earthly tent and long to be clothed with Your eternal life, which will swallow up all mortal sorrow. Give good courage to Your servants [especially those who mourn the death of _____________] to walk by faith and not sight, to mourn our dead in the hope of the resurrection, and to make it our aim to please You while here in the body, until at last we are at home with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood is named, we give You thanks for earthly fathers. Give them confidence in their station and zeal for their task to care for their families faithfully. Make them examples to their children of godly life and love of Your Word. Bless their work of bringing up children in the fear and instruction of the Lord, and give them the comfort of Your absolution over all their shortcomings. Gather us together with all our fathers to Your eternal household; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
586 “Preach You the Word”
1 Preach you the Word and plant it home
To men who like or like it not,
The Word that shall endure and stand
When flow’rs and men shall be forgot.
2 We know how hard, O Lord, the task
Your servant bade us undertake:
To preach Your Word and never ask
What prideful profit it may make.
3 The sower sows; his reckless love
Scatters abroad the goodly seed,
Intent alone that all may have
The wholesome loaves that all men need.
4 Though some be snatched and some be scorched
And some be choked and matted flat,
The sower sows; his heart cries out,
“Oh, what of that, and what of that?”
5 Of all his scattered plenteousness
One-fourth waves ripe on hill and flat,
And bears a harvest hundredfold:
“Ah, what of that, Lord, what of that!”
6 Preach you the Word and plant it home
And never faint; the Harvest Lord
Who gave the sower seed to sow
Will watch and tend His planted Word.
Text: Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76, alt.
Text: © 1971 The Franzmann Family. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 2, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Ted Smith
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman, Randy
Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 2, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 904 “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word”
1 Blessèd Jesus, at Your Word
We are gathered all to hear You.
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear You,
By Your teachings, sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love You solely.
2 All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till Your Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
You alone to God can win us;
You must work all good within us.
3 Gracious Savior, good and kind,
Light of Light, from God proceeding,
Open now our heart and mind;
Help us by Your Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry Your Church now raises;
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.
D 4 Father, Son, and Spirit, Lord,
Praise to You and adoration!
Grant that we may trust Your Word,
Confident of our salvation,
While we here below must wander,
Till we sing Your praises yonder.
Text (sts. 1–3): Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619–84; (sts. 1–3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 4): Geistreiches Gesang-Büchlein, 1707, Berlin; (st. 4): tr. unknown, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 62:1, 5–8
P For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my sal- vation. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Eternal God, Your Son Jesus Christ is our true Sabbath rest. Help us to keep each day holy by receiving His Word of comfort that we may find our rest in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 5:12–15
12“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 81:1–10
1Sing aloud to | God our strength;*
shout for joy to the God of | Jacob!
2Raise a song; sound the | tambourine,*
the sweet lyre | with the harp.
3Blow the trumpet at the | new moon,*
at the full moon, on our | feast day.
4For it is a statute for | Israel,*
a just decree of the God of | Jacob.
5He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of | Egypt.*
I hear a language I | had not known:
6“I relieved your shoulder of the | burden;*
your hands were freed from the | basket.
7In distress you called, and I de- | livered you;*
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of | Meribah.
8Hear, O my people, while I ad- | monish you!*
O Israel, if you would but lis- | ten to me!
9There shall be no strange god a- | mong you;*
you shall not bow down to a | foreign god.
10I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of | Egypt.*
Open your mouth wide, and I will | fill it.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 4:5–12
5What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 2:23-28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
23One Sabbath [Jesus] was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Sabbath Was Made for You” Mark 2:23-28
The Sabbath was Made for You - Mark 2:23-28
During 40 plus years of teaching confirmation instruction, I always stressed that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit. I repeatedly asked the confirmands how doing something in keeping with a commandment would be good for us and how doing the opposite would not be good for us.
Many people view the Ten Commandments with the attitude popular on some bumper stickers: "God said it! I believe it. That settles it!" Some of these people might have been upset with me for asking the confirmands why we should do what a given rule said, or why not do what another had forbidden. They would never think of asking God, "Why?" If they did, they would expect the same answer many of us heard from our parents: "Why? Because I told you so!"
A man was once given two pages of quotations titled, "Advice from Mother" after his mother had died. It was amazing how many were familiar from his childhood. Many, if not most, of these time-honored teachings contained both the command and its rationale. Some were in the category once called "old wives' tales." These included: "Don't play with toads ... you'll get warts" and "Don't eat standing up ... you'll get fat legs." On the other hand, many were just good sense: "Don't chew gum in bed ... it'll get in your hair" and "Don't sit too close to the TV ... it's bad for your eyes."
One of the commandments carries its own rationale in the Bible: "Honor your father and mother ... that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." A father and his son were involved in a heated debate. The son wanted to do his chores later. The father thought that "later" often got confused with "never." Mother had listened from the kitchen long enough to sense that her husband's patience had been stretched to the full. Physical punishment was about to ensue. When her son stomped into the kitchen for a drink of water to wet his debating whistle, she said, "I strongly suggest that you 'Honor your father' right now, or you may not 'live long on the earth.'"
When I first start teaching that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit, I find that many have difficulty understanding the concept. I suppose the main reason is that we are very familiar with people making laws to govern our behavior for their benefit. When people put up "No Trespassing" signs, I get the message that they do not want me to vandalize, litter or even walk on their property. My absence apparently makes them happy. My presence would annoy and upset them. Even laws that are written for our benefit are often enforced for the benefit of others. A few years ago, in 1995 to be exact, a 55-mph speed limit was imposed by the federal government to help save our own lives and our own gasoline, but the highway patrol enforced it because violators endangered others and shortened everyone's fuel supplies.
Another reason why the concept is difficult to understand is that many rules have double motives. Kids in confirmation classes are old enough to know that they need sleep at night so that they can be awake and alert at school. They also know that parents often enforce bedtime rules for the sake of their own peace and quiet. Children can understand that garbage needs to be taken out in order to prevent odors, breeding bacteria, disease, etc. They also know that Mom wants them to take it out so that she doesn't have to. Almost every aspect of life has rules. In most instances, the person making the rules has something to gain by their being followed. Even when it isn't true, people still suspect that it is. For instance, employees often feel that "safety" rules in a factory are only enforced to keep the employer's insurance costs down.
God has nothing to gain by our keeping the Ten Commandments. That is a very plain and simple fact that should be obvious to anyone who has an adequate concept of God. Every commandment is clearly, unquestionably, and totally for our benefit--not God's. Yet, just as employees often resent safety rules, so people often resent the Ten Commandments. It is as though God, for His own reasons, wants to control, limit and inhibit us. God has nothing to do with such feelings. They are the result of sin--our own unbelief and distrust of Him.
It is only when we see God in the light of the Gospel that we can understand His purposes in the Law. Standing by itself, the Law only accuses us, and reveals our inadequacy. When we get to know God in the totally self-giving love of our crucified, buried and risen Savior, the Law becomes a light for our feet--helping us to avoid danger, pain, and futile living. It is Jesus Himself who clearly reveals God's purpose in the Law.
In Sunday's Gospel lesson, Jesus' disciples are accused of breaking one of the Commandments. They were walking through a grain field on a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. As they walked, they began plucking some heads of grain. Like little children snitching on the kids in another class, the Pharisees told Jesus about His "bad" disciples. In practical fact, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus as much or more than His friends.
Early in Mark's Gospel, it is almost as though the Pharisees are testing Jesus' Holiness Quotient, and He is failing miserably. He spends time and even eats meals with sinners and outcasts. He prefers feasting to fasting. He has the nerve to go around forgiving people's sins. He heals people on the Sabbath. And now He even allows His disciples to work (or is it eat) on the Sabbath.
Jesus referred His accusers to their own Scriptures and a story about David. Their great hero of the past, and some of his friends, once ate the sacred bread of the Presence in the Temple because they were hungry. Jewish law restricted the eating of this bread to the priests. Then Jesus gave them one of His great one-liners: "The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath."
Aside from the fact that the Pharisees had taken one commandment—"Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy”--and had turned it into a whole book of regulations, restricting virtually every possible Saturday activity, they had also taken away the purpose of the day. The day was no longer dedicated to God, but to a code book. Rest was changed into restriction, relaxation into religion, worship into duty, praise into performance, renewal into restraint. Instead of being a holy day--dedicated to God, separated from the commonplace--it had become a hollow day, governed by restrictions and void of joy.
Let’s say that you see ads listing property for sale along say, a river or creek. You think you might be interested in that kind of property, especially if the listing said "no improvements." Do you know what that means? It means that no one has "improved" on what God has already done. I am sure that the Pharisees thought they had improved on God's Commandment. They took a beautiful landscape and turned it into a parking lot.
What have we done with it? What are we doing with it? The issue is that God invented the Holy Day for you ... and for me.
It is His intention that on that day we pay particular attention to Him, and all that He has done and is doing for us. He does not need our praise, but we have a need to praise. Otherwise, we recognize nothing in our lives to be greater than ourselves, so our lives and attitudes only get smaller and smaller. Without being renewed by the Spirit, in the joy and love of God, our lives grow shallow, and our faith shrivels like a tulip stem in July.
I used to know a person who worked some Sundays and, on those occasions had to leave worship early, sometimes missing Holy Communion. This person was sanctifying the Holy Day. Most people would consider the same situation to be a perfectly valid excuse to miss worship altogether. If we think that the Sabbath Law is a duty to God, then we say, "I have to work! God will understand." If we know that the Sabbath is for us, then we will be disappointed to have to miss any part of what God has to offer. Remember this Sabbath Day--keep it Holy.
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 4B) - 2 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of all light and power, You shine upon Your creatures and eradicate all darkness that lies within them. Destroy the darkness our sin has caused in our lives. Help us to shine the light of Your grace and truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of glory, You have gathered Your Church and sanctified us in Your truth. Guide and direct our Synod president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Preserve all vacant congregations, send laborers into Your harvest and sustain those whom You have sent. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless the fields and orchards with good weather, that all people may be well supplied and filled with an awareness of Your mercies. Grant that we may show forth grateful and generous hearts within Your Church and in the world around us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have established all authorities on the earth. Bless all public servants, our president and our governor, that they would fulfill their offices with wisdom and compassion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, be the strength and song of those who are afflicted in body or mind, [especially _____________,] as well as all who suffer in our midst. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give repentance and faith to all who receive our Lord’s body and blood today, that in the unity of a true confession, they may receive it for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 208
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
903 “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made”
1 This is the day the Lord has made;
He calls the hours His own.
Let heav’n rejoice, let earth be glad
And praise surround the throne.
2 Today He rose and left the dead,
And Satan’s empire fell;
Today the saints His triumphs spread
And all His wonders tell.
3 Hosanna to the_anointed King,
To David’s holy Son!
Help us, O Lord; descend and bring
Salvation from Your throne.
4 Blessèd is He who comes to us
With messages of grace;
He, in the Lord’s name, comes to us
To save our fallen race.
5 Hosanna in the highest strains
The Church on earth can raise.
The highest heav’ns, in which He reigns,
Shall give Him nobler praise.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 738 “Lord of All Hopefulness”
1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy:
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace:
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
4 Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Text: Jan Struther, 1901–53
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 2, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Ted Smith
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman, Randy
Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH RE-LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
IT IS TIME--
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 2, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 904 “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word”
1 Blessèd Jesus, at Your Word
We are gathered all to hear You.
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear You,
By Your teachings, sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love You solely.
2 All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till Your Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
You alone to God can win us;
You must work all good within us.
3 Gracious Savior, good and kind,
Light of Light, from God proceeding,
Open now our heart and mind;
Help us by Your Spirit’s pleading.
Hear the cry Your Church now raises;
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.
D 4 Father, Son, and Spirit, Lord,
Praise to You and adoration!
Grant that we may trust Your Word,
Confident of our salvation,
While we here below must wander,
Till we sing Your praises yonder.
Text (sts. 1–3): Tobias Clausnitzer, 1619–84; (sts. 1–3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 4): Geistreiches Gesang-Büchlein, 1707, Berlin; (st. 4): tr. unknown, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 62:1, 5–8
P For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my sal- vation. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Eternal God, Your Son Jesus Christ is our true Sabbath rest. Help us to keep each day holy by receiving His Word of comfort that we may find our rest in Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 5:12–15
12“‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 81:1–10
1Sing aloud to | God our strength;*
shout for joy to the God of | Jacob!
2Raise a song; sound the | tambourine,*
the sweet lyre | with the harp.
3Blow the trumpet at the | new moon,*
at the full moon, on our | feast day.
4For it is a statute for | Israel,*
a just decree of the God of | Jacob.
5He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of | Egypt.*
I hear a language I | had not known:
6“I relieved your shoulder of the | burden;*
your hands were freed from the | basket.
7In distress you called, and I de- | livered you;*
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of | Meribah.
8Hear, O my people, while I ad- | monish you!*
O Israel, if you would but lis- | ten to me!
9There shall be no strange god a- | mong you;*
you shall not bow down to a | foreign god.
10I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of the land of | Egypt.*
Open your mouth wide, and I will | fill it.
Epistle 2 Corinthians 4:5–12
5What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12So death is at work in us, but life in you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 2:23-28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
23One Sabbath [Jesus] was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Sabbath Was Made for You” Mark 2:23-28
The Sabbath was Made for You - Mark 2:23-28
During 40 plus years of teaching confirmation instruction, I always stressed that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit. I repeatedly asked the confirmands how doing something in keeping with a commandment would be good for us and how doing the opposite would not be good for us.
Many people view the Ten Commandments with the attitude popular on some bumper stickers: "God said it! I believe it. That settles it!" Some of these people might have been upset with me for asking the confirmands why we should do what a given rule said, or why not do what another had forbidden. They would never think of asking God, "Why?" If they did, they would expect the same answer many of us heard from our parents: "Why? Because I told you so!"
A man was once given two pages of quotations titled, "Advice from Mother" after his mother had died. It was amazing how many were familiar from his childhood. Many, if not most, of these time-honored teachings contained both the command and its rationale. Some were in the category once called "old wives' tales." These included: "Don't play with toads ... you'll get warts" and "Don't eat standing up ... you'll get fat legs." On the other hand, many were just good sense: "Don't chew gum in bed ... it'll get in your hair" and "Don't sit too close to the TV ... it's bad for your eyes."
One of the commandments carries its own rationale in the Bible: "Honor your father and mother ... that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." A father and his son were involved in a heated debate. The son wanted to do his chores later. The father thought that "later" often got confused with "never." Mother had listened from the kitchen long enough to sense that her husband's patience had been stretched to the full. Physical punishment was about to ensue. When her son stomped into the kitchen for a drink of water to wet his debating whistle, she said, "I strongly suggest that you 'Honor your father' right now, or you may not 'live long on the earth.'"
When I first start teaching that the Ten Commandments were given for our benefit, I find that many have difficulty understanding the concept. I suppose the main reason is that we are very familiar with people making laws to govern our behavior for their benefit. When people put up "No Trespassing" signs, I get the message that they do not want me to vandalize, litter or even walk on their property. My absence apparently makes them happy. My presence would annoy and upset them. Even laws that are written for our benefit are often enforced for the benefit of others. A few years ago, in 1995 to be exact, a 55-mph speed limit was imposed by the federal government to help save our own lives and our own gasoline, but the highway patrol enforced it because violators endangered others and shortened everyone's fuel supplies.
Another reason why the concept is difficult to understand is that many rules have double motives. Kids in confirmation classes are old enough to know that they need sleep at night so that they can be awake and alert at school. They also know that parents often enforce bedtime rules for the sake of their own peace and quiet. Children can understand that garbage needs to be taken out in order to prevent odors, breeding bacteria, disease, etc. They also know that Mom wants them to take it out so that she doesn't have to. Almost every aspect of life has rules. In most instances, the person making the rules has something to gain by their being followed. Even when it isn't true, people still suspect that it is. For instance, employees often feel that "safety" rules in a factory are only enforced to keep the employer's insurance costs down.
God has nothing to gain by our keeping the Ten Commandments. That is a very plain and simple fact that should be obvious to anyone who has an adequate concept of God. Every commandment is clearly, unquestionably, and totally for our benefit--not God's. Yet, just as employees often resent safety rules, so people often resent the Ten Commandments. It is as though God, for His own reasons, wants to control, limit and inhibit us. God has nothing to do with such feelings. They are the result of sin--our own unbelief and distrust of Him.
It is only when we see God in the light of the Gospel that we can understand His purposes in the Law. Standing by itself, the Law only accuses us, and reveals our inadequacy. When we get to know God in the totally self-giving love of our crucified, buried and risen Savior, the Law becomes a light for our feet--helping us to avoid danger, pain, and futile living. It is Jesus Himself who clearly reveals God's purpose in the Law.
In Sunday's Gospel lesson, Jesus' disciples are accused of breaking one of the Commandments. They were walking through a grain field on a Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. As they walked, they began plucking some heads of grain. Like little children snitching on the kids in another class, the Pharisees told Jesus about His "bad" disciples. In practical fact, the Pharisees were accusing Jesus as much or more than His friends.
Early in Mark's Gospel, it is almost as though the Pharisees are testing Jesus' Holiness Quotient, and He is failing miserably. He spends time and even eats meals with sinners and outcasts. He prefers feasting to fasting. He has the nerve to go around forgiving people's sins. He heals people on the Sabbath. And now He even allows His disciples to work (or is it eat) on the Sabbath.
Jesus referred His accusers to their own Scriptures and a story about David. Their great hero of the past, and some of his friends, once ate the sacred bread of the Presence in the Temple because they were hungry. Jewish law restricted the eating of this bread to the priests. Then Jesus gave them one of His great one-liners: "The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath."
Aside from the fact that the Pharisees had taken one commandment—"Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy”--and had turned it into a whole book of regulations, restricting virtually every possible Saturday activity, they had also taken away the purpose of the day. The day was no longer dedicated to God, but to a code book. Rest was changed into restriction, relaxation into religion, worship into duty, praise into performance, renewal into restraint. Instead of being a holy day--dedicated to God, separated from the commonplace--it had become a hollow day, governed by restrictions and void of joy.
Let’s say that you see ads listing property for sale along say, a river or creek. You think you might be interested in that kind of property, especially if the listing said "no improvements." Do you know what that means? It means that no one has "improved" on what God has already done. I am sure that the Pharisees thought they had improved on God's Commandment. They took a beautiful landscape and turned it into a parking lot.
What have we done with it? What are we doing with it? The issue is that God invented the Holy Day for you ... and for me.
It is His intention that on that day we pay particular attention to Him, and all that He has done and is doing for us. He does not need our praise, but we have a need to praise. Otherwise, we recognize nothing in our lives to be greater than ourselves, so our lives and attitudes only get smaller and smaller. Without being renewed by the Spirit, in the joy and love of God, our lives grow shallow, and our faith shrivels like a tulip stem in July.
I used to know a person who worked some Sundays and, on those occasions had to leave worship early, sometimes missing Holy Communion. This person was sanctifying the Holy Day. Most people would consider the same situation to be a perfectly valid excuse to miss worship altogether. If we think that the Sabbath Law is a duty to God, then we say, "I have to work! God will understand." If we know that the Sabbath is for us, then we will be disappointed to have to miss any part of what God has to offer. Remember this Sabbath Day--keep it Holy.
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 4B) - 2 June 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of all light and power, You shine upon Your creatures and eradicate all darkness that lies within them. Destroy the darkness our sin has caused in our lives. Help us to shine the light of Your grace and truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of glory, You have gathered Your Church and sanctified us in Your truth. Guide and direct our Synod president, our district president, and our circuit visitor. Preserve all vacant congregations, send laborers into Your harvest and sustain those whom You have sent. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Bless the fields and orchards with good weather, that all people may be well supplied and filled with an awareness of Your mercies. Grant that we may show forth grateful and generous hearts within Your Church and in the world around us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have established all authorities on the earth. Bless all public servants, our president and our governor, that they would fulfill their offices with wisdom and compassion. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, be the strength and song of those who are afflicted in body or mind, [especially _____________,] as well as all who suffer in our midst. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give repentance and faith to all who receive our Lord’s body and blood today, that in the unity of a true confession, they may receive it for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 208
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
903 “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made”
1 This is the day the Lord has made;
He calls the hours His own.
Let heav’n rejoice, let earth be glad
And praise surround the throne.
2 Today He rose and left the dead,
And Satan’s empire fell;
Today the saints His triumphs spread
And all His wonders tell.
3 Hosanna to the_anointed King,
To David’s holy Son!
Help us, O Lord; descend and bring
Salvation from Your throne.
4 Blessèd is He who comes to us
With messages of grace;
He, in the Lord’s name, comes to us
To save our fallen race.
5 Hosanna in the highest strains
The Church on earth can raise.
The highest heav’ns, in which He reigns,
Shall give Him nobler praise.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 738 “Lord of All Hopefulness”
1 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares could destroy:
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.
2 Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe:
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord, at the noon of the day.
3 Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, Your arms to embrace:
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.
4 Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm:
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.
Text: Jan Struther, 1901–53
Text: © Oxford University Press. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of the Holy Trinity – May 26, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK the Elders for conducting today’s service in Pastor’s absence. We will celebrate Holy Communion next Sunday.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Jackie Dickey
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
+ + + + +
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF MORNING SERVICE
The Holy Trinity - May 26, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 940, “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
Please stand if able
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
L: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
L: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy on us
and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake
forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name
He gives power to become the children of God and has
promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved. Grant this Lord, unto us all.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 6:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
L: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
L: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
L: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Acts 2:14a, 22-36
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON John 3:1-17
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
Sit
SERMON HYMN no. 507, “Holy, Holy, Holy”
SERMON “Believing in the Trinity” John 3:1-17
Believing in the Trinity – John 3:1-17
This will take some of you back to days of yesteryear, and some of you may know about them just because you like things that are old. I am referring to the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It is difficult to watch their routine, "Who's on First," without giving at least a little chuckle.
Another of their routines calls for Bud to ask Lou, "Hey, have you got two tens for a five?" Bud says it with such conviction that the exchange sounds perfectly fair. Lou readily gives Bud the two tens and accepts the five in return. It isn't until Lou starts walking away that he suddenly realizes that he has been ripped off for fifteen dollars.
Routines like that are all fun and games when everyone is in on the secret and we know it is all just an act. The problem is that deceptions like that happen in real life and can lead to a lot of confusion and harm. One of those deceptions is related to the theme of today's service.
Every so often, someone will ask, "Where did you Christians get the idea for the Trinity? Why you can't even find the word ‘Trinity’ in the Bible." Now people say this with such sincerity and enthusiasm that it is easy for us to get flustered and confused and begin to wonder if the doctrine of the Trinity is just a manmade idea.
Where is the fallacy in their argument? They are making the assumption that something without a name does not exist. They are saying that something is not true simply because we don't have a name for it. Is that valid? Did people go flying off into space until someone came up with the word gravity? Of course not! Gravity has been in effect ever since the second day of creation. Just because we didn't always have a name for gravity doesn't mean it wasn't there.
The same thing is true for the Trinity. While it is true that the Bible does not use the word "Trinity," that does not mean it isn't there.
Let's examine the words of Jesus in today's Gospel for example. This reading is that familiar story of Jesus' conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. One of my brother pastors has suggested that we give Nicodemus the nickname of "Nick at Night" since he came to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was honestly curious about Jesus' teachings and wanted to know more and so he came to Jesus after he finished his duties for the day and he could have a little one-on-one time with Jesus.
Now I am absolutely certain that many doctoral theses have been written about the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, but, for today, let's just concentrate on how the idea of the Trinity affected Jesus' words.
First of all, Jesus spoke of being born again. When Nicodemus expressed his confusion over this concept, Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Where would Jesus' answer be without the Holy Spirit? Here He basically says, "Stop thinking of trying to enter the Kingdom of God under your own steam. When a baby is born, it has no "say so" in the matter. The mother brings the baby into the world whether the baby wants to come or not. In a similar way, when a Christian is born into the Kingdom of God it has no "say so" in the matter. The Holy Spirit brings the Christian, kicking and screaming, into the kingdom of God. You don't have to know how it works. The Holy Spirit knows how it works and that is enough." Jesus' explanation makes no sense whatsoever unless the Holy Spirit is real.
Later on in the conversation Jesus answered [Nicodemus], "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Here Jesus tells Nicodemus how the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man who is lifted up just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Then, immediately in the very next sentence Jesus continued, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Here Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God by causing the person to believe in the only Son of God. In one sentence, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man and then in the next sentence He tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes a person to believe in the Son of God. These statements make a lot more sense when the Son of Man and the Son of God are the same person.
Where would this part of Jesus' answer be without the Son to come into the world and, for that matter, a Father to send Him into the world? Thus we see that this whole conversation is totally impossible without a Father to send the Son, a Son who is both God and Man and who will be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness, and a Spirit who gives new birth into the Kingdom of God by producing faith in the Son. We not only learn about these three persons, but we also see the role each of them has in our salvation.
In this short conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus tells us everything that makes Christianity unique among the religions of the world. Only Christianity has a God who is a community of three persons. Only Christianity has a God who loves us enough to sacrifice His only Son to save us.
We learn something else in today's Gospel. We learn about Nicodemus. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Later on in the Gospel of John, we will read, [John 19:38-40] "After [Jesus died] Joseph of Arimathea … asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."
Nicodemus was an example of what the Pharisees and rulers of the Jews were supposed to be. He was not corrupt. He was doing his best to lead a God-pleasing life. He was doing his best to lead the Jews according to God's command. Nevertheless, Nicodemus, because of his excellent training as a Pharisee, knew that he had not kept the law as he should. He knew the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit had used that knowledge to convict him of his sin. Nicodemus was also a sinner who needed the forgiveness that comes with faith in the Son of God who was lifted up on the cross for the sins of the world.
If this noble and gentle man who actually lived up to the code of conduct of the Pharisees knew that he was still a sinner in need of God's grace, where does that place you - where does that place me? We must stand with Isaiah in today's Old Testament reading and say, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." If a man of such upright character as Nicodemus is a sinner in need of God's grace, then we too can only come before God and beg for mercy.
And we have mercy. The father has sent the Son to save the world. The Son has sacrificed Himself on the cross in order to provide forgiveness for you and for me and has risen from the dead. The Holy Spirit has shown our sin to us and then given us a new birth into God's Kingdom so that we might receive the Son's gift of forgiveness through faith in Him. Each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has done His part to save us from our sins.
As far as the fact that the Bible does not use the terms Triune or Trinity, it is not important that the actual words be in Bible. What is important is that the teaching is there and it is. Genesis begins with God creating, the Spirit hovering, and the WORD through which God created. Revelation [Revelation 14:1] speaks of the 144,000 who had the name of the Lamb and the name of the Father written on their foreheads as well as [Revelation 22:17] the Spirit who along with the bride invites us to drink of the water of life. The books in between are impossible to understand apart from the teaching that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God and yet, there are not three Gods but only one God. We don't have to understand it, but we do have to believe it. Amen
OFFERING PRAYER [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - The Holy Trinity (B) - 26 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of hosts, Your ways are inscrutable and Your judgments unsearchable. Through Your Word, give us an ever-growing understanding of the depths of Your riches, wisdom and knowledge, that we may glorify You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, our Synod president; our district president; our circuit visitor; and our pastor have heard Your voice calling them to be Your servants. Grant to them the Spirit so they can always say, “Here I am! Send me,” to whatever You ask. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You delivered up Your Son according to Your definite plan and foreknowledge to be our Savior. Make our hearts glad in this faith, that our tongues may rejoice and our flesh may dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, You sit enthroned as King forever. Bless [_____________ and] all who rule us in Your stead with wisdom and understanding, that truth and justice may prevail in our land and lawlessness may be kept at bay. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, we thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon this nation. Grant us a long memory to recall those who gave the full measure of devotion to our country’s peace and security. Bring to mind the sacrifices of those who served faithfully until death in the protection of our freedom and in the defense of our land. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in our midst by Your truth, that since You are at their right hand, they cannot be shaken. Gladden their hearts, cause their tongues to rejoice and make their flesh dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, take away our guilt and atone for our sin by touching our unclean lips with Christ’s cleansing body and blood, that we may not be lost but abide in Your holy presence forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
HYMN no. 947, “Glory Be to God on High”
Stand
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
L: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 506, “Glory Be to God the Father”
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of the Holy Trinity – May 26, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
WE THANK the Elders for conducting today’s service in Pastor’s absence. We will celebrate Holy Communion next Sunday.
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Jackie Dickey
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
+ + + + +
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
THE ORDER OF MORNING SERVICE
The Holy Trinity - May 26, 2024
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 940, “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
Please stand if able
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
L: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
L: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy on us
and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake
forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name
He gives power to become the children of God and has
promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved. Grant this Lord, unto us all.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 6:1-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS
L: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
L: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
L: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Acts 2:14a, 22-36
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON John 3:1-17
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.]
ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
Sit
SERMON HYMN no. 507, “Holy, Holy, Holy”
SERMON “Believing in the Trinity” John 3:1-17
Believing in the Trinity – John 3:1-17
This will take some of you back to days of yesteryear, and some of you may know about them just because you like things that are old. I am referring to the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. It is difficult to watch their routine, "Who's on First," without giving at least a little chuckle.
Another of their routines calls for Bud to ask Lou, "Hey, have you got two tens for a five?" Bud says it with such conviction that the exchange sounds perfectly fair. Lou readily gives Bud the two tens and accepts the five in return. It isn't until Lou starts walking away that he suddenly realizes that he has been ripped off for fifteen dollars.
Routines like that are all fun and games when everyone is in on the secret and we know it is all just an act. The problem is that deceptions like that happen in real life and can lead to a lot of confusion and harm. One of those deceptions is related to the theme of today's service.
Every so often, someone will ask, "Where did you Christians get the idea for the Trinity? Why you can't even find the word ‘Trinity’ in the Bible." Now people say this with such sincerity and enthusiasm that it is easy for us to get flustered and confused and begin to wonder if the doctrine of the Trinity is just a manmade idea.
Where is the fallacy in their argument? They are making the assumption that something without a name does not exist. They are saying that something is not true simply because we don't have a name for it. Is that valid? Did people go flying off into space until someone came up with the word gravity? Of course not! Gravity has been in effect ever since the second day of creation. Just because we didn't always have a name for gravity doesn't mean it wasn't there.
The same thing is true for the Trinity. While it is true that the Bible does not use the word "Trinity," that does not mean it isn't there.
Let's examine the words of Jesus in today's Gospel for example. This reading is that familiar story of Jesus' conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. One of my brother pastors has suggested that we give Nicodemus the nickname of "Nick at Night" since he came to Jesus at night. Nicodemus was honestly curious about Jesus' teachings and wanted to know more and so he came to Jesus after he finished his duties for the day and he could have a little one-on-one time with Jesus.
Now I am absolutely certain that many doctoral theses have been written about the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, but, for today, let's just concentrate on how the idea of the Trinity affected Jesus' words.
First of all, Jesus spoke of being born again. When Nicodemus expressed his confusion over this concept, Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Where would Jesus' answer be without the Holy Spirit? Here He basically says, "Stop thinking of trying to enter the Kingdom of God under your own steam. When a baby is born, it has no "say so" in the matter. The mother brings the baby into the world whether the baby wants to come or not. In a similar way, when a Christian is born into the Kingdom of God it has no "say so" in the matter. The Holy Spirit brings the Christian, kicking and screaming, into the kingdom of God. You don't have to know how it works. The Holy Spirit knows how it works and that is enough." Jesus' explanation makes no sense whatsoever unless the Holy Spirit is real.
Later on in the conversation Jesus answered [Nicodemus], "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. Here Jesus tells Nicodemus how the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man who is lifted up just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. Then, immediately in the very next sentence Jesus continued, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Here Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit brings a Christian into the Kingdom of God by causing the person to believe in the only Son of God. In one sentence, Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes the person to believe in the Son of Man and then in the next sentence He tells Nicodemus that the Holy Spirit causes a person to believe in the Son of God. These statements make a lot more sense when the Son of Man and the Son of God are the same person.
Where would this part of Jesus' answer be without the Son to come into the world and, for that matter, a Father to send Him into the world? Thus we see that this whole conversation is totally impossible without a Father to send the Son, a Son who is both God and Man and who will be lifted up like the serpent in the wilderness, and a Spirit who gives new birth into the Kingdom of God by producing faith in the Son. We not only learn about these three persons, but we also see the role each of them has in our salvation.
In this short conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus tells us everything that makes Christianity unique among the religions of the world. Only Christianity has a God who is a community of three persons. Only Christianity has a God who loves us enough to sacrifice His only Son to save us.
We learn something else in today's Gospel. We learn about Nicodemus. There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Later on in the Gospel of John, we will read, [John 19:38-40] "After [Jesus died] Joseph of Arimathea … asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."
Nicodemus was an example of what the Pharisees and rulers of the Jews were supposed to be. He was not corrupt. He was doing his best to lead a God-pleasing life. He was doing his best to lead the Jews according to God's command. Nevertheless, Nicodemus, because of his excellent training as a Pharisee, knew that he had not kept the law as he should. He knew the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit had used that knowledge to convict him of his sin. Nicodemus was also a sinner who needed the forgiveness that comes with faith in the Son of God who was lifted up on the cross for the sins of the world.
If this noble and gentle man who actually lived up to the code of conduct of the Pharisees knew that he was still a sinner in need of God's grace, where does that place you - where does that place me? We must stand with Isaiah in today's Old Testament reading and say, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." If a man of such upright character as Nicodemus is a sinner in need of God's grace, then we too can only come before God and beg for mercy.
And we have mercy. The father has sent the Son to save the world. The Son has sacrificed Himself on the cross in order to provide forgiveness for you and for me and has risen from the dead. The Holy Spirit has shown our sin to us and then given us a new birth into God's Kingdom so that we might receive the Son's gift of forgiveness through faith in Him. Each member of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has done His part to save us from our sins.
As far as the fact that the Bible does not use the terms Triune or Trinity, it is not important that the actual words be in Bible. What is important is that the teaching is there and it is. Genesis begins with God creating, the Spirit hovering, and the WORD through which God created. Revelation [Revelation 14:1] speaks of the 144,000 who had the name of the Lamb and the name of the Father written on their foreheads as well as [Revelation 22:17] the Spirit who along with the bride invites us to drink of the water of life. The books in between are impossible to understand apart from the teaching that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God and yet, there are not three Gods but only one God. We don't have to understand it, but we do have to believe it. Amen
OFFERING PRAYER [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - The Holy Trinity (B) - 26 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord of hosts, Your ways are inscrutable and Your judgments unsearchable. Through Your Word, give us an ever-growing understanding of the depths of Your riches, wisdom and knowledge, that we may glorify You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, our Synod president; our district president; our circuit visitor; and our pastor have heard Your voice calling them to be Your servants. Grant to them the Spirit so they can always say, “Here I am! Send me,” to whatever You ask. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You delivered up Your Son according to Your definite plan and foreknowledge to be our Savior. Make our hearts glad in this faith, that our tongues may rejoice and our flesh may dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of hosts, You sit enthroned as King forever. Bless [_____________ and] all who rule us in Your stead with wisdom and understanding, that truth and justice may prevail in our land and lawlessness may be kept at bay. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, we thank You for the many blessings You have bestowed upon this nation. Grant us a long memory to recall those who gave the full measure of devotion to our country’s peace and security. Bring to mind the sacrifices of those who served faithfully until death in the protection of our freedom and in the defense of our land. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in our midst by Your truth, that since You are at their right hand, they cannot be shaken. Gladden their hearts, cause their tongues to rejoice and make their flesh dwell in hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, take away our guilt and atone for our sin by touching our unclean lips with Christ’s cleansing body and blood, that we may not be lost but abide in Your holy presence forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
HYMN no. 947, “Glory Be to God on High”
Stand
LORD’S PRAYER
ALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
L: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 506, “Glory Be to God the Father”
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of Pentecost – May 19, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
BE OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS--
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need
The LORD your God is in your midst. Zephaniah 3:1
The Day of Pentecost
May 19, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 15th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 37:1–14
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 37.
1The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Acts 2:1–21
L A reading from Acts, chapter 2.
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 15:26–27; 16:4b–15
L A reading from John, chapter 15.
26[Jesus said:] “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. . . .
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 500 “Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid”
1 Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit ev’ry humble mind;
Come, pour Your joys on humankind;
From sin and sorrow set us free;
May we Your living temples be.
2 O Source of uncreated light,
The bearer of God’s gracious might,
Thrice-holy fount, thrice-holy fire,
Our hearts with heav’nly love inspire;
Your sacred, healing message bring
To sanctify us as we sing.
3 Giver of grace, descend from high;
Your sev’nfold gifts to us supply;
Help us eternal truths receive
And practice all that we believe;
Give us Yourself that we may see
The glory of the Trinity.
D 4 Immortal honor, endless fame
Attend the_almighty Father’s name;
The Savior-Son be glorified,
Who for all humankind has died;
To You, O Paraclete, we raise
Unending songs of thanks and praise.
Text: attr. Rabanus Maurus, 776–856; tr. John Dryden, 1631–1700, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God’s Powerful Word” Ezekiel 37:1-14
God’s Powerful Word – Ezekiel 37:1-14
According to the traditions of the church year, today is the third great feast. Each of these great feasts is associated with a gift that a member of the Trinity gives to us. On Christmas, the Father sends the Son into the world and so it is the Feast of the Father's gift of the Son. On Easter, the Son gives us the gift of forgiveness as He surrenders His life on the cross and then rises from the dead. Now, today, on Pentecost, we celebrate the gift of faith that the Holy Spirit works in us. Although each member of the Trinity is absolutely equal in honor, majesty, and so forth, each also assumes a different role in their work of salvation on our behalf.
Of the three members of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit seems to be the most mysterious. Perhaps that is because His role in the work of salvation is to point us to Jesus Christ and give us faith in Him. Every time we focus on the Holy Spirit, He tells us to look at Jesus Christ our savior crucified on the cross in order to win salvation for us. So, even as we study the Holy Spirit, we can't help but end up back at the cross. In a way, the Holy Spirit is sort of the stealth member of the Trinity.
Of course, there are times that the Holy Spirit is not so stealthy. That first Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit made sure that everyone in Jerusalem knew that something was going on. There was a rumbling noise like a mighty wind and the visible sign of something that looked like candle flames resting on everyone who came to the church service that morning.
The objective of all this hubbub was to attract the God-fearing Pentecost Pilgrims to the site of all the noise. You see the Holy Spirit had to change the nature of the faith of faithful people. Up until this time, the church had been looking forward to the Messiah. Their faith was in the one who was to come. God had promised Adam and Eve that the SEED would come and crush the serpent's head. Ever since then, the church had been waiting for the promised Messiah. Now the waiting was over. The promise had been fulfilled. The anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah had kept all the promises and had won salvation for all people. He had defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil with His suffering and death on the cross. He had risen from the dead. He had ascended into heaven. Now, the Word had to get out.
The plan for spreading the Word had been in place for millennia. When God gave the ceremonial law to Moses, He established special feast days. Two of those feast days were Passover and Pentecost. Every God-fearing Jew was to make every effort to be at the religious center of their faith on the major feast days. At first, this would be the tabernacle - later on the temple. In this way, God assured that Jerusalem would be full of pilgrims on these feast days. Thus it was that Jerusalem was full of Passover pilgrims when Jesus died for us, and she was full of Pentecost pilgrims when the Holy Spirit proclaimed that this same Jesus was the Son of God and Savior of the World. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world were there to witness and hear. Thousands of missionaries were ready to go back home and share the Good News that the long awaited Messiah had come and He is Jesus of Nazareth.
The sad thing about Pentecost is that even among all these signs, there were people who rejected the Good News. There were some in the crowd who said, "They are filled with new wine." This remark shows how ridiculous people can get when they try to rationalize their resistance to the Gospel. Who ever heard of a group of people suddenly becoming fluent in a variety of foreign languages by getting drunk early in the morning?
The greater danger for us in the twenty-first century is not that we will reject the Good News outright, but that the devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will divert us away from the Good News. It is very easy to get all excited over the means that the Holy Spirit used on that Pentecost and forget about the ultimate goal of that Day. The important point in this Pentecost narrative is that the Holy Spirit drew people together to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The rumbling noise, the flames, and the foreign languages were only means to that end. All too often, however, we get excited by the means that the Holy Spirit used instead of the ultimate goal of those means. We become infatuated by the excitement of the supernatural. We get distracted by the rumbling noise and the flames. We get excited about speaking other languages fluently. We sometimes forget that all these signs are there to proclaim "Christ crucified," the main message of the entire Bible.
The Holy Spirit could probably introduce us to Christ in an infinite number of ways, but He has chosen to introduce us through the Word of God. He works and sustains faith in us through the Word of God that we hear with our ears and read with our eyes. He works faith in us with the wet Word of Holy Baptism as we combine the Word of God with water according to Christ's command. He sustains our baptismal faith as we confess our sins to God our Father and hear Christ's Word of forgiveness on the lips of our pastor. He strengthens our faith as Christ Himself comes to us as the living Word in His body and blood. In these ways, the Holy Spirit has chosen to connect us to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Now we might well ask, "How powerful can words really be? Are words really that important?" The answer to that question comes to us from today's Old Testament Reading.
God actually commanded Ezekiel to preach a sermon to a congregation of dry bones. The Spirit of the Lord took Ezekiel to a valley. As Ezekiel looked around there were crania, mandibles, clavicles, carpals and metacarpals, tarsals and metatarsals, and all kinds of other human bones scattered around in the valley.
God commanded Ezekiel, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD." Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the bones, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And [Ezekiel] looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then the Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind to fill the lungs of these bodies. Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the wind, the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
The Word of God is powerful - not because we say it or use it - but because God stands behind it with His promises. God has promised: [Isaiah 55:10-11] "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
God told Ezekiel that these bones were the House of Israel. Today, we are the House of Israel, the Holy Christian Church, we are the bones. The Holy Spirit took us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins and added sinews and muscle, flesh and skin, and continuously breathes the breath of life into us. The Holy Spirit, by the power of His Word, has made us alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is the power of God's Word - to take dead, dry, sinful bones and make them alive in Christ.
Ultimately, that is what Pentecost is about. The fire, the wind, the languages were all there so that the God-fearing pilgrims in Jerusalem could say, "We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." That is what the Holy Spirit still does through the church - He proclaims the Good News that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, has redeemed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He has risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - The Day of Pentecost (B) - 19 May 2024
Gracious Lord, Your Spirit fills the world and gladdens Your Church with the remembrance of all Christ Jesus has spoken. Glorify His name among us in every word and deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guide the Church into all truth by Your Holy Spirit through Your Word, that we may be guarded from all error and false doctrine and other great shame and vice. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of comfort, give hope to Your people in the midst of this world of death and despair. Put Your Spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to Your promises and commands. Lead our homes to confess our confidence in Your power to raise the dead — now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be near to [_____________ and] those You have set in place to govern our land. Do not let the ruler of this world govern them and their decisions to our harm, but give us the benefits of good government. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We call on Your name, O Lord, praying in Your Spirit to help and save all [especially _____________]. Renew the face of the earth, look with favor on Your creatures and fill the hearts of Your faithful, kindling in them the fire of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit upon Your faithful people, that convicted of their sin they may also be convinced that the righteousness of Christ is theirs, and in such repentance and faith receive the things of Christ declared in this Supper: His holy body and precious blood for the forgiveness of sins. Unite us by Your Spirit of truth in faith and confession, and comfort us with the knowledge that this world’s prince is judged. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, comfort those who grieve. Assure them that, since Christ has gone away to the cross and has risen victorious over death, so those who go away from us in this life will rise also to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised Your Holy Spirit, who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Enlighten our hearts, that we would confess our sins; obtain everlasting righteousness through faith in Christ; and through every trial and temptation, abide in the consolation that Christ is Lord over the devil, death and all things. We ask that You would graciously deliver us from all affliction to make us partakers of eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
605 “Father Welcomes”
ref Father welcomes all His children
To His fam’ly through His Son.
Father giving His salvation,
Life forever has been won.
1 Little children, come to Me,
For My kingdom is of these.
Life and love I have to give,
Mercy for your sin. Refrain
2 In the water, in the Word,
In His promise, be assured:
Those who are baptized and believe
Shall be born again. Refrain
3 Let us daily die to sin;
Let us daily rise with Him,
Walk in the love of Christ our Lord,
Live in the peace of God. Refrain
Text: Robin Mann, 1949
Text: © 1986 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
496 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
1 Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
2 Let me see my Savior’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.
3 Holy Spirit, pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.
4 Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Yield a sacred, settled peace,
Let it grow and still increase.
5 Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Text: Andrew Reed, 1787–1862, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 503 “O Day Full of Grace”
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Feast of Pentecost – May 19, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
BE OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS--
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need
The LORD your God is in your midst. Zephaniah 3:1
The Day of Pentecost
May 19, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 15th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 37:1–14
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 37.
1The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. 6And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
11Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.’ 12Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Acts 2:1–21
L A reading from Acts, chapter 2.
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 15:26–27; 16:4b–15
L A reading from John, chapter 15.
26[Jesus said:] “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. . . .
“I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 500 “Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid”
1 Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit ev’ry humble mind;
Come, pour Your joys on humankind;
From sin and sorrow set us free;
May we Your living temples be.
2 O Source of uncreated light,
The bearer of God’s gracious might,
Thrice-holy fount, thrice-holy fire,
Our hearts with heav’nly love inspire;
Your sacred, healing message bring
To sanctify us as we sing.
3 Giver of grace, descend from high;
Your sev’nfold gifts to us supply;
Help us eternal truths receive
And practice all that we believe;
Give us Yourself that we may see
The glory of the Trinity.
D 4 Immortal honor, endless fame
Attend the_almighty Father’s name;
The Savior-Son be glorified,
Who for all humankind has died;
To You, O Paraclete, we raise
Unending songs of thanks and praise.
Text: attr. Rabanus Maurus, 776–856; tr. John Dryden, 1631–1700, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God’s Powerful Word” Ezekiel 37:1-14
God’s Powerful Word – Ezekiel 37:1-14
According to the traditions of the church year, today is the third great feast. Each of these great feasts is associated with a gift that a member of the Trinity gives to us. On Christmas, the Father sends the Son into the world and so it is the Feast of the Father's gift of the Son. On Easter, the Son gives us the gift of forgiveness as He surrenders His life on the cross and then rises from the dead. Now, today, on Pentecost, we celebrate the gift of faith that the Holy Spirit works in us. Although each member of the Trinity is absolutely equal in honor, majesty, and so forth, each also assumes a different role in their work of salvation on our behalf.
Of the three members of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit seems to be the most mysterious. Perhaps that is because His role in the work of salvation is to point us to Jesus Christ and give us faith in Him. Every time we focus on the Holy Spirit, He tells us to look at Jesus Christ our savior crucified on the cross in order to win salvation for us. So, even as we study the Holy Spirit, we can't help but end up back at the cross. In a way, the Holy Spirit is sort of the stealth member of the Trinity.
Of course, there are times that the Holy Spirit is not so stealthy. That first Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead, the Holy Spirit made sure that everyone in Jerusalem knew that something was going on. There was a rumbling noise like a mighty wind and the visible sign of something that looked like candle flames resting on everyone who came to the church service that morning.
The objective of all this hubbub was to attract the God-fearing Pentecost Pilgrims to the site of all the noise. You see the Holy Spirit had to change the nature of the faith of faithful people. Up until this time, the church had been looking forward to the Messiah. Their faith was in the one who was to come. God had promised Adam and Eve that the SEED would come and crush the serpent's head. Ever since then, the church had been waiting for the promised Messiah. Now the waiting was over. The promise had been fulfilled. The anointed one, the Christ, the Messiah had kept all the promises and had won salvation for all people. He had defeated sin, death, and the power of the devil with His suffering and death on the cross. He had risen from the dead. He had ascended into heaven. Now, the Word had to get out.
The plan for spreading the Word had been in place for millennia. When God gave the ceremonial law to Moses, He established special feast days. Two of those feast days were Passover and Pentecost. Every God-fearing Jew was to make every effort to be at the religious center of their faith on the major feast days. At first, this would be the tabernacle - later on the temple. In this way, God assured that Jerusalem would be full of pilgrims on these feast days. Thus it was that Jerusalem was full of Passover pilgrims when Jesus died for us, and she was full of Pentecost pilgrims when the Holy Spirit proclaimed that this same Jesus was the Son of God and Savior of the World. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world were there to witness and hear. Thousands of missionaries were ready to go back home and share the Good News that the long awaited Messiah had come and He is Jesus of Nazareth.
The sad thing about Pentecost is that even among all these signs, there were people who rejected the Good News. There were some in the crowd who said, "They are filled with new wine." This remark shows how ridiculous people can get when they try to rationalize their resistance to the Gospel. Who ever heard of a group of people suddenly becoming fluent in a variety of foreign languages by getting drunk early in the morning?
The greater danger for us in the twenty-first century is not that we will reject the Good News outright, but that the devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will divert us away from the Good News. It is very easy to get all excited over the means that the Holy Spirit used on that Pentecost and forget about the ultimate goal of that Day. The important point in this Pentecost narrative is that the Holy Spirit drew people together to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The rumbling noise, the flames, and the foreign languages were only means to that end. All too often, however, we get excited by the means that the Holy Spirit used instead of the ultimate goal of those means. We become infatuated by the excitement of the supernatural. We get distracted by the rumbling noise and the flames. We get excited about speaking other languages fluently. We sometimes forget that all these signs are there to proclaim "Christ crucified," the main message of the entire Bible.
The Holy Spirit could probably introduce us to Christ in an infinite number of ways, but He has chosen to introduce us through the Word of God. He works and sustains faith in us through the Word of God that we hear with our ears and read with our eyes. He works faith in us with the wet Word of Holy Baptism as we combine the Word of God with water according to Christ's command. He sustains our baptismal faith as we confess our sins to God our Father and hear Christ's Word of forgiveness on the lips of our pastor. He strengthens our faith as Christ Himself comes to us as the living Word in His body and blood. In these ways, the Holy Spirit has chosen to connect us to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
Now we might well ask, "How powerful can words really be? Are words really that important?" The answer to that question comes to us from today's Old Testament Reading.
God actually commanded Ezekiel to preach a sermon to a congregation of dry bones. The Spirit of the Lord took Ezekiel to a valley. As Ezekiel looked around there were crania, mandibles, clavicles, carpals and metacarpals, tarsals and metatarsals, and all kinds of other human bones scattered around in the valley.
God commanded Ezekiel, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD." Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the bones, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And [Ezekiel] looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then the Lord commanded Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind to fill the lungs of these bodies. Ezekiel did as God commanded and as he took the word from God and gave it to the wind, the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
The Word of God is powerful - not because we say it or use it - but because God stands behind it with His promises. God has promised: [Isaiah 55:10-11] "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
God told Ezekiel that these bones were the House of Israel. Today, we are the House of Israel, the Holy Christian Church, we are the bones. The Holy Spirit took us when we were dead in our trespasses and sins and added sinews and muscle, flesh and skin, and continuously breathes the breath of life into us. The Holy Spirit, by the power of His Word, has made us alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is the power of God's Word - to take dead, dry, sinful bones and make them alive in Christ.
Ultimately, that is what Pentecost is about. The fire, the wind, the languages were all there so that the God-fearing pilgrims in Jerusalem could say, "We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." That is what the Holy Spirit still does through the church - He proclaims the Good News that Jesus Christ, true God and true man, has redeemed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He has risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - The Day of Pentecost (B) - 19 May 2024
Gracious Lord, Your Spirit fills the world and gladdens Your Church with the remembrance of all Christ Jesus has spoken. Glorify His name among us in every word and deed. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, guide the Church into all truth by Your Holy Spirit through Your Word, that we may be guarded from all error and false doctrine and other great shame and vice. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of comfort, give hope to Your people in the midst of this world of death and despair. Put Your Spirit within us to believe, to live and to serve according to Your promises and commands. Lead our homes to confess our confidence in Your power to raise the dead — now and at the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be near to [_____________ and] those You have set in place to govern our land. Do not let the ruler of this world govern them and their decisions to our harm, but give us the benefits of good government. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We call on Your name, O Lord, praying in Your Spirit to help and save all [especially _____________]. Renew the face of the earth, look with favor on Your creatures and fill the hearts of Your faithful, kindling in them the fire of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, send Your Holy Spirit upon Your faithful people, that convicted of their sin they may also be convinced that the righteousness of Christ is theirs, and in such repentance and faith receive the things of Christ declared in this Supper: His holy body and precious blood for the forgiveness of sins. Unite us by Your Spirit of truth in faith and confession, and comfort us with the knowledge that this world’s prince is judged. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, comfort those who grieve. Assure them that, since Christ has gone away to the cross and has risen victorious over death, so those who go away from us in this life will rise also to everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, through Your Son You promised Your Holy Spirit, who would convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Enlighten our hearts, that we would confess our sins; obtain everlasting righteousness through faith in Christ; and through every trial and temptation, abide in the consolation that Christ is Lord over the devil, death and all things. We ask that You would graciously deliver us from all affliction to make us partakers of eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
605 “Father Welcomes”
ref Father welcomes all His children
To His fam’ly through His Son.
Father giving His salvation,
Life forever has been won.
1 Little children, come to Me,
For My kingdom is of these.
Life and love I have to give,
Mercy for your sin. Refrain
2 In the water, in the Word,
In His promise, be assured:
Those who are baptized and believe
Shall be born again. Refrain
3 Let us daily die to sin;
Let us daily rise with Him,
Walk in the love of Christ our Lord,
Live in the peace of God. Refrain
Text: Robin Mann, 1949
Text: © 1986 Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
496 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
1 Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
2 Let me see my Savior’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.
3 Holy Spirit, pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.
4 Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Yield a sacred, settled peace,
Let it grow and still increase.
5 Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Text: Andrew Reed, 1787–1862, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 503 “O Day Full of Grace”
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603 May 12, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY meets on Thursday, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
GOD LOVES HIS DAUGHTERS: Christ didn't degrade women in His talk, but He made women heroes in His stories. He invited a woman with a coin and broom to reveal the truth about the Kingdom of God. He elevated a lonely, unmarried woman who dropped her meager resources into the temple treasury as the rebuke of God for all the rich and religious. That's how God loves His daughters with His words. We should follow His example.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 651 “I Love Your Kingdom, Lord”
1 I love Your kingdom, Lord,
The place of Your abode,
The Church our blest Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood.
2 Beyond my highest joy
I prize its heav’nly ways,
Its sweet communion, solemn vows,
Its hymns of love and praise.
3 I love Your Church, O God,
Your saints in ev’ry land,
Dear as the apple of Your eye
And graven on Your hand.
4 For them my tears shall fall;
For them my prayers ascend;
For them my cares and toils be giv’n
Till toils and cares shall end.
5 Sure as Your truth shall last,
To Zion shall be giv’n
The brightest glories earth can yield
And brighter bliss of heav’n.
Text: Timothy Dwight, 1752–1817, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 27:7, 1a, 4–5,10, 14
P Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 1:12–26
12Then [the apostles] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 1
1Blessèd is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the | wicked,*
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of | scoffers;
2but his delight is in the law | of the Lord,*
and on his law he meditates | day and night.
3He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not | wither.*
In all that he does, he | prospers.
4The wicked | are not so,*
but are like chaff that the wind | drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the | judgment,*
nor sinners in the congregation of the | righteous;
6for the Lord knows the way of the | righteous,*
but the way of the wicked will | perish.
Epistle 1 John 5:9–15
9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 17:11b–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
[Jesus said:] “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 701 “Draw Us to Thee”
1 Draw us to Thee,
For then shall we
Walk in Thy steps forever
And hasten on
Where Thou art gone
To be with Thee, dear Savior.
2 Draw us to Thee,
Lord, lovingly;
Let us depart with gladness
That we may be
Forever free
From sorrow, grief, and sadness.
3 Draw us to Thee;
O grant that we
May walk the road to heaven!
Direct our way
Lest we should stray
And from Thy paths be driven.
4 Draw us to Thee
That also we
Thy heav’nly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.
5 Draw us to Thee
Unceasingly,
Into Thy kingdom take us;
Let us fore’er
Thy glory share,
Thy saints and joint heirs make us.
Text: Friedrich Funcke, 1642–99; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Prays for His Followers” John 17:11b-19
Jesus Prays for His Followers – John 17:11b-19
Today's Gospel once again places us in the upper room on the evening before Jesus died for us on the cross. Judas has left the gathering and is on his way to the authorities in order to get the band of soldiers that he will lead to Gethsemane in order to betray Jesus. Jesus has pretty much finished the teaching He intended to give His disciples in that place. He is almost ready to go to Gethsemane where He will be arrested.
Jesus, knowing that His disciples were about to experience three of the scariest and loneliest days of their lives, has one last thing to do before they leave for Gethsemane. He prayed to the Father on their behalf and He allowed the disciples to listen in. We call this prayer Jesus' high priestly prayer and the Gospel for this day is part of that prayer.
This prayer teaches us much about Jesus' attitude towards us. This is the evening before His death on the cross and He knew it. We could certainly understand if He were totally focused on His upcoming suffering and death. But He's not - His concern is for His followers. Later on, in Gethsemane, He will pray for Himself, but there in the upper room, just before they leave for Gethsemane, He prayed for those who will feel so alone and so frightened during the coming days - the days of His gauntlet of sorrow, suffering, and death - the days of His wait in the tomb. He prayed for those who will hide behind locked doors until they see Him face-to-face after His resurrection.
This prayer is for us as well. Although Jesus has never left us, He has taken His visible presence away from us. He has ascended into heaven and although He is with us, we cannot see Him. He has not yet come to take us into our eternal home. So we find ourselves in a time of waiting for Jesus to reveal Himself. We are in the time of "Now, but not yet!" He is with us now, but we can not yet see Him with our physical eyes. He has given heaven to us now, but we can not yet experience it as we will in eternity. All of Christ's gifts already belong to us now, but we can not yet experience them to the fullest. So we live in the time of now, but not yet. Jesus' prayer is for all those who wait in the world of now, but not yet.
While we live in the tension of the now, but not yet of the Christian life, we also live in the tension of being in the world, but not of the world. We are like resident aliens - people who reside in one country, but are citizens of another.
One of the problems we have is that, even though we are aliens or strangers in this world, we expect to get along with it. We expect to prosper in a world that is not our home. Some will even tell you that when you become part of God's family, everything will start turning up smelling like roses. You will become wealthy and more attractive. Your relationship with your spouse will blossom and your children will rise up and call you blessed. Your health will improve and you will have more energy. This deception will tell you that God wants nothing but material and social prosperity for you. This deception tells you that worldly success indicates a superior standing with God.
Jesus has a different teaching. In His prayer, He prayed, "The world has hated them because they are not of the world." That does not sound at all like the prosperity we hear so much about from this world. Because we are resident aliens in this world, the world is out to get us. The devil, the world, and our own sinful nature, constantly confront and attack us.
Sometimes the attack is direct. Martyrs die in Roman arenas and in other ways where people deem them “unwanted” or a detriment to their way of living.
Other times, the temptation is more subtle. The evil forces in this world use enticements and pleasures to draw us away from God. There is the deception that makes a sin seem so harmless, so good, so desirable at the time. While we consider the temptation, everything looks good and pleasant. This has been a weapon of evil from the very beginning in Eden: [Genesis 3:6] When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Temptation always seems like a good idea at the time. It would not be tempting if it didn't.
This world is a world of sin. Whether we are citizens of this world or citizens of heaven, we will sin while we live in this world. Even we who are bound for heaven must mourn with Paul [Romans 7:19] "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." We are saints in God's eyes for Jesus' sake, but we continue to sin. We are in the world, but not of the world.
The people of this world operate on a spectrum of beliefs when they deal with sin. At one end of this spectrum are those who have deceived themselves into believing that they do not sin. This typically involves a dilution of God's justice. They either tone down God's law to the point they can keep it or they get rid of God's law altogether.
The Pharisees are examples of this. In spite of the fact that they studied the Scriptures constantly, they interpreted the law in a way that made it doable. They saw the law as something they could actually keep. They made keeping the law into an external activity designed to impress men so that they would become objects of praise for their good works. In fact, they were in denial about their true status in the eyes of God.
At the other end of the spectrum are people like Judas. Judas is an example of despair. Judas did not deny his sin at all. He understood that he deserved punishment. In his case, the evil forces of the world convinced Judas that his sin was more powerful than God's forgiveness. Instead of repenting and asking for forgiveness, he hung himself. Evil used the great sin of despair to push Judas over the edge and into the abyss of eternal punishment.
The people of this world stand all along this spectrum. Some are quite proud of their own righteousness. Others don't really care. Still others destroy themselves in despair. Eventually, they will all stand before God and realize their mistake, but it will be too late.
When the Holy Spirit works faith in us so that we place our trust in Jesus Christ, a new way opens before us. Our citizenship is no longer in this world. Instead, it is in heaven. We live in this world as aliens. When the forces of evil overwhelm us and we sin, we have an ambassador with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
The Holy Spirit has given us the sight to see our sins and mourn our inability to keep God's law. He has made known the reality of the punishment that our sins deserve. However, instead of driving us into despair, our sin drives us to Jesus Christ. The depth of our sin shows us the height of His love - the love that sacrificed itself on a cross in order to free us from the guilt of our sin - the love that revoked our citizenship in this world and made us citizens of heaven. By the Holy Spirit's power, we do not deny our sins, but readily confess them before God. By the Holy Spirit's power, we find ourselves offering God the highest praise as we beg, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
Jesus prays for us. In His high priestly prayer He prayed that the Holy Father will keep us in His name. In this way, we will have, by grace, the unity that the Father and the Son have by nature. As we look at the words that Jesus used: Holy, Father, and Name, we see that Jesus' prayer is a variation on the beginning of the prayer He taught us: "Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name." As we listen to Jesus' prayer, we learn that the closer we are to the Father, the closer we are to each other. When the Father keeps us in His name, then we are at one in Him.
How did Jesus keep us in the Father's name? His prayer tells us that as well. He prayed to the Father, "I have given them your word." He kept them in the Father's name by teaching them the Father's Word.
He still works that way today. Martin Luther said that very thing when He explained how we keep God's name holy among ourselves: God's name is kept holy when the word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, lead Godly lives according to it. Help us to do this dear Father in Heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this Heavenly Father! It is God's Word in Divine Service, in Bible Class, and in family and private devotions that keeps us in the Holy Father's name. The Holy Spirit uses God's Word to revoke our citizenship in this world and establish and maintain our citizenship in heaven.
Jesus, our great High Priest loves us so much. When any normal person would be concerned for his own upcoming suffering and death, Jesus was praying for us. He was praying that we would remain in the Holy Father's name by the power of His Word. He was about to go to the cross in order to make it so that we would be in this world, but not of it and He prayed to His Father to keep us that way. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter (B) - 12 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, heavenly King, You have gathered us again before Your presence. Grant that we may dwell in Your house all the days of our lives and gaze upon Your beauty manifested here in Your Word and Sacrament. Graciously receive us as we inquire in Your temple. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, as You sent Your Son into the world and He sent His apostles, so now also send Your ministers, that the world may know Your name and the salvation that comes by it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, through Your Son You gave Your Word to Your children on earth. Guard and strengthen those who are hated by the world because they are not of the world, that not one of them would be lost. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all nations, since it is Your will that we pray for all in authority, we believe with confidence that You hear our prayers for our president, governor, Congress, legislature and judges. Teach them the testimony of the truth, that they may be wise and effective in their offices. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Father, You have testified that eternal life is given in Your Son and that whoever has Him has life. You promise also that You will hear whatever we ask according to Your will. Comfort and help the sick and the distressed [especially _____________]. Heal them and give life to all those who hold Your Son in faithful hearts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, as we eat and drink our Savior’s body and blood, give us Your light and salvation. Grant us strong and courageous hearts and never-failing hope, that we may wait steadfastly for You and Your final deliverance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, accept the prayers we offer through Your Son, our Savior, and keep us forever in Your name and Word, that we may be one just as You are one. Sanctify us in the truth; Your Word is truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son in His incarnation took on our human flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. He submitted to His mother, honoring and obeying her, so fulfilling the commandment where we have not. On this Mother’s Day, graciously accept our thanksgiving for our mothers, whom You have given to us. Teach us to honor them aright — loving, obeying and giving thanks for them, as is fitting in Your sight. Strengthen all women with child, and give them safe delivery. Comfort all women who long to have children but cannot, that they may find their consolation in You and Your unfailing love; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who after His resurrection appeared openly to all His disciples and in their sight was taken up into heaven that He might make us partakers of His divine life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
632 “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
1 O Jesus, blessèd Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
2 Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou art!
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; tr. Arthur J. Mason, 1851–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 492 “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build”
1 On Christ’s ascension I now build
The hope of my ascension;
This hope alone has always stilled
All doubt and apprehension;
For where the Head is, there as well
I know His members are to dwell
When Christ will come and call them.
2 Since Christ returned to claim His throne,
Great gifts for me obtaining,
My heart will rest in Him alone,
No other rest remaining;
For where my treasure went before,
There all my thoughts will ever soar
To still their deepest yearning.
3 O grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,
Recalling Your ascension,
That I may serve You faithfully
In thanks for my redemption;
And then, when all my days will cease,
Let me depart in joy and peace
In answer to my pleading.
Text: Josua Wegelin, 1604–40; tr. William M. Czamanske, 1873–1964, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603 May 12, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY meets on Thursday, 10 a.m. at Depoe Bay in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
A CHURCH LANDSCAPING PROJECT HAS BEGUN! Things will look worse before they get better as some groundcover plants will be replaced with more drought-resistant plants. For more information on the project, please speak with Steve Broach.
GOD LOVES HIS DAUGHTERS: Christ didn't degrade women in His talk, but He made women heroes in His stories. He invited a woman with a coin and broom to reveal the truth about the Kingdom of God. He elevated a lonely, unmarried woman who dropped her meager resources into the temple treasury as the rebuke of God for all the rich and religious. That's how God loves His daughters with His words. We should follow His example.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 12, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 651 “I Love Your Kingdom, Lord”
1 I love Your kingdom, Lord,
The place of Your abode,
The Church our blest Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood.
2 Beyond my highest joy
I prize its heav’nly ways,
Its sweet communion, solemn vows,
Its hymns of love and praise.
3 I love Your Church, O God,
Your saints in ev’ry land,
Dear as the apple of Your eye
And graven on Your hand.
4 For them my tears shall fall;
For them my prayers ascend;
For them my cares and toils be giv’n
Till toils and cares shall end.
5 Sure as Your truth shall last,
To Zion shall be giv’n
The brightest glories earth can yield
And brighter bliss of heav’n.
Text: Timothy Dwight, 1752–1817, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 27:7, 1a, 4–5,10, 14
P Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord will take me in. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 1:12–26
12Then [the apostles] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 1
1Blessèd is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the | wicked,*
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of | scoffers;
2but his delight is in the law | of the Lord,*
and on his law he meditates | day and night.
3He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not | wither.*
In all that he does, he | prospers.
4The wicked | are not so,*
but are like chaff that the wind | drives away.
5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the | judgment,*
nor sinners in the congregation of the | righteous;
6for the Lord knows the way of the | righteous,*
but the way of the wicked will | perish.
Epistle 1 John 5:9–15
9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. 14And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 17:11b–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
[Jesus said:] “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. 12While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. 14I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 701 “Draw Us to Thee”
1 Draw us to Thee,
For then shall we
Walk in Thy steps forever
And hasten on
Where Thou art gone
To be with Thee, dear Savior.
2 Draw us to Thee,
Lord, lovingly;
Let us depart with gladness
That we may be
Forever free
From sorrow, grief, and sadness.
3 Draw us to Thee;
O grant that we
May walk the road to heaven!
Direct our way
Lest we should stray
And from Thy paths be driven.
4 Draw us to Thee
That also we
Thy heav’nly bliss inherit
And ever dwell
Where sin and hell
No more can vex our spirit.
5 Draw us to Thee
Unceasingly,
Into Thy kingdom take us;
Let us fore’er
Thy glory share,
Thy saints and joint heirs make us.
Text: Friedrich Funcke, 1642–99; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Prays for His Followers” John 17:11b-19
Jesus Prays for His Followers – John 17:11b-19
Today's Gospel once again places us in the upper room on the evening before Jesus died for us on the cross. Judas has left the gathering and is on his way to the authorities in order to get the band of soldiers that he will lead to Gethsemane in order to betray Jesus. Jesus has pretty much finished the teaching He intended to give His disciples in that place. He is almost ready to go to Gethsemane where He will be arrested.
Jesus, knowing that His disciples were about to experience three of the scariest and loneliest days of their lives, has one last thing to do before they leave for Gethsemane. He prayed to the Father on their behalf and He allowed the disciples to listen in. We call this prayer Jesus' high priestly prayer and the Gospel for this day is part of that prayer.
This prayer teaches us much about Jesus' attitude towards us. This is the evening before His death on the cross and He knew it. We could certainly understand if He were totally focused on His upcoming suffering and death. But He's not - His concern is for His followers. Later on, in Gethsemane, He will pray for Himself, but there in the upper room, just before they leave for Gethsemane, He prayed for those who will feel so alone and so frightened during the coming days - the days of His gauntlet of sorrow, suffering, and death - the days of His wait in the tomb. He prayed for those who will hide behind locked doors until they see Him face-to-face after His resurrection.
This prayer is for us as well. Although Jesus has never left us, He has taken His visible presence away from us. He has ascended into heaven and although He is with us, we cannot see Him. He has not yet come to take us into our eternal home. So we find ourselves in a time of waiting for Jesus to reveal Himself. We are in the time of "Now, but not yet!" He is with us now, but we can not yet see Him with our physical eyes. He has given heaven to us now, but we can not yet experience it as we will in eternity. All of Christ's gifts already belong to us now, but we can not yet experience them to the fullest. So we live in the time of now, but not yet. Jesus' prayer is for all those who wait in the world of now, but not yet.
While we live in the tension of the now, but not yet of the Christian life, we also live in the tension of being in the world, but not of the world. We are like resident aliens - people who reside in one country, but are citizens of another.
One of the problems we have is that, even though we are aliens or strangers in this world, we expect to get along with it. We expect to prosper in a world that is not our home. Some will even tell you that when you become part of God's family, everything will start turning up smelling like roses. You will become wealthy and more attractive. Your relationship with your spouse will blossom and your children will rise up and call you blessed. Your health will improve and you will have more energy. This deception will tell you that God wants nothing but material and social prosperity for you. This deception tells you that worldly success indicates a superior standing with God.
Jesus has a different teaching. In His prayer, He prayed, "The world has hated them because they are not of the world." That does not sound at all like the prosperity we hear so much about from this world. Because we are resident aliens in this world, the world is out to get us. The devil, the world, and our own sinful nature, constantly confront and attack us.
Sometimes the attack is direct. Martyrs die in Roman arenas and in other ways where people deem them “unwanted” or a detriment to their way of living.
Other times, the temptation is more subtle. The evil forces in this world use enticements and pleasures to draw us away from God. There is the deception that makes a sin seem so harmless, so good, so desirable at the time. While we consider the temptation, everything looks good and pleasant. This has been a weapon of evil from the very beginning in Eden: [Genesis 3:6] When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Temptation always seems like a good idea at the time. It would not be tempting if it didn't.
This world is a world of sin. Whether we are citizens of this world or citizens of heaven, we will sin while we live in this world. Even we who are bound for heaven must mourn with Paul [Romans 7:19] "I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." We are saints in God's eyes for Jesus' sake, but we continue to sin. We are in the world, but not of the world.
The people of this world operate on a spectrum of beliefs when they deal with sin. At one end of this spectrum are those who have deceived themselves into believing that they do not sin. This typically involves a dilution of God's justice. They either tone down God's law to the point they can keep it or they get rid of God's law altogether.
The Pharisees are examples of this. In spite of the fact that they studied the Scriptures constantly, they interpreted the law in a way that made it doable. They saw the law as something they could actually keep. They made keeping the law into an external activity designed to impress men so that they would become objects of praise for their good works. In fact, they were in denial about their true status in the eyes of God.
At the other end of the spectrum are people like Judas. Judas is an example of despair. Judas did not deny his sin at all. He understood that he deserved punishment. In his case, the evil forces of the world convinced Judas that his sin was more powerful than God's forgiveness. Instead of repenting and asking for forgiveness, he hung himself. Evil used the great sin of despair to push Judas over the edge and into the abyss of eternal punishment.
The people of this world stand all along this spectrum. Some are quite proud of their own righteousness. Others don't really care. Still others destroy themselves in despair. Eventually, they will all stand before God and realize their mistake, but it will be too late.
When the Holy Spirit works faith in us so that we place our trust in Jesus Christ, a new way opens before us. Our citizenship is no longer in this world. Instead, it is in heaven. We live in this world as aliens. When the forces of evil overwhelm us and we sin, we have an ambassador with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
The Holy Spirit has given us the sight to see our sins and mourn our inability to keep God's law. He has made known the reality of the punishment that our sins deserve. However, instead of driving us into despair, our sin drives us to Jesus Christ. The depth of our sin shows us the height of His love - the love that sacrificed itself on a cross in order to free us from the guilt of our sin - the love that revoked our citizenship in this world and made us citizens of heaven. By the Holy Spirit's power, we do not deny our sins, but readily confess them before God. By the Holy Spirit's power, we find ourselves offering God the highest praise as we beg, "God be merciful to me a sinner."
Jesus prays for us. In His high priestly prayer He prayed that the Holy Father will keep us in His name. In this way, we will have, by grace, the unity that the Father and the Son have by nature. As we look at the words that Jesus used: Holy, Father, and Name, we see that Jesus' prayer is a variation on the beginning of the prayer He taught us: "Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name." As we listen to Jesus' prayer, we learn that the closer we are to the Father, the closer we are to each other. When the Father keeps us in His name, then we are at one in Him.
How did Jesus keep us in the Father's name? His prayer tells us that as well. He prayed to the Father, "I have given them your word." He kept them in the Father's name by teaching them the Father's Word.
He still works that way today. Martin Luther said that very thing when He explained how we keep God's name holy among ourselves: God's name is kept holy when the word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, lead Godly lives according to it. Help us to do this dear Father in Heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this Heavenly Father! It is God's Word in Divine Service, in Bible Class, and in family and private devotions that keeps us in the Holy Father's name. The Holy Spirit uses God's Word to revoke our citizenship in this world and establish and maintain our citizenship in heaven.
Jesus, our great High Priest loves us so much. When any normal person would be concerned for his own upcoming suffering and death, Jesus was praying for us. He was praying that we would remain in the Holy Father's name by the power of His Word. He was about to go to the cross in order to make it so that we would be in this world, but not of it and He prayed to His Father to keep us that way. Amen
Offertory
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter (B) - 12 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, heavenly King, You have gathered us again before Your presence. Grant that we may dwell in Your house all the days of our lives and gaze upon Your beauty manifested here in Your Word and Sacrament. Graciously receive us as we inquire in Your temple. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, as You sent Your Son into the world and He sent His apostles, so now also send Your ministers, that the world may know Your name and the salvation that comes by it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, through Your Son You gave Your Word to Your children on earth. Guard and strengthen those who are hated by the world because they are not of the world, that not one of them would be lost. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all nations, since it is Your will that we pray for all in authority, we believe with confidence that You hear our prayers for our president, governor, Congress, legislature and judges. Teach them the testimony of the truth, that they may be wise and effective in their offices. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Father, You have testified that eternal life is given in Your Son and that whoever has Him has life. You promise also that You will hear whatever we ask according to Your will. Comfort and help the sick and the distressed [especially _____________]. Heal them and give life to all those who hold Your Son in faithful hearts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, as we eat and drink our Savior’s body and blood, give us Your light and salvation. Grant us strong and courageous hearts and never-failing hope, that we may wait steadfastly for You and Your final deliverance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, accept the prayers we offer through Your Son, our Savior, and keep us forever in Your name and Word, that we may be one just as You are one. Sanctify us in the truth; Your Word is truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son in His incarnation took on our human flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. He submitted to His mother, honoring and obeying her, so fulfilling the commandment where we have not. On this Mother’s Day, graciously accept our thanksgiving for our mothers, whom You have given to us. Teach us to honor them aright — loving, obeying and giving thanks for them, as is fitting in Your sight. Strengthen all women with child, and give them safe delivery. Comfort all women who long to have children but cannot, that they may find their consolation in You and Your unfailing love; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who after His resurrection appeared openly to all His disciples and in their sight was taken up into heaven that He might make us partakers of His divine life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
632 “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
1 O Jesus, blessèd Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
2 Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou art!
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; tr. Arthur J. Mason, 1851–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 492 “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build”
1 On Christ’s ascension I now build
The hope of my ascension;
This hope alone has always stilled
All doubt and apprehension;
For where the Head is, there as well
I know His members are to dwell
When Christ will come and call them.
2 Since Christ returned to claim His throne,
Great gifts for me obtaining,
My heart will rest in Him alone,
No other rest remaining;
For where my treasure went before,
There all my thoughts will ever soar
To still their deepest yearning.
3 O grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,
Recalling Your ascension,
That I may serve You faithfully
In thanks for my redemption;
And then, when all my days will cease,
Let me depart in joy and peace
In answer to my pleading.
Text: Josua Wegelin, 1604–40; tr. William M. Czamanske, 1873–1964, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 5, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
“In Christ, by faith in Him, our getting, saving, spending, and giving do honor our Lord. Christ Jesus sets us free from worry and greed, selfishness and the temptations to hoard, covetousness, and idolatry. Furthermore, He wants to give us peace as we deal with every financial challenge and blessing in our lives. We can count on Him to do it because we know He has already given us the most beautiful gown imaginable, the robe of righteousness He won for us on His cross.” [from “Faith and Finance”]
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 791 “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”
1 All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with mirth, His praise forthtell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.
2 Know that the Lord is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make.
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
3 O enter then His gates with praise;
Approach with joy His courts unto.
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
4 For why? The Lord our God is good:
His mercy is forever sure.
His truth at all times firmly stood
And shall from age to age endure.
D 5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom heav’n and earth adore,
From us and from the angel host
Be praise and glory evermore.
Text: William Kethe, d. c. 1593, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 66:1–2, 8–9, 16, 20
P Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. Blessèd be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 10:34–48
34Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 98
1Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done | marvelous things!*
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salva- | tion for him.
2The LORD has made known his sal- | vation;*
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the | nations.
3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of | Israel.*
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation | of our God.
4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, | all the earth;*
break forth into joyous song and sing | praises!
5Sing praises to the LORD | with the lyre,*
with the lyre and the sound of | melody!
6With trumpets and the sound | of the horn*
make a joyful noise before the | King, the LORD!
7Let the sea roar, and all that | fills it;*
the world and those who | dwell in it!
8Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9be- | fore the LORD,* for he comes
to | judge the earth.
He will judge the world with | righteousness,*
and the peoples with | equity.
Epistle 1 John 5:1–8
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:9–17
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
9[Jesus said:] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Unconditional Love” John 15:9-17
Unconditional Love – John 15:9-17
Today's Gospel continues where last Sunday's Gospel left off. Last Sunday, Jesus compared our relationship to Him with the relationship between a branch and a vine. Just as a branch cannot produce anything without the vine, so we cannot do anything without Jesus.
Jesus wants us to have this mind picture of a branch lovingly grafted into the main vine. If the branch does absolutely nothing, the main vine will incorporate the branch into itself and the branch will thrive. If the branch tries to contribute anything to the process, it will mess up the process. The branch will go into rejection and die.
From last week's Gospel, we learned that abiding means to do nothing - to simply remain. We learned that the Holy Spirit places us in Jesus through faith and that we are to abide or remain in Jesus where He will feed us with forgiveness, life, and salvation.
As we hear more of Jesus' teaching today, we learn that the main nutrient that Jesus, the vine, feeds to us, the branches, is the nutrient of love. [Jesus said,] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Since we learned about the meaning of abide last week, it is time to learn about the meaning of love this week.
Believe it or not, the word love causes problems. The problem is that love is one of the most overworked words in the English language. We use this word for so many different things. We love our spouse. We love our children. We love our house. We love our cars. We love ice cream. We love football. We love sunsets. We love so many different things and we love in so many different ways. If you look up the word love in the dictionary, you will find a very long entry.
So now we come to the place where we are confessing our faith and we say that we receive salvation because of God's love. Now while this is absolutely true and good, it is not enough. It is not enough because the word love covers such a wide variety of experiences and meanings. Now don't misunderstand me. It is perfectly good, right, and worthwhile to say that God saves us through His love. On the other hand, if we don't tell what we mean when we say that God loves us, we have not told the whole story of His love - we have not told the story of the nutrition that Jesus gives us as we abide in Him.
We can begin by looking at the original Greek. The word translated as love is ἀγάπη (agape – “ah-gah-peh”). We have talked about this word before. 'Αγάπη certainly gets us away from self centered love - love that is the result of fulfilling our own pleasures. It certainly rules out the ooey-gooey, touchy-feely kind of love. 'Αγάπη is a selfless love that seeks nothing in return. 'Αγάπη has grit and courage. 'Αγάπη does what is right even when it is hard. The Greek word ἀγάπη does much to get us closer to a true understanding of the love Jesus gives to us when we abide in Him.
In today's Gospel Jesus takes 'Αγάπη all the way when He says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Jesus did more than talk about laying down His life for His friends. Even while Jesus was teaching His disciples with the words of today's Gospel, Judas was on his way to the authorities. He would soon lead soldiers to Jesus in Gethsemane. There Judas would betray Jesus. The very next day, Jesus would fulfill His very description of love with His own suffering and death on the cross. He would endure not only death, but also the anger of God at all of our sins. This is the love that saves us.
The true nature of this love becomes even clearer when we consider the object of God's love. As much as we hate to admit it, we have no redeeming qualities of our own. We are sinners.
We have all broken every one of the Ten Commandments. It is very difficult to commit just one sin, for a commandment is broken not only in deed, but in word and thought as well. The commandments then fall like dominos before us. In the New Testament book of James we read that if we fail in just one point of the Law, we have broken all of it [James 2:10].
We also discover that we are not sinners because we sin, but that we sin because we are sinners. We learned that every one of us inherits sin from our parents. Just like a mother who uses crack, passes the addiction on to her child, so also, all humans pass their sin on to their children. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, parents have passed their sin on to their kids. No one has to teach a child how to lie. No one has to teach a child to be selfish. No one has to teach a child how to hate. No one has to teach a child to consider himself or herself to be the center of this and every other universe. We know all these things from the womb. And if know if left untreated, this sinful condition leads to nothing but punishment - punishment here in time and punishment forever in eternity.
In spite of all this, God still loves us. The love of Jesus Christ on the cross is the perfect expression of God and therefore the perfect expression of God's love for us. [Romans 5:8] God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His love for us depends on His nature, not our nature. His love for us is always perfect and beyond our understanding. This is the love that we receive when we abide in Him.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." This is the love of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. This is the great love that lays down life for a friend. This is the love of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the love of the God-man who stood between God and us and took the full force of the wrath of God for us. This is the love that bled on the cross and said, [Luke 23:34] "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." This is the love that rose from the dead and promises us eternal life.
The Devil, the World, and our own sinful flesh seek to cut off this relationship of love between our savior and us. Our enemies continuously tell us that we don't need God - that we can be our own god - that we can fulfill our own need for love. They direct us to pleasure, comfort, security, popularity, and other fallible sources of love. When these things fail, our enemies accuse us of not trying hard enough. We find ourselves in a never-ending spiral of delusion and defeat.
The world is always ready to supply the next exciting thing when the current fad doesn't satisfy our need for love. If only you drove the right car or wore the right styles of clothing or lived in the right house. If only you had married someone like that exciting celebrity instead of that boring spouse that lives with you now. If only you wore the right cologne or had fuller, longer lashes. The world hurls an impossible lifestyle at us and our own sinful nature tells us that these things can bring us happiness and love. We expend massive amounts of resources to obtain these things that never satisfy us while we ignore the God who wants to give us the ultimate true love for free.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." Abide means remain; stop trying in your own power. The Holy Spirit has placed us in Christ Jesus through the gift of faith. Any work we do on our own only serves to reject that faith and expel us from Christ's love. Abiding in God's love means that He will work in us to strengthen our faith toward Him and He will work through us to show fervent love toward our brothers.
God loves us unconditionally. He is the only source of pure, unconditional, ἀγάπη love. It is in this love that God created us and still sustains us. It is this love that compelled the Son of God to assume a human nature and sacrifice Himself on the cross to save us from sin. It is in this love that we abide by faith. Just as God's love raised Christ from the dead, it promises that He will be with us here on this earth and that we shall be with Him forever in heaven. By faith this love works in us and through us to free us so that we can obey God's command and love our brother even as God has loved us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday of Easter (B) - 5 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You invite us freely to come and hear Your Word. Bless and increase our faith, that we may rightly fear You and learn what You have done for our souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, You make known the good news of peace through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Bless and direct the work of our missionaries, that in every nation there would be people who fear God, do what is right and, believing in Jesus, receive forgiveness of sins through His name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of love, out of great love for You and for sinners, our Lord Jesus laid down His life for the world. Increase in us true love for one another, that like our Lord, we may also lay down our lives for our friends. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, You rule this world by Your established authorities in ways that we do not always understand; yet in the name of Jesus, we may ask You anything freely as friends and sons. Bless our nation’s leaders, and cause them to serve wisely for our good. Give earthly peace and justice that is in accord with Your commandments and the order You have revealed. Bring an end to injustice, violence and disdain for Your truth, and let us receive all good with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, the Giver of all that is good, grant Your healing and support to all who are in sorrow or need, sickness or adversity [especially _____________]. Give them also the gift of Your grace to accept and bear their crosses with faith in You, that finally they would be prepared to depart this life and receive the gift of eternal life in Your kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, at the death of Your Son, You gave the testimony of Your Spirit in the water and blood that poured from His wounded side. Grant that, having received this testimony in the water of Baptism, we may also receive it in the body and blood of Jesus in the Holy Supper and so overcome the world by our faith in Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. By His death, He has redeemed us from bondage to sin and death, and by His resurrection, He has delivered us into new life in Him.
Grant us to keep the Feast in sincerity and truth, faithfully eating His body given into death and drinking His life’s blood poured out for our salvation until we pass through death to the promised land of life eternal.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
1 Where charity and love prevail
There God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love
By love are we thus bound.
2 With grateful joy and holy fear
His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul
Now love Him in return.
3 Forgive we now each other’s faults
As we our faults confess,
And let us love each other well
In Christian holiness.
4 Let strife among us be unknown;
Let all contention cease;
Be God’s the glory that we seek;
Be ours His holy peace.
5 Let us recall that in our midst
Dwells Christ, His only Son;
As members of His body joined
We are in Him made one.
6 For love excludes no race or clan
That names the Savior’s name;
His family embraces all
Whose Father is the same.
Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Text: © 1960 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis LSB 211
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 490 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”
1 Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!
Death no longer can appall me;
Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!
From the grave will Christ recall me.
Brighter scenes will then commence;
This shall be my confidence.
2 Jesus lives! To Him the throne
High above all things is given.
I shall go where He is gone,
Live and reign with Him in heaven.
God is faithful; doubtings, hence!
This shall be my confidence.
3 Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense;
This shall be my confidence.
4 Jesus lives! I know full well
Nothing me from Him shall sever.
Neither death nor pow’rs of hell
Part me now from Christ forever.
God will be my sure defense;
This shall be my confidence.
5 Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal;
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass its gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!
Text: Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, 1715–69; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday of Easter – May 5, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve
Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
“In Christ, by faith in Him, our getting, saving, spending, and giving do honor our Lord. Christ Jesus sets us free from worry and greed, selfishness and the temptations to hoard, covetousness, and idolatry. Furthermore, He wants to give us peace as we deal with every financial challenge and blessing in our lives. We can count on Him to do it because we know He has already given us the most beautiful gown imaginable, the robe of righteousness He won for us on His cross.” [from “Faith and Finance”]
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 791 “All People That on Earth Do Dwell”
1 All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice.
Him serve with mirth, His praise forthtell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.
2 Know that the Lord is God indeed;
Without our aid He did us make.
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
3 O enter then His gates with praise;
Approach with joy His courts unto.
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
4 For why? The Lord our God is good:
His mercy is forever sure.
His truth at all times firmly stood
And shall from age to age endure.
D 5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom heav’n and earth adore,
From us and from the angel host
Be praise and glory evermore.
Text: William Kethe, d. c. 1593, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God, merciful Father, in Holy Baptism You declared us to be Your children and gathered us into Your one, holy Church, in which You daily and richly forgive us our sins and grant us new life through Your Spirit. Be in our midst, enliven our faith, and graciously receive our prayer and praise; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 66:1–2, 8–9, 16, 20
P Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise! Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard, who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip. Blessèd be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 10:34–48
34Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47“Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 98
1Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done | marvelous things!*
His right hand and his holy arm
have worked salva- | tion for him.
2The LORD has made known his sal- | vation;*
he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the | nations.
3He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of | Israel.*
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation | of our God.
4Make a joyful noise to the LORD, | all the earth;*
break forth into joyous song and sing | praises!
5Sing praises to the LORD | with the lyre,*
with the lyre and the sound of | melody!
6With trumpets and the sound | of the horn*
make a joyful noise before the | King, the LORD!
7Let the sea roar, and all that | fills it;*
the world and those who | dwell in it!
8Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together
9be- | fore the LORD,* for he comes
to | judge the earth.
He will judge the world with | righteousness,*
and the peoples with | equity.
Epistle 1 John 5:1–8
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:9–17
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
9[Jesus said:] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Unconditional Love” John 15:9-17
Unconditional Love – John 15:9-17
Today's Gospel continues where last Sunday's Gospel left off. Last Sunday, Jesus compared our relationship to Him with the relationship between a branch and a vine. Just as a branch cannot produce anything without the vine, so we cannot do anything without Jesus.
Jesus wants us to have this mind picture of a branch lovingly grafted into the main vine. If the branch does absolutely nothing, the main vine will incorporate the branch into itself and the branch will thrive. If the branch tries to contribute anything to the process, it will mess up the process. The branch will go into rejection and die.
From last week's Gospel, we learned that abiding means to do nothing - to simply remain. We learned that the Holy Spirit places us in Jesus through faith and that we are to abide or remain in Jesus where He will feed us with forgiveness, life, and salvation.
As we hear more of Jesus' teaching today, we learn that the main nutrient that Jesus, the vine, feeds to us, the branches, is the nutrient of love. [Jesus said,] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Since we learned about the meaning of abide last week, it is time to learn about the meaning of love this week.
Believe it or not, the word love causes problems. The problem is that love is one of the most overworked words in the English language. We use this word for so many different things. We love our spouse. We love our children. We love our house. We love our cars. We love ice cream. We love football. We love sunsets. We love so many different things and we love in so many different ways. If you look up the word love in the dictionary, you will find a very long entry.
So now we come to the place where we are confessing our faith and we say that we receive salvation because of God's love. Now while this is absolutely true and good, it is not enough. It is not enough because the word love covers such a wide variety of experiences and meanings. Now don't misunderstand me. It is perfectly good, right, and worthwhile to say that God saves us through His love. On the other hand, if we don't tell what we mean when we say that God loves us, we have not told the whole story of His love - we have not told the story of the nutrition that Jesus gives us as we abide in Him.
We can begin by looking at the original Greek. The word translated as love is ἀγάπη (agape – “ah-gah-peh”). We have talked about this word before. 'Αγάπη certainly gets us away from self centered love - love that is the result of fulfilling our own pleasures. It certainly rules out the ooey-gooey, touchy-feely kind of love. 'Αγάπη is a selfless love that seeks nothing in return. 'Αγάπη has grit and courage. 'Αγάπη does what is right even when it is hard. The Greek word ἀγάπη does much to get us closer to a true understanding of the love Jesus gives to us when we abide in Him.
In today's Gospel Jesus takes 'Αγάπη all the way when He says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Jesus did more than talk about laying down His life for His friends. Even while Jesus was teaching His disciples with the words of today's Gospel, Judas was on his way to the authorities. He would soon lead soldiers to Jesus in Gethsemane. There Judas would betray Jesus. The very next day, Jesus would fulfill His very description of love with His own suffering and death on the cross. He would endure not only death, but also the anger of God at all of our sins. This is the love that saves us.
The true nature of this love becomes even clearer when we consider the object of God's love. As much as we hate to admit it, we have no redeeming qualities of our own. We are sinners.
We have all broken every one of the Ten Commandments. It is very difficult to commit just one sin, for a commandment is broken not only in deed, but in word and thought as well. The commandments then fall like dominos before us. In the New Testament book of James we read that if we fail in just one point of the Law, we have broken all of it [James 2:10].
We also discover that we are not sinners because we sin, but that we sin because we are sinners. We learned that every one of us inherits sin from our parents. Just like a mother who uses crack, passes the addiction on to her child, so also, all humans pass their sin on to their children. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in Eden, parents have passed their sin on to their kids. No one has to teach a child how to lie. No one has to teach a child to be selfish. No one has to teach a child how to hate. No one has to teach a child to consider himself or herself to be the center of this and every other universe. We know all these things from the womb. And if know if left untreated, this sinful condition leads to nothing but punishment - punishment here in time and punishment forever in eternity.
In spite of all this, God still loves us. The love of Jesus Christ on the cross is the perfect expression of God and therefore the perfect expression of God's love for us. [Romans 5:8] God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. His love for us depends on His nature, not our nature. His love for us is always perfect and beyond our understanding. This is the love that we receive when we abide in Him.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." This is the love of the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. This is the great love that lays down life for a friend. This is the love of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is the love of the God-man who stood between God and us and took the full force of the wrath of God for us. This is the love that bled on the cross and said, [Luke 23:34] "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." This is the love that rose from the dead and promises us eternal life.
The Devil, the World, and our own sinful flesh seek to cut off this relationship of love between our savior and us. Our enemies continuously tell us that we don't need God - that we can be our own god - that we can fulfill our own need for love. They direct us to pleasure, comfort, security, popularity, and other fallible sources of love. When these things fail, our enemies accuse us of not trying hard enough. We find ourselves in a never-ending spiral of delusion and defeat.
The world is always ready to supply the next exciting thing when the current fad doesn't satisfy our need for love. If only you drove the right car or wore the right styles of clothing or lived in the right house. If only you had married someone like that exciting celebrity instead of that boring spouse that lives with you now. If only you wore the right cologne or had fuller, longer lashes. The world hurls an impossible lifestyle at us and our own sinful nature tells us that these things can bring us happiness and love. We expend massive amounts of resources to obtain these things that never satisfy us while we ignore the God who wants to give us the ultimate true love for free.
Jesus said, "Abide in my love." Abide means remain; stop trying in your own power. The Holy Spirit has placed us in Christ Jesus through the gift of faith. Any work we do on our own only serves to reject that faith and expel us from Christ's love. Abiding in God's love means that He will work in us to strengthen our faith toward Him and He will work through us to show fervent love toward our brothers.
God loves us unconditionally. He is the only source of pure, unconditional, ἀγάπη love. It is in this love that God created us and still sustains us. It is this love that compelled the Son of God to assume a human nature and sacrifice Himself on the cross to save us from sin. It is in this love that we abide by faith. Just as God's love raised Christ from the dead, it promises that He will be with us here on this earth and that we shall be with Him forever in heaven. By faith this love works in us and through us to free us so that we can obey God's command and love our brother even as God has loved us. Amen
Prayer of the Church
P Lord, in Your mercy, C hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday of Easter (B) - 5 May 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, You invite us freely to come and hear Your Word. Bless and increase our faith, that we may rightly fear You and learn what You have done for our souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, You make known the good news of peace through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Bless and direct the work of our missionaries, that in every nation there would be people who fear God, do what is right and, believing in Jesus, receive forgiveness of sins through His name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of love, out of great love for You and for sinners, our Lord Jesus laid down His life for the world. Increase in us true love for one another, that like our Lord, we may also lay down our lives for our friends. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, You rule this world by Your established authorities in ways that we do not always understand; yet in the name of Jesus, we may ask You anything freely as friends and sons. Bless our nation’s leaders, and cause them to serve wisely for our good. Give earthly peace and justice that is in accord with Your commandments and the order You have revealed. Bring an end to injustice, violence and disdain for Your truth, and let us receive all good with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, the Giver of all that is good, grant Your healing and support to all who are in sorrow or need, sickness or adversity [especially _____________]. Give them also the gift of Your grace to accept and bear their crosses with faith in You, that finally they would be prepared to depart this life and receive the gift of eternal life in Your kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, at the death of Your Son, You gave the testimony of Your Spirit in the water and blood that poured from His wounded side. Grant that, having received this testimony in the water of Baptism, we may also receive it in the body and blood of Jesus in the Holy Supper and so overcome the world by our faith in Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. By His death, He has redeemed us from bondage to sin and death, and by His resurrection, He has delivered us into new life in Him.
Grant us to keep the Feast in sincerity and truth, faithfully eating His body given into death and drinking His life’s blood poured out for our salvation until we pass through death to the promised land of life eternal.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
845 “Where Charity and Love Prevail”
1 Where charity and love prevail
There God is ever found;
Brought here together by Christ’s love
By love are we thus bound.
2 With grateful joy and holy fear
His charity we learn;
Let us with heart and mind and soul
Now love Him in return.
3 Forgive we now each other’s faults
As we our faults confess,
And let us love each other well
In Christian holiness.
4 Let strife among us be unknown;
Let all contention cease;
Be God’s the glory that we seek;
Be ours His holy peace.
5 Let us recall that in our midst
Dwells Christ, His only Son;
As members of His body joined
We are in Him made one.
6 For love excludes no race or clan
That names the Savior’s name;
His family embraces all
Whose Father is the same.
Text: Latin, c. 9th cent.; tr. Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97, alt.
Text: © 1960 World Library Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis LSB 211
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 490 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”
1 Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!
Death no longer can appall me;
Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!
From the grave will Christ recall me.
Brighter scenes will then commence;
This shall be my confidence.
2 Jesus lives! To Him the throne
High above all things is given.
I shall go where He is gone,
Live and reign with Him in heaven.
God is faithful; doubtings, hence!
This shall be my confidence.
3 Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense;
This shall be my confidence.
4 Jesus lives! I know full well
Nothing me from Him shall sever.
Neither death nor pow’rs of hell
Part me now from Christ forever.
God will be my sure defense;
This shall be my confidence.
5 Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal;
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass its gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!
Text: Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, 1715–69; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday of Easter –April 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
TODAY, at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
ALSO, THIS SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to talk about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 484 “Make Songs of Joy”
1 Make songs of joy to Christ, our head;
Alleluia!
He lives again who once was dead!
Alleluia!
2 Our life was purchased by His loss;
Alleluia!
He died our death upon the cross.
Alleluia!
3 O death, where is your deadly sting?
Alleluia!
Assumed by our triumphant King!
Alleluia!
4 And where your victory, O grave,
Alleluia!
When one like Christ has come to save?
Alleluia!
5 Behold, the tyrants, one and all,
Alleluia!
Before our mighty Savior fall!
Alleluia!
D 6 For this be praised the Son who rose,
Alleluia!
The Father, and the Holy Ghost!
Alleluia!
Text: Juraj Tranovský, 1591–1637; tr. Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit John 16:16, Psalm 145:1–2, 8, 10, 21
P A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Kyrie
Canticle: “This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 8:26–40
26An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 150
1Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctu- | ary;*
praise him in his mighty | heavens!
2Praise him for his | mighty deeds;*
praise him according to his excellent | greatness!
3Praise him with | trumpet sound;*
praise him with | lute and harp!
4Praise him with tambou- | rine and dance;*
praise him with | strings and pipe!
5Praise him with sounding | cymbals;*
praise him with loud clashing | cymbals!
6Let everything that has breath | praise the Lord!*
Praise | the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 4:1–11
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:1–8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 611 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”
1 Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
2 Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
3 Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
4 Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
He sustains the hidden life
Safe with Him from earthly strife.
5 O my Savior, help afford
By Your Spirit and Your Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
Text: William McComb, 1793–1873, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Our Christ Connection” John 15:1-8
Our Christ Connection – John 15:1-8
Today is a day to talk about connections. In a few days, in some cultures, there is the custom to hold on to a ribbon connected to a pole, and to do this with other children or people and dance around what is called a “May” pole. Our Gospel also talks about a connection - our connection with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." Just as a branch must receive its life from the vine so we must receive our life from Jesus.
Now you would think this would be simple enough to do. Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you." This should be simple, but it often isn't.
Perhaps the problem we have with this command lies in that word “abide”. “Abide” is one of those words that we don't use every day. It sort of sounds impressive - like it is some sort of special spiritual activity. It sounds like it might be tough to do. After all, it is something that has to happen if we are to remain connected to Jesus.
In actuality, once we understand what it means to abide, it doesn't seem that it should be that difficult to do. Abide simply means, "Don't do something. Just lie there!" That's right. To abide is to do nothing. It is as if Jesus said, "The Holy Spirit has given faith to you and put you right where you need to be. Now, just stay put." That sounds easy enough. Doesn't it?
In actual practice, it is something very difficult to do. Our sinful pride always wants recognition and is always trying to take credit for contributing at least a little bit to its own salvation. Therefore, our sinful nature is not satisfied to just let Jesus do all the work. Our sinful nature just doesn't want us to believe that Jesus' perfect life and His suffering and death on a cross are enough. Even though Jesus shouted, "It is finished," just before He died, our sinful nature refuses to believe it. Our sinful nature wants us to believe that Jesus has done His part and now we must add our little effort into the mix.
This is really the foundation of all the false religions in the world: Salvation is found in some effort on our part. One religion might suggest meditation. Another might suggest works of charity. A third might suggest learning some sort of ancient knowledge. Figure out what you think you need to do in order to be saved and Satan will have a custom religion built just for you. In the end, however, there are only two religions in the world: (1) The false religion that asks you to make some sort of an effort to save yourself and (2) the true religion that simply receives the work that Jesus Christ did for us with His life, suffering, death, and resurrection.
When we try to do our part to save ourselves, we are like autumn leaves. In the fall, each leaf grows a membrane that cuts off the supply of nutrients from the plant. In a little while, it dies, the chlorophyll dissipates so that they lose their green color, and then they fall from the tree.
When we put forth an effort to save ourselves from our own sin, we only cut ourselves off from the life giving nutrition that comes from Jesus Christ. We put up a membrane of idolatry that cuts us off from the source of our salvation. We cut ourselves off from Christ. Jesus Himself tells us what happens to branches that cut themselves off from Him. He said, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit [the Father] takes away. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." This is a very terrifying prospect - to be dried, gathered, and thrown into the fire of hell because we do not abide in Christ.
From today's Gospel, we learn that it is very good, as far as our salvation is concerned, to be in Christ and do nothing. If that is the case, then how is it that we get into Christ in the first place? If every effort we put forward only serves to drive us away from Christ, how do we end up in Christ? This is where the Holy Spirit comes into the picture.
When Martin Luther talked about the work of the Holy Spirit in the Small Catechism, he said, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified me in the one, true faith." The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, [Romans 8:7] "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." He also wrote, [1 Corinthians 2:14] "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." And again he said, [1 Corinthians 12:3] "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit." From these verses we learn that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to place us into Christ Jesus so that we may abide in Him.
All of us are born like dead branches lying on the ground. The Father who is the caretaker of the vineyard sends the Holy Spirit to graft us into the Jesus Christ, the true vine. It is the Holy Spirit who brings us to life in Jesus Christ.
How is this done? For many of us, this happened at our baptism. Again the Apostle Paul said, [Romans 6:3-4] "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Through baptism, God makes us His own with the wet word of God. The Holy Spirit works in that word to join us to Christ.
Through baptism Christ's suffering and crucifixion become our suffering and crucifixion. When God looks at us, He sees the work of Jesus Christ's suffering and crucifixion and applies it to our account. Just as the vinedresser cuts the vine in order to graft in a branch so also Jesus was cut so that we might become part of Him. We begin life as a branch of the vine of sin and death, but God cut us away from that vine and grafted us into the vine of life - Jesus Christ. God the Father is the vinedresser. He is the one who sent His only begotten son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16] He is the one who gives us the Holy Spirit to be with [us] forever. [John 14:16] It is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who work together to save us and to give us faith in that salvation. God is the one who grafts us into the vine through faith. He is the one who nourishes us with His forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is the one who produces the fruit in and through us.
From time to time someone will tell me that they are not good enough to go to church. They will tell me that they will try to improve their lives and then they will come to church. That would be like a branch trying to produce a grape in order to earn a place on the vine.
Instead, the fruits of the Spirit begin at the vine - Jesus Christ. Just as the vine is cut so that the branch can be grafted in place, so also Jesus Christ was cut so that we could be adopted into His family. Just as the vine must build up the branch with nourishment, so also Jesus Christ builds us up with His Word and the Body and Blood of the Sacrament. Just as the nourishment of the vine eventually produces fruit from the branch, so also, the forgiveness and salvation that flow from Jesus Christ produce fruit in us. Jesus said, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Remain in Christ and see what He will do. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday of Easter (B) - 28 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, Your only Son came in the flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. Protect us from all false teaching and the spirit of the Antichrist, that we may always confess Christ to be our only true God and remain faithful to Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have grafted us onto the vine of Your Son. Prune us and cut off from us all sin and dead works, that we may always draw life from Your Son and produce the fruits of faith and good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Savior of all people, in the water of Baptism You welcome sinners into Your kingdom and give them life. Grant that we would always honor and extol this gift, and let nothing prevent people from it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give health and guidance to our president and all in authority, that they may serve honorably and in accord with Your good order. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, You hear and answer Your children in their hour of need. [Give aid to _____________.] Grant that they would bear their crosses with faith, ever looking to You, and so fix their hearts where true joy is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You are love, and You always reveal Your love through Your Son. Grant that all who come to Your feast of love may worthily eat of Christ’s body and blood, so that whoever abides in this love forever abides in You and You in him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Hear and answer our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, and Your saints shall bless You; for You live and reign with the Holy Spirit, ever one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven…..
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
691 “Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing”
1 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.
2 Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.
3 Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self-control.
4 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
540 “Christ, the Word of God Incarnate”
1 Christ, the Word of God incarnate,
Lord and Son of Abraham;
Christ, the radiance of the Father,
Perfect God, the great I AM;
Christ, the light, You shine unvanquished,
Light and life You bring to all;
Light our path with Your own presence,
Grant us grace to heed Your call.
2 Christ, the living bread from heaven,
Food for body, food for soul;
Christ, the manna daily given,
Nourish, strengthen, make us whole.
Feed us with the food of heaven,
Foretaste of the feast to be;
Quench our thirst with living water
Springing up eternally.
3 Christ, the shoot that springs triumphant
From the stump of Jesse’s tree;
Christ, true vine, You nurture branches
To bear fruit abundantly.
Graft us into You, O Savior;
Prune our hearts so we remain
Fruitful branches in Your vineyard
Till eternal life we gain.
4 Christ, our good and faithful shepherd,
Watching all Your lambs and sheep;
Christ, the gate that guards the sheepfold,
Never-failing vigil keep.
When we stray, Good Shepherd, seek us,
Find us, lift us, bear us home;
Lamb of God, our shepherd, keep us;
Let us hear Your voice alone.
5 Christ, the way that leads unfailing
To the Father’s home on high,
Christ, the truth that frees the captive,
Christ, the life that cannot die.
Mediator to the Father,
Sacrifice and great High Priest:
Lead us to Your heav’nly mansions,
There to share Your wedding feast.
D 6 Christ, the Alpha and Omega,
Christ, the firstborn from the dead,
Christ, the life and resurrection,
Christ, the Church’s glorious head:
Praise and thanks and adoration
And unending worship be
To the Father and the Spirit
And to You eternally.
Text: Steven P. Mueller, 1964
Text: © 2001 Steven P. Mueller. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 488 “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word”
Text: Birgitte Katerine Boye, 1742–1824; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text and tune: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday of Easter –April 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
TODAY, at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
ALSO, THIS SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying too you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to talk about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 484 “Make Songs of Joy”
1 Make songs of joy to Christ, our head;
Alleluia!
He lives again who once was dead!
Alleluia!
2 Our life was purchased by His loss;
Alleluia!
He died our death upon the cross.
Alleluia!
3 O death, where is your deadly sting?
Alleluia!
Assumed by our triumphant King!
Alleluia!
4 And where your victory, O grave,
Alleluia!
When one like Christ has come to save?
Alleluia!
5 Behold, the tyrants, one and all,
Alleluia!
Before our mighty Savior fall!
Alleluia!
D 6 For this be praised the Son who rose,
Alleluia!
The Father, and the Holy Ghost!
Alleluia!
Text: Juraj Tranovský, 1591–1637; tr. Jaroslav J. Vajda, 1919–2008
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit John 16:16, Psalm 145:1–2, 8, 10, 21
P A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.
I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Kyrie
Canticle: “This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 8:26–40
26An angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 150
1Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctu- | ary;*
praise him in his mighty | heavens!
2Praise him for his | mighty deeds;*
praise him according to his excellent | greatness!
3Praise him with | trumpet sound;*
praise him with | lute and harp!
4Praise him with tambou- | rine and dance;*
praise him with | strings and pipe!
5Praise him with sounding | cymbals;*
praise him with loud clashing | cymbals!
6Let everything that has breath | praise the Lord!*
Praise | the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 4:1–11
1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 15:1–8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fifteenth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 611 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”
1 Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
2 Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
3 Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
4 Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
He sustains the hidden life
Safe with Him from earthly strife.
5 O my Savior, help afford
By Your Spirit and Your Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
Text: William McComb, 1793–1873, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Our Christ Connection” John 15:1-8
Our Christ Connection – John 15:1-8
Today is a day to talk about connections. In a few days, in some cultures, there is the custom to hold on to a ribbon connected to a pole, and to do this with other children or people and dance around what is called a “May” pole. Our Gospel also talks about a connection - our connection with Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." Just as a branch must receive its life from the vine so we must receive our life from Jesus.
Now you would think this would be simple enough to do. Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you." This should be simple, but it often isn't.
Perhaps the problem we have with this command lies in that word “abide”. “Abide” is one of those words that we don't use every day. It sort of sounds impressive - like it is some sort of special spiritual activity. It sounds like it might be tough to do. After all, it is something that has to happen if we are to remain connected to Jesus.
In actuality, once we understand what it means to abide, it doesn't seem that it should be that difficult to do. Abide simply means, "Don't do something. Just lie there!" That's right. To abide is to do nothing. It is as if Jesus said, "The Holy Spirit has given faith to you and put you right where you need to be. Now, just stay put." That sounds easy enough. Doesn't it?
In actual practice, it is something very difficult to do. Our sinful pride always wants recognition and is always trying to take credit for contributing at least a little bit to its own salvation. Therefore, our sinful nature is not satisfied to just let Jesus do all the work. Our sinful nature just doesn't want us to believe that Jesus' perfect life and His suffering and death on a cross are enough. Even though Jesus shouted, "It is finished," just before He died, our sinful nature refuses to believe it. Our sinful nature wants us to believe that Jesus has done His part and now we must add our little effort into the mix.
This is really the foundation of all the false religions in the world: Salvation is found in some effort on our part. One religion might suggest meditation. Another might suggest works of charity. A third might suggest learning some sort of ancient knowledge. Figure out what you think you need to do in order to be saved and Satan will have a custom religion built just for you. In the end, however, there are only two religions in the world: (1) The false religion that asks you to make some sort of an effort to save yourself and (2) the true religion that simply receives the work that Jesus Christ did for us with His life, suffering, death, and resurrection.
When we try to do our part to save ourselves, we are like autumn leaves. In the fall, each leaf grows a membrane that cuts off the supply of nutrients from the plant. In a little while, it dies, the chlorophyll dissipates so that they lose their green color, and then they fall from the tree.
When we put forth an effort to save ourselves from our own sin, we only cut ourselves off from the life giving nutrition that comes from Jesus Christ. We put up a membrane of idolatry that cuts us off from the source of our salvation. We cut ourselves off from Christ. Jesus Himself tells us what happens to branches that cut themselves off from Him. He said, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit [the Father] takes away. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." This is a very terrifying prospect - to be dried, gathered, and thrown into the fire of hell because we do not abide in Christ.
From today's Gospel, we learn that it is very good, as far as our salvation is concerned, to be in Christ and do nothing. If that is the case, then how is it that we get into Christ in the first place? If every effort we put forward only serves to drive us away from Christ, how do we end up in Christ? This is where the Holy Spirit comes into the picture.
When Martin Luther talked about the work of the Holy Spirit in the Small Catechism, he said, "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to Him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, and sanctified me in the one, true faith." The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, [Romans 8:7] "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot." He also wrote, [1 Corinthians 2:14] "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." And again he said, [1 Corinthians 12:3] "Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit." From these verses we learn that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to place us into Christ Jesus so that we may abide in Him.
All of us are born like dead branches lying on the ground. The Father who is the caretaker of the vineyard sends the Holy Spirit to graft us into the Jesus Christ, the true vine. It is the Holy Spirit who brings us to life in Jesus Christ.
How is this done? For many of us, this happened at our baptism. Again the Apostle Paul said, [Romans 6:3-4] "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Through baptism, God makes us His own with the wet word of God. The Holy Spirit works in that word to join us to Christ.
Through baptism Christ's suffering and crucifixion become our suffering and crucifixion. When God looks at us, He sees the work of Jesus Christ's suffering and crucifixion and applies it to our account. Just as the vinedresser cuts the vine in order to graft in a branch so also Jesus was cut so that we might become part of Him. We begin life as a branch of the vine of sin and death, but God cut us away from that vine and grafted us into the vine of life - Jesus Christ. God the Father is the vinedresser. He is the one who sent His only begotten son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16] He is the one who gives us the Holy Spirit to be with [us] forever. [John 14:16] It is God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who work together to save us and to give us faith in that salvation. God is the one who grafts us into the vine through faith. He is the one who nourishes us with His forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is the one who produces the fruit in and through us.
From time to time someone will tell me that they are not good enough to go to church. They will tell me that they will try to improve their lives and then they will come to church. That would be like a branch trying to produce a grape in order to earn a place on the vine.
Instead, the fruits of the Spirit begin at the vine - Jesus Christ. Just as the vine is cut so that the branch can be grafted in place, so also Jesus Christ was cut so that we could be adopted into His family. Just as the vine must build up the branch with nourishment, so also Jesus Christ builds us up with His Word and the Body and Blood of the Sacrament. Just as the nourishment of the vine eventually produces fruit from the branch, so also, the forgiveness and salvation that flow from Jesus Christ produce fruit in us. Jesus said, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Remain in Christ and see what He will do. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday of Easter (B) - 28 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, Your only Son came in the flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. Protect us from all false teaching and the spirit of the Antichrist, that we may always confess Christ to be our only true God and remain faithful to Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have grafted us onto the vine of Your Son. Prune us and cut off from us all sin and dead works, that we may always draw life from Your Son and produce the fruits of faith and good works. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Savior of all people, in the water of Baptism You welcome sinners into Your kingdom and give them life. Grant that we would always honor and extol this gift, and let nothing prevent people from it. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give health and guidance to our president and all in authority, that they may serve honorably and in accord with Your good order. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, You hear and answer Your children in their hour of need. [Give aid to _____________.] Grant that they would bear their crosses with faith, ever looking to You, and so fix their hearts where true joy is found. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You are love, and You always reveal Your love through Your Son. Grant that all who come to Your feast of love may worthily eat of Christ’s body and blood, so that whoever abides in this love forever abides in You and You in him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Hear and answer our prayers for the sake of Jesus Christ, and Your saints shall bless You; for You live and reign with the Holy Spirit, ever one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven…..
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
691 “Fruitful Trees, the Spirit’s Sowing”
1 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s sowing,
May we ripen and increase,
Fruit to life eternal growing,
Rich in love and joy and peace.
2 Laden branches freely bearing
Gifts the Giver loves to bless;
Here is fruit that grows by sharing,
Patience, kindness, gentleness.
3 Rooted deep in Christ our Master,
Christ our pattern and our goal,
Teach us, as the years fly faster,
Goodness, faith, and self-control.
4 Fruitful trees, the Spirit’s tending,
May we grow till harvests cease;
Till we taste, in life unending,
Heaven’s love and joy and peace.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
540 “Christ, the Word of God Incarnate”
1 Christ, the Word of God incarnate,
Lord and Son of Abraham;
Christ, the radiance of the Father,
Perfect God, the great I AM;
Christ, the light, You shine unvanquished,
Light and life You bring to all;
Light our path with Your own presence,
Grant us grace to heed Your call.
2 Christ, the living bread from heaven,
Food for body, food for soul;
Christ, the manna daily given,
Nourish, strengthen, make us whole.
Feed us with the food of heaven,
Foretaste of the feast to be;
Quench our thirst with living water
Springing up eternally.
3 Christ, the shoot that springs triumphant
From the stump of Jesse’s tree;
Christ, true vine, You nurture branches
To bear fruit abundantly.
Graft us into You, O Savior;
Prune our hearts so we remain
Fruitful branches in Your vineyard
Till eternal life we gain.
4 Christ, our good and faithful shepherd,
Watching all Your lambs and sheep;
Christ, the gate that guards the sheepfold,
Never-failing vigil keep.
When we stray, Good Shepherd, seek us,
Find us, lift us, bear us home;
Lamb of God, our shepherd, keep us;
Let us hear Your voice alone.
5 Christ, the way that leads unfailing
To the Father’s home on high,
Christ, the truth that frees the captive,
Christ, the life that cannot die.
Mediator to the Father,
Sacrifice and great High Priest:
Lead us to Your heav’nly mansions,
There to share Your wedding feast.
D 6 Christ, the Alpha and Omega,
Christ, the firstborn from the dead,
Christ, the life and resurrection,
Christ, the Church’s glorious head:
Praise and thanks and adoration
And unending worship be
To the Father and the Spirit
And to You eternally.
Text: Steven P. Mueller, 1964
Text: © 2001 Steven P. Mueller. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 488 “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word”
Text: Birgitte Katerine Boye, 1742–1824; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Tune: Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text and tune: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter –April 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
NEXT SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ALSO, ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS--
As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:475 “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
1 Good Christian friends, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 The Lord of life is ris’n this day;
Bring flow’rs of song to strew His way;
Let all the world rejoice and say:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 Praise we in songs of victory
That love, that life which cannot die,
And sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
And sing today with one accord
The life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Cyril A. Alington, 1872–1955, alt.
Text: © 1958, renewed 1986 Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd., admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 4:1–12
L A reading from Acts, chapter 4.
1As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, 6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The LORD is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for- | ever.
Reading 1 John 3:16–24
L A reading from 1 John, chapter 3.
16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading John 10:11–18
L A reading from John, chapter 10.
11[Jesus said:] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 709 “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
1 The King of love my shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.
2 Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul He leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.
3 Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love He sought me
And on His shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.
4 In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With Thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.
5 Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From Thy pure chalice floweth!
6 And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise
Within Thy house forever!
Text: Henry W. Baker, 1821–77
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Good Shepherd” John 10:11-18
The Good Shepherd – John 10:11-18
When Jesus uses word pictures like parables, metaphors, or other figures of speech, He often represents God as someone who is eccentric. In the parable of the sower, the sower throws seed everywhere, not just on the good soil. In the parable of the unforgiving servant, the king forgives a debt of 10,000 talents which is just an unimaginable amount of money. In the parable of the vineyard, the owner pays everyone the same wage regardless of how long they worked. In the Parable of the Wicked Tenants, the Landowner sent His own Son to collect the rent from tenants who had already killed His servants. These are just a few of the eccentric characters who represent God in Jesus’ parables.
Today, we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. We are so used to hearing about Jesus as the Good shepherd that we don’t truly examine what Good Shepherd Jesus said about Himself or about us. When we listen more closely we discover that Good Shepherd Jesus is a very eccentric shepherd.
Greek has more than one word that translates as ‘good’ in English. One word is ἀγαθός (agathos). It means “competent, professional, skilled,” and so forth. The other word is καλὸς (kalos). This word means “noble, heroic, excellent,” and so forth. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, He means that He is the excellent, noble, and heroic shepherd. He is not merely competent, professional, or skilled. This kind of shepherd would seem very eccentric to the average shepherd in first century Israel.
Shepherds in first century Israel were not raising flocks full of beloved pets. They exploited the sheep. They used the sheep primarily for wool, mutton, and sacrifices. The reason they watched over the sheep was not because they loved the sheep, but because sheep were the source of their income. They had families that needed food, clothing, and shelter. The sheep were the source of those things. When a predator began stalking the flock, the shepherd was NOT really concerned for the sheep directly. He was concerned because the predator was taking food off his children’s table and the clothes off their backs. That predator was affecting his income which was affecting his family’s standard of living. When a shepherd was good or competent, his sheep were healthy so that they produced plenty of wool or so that they gained plenty of weight when it was time to sell them to the butcher.
Shepherds have always defended their flocks from predators, but they don’t do it because they love the sheep. They kill or drive off the predators because they want to provide for their families. A shepherd might get killed by a predator, but it is an accident, and he does not go down without a fight. He most certainly DOES NOT willingly lay down his life for the sheep.
We recently heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd … that is the noble, heroic shepherd. He said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus described Himself as the shepherd who loves his sheep by willingly surrendering His life for them. This sets Good Shepherd Jesus apart from all other shepherds.
Indeed, we can place all religions into one of two categories. All of the false religions teach self-salvation … you must do something in order to provide all or part of your own salvation. There are a wide variety of activities in these religions … meditations, quests, self-punishment, fasting, right thinking, right talking, self-improvement, moral character, and on and on and on, but they all boil down to you saving yourself. The true religion, Christianity, is the only religion where God takes on human flesh and then declares that He will surrender His life in order to save His creation.
Furthermore, the shepherd who is merely a competent shepherd cares for his sheep because of what he can get from the sheep … food and clothing, but Good Shepherd Jesus does not need anything from the sheep. He defends the sheep with His life simply because He loves the sheep.
It is good that Good Shepherd Jesus loves His sheep and surrendered His life for them. For we are the sheep that He speaks of in His figure of speech, and we have powerful enemies.
We just heard Good Shepherd Jesus speak of the wolf. Now I don’t care how much time the sheep spends in the weight room and at the martial arts dojo, he is not going to be able to take on the wolf. If the sheep has to defend itself, the wolf will have an easy lunch. The wolves that come after us are sin, death, and the devil.
Sin, death, and the devil are allies. Death is the result of our sin; for the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) That is one of the many sad facts of death. It is our sin that opened the door to let death into our world. Every time we make ourselves more important than God … anytime our feelings are more important than God’s Word … anytime we exploit our neighbor instead of loving him … anytime we refuse to forgive … anytime we listen to gossip … anytime we murder with thoughts of hate … anytime we want our way instead of God’s way … anytime we rationalize our sin … these are all ways that we open the door to this world and allow death and the devil to rule. It is as the Apostle Paul told the church in Rome: “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12) Death is one thing that we have in common with everyone. Everyone dies.
Good Shepherd Jesus said, “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” (John 10:12–13) With these words, He illustrates the value of false religions. As far as the false religions are concerned, when death comes, you are on your own. If the religion has an afterlife, then it teaches that you are judged by your own merit and worthiness … who you are and what you have done. If you have failed in this life, well then, “too bad, so sad!” Some false religions are so deceptive that they try to teach us that the wolf is our friend. Our current culture wants us to believe that the wolf of death is our friend and presents elective abortion, euthanasia, and assisted suicide as valid solutions to the problems of life.
Good Shepherd Jesus, on the other hand, fought with sin, death, and the devil, and He did it in a most unusual way. First of all, the Heroic Good Shepherd Jesus became one of the sheep. That is what Christmas is all about. The Son of God took on human flesh … Good Shepherd Jesus in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Who ever heard of a shepherd becoming one of the sheep in order to save the sheep? Nevertheless, Good Shepherd Jesus became one of us in order to battle sin, death, and the devil.
When the time came for Good Shepherd Jesus to battle death, He gave death the home field advantage! He suffered and died on a cross. As He hung on the cross, Good Shepherd Jesus endured the eternal punishment that our sins deserved. Instead of leaving us to face the wolf of death by ourselves, He faced death for us. He faced the death of this world and the eternal death of hell. Good Shepherd Jesus faced all this so that we can be sheep in His eternal flock.
Good Shepherd Jesus has a special message for us in the Gospel we just heard. He said, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Since Jesus told these words to the Jews who were listening to Him at the time, these words inform them that Jesus has sheep that are not part of the Jewish flock. That means that we gentiles are also sheep in His flock. The entire flock of Good Shepherd Jesus is the Holy Christian church that has both Jews and Gentiles in it. This means that Good Shepherd Jesus laid down His life for all people in all times and in all places. Jesus is the Good Shepherd for everyone. He laid down His life for you.
Good Shepherd Jesus proclaimed that He will lay down His life for the sheep. In the Gospel we just heard, He said this many times. As we work through the Gospel, we hear Him say even more. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.” (John 10:17–18) With these words Good Shepherd Jesus promised not only to lay His life down for the sheep, but He also promised to take it up again. It means we know He defeated our sin with His death because death could not hold Him. He rose from the dead. He said, “I lay down my life that I may take it up again,” and He kept His promise. Good Shepherd Jesus rose from the dead and the disciples saw the holes of the nails in His hands and feet.
The resurrection of Good Shepherd Jesus is the promise for our last days on this earth. The day will come when the wolf of death will eat you and me, but we will not stay dead. Instead, Good Shepherd Jesus will come on the Last Day and bring us all back to life. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved. (2 Peter 3:10) Then there will be new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) All of us who believe will come together as one flock. We will share in the joy of eternal bliss. We will share in all the blessings that Good Shepherd Jesus earned for us when He laid down His life for us. Then we will live forever with Him where there will be one flock and one shepherd. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday of Easter (B) - 21 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Shepherd of Israel, in Your Son, Jesus Christ, You have sought out Your sheep and gathered us into Your flock. Keep us always in Your fold, and guard us from every wolf and snare. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You alone gather us as Your sheep and send faithful shepherds to us. Call all who have wandered from Your flock, and bless the faithful shepherds who gather them through the voice of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son has called us to love our brothers. Turn us in love toward the neighbors closest to us, especially within our own homes, that we may daily show our confidence in God by deed and truth, laying down our lives as Christ first did for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, through the Paschal Lamb You have wrought peace between man and God. By Your gift of good government, grant peace and good days also to our citizens and between the nations of the world, that we and all our neighbors may lead quiet lives in godly contentment. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the firstfruits of Christ’s life from the dead, You secured forgiveness for our troubled consciences. Bless also with temporal health and well-being those who suffer among us [especially _____________]. Grant them aid in this moment and, even more so, true, immortal health in the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Shepherd, You calm all fears in this valley of the shadow of death, and You prepare the holy table of Your Son’s testament for us in the presence of our enemies. Grant us repentant and faithful hearts. In every tribulation or besetting sin, lead us to find comfort and strength in Your overflowing mercy given to us here in this Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, out of Your fatherly goodness You have remembered us poor, miserable sinners and given Your beloved Son to be our Shepherd — not only to nourish us by His Word, but also to defend us from sin, death and the devil. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that even as this Shepherd knows us and helps in every affliction, we also may know Him, trust Him, seek help and comfort in Him, heartily obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
864 “Shepherd of Tender Youth”
1 Shepherd of tender youth,
Guiding in love and truth
Through devious ways;
Christ, our triumphant king,
We come Your name to sing
And here our children bring
To join Your praise.
2 You are the holy Lord,
O all-subduing Word,
Healer of strife.
Yourself You did abase
That from sin’s deep disgrace
You so might save our race
And give us life.
3 You are the great High Priest;
You have prepared the feast
Of holy love;
And in our mortal pain
None calls on You in vain;
Our plea do not disdain;
Help from above.
4 O ever be our guide,
Our shepherd, and our pride,
Our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
By Your enduring Word
Lead us where You have trod;
Make our faith strong.
5 So now, and till we die,
Sound we Your praises high
And joyful sing:
Infants and all the throng,
Who to the Church belong,
Unite to swell the song
To Christ, our king!
Text: attr. Clement of Alexandria, c. 170–c. 220; tr. Henry M. Dexter, 1821–90, alt.
Text: Public domain
740 “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
1 I am Jesus’ little lamb,
Ever glad at heart I am;
For my Shepherd gently guides me,
Knows my need and well provides me,
Loves me ev’ry day the same,
Even calls me by my name.
2 Day by day, at home, away,
Jesus is my staff and stay.
When I hunger, Jesus feeds me,
Into pleasant pastures leads me;
When I thirst, He bids me go
Where the quiet waters flow.
3 Who so happy as I am,
Even now the Shepherd’s lamb?
And when my short life is ended,
By His angel host attended,
He shall fold me to His breast,
There within His arms to rest.
Text: Henrietta L. von Hayn, 1724–82; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, merciful Father, since You have wakened from death the Shepherd of Your sheep, grant us Your Holy Spirit that when we hear the voice of our Shepherd we may know Him who calls us each by name and follow where He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
1 The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnishèd
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me;
And in God’s house forevermore
My dwelling place shall be.
Text: The Psalms of David in Meeter, 1650, Edinburgh
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday of Easter –April 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
CHURCH COUNCIL meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE IS ALSO a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. They meet at Depoe Bay on High Street in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 469 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
1 “Christ the Lord is ris’n today!”
Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply.
2 Love’s redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun’s eclipse is o’er;
Lo! He sets in blood no more.
3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
4 Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O grave?
5 Soar we now where Christ has led;
Foll’wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
6 Hail the Lord of earth and heav’n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv’n!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the resurrection, Thou!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 16:11b, 30:1–5
P In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 3:11–21
11While [the lame man who was now healed] clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, astounded. 12And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 4
1Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was | in distress.*
Be gracious to me and | hear my prayer!
2O men, how long shall my honor be turned | into shame?*
How long will you love vain words and seek | after lies?
3But know that the Lord has set apart the godly | for himself;*
the Lord hears when I | call to him.
4Be angry, and | do not sin;*
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be | silent.
5Offer right sacri- | fices,*
and put your trust | in the Lord.
6There are many who say, “Who will show | us some good?*
Lift up the light of your face upon us, | O Lord!”
7You have put more joy | in my heart*
than they have when their grain and | wine abound.
8In peace I will both lie | down and sleep;*
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in | safety.
Epistle 1 John 3:1–7
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 24:36–49
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
36As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate before them.
44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn: 831 “How Shall They Hear,” Who Have Not Heard
1 “How shall they hear,” who have not heard
News of a Lord who loved and came;
Nor known His reconciling word,
Nor learned to trust a Savior’s name?
2 “To all the world,” to ev’ry place,
Neighbors and friends and far-off lands,
Preach the good news of saving grace;
Go while the great commission stands.
3 “Whom shall I send?” Who hears the call,
Constant in prayer, through toil and pain,
Telling of One who died for all,
To bring a lost world home again?
4 “Lord, here am I:” Your fire impart
To this poor cold self-centered soul;
Touch but my lips, my hands, my heart,
And make a world for Christ my goal.
5 Spirit of love, within us move:
Spirit of truth, in pow’r come down!
So shall they hear and find and prove
Christ is their life, their joy, their crown.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Proclaim Repentance and Forgiveness” Luke 24:36-49
Proclaim Repentance and Forgiveness – Luke 24:36-49
The appearances of Christ after His resurrection are so full of meaning. You not only have the obvious teaching that Jesus rose from the dead, but you also have many other teachings concerning the life of the Church. Last week, we not only learned that Jesus rose from the dead, but we also learned that Jesus established the office of the Holy Ministry and gave it the authority to forgive sins. Today’s Gospel once again shows us that Jesus rose from the dead, and it also teaches us how to interpret the Bible and what the church is supposed to proclaim.
Today’s reading from the Gospel account of Luke once again has Jesus showing Himself to the disciples. Once again, Jesus invited the disciples to examine the wounds of the crucifixion. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:38–39) Jesus very much wants the disciples to realize that He is no mere spirit. They are not just seeing things. He is the real flesh and blood Jesus risen from the dead.
Then, when they still seemed to struggle with idea that Jesus was a real flesh and blood person, He asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. (Luke 24:41–43) Jesus really wants them to understand that He is truly risen from the dead in His own flesh and blood body.
After Jesus demonstrated His resurrection, He taught the disciples a very important principle for the proper understanding of the Bible. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44) Here Jesus instructs the disciples and us that the correct way to understand the Bible is to find Jesus in every passage. The Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms is what we call the Old Testament. Jesus basically showed the disciples that the entire Old Testament is about Him.
Jesus then gave the disciples the precise meaning of the Scriptures. He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45–47) When Jesus says, “Thus it is written,” He is saying that this is what the Bible says. Since Jesus is the Christ, He Himself has accomplished the suffering and the rising from the dead. He also proclaimed repentance and the forgiveness of sins until He ascended into heaven. In today’s Gospel, He passed that proclamation on to His disciples. Each generation has passed that mission on to the next. This is the mission statement that Jesus gave to the church … proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ. This is an ongoing mission that will last until the Lord returns on the Last Day. Christ’s instructions guarantee that when the Apostles write the books of the New Testament, those books will proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ. This means that the New Testament will also be about Jesus since He is the source of forgiveness.
What does it mean to proclaim repentance? The Augsburg Confession says, “Repentance consists of two parts. One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin. The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel [Romans 10:17] or the Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven.” (AC: I, art. xii, par. 3–5) So step one in the proclamation of repentance is the proclamation of sin in such a way that the punishment you deserve for your sin strikes terror in you. The second step in the proclamation of repentance is to point you to Christ and His work to save you from that terrifying punishment.
What does it mean to proclaim forgiveness? Even though you are guilty and deserve punishment here on earth and forever in hell, God, for Christ’s sake, declares you righteous. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. (AC: I, art. iv, par. 2) The proclamation of forgiveness begins with the proclamation of Jesus earning forgiveness for you on the cross. It also includes the proclamation of the Holy Spirit delivering forgiveness to you by Word and Sacrament. It includes the proclamation of the Holy Spirit working faith in you so that you receive the benefits of forgiveness. It includes describing the benefits of salvation and eternal life that come with forgiveness.
Peter gives an excellent example of the proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in today’s first reading. The Holy Spirit had just worked through Peter in order to heal a lame man. After Peter healed the lame man, he went into the temple area. The man who had been lame went with Peter. The man who had been lame was now hopping, and skipping, and jumping for joy as he went up to the temple. This drew the attention of the crowds.
As the crowd gathered, Peter began proclaiming the terror of sin: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.” (Acts 3:13–15) Peter flat out told the crowd that they were guilty of crucifying Jesus who was not only innocent, but is also the Son of God.
Now listen to his proclamation of the second part of repentance along with the proclamation of forgiveness: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:19–21) See how Peter points the crowd to Jesus. He describes forgiveness with the words, “that your sins may be blotted out.” Blotting out sins is another way of talking about forgiveness.
The interesting thing about Peter’s sermon is that not everyone who heard his sermon participated in the actual conspiracy to kill Jesus. In fact, when you study Peter’s other sermons, you discover that he regularly accused his hearers of killing Jesus even if they weren’t even in Jerusalem on Good Friday. After a while you begin to realize that when Peter accuses people of killing Jesus, he is not just talking about the people who conspired to crucify Jesus on Good Friday, but he is talking about all our sin that caused God’s wrath to pour out on Jesus as He hung on the cross. If Peter were here today, he would accuse us of killing the Lord of Life. How? With our sins.
With what sins have you crucified the Lord of Life. Have you listened to gossip without checking the facts? Do you stubbornly defend your own opinion rather than stubbornly defending the teachings of God that we find in His Word? Are you arrogant enough to believe that you don’t need to join your fellow Christians in Bible study? Who is number one in your life, you or God? Jesus said the church should proclaim repentance and that repentance should terrify you by revealing the punishment you have earned with your sin. The proclamation of repentance should be frightening. Do you really understand that if God were 100% fair, you would go to hell? If not, you have not fully repented.
Thank the Lord that He is not fair. Instead, Jesus did the most unfair thing possible. Even though He was perfectly innocent, He exchanged His holy righteousness for your sin. He earned forgiveness for you with His innocent suffering and death on the cross and the shedding of His holy, precious blood. “For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) The great exchange that Jesus made with you as He died on the cross is the most unfair thing that has ever happened. It is also the source of the forgiveness of sins for you.
Although the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins begins in terror, the end result is the greatest comfort … the comfort that your sins are forgiven … the comfort that eternal life is already yours. This is the comfort that the Apostle John gives in the beginning of today’s epistle: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)
Christ has instructed His church to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Our order of service should proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Our preaching and teaching should proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Our responses and singing should proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Anything that says nothing about repentance and the forgiveness of sin in the name of Christ does not belong in our service.
Christ has risen. He teaches His church to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in the name of Christ. The proclamation of repentance produces honest terror with the law and then points you to Christ. The proclamation of the forgiveness of sins gives the greatest comfort for it assures you that your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ on the cross. That forgiveness assures you that you are a child of God and will live with Him in eternal joy. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday of Easter (B) - 14 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, in Your presence we find fullness of joy, and by Your right hand, Christ Jesus, You win and deliver peace forevermore. In the midst of this world’s sins and sorrows, give us peace in the knowledge of His salvation and confident hope in the resurrection of the dead. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the incarnation of Your Son and the reconciliation of His cross, You have made us Your children and gathered us into Your Holy Church. Sustain the preaching of Your Holy Word and its message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name among us and all the nations of the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give peace, Lord, to our homes and enliven them by Christ’s resurrected life. Let the forgiveness of sins reign among husbands and wives, parents and children. Assure those who live alone that they, too, are Your children, upheld by Your right hand. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve our nation and its leaders, especially Joseph, our president, and _____________, our governor. Preserve order and decency in this fallen world by their hands and restrain the sins and deceptions of the lawless, that we may practice righteousness while awaiting the eternal peace promised in Christ’s wounds alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all comfort, You have compassion on those who are afflicted. Remember and have mercy on [_____________ and] all those in need of Your healing and deliverance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Your Son’s crucifixion all sins have been blotted out. Send us now the blessed refreshment of His bodily presence in the Sacrament of the Altar, and make us fit partakers in repentance for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
464 “The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Done”
ref Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
1 The strife is o’er, the battle done;
Now is the victor’s triumph won;
Now be the song of praise begun.
Alleluia!
2 The pow’rs of death have done their worst,
But Christ their legions hath dispersed.
Let shouts of holy joy outburst.
Alleluia!
3 The three sad days have quickly sped,
He rises glorious from the dead.
All glory to our risen Head!
Alleluia!
4 He broke the age-bound chains of hell;
The bars from heav’n’s high portals fell.
Let hymns of praise His triumph tell.
Alleluia!
5 Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death’s dread sting Thy servants free
That we may live and sing to Thee.
Alleluia! Refrain
Text: Symphonia Sirenum Selectarum, 1695, Köln; tr. Francis Pott, 1832–1909, alt.
Text: Public domain
832 “Jesus Shall Reign”
1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does its successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2 To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With ev’ry morning sacrifice.
3 People and realms of ev’ry tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.
4 Blessings abound where’er He reigns:
The pris’ners leap, unloose their chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all who suffer want are blest.
5 Let ev’ry creature rise and bring
Honors peculiar to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 482 “This Joyful Eastertide”
1 This joyful Eastertide
Away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the Crucified,
Has sprung to life this morrow: Refrain
ref Had Christ, who once was slain,
Not burst His three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain:
But now has Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen;
But now has Christ arisen!
2 Death’s flood has lost its chill
Since Jesus crossed the river;
Lover of souls, from ill
My passing soul deliver: Refrain
3 My flesh in hope shall rest
And for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
Shall wake the dead in number: Refrain
Text: George R. Woodward, 1848–1934
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu – Jesus Lives!+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday of Easter –April 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
CHURCH COUNCIL meets at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room.
THERE IS ALSO a Women’s Bible Study on Thursday at 10 a.m. They meet at Depoe Bay on High Street in downtown Auburn.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 469 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
1 “Christ the Lord is ris’n today!”
Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply.
2 Love’s redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun’s eclipse is o’er;
Lo! He sets in blood no more.
3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
4 Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O grave?
5 Soar we now where Christ has led;
Foll’wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
6 Hail the Lord of earth and heav’n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv’n!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the resurrection, Thou!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 16:11b, 30:1–5
P In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 3:11–21
11While [the lame man who was now healed] clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s, astounded. 12And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? 13The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. 14But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 16And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
17“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 19Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 4
1Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have given me relief when I was | in distress.*
Be gracious to me and | hear my prayer!
2O men, how long shall my honor be turned | into shame?*
How long will you love vain words and seek | after lies?
3But know that the Lord has set apart the godly | for himself;*
the Lord hears when I | call to him.
4Be angry, and | do not sin;*
ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be | silent.
5Offer right sacri- | fices,*
and put your trust | in the Lord.
6There are many who say, “Who will show | us some good?*
Lift up the light of your face upon us, | O Lord!”
7You have put more joy | in my heart*
than they have when their grain and | wine abound.
8In peace I will both lie | down and sleep;*
for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in | safety.
Epistle 1 John 3:1–7
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 24:36–49
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
36As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43and he took it and ate before them.
44Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn: 831 “How Shall They Hear,” Who Have Not Heard
1 “How shall they hear,” who have not heard
News of a Lord who loved and came;
Nor known His reconciling word,
Nor learned to trust a Savior’s name?
2 “To all the world,” to ev’ry place,
Neighbors and friends and far-off lands,
Preach the good news of saving grace;
Go while the great commission stands.
3 “Whom shall I send?” Who hears the call,
Constant in prayer, through toil and pain,
Telling of One who died for all,
To bring a lost world home again?
4 “Lord, here am I:” Your fire impart
To this poor cold self-centered soul;
Touch but my lips, my hands, my heart,
And make a world for Christ my goal.
5 Spirit of love, within us move:
Spirit of truth, in pow’r come down!
So shall they hear and find and prove
Christ is their life, their joy, their crown.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Proclaim Repentance and Forgiveness” Luke 24:36-49
Proclaim Repentance and Forgiveness – Luke 24:36-49
The appearances of Christ after His resurrection are so full of meaning. You not only have the obvious teaching that Jesus rose from the dead, but you also have many other teachings concerning the life of the Church. Last week, we not only learned that Jesus rose from the dead, but we also learned that Jesus established the office of the Holy Ministry and gave it the authority to forgive sins. Today’s Gospel once again shows us that Jesus rose from the dead, and it also teaches us how to interpret the Bible and what the church is supposed to proclaim.
Today’s reading from the Gospel account of Luke once again has Jesus showing Himself to the disciples. Once again, Jesus invited the disciples to examine the wounds of the crucifixion. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” (Luke 24:38–39) Jesus very much wants the disciples to realize that He is no mere spirit. They are not just seeing things. He is the real flesh and blood Jesus risen from the dead.
Then, when they still seemed to struggle with idea that Jesus was a real flesh and blood person, He asked them, “Have you anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate before them. (Luke 24:41–43) Jesus really wants them to understand that He is truly risen from the dead in His own flesh and blood body.
After Jesus demonstrated His resurrection, He taught the disciples a very important principle for the proper understanding of the Bible. Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44) Here Jesus instructs the disciples and us that the correct way to understand the Bible is to find Jesus in every passage. The Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms is what we call the Old Testament. Jesus basically showed the disciples that the entire Old Testament is about Him.
Jesus then gave the disciples the precise meaning of the Scriptures. He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45–47) When Jesus says, “Thus it is written,” He is saying that this is what the Bible says. Since Jesus is the Christ, He Himself has accomplished the suffering and the rising from the dead. He also proclaimed repentance and the forgiveness of sins until He ascended into heaven. In today’s Gospel, He passed that proclamation on to His disciples. Each generation has passed that mission on to the next. This is the mission statement that Jesus gave to the church … proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ. This is an ongoing mission that will last until the Lord returns on the Last Day. Christ’s instructions guarantee that when the Apostles write the books of the New Testament, those books will proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ. This means that the New Testament will also be about Jesus since He is the source of forgiveness.
What does it mean to proclaim repentance? The Augsburg Confession says, “Repentance consists of two parts. One part is contrition, that is, terrors striking the conscience through the knowledge of sin. The other part is faith, which is born of the Gospel [Romans 10:17] or the Absolution and believes that for Christ’s sake, sins are forgiven.” (AC: I, art. xii, par. 3–5) So step one in the proclamation of repentance is the proclamation of sin in such a way that the punishment you deserve for your sin strikes terror in you. The second step in the proclamation of repentance is to point you to Christ and His work to save you from that terrifying punishment.
What does it mean to proclaim forgiveness? Even though you are guilty and deserve punishment here on earth and forever in hell, God, for Christ’s sake, declares you righteous. By His death, Christ made satisfaction for our sins. (AC: I, art. iv, par. 2) The proclamation of forgiveness begins with the proclamation of Jesus earning forgiveness for you on the cross. It also includes the proclamation of the Holy Spirit delivering forgiveness to you by Word and Sacrament. It includes the proclamation of the Holy Spirit working faith in you so that you receive the benefits of forgiveness. It includes describing the benefits of salvation and eternal life that come with forgiveness.
Peter gives an excellent example of the proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in today’s first reading. The Holy Spirit had just worked through Peter in order to heal a lame man. After Peter healed the lame man, he went into the temple area. The man who had been lame went with Peter. The man who had been lame was now hopping, and skipping, and jumping for joy as he went up to the temple. This drew the attention of the crowds.
As the crowd gathered, Peter began proclaiming the terror of sin: “The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.” (Acts 3:13–15) Peter flat out told the crowd that they were guilty of crucifying Jesus who was not only innocent, but is also the Son of God.
Now listen to his proclamation of the second part of repentance along with the proclamation of forgiveness: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” (Acts 3:19–21) See how Peter points the crowd to Jesus. He describes forgiveness with the words, “that your sins may be blotted out.” Blotting out sins is another way of talking about forgiveness.
The interesting thing about Peter’s sermon is that not everyone who heard his sermon participated in the actual conspiracy to kill Jesus. In fact, when you study Peter’s other sermons, you discover that he regularly accused his hearers of killing Jesus even if they weren’t even in Jerusalem on Good Friday. After a while you begin to realize that when Peter accuses people of killing Jesus, he is not just talking about the people who conspired to crucify Jesus on Good Friday, but he is talking about all our sin that caused God’s wrath to pour out on Jesus as He hung on the cross. If Peter were here today, he would accuse us of killing the Lord of Life. How? With our sins.
With what sins have you crucified the Lord of Life. Have you listened to gossip without checking the facts? Do you stubbornly defend your own opinion rather than stubbornly defending the teachings of God that we find in His Word? Are you arrogant enough to believe that you don’t need to join your fellow Christians in Bible study? Who is number one in your life, you or God? Jesus said the church should proclaim repentance and that repentance should terrify you by revealing the punishment you have earned with your sin. The proclamation of repentance should be frightening. Do you really understand that if God were 100% fair, you would go to hell? If not, you have not fully repented.
Thank the Lord that He is not fair. Instead, Jesus did the most unfair thing possible. Even though He was perfectly innocent, He exchanged His holy righteousness for your sin. He earned forgiveness for you with His innocent suffering and death on the cross and the shedding of His holy, precious blood. “For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) The great exchange that Jesus made with you as He died on the cross is the most unfair thing that has ever happened. It is also the source of the forgiveness of sins for you.
Although the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins begins in terror, the end result is the greatest comfort … the comfort that your sins are forgiven … the comfort that eternal life is already yours. This is the comfort that the Apostle John gives in the beginning of today’s epistle: “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” (1 John 3:1)
Christ has instructed His church to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Our order of service should proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Our preaching and teaching should proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Our responses and singing should proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in His name. Anything that says nothing about repentance and the forgiveness of sin in the name of Christ does not belong in our service.
Christ has risen. He teaches His church to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sin in the name of Christ. The proclamation of repentance produces honest terror with the law and then points you to Christ. The proclamation of the forgiveness of sins gives the greatest comfort for it assures you that your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ on the cross. That forgiveness assures you that you are a child of God and will live with Him in eternal joy. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday of Easter (B) - 14 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, in Your presence we find fullness of joy, and by Your right hand, Christ Jesus, You win and deliver peace forevermore. In the midst of this world’s sins and sorrows, give us peace in the knowledge of His salvation and confident hope in the resurrection of the dead. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the incarnation of Your Son and the reconciliation of His cross, You have made us Your children and gathered us into Your Holy Church. Sustain the preaching of Your Holy Word and its message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name among us and all the nations of the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give peace, Lord, to our homes and enliven them by Christ’s resurrected life. Let the forgiveness of sins reign among husbands and wives, parents and children. Assure those who live alone that they, too, are Your children, upheld by Your right hand. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve our nation and its leaders, especially Joseph, our president, and _____________, our governor. Preserve order and decency in this fallen world by their hands and restrain the sins and deceptions of the lawless, that we may practice righteousness while awaiting the eternal peace promised in Christ’s wounds alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all comfort, You have compassion on those who are afflicted. Remember and have mercy on [_____________ and] all those in need of Your healing and deliverance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Your Son’s crucifixion all sins have been blotted out. Send us now the blessed refreshment of His bodily presence in the Sacrament of the Altar, and make us fit partakers in repentance for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
464 “The Strife Is O’er, the Battle Done”
ref Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
1 The strife is o’er, the battle done;
Now is the victor’s triumph won;
Now be the song of praise begun.
Alleluia!
2 The pow’rs of death have done their worst,
But Christ their legions hath dispersed.
Let shouts of holy joy outburst.
Alleluia!
3 The three sad days have quickly sped,
He rises glorious from the dead.
All glory to our risen Head!
Alleluia!
4 He broke the age-bound chains of hell;
The bars from heav’n’s high portals fell.
Let hymns of praise His triumph tell.
Alleluia!
5 Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death’s dread sting Thy servants free
That we may live and sing to Thee.
Alleluia! Refrain
Text: Symphonia Sirenum Selectarum, 1695, Köln; tr. Francis Pott, 1832–1909, alt.
Text: Public domain
832 “Jesus Shall Reign”
1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does its successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2 To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With ev’ry morning sacrifice.
3 People and realms of ev’ry tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.
4 Blessings abound where’er He reigns:
The pris’ners leap, unloose their chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all who suffer want are blest.
5 Let ev’ry creature rise and bring
Honors peculiar to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 482 “This Joyful Eastertide”
1 This joyful Eastertide
Away with sin and sorrow!
My love, the Crucified,
Has sprung to life this morrow: Refrain
ref Had Christ, who once was slain,
Not burst His three-day prison,
Our faith had been in vain:
But now has Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen;
But now has Christ arisen!
2 Death’s flood has lost its chill
Since Jesus crossed the river;
Lover of souls, from ill
My passing soul deliver: Refrain
3 My flesh in hope shall rest
And for a season slumber
Till trump from east to west
Shall wake the dead in number: Refrain
Text: George R. Woodward, 1848–1934
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu – Jesus Lives!+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday of Easter –April 7, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Dave Dixon
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Second Sunday of Easter
April 7, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 463 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia”
1 Christ the Lord is ris’n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
Offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
At the paschal victim’s feet. Alleluia!
2 For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
Sinless in the sinner’s stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3 Hail, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
When contending death and life, Alleluia!
Met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!
4 Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
All your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
Text: attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; tr. Jane E. Leeson, 1809–81, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 1 Peter 2:2–3; Psalm 105:1–5, 8
P Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 4:32–35
32The full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 148
1Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the | heavens;*
praise him | in the heights!
2Praise him, all his | angels;*
praise him, | all his hosts!
3Praise him, | sun and moon,*
praise him, all you | shining stars!
4Praise him, you highest | heavens,*
and you waters above the | heavens!
5Let them praise the name | of the Lord!*
For he commanded and they were cre- | ated.
6And he established them forever and | ever;*
he gave a decree, and it shall not | pass away.
7Praise the Lord | from the earth,*
you great sea creatures and | all deeps,
8fire and hail, | snow and mist,*
stormy wind fulfill- | ing his word!
9Mountains and | all hills,*
fruit trees and all | cedars!
10Beasts and all | livestock,*
creeping things and | flying birds!
11Kings of the earth and all | peoples,*
princes and all rulers | of the earth!
12Young men and maidens to- | gether,*
old men and | children!
13Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is ex- | alted;*
his majesty is above earth and | heaven.
14He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for | all his saints,*
for the people of Israel who are near to him. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 1:1—2:2
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 20:19–31
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 470 “O Sons and Daughters of the King”
1 O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 An angel clad in white they see,
Who sits and speaks unto the three,
“Your Lord will go to Galilee.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 That night the_apostles met in fear;
Among them came their master dear
And said, “My peace be with you here.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 When Thomas first the tidings heard
That they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
6 “My piercèd side, O Thomas, see,
And look upon My hands, My feet;
Not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
7 No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“You are my Lord and God!” he cried.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
8 How blest are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
9 On this most holy day of days
Be laud and jubilee and praise:
To God your hearts and voices raise.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: attr. Jean Tisserand, d. 1494; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Who Is Being Sent to Do What?” John 20:19-31
Who Is Being Sent to Do What? John 20:19-31
From time to time, headlines from the Middle East tell us that Christians are losing their lives because of their faith. What many people don’t know is that many of these martyrs can trace their faith back to the Apostle Thomas. While the Bible doesn’t tell us much about Thomas, extra-Biblical histories indicate that just as Paul went west, Thomas went east.
Historical artifacts seem to place Thomas in the area of Mylapore, India at the time of his death. The accounts of his death vary widely, but the most likely account indicates that Thomas died of spear wounds when four soldiers pinned him to the ground with four spears.
In spite of the fuzziness of the historical record, we do know that Thomas was a faithful apostle of Jesus Christ. We know that he proclaimed the gospel and many of the Christians who are losing their lives to the sword of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations can trace their faith back to Thomas. There are even a few active congregations that claim that they were founded by the Apostle Thomas.
In spite of all the wonderful work God did through the Apostle Thomas in his later life, the world will always remember Thomas as Doubting Thomas. He missed the appearance of Jesus on that first Easter evening, and he refused to consider the eyewitness account of his fellow disciples. Therefore, his legacy as Doubting Thomas will remain until the Lord returns on the Last Day.
Strictly speaking, doubt is not the right word to describe Thomas. Listen to Thomas again. He said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (John 20:25) Thomas did not say that he wasn’t sure. He did not say that he needed time to think. He said, “I will never believe.” (John 20:25) Thomas did not merely doubt. He flat out did not believe. We need to call Him Unbelieving Thomas.
But before we are too hard on Thomas, we need to check out the other disciples. Listen to their response when the women returned from the tomb and reported that they had seen Jesus. “Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” (Luke 24:10–11) So, all the disciples were unbelievers until Jesus revealed Himself to them. The first time Jesus showed Himself to the disciples, He was showing Himself to unbelievers.
Jesus would have had the right to show up and scold the disciples. “You thick-headed people, I told you over and over and over again that I was going to rise on the third day. How come you never got it?” Jesus had the right to do that, but He did not. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) Instead of scolding them, He gave them peace. They deserved wrath, but Jesus gave them peace.
Jesus even showed them the wounds of the cross in His hands and side. In fact, it is these wounds that show the price Jesus paid so that He could even give peace to the disciples. These wounds tell us that Jesus hung on a cross. It was while He hung on that cross that He faced the hell that these disciples deserved for their thick-headed stubbornness … for their refusal to believe everything that Jesus had told them.
These wounds tell us about our salvation as well. We also sin daily and deserve nothing but eternal punishment. Nevertheless, for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, we receive eternal life. This is the most important news of all times and places. This is news that everyone needs to hear.
So what amazing plan did Jesus have to spread this good news throughout the world? Today’s Gospel has the answer to this question. Jesus unveiled this plan right after He showed Himself to His disciples. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) Did you hear that? To send someone is to make them an apostle. Jesus basically told the disciples, “Up until now, I have been the apostle of the Father. Now, you are to be my apostles.”
Now wait a minute! I’ve heard about these guys. You remember Peter. Jesus had to scold him with the words, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33) Then there were James and his brother John who asked Jesus to place them at His right and left when He came into His glory. How many times do we read that these men tried to establish a pecking order amongst themselves arguing over who was the greatest. They ran away as cowards when Jesus was arrested. These are not stellar examples of virtue.
Then, as if sending these guys out as His Apostles wasn’t strange enough, He gave them even more authority. He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23) It is as if He said, “You know that forgiveness that I just finished earning with my suffering and death a few days ago? I now give you the authority to administer that forgiveness in my name.”
Think about it. A few hours earlier, these same men refused to believe the report of Jesus’ resurrection. Now Jesus has commissioned them to be His apostles and administer His forgiveness. If I were there, I would turn to Jesus and ask, “Jesus, are You sure You want to commission these losers as Your apostles? Do You really want these guys to take over for You?”
God regularly works in these strange ways … ways that make no sense from a worldly point of view.
When Moses was forty years old and all fired up to be the great liberator of Israel, he might have taken credit for liberating Israel. So God sent him out into the wilderness. Then, when he was 80 years old and did not want to go, then God sent him to Pharaoh.
Gideon was terrified of the Midianites and did not want to fight them. So God sent him out with a whole 300 soldiers to take on an army of 120,000 Midianites.
Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh, but God drafted a fish into making sure that Jonah went anyway. So a grumpy old Jonah told Nineveh that God was about to destroy them and they repented.
An up and coming Pharisee named Saul was arresting Christians for trial and consenting to their executions. Then Jesus knocked him to the ground on the road to Damascus and called him to proclaim the Gospel.
Augustine lived the immoral life of a spoiled playboy until God got a hold of him. Then he became one of the foremost theologians of the late fourth and early fifth centuries.
It seems as though God goes out of His way to scrape the bottom of the barrel of humanity in order to find His servants. In every case, God took away any chance of boasting on the part of the human being. In every case, the odds of human success were so pathetic, that it is absolutely certain that only a miracle of God could provide success. The absolute helplessness of God’s servant showed the power of God’s salvation.
If I were God and it were up to me, I would have set aside a few legions of angels to do my preaching for me. The holy angels are way more dependable than human beings. Humans have a bad record of messing things up. Nevertheless, that is not what the true God does. He places foolish, sinful men into the office of preacher. Then He puts the administration of the forgiveness of sins into the mouths of those same foolish, sinful men. When He needs to proclaim salvation, He sends sinners to proclaim it. It makes no sense from a worldly point of view.
The comfort for Christians in all ages is that no matter how odd or weird or boring or ugly or whatever their pastor is, they can know that their salvation is sure. It is sure because it does not depend on the pastor. Instead, it is God Himself who deserves all the credit for our salvation. Jesus Christ earned it on the cross. The Holy Spirit delivers it in Word and Sacrament. Your pastor is merely the servant who administers the gifts God gives to you.
The Gospel account we heard today tells how Jesus came to a bunch of unbelieving cowards and gave them forgiveness and peace. He then appointed them as Apostles and gave them authority to administer the forgiveness of sins. Even though the world would say that these men were totally unqualified, the Holy Spirit used them to proclaim the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins for the sake of the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)
The plan of the Lord has not changed. He still sends sinners to tell other sinners about salvation. He still gives sinners the authority to forgive sins. The wisdom of the world insists that this is a plan that can never work. The forgiven sinner knows that the foolishness of this plan simply shows that it does not depend on human power. Instead, our salvation is provided by
God the Father’s grace for
God the Son’s sake through
God the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith.
When it comes to our salvation, God does all the work, and He loves to do that work in you. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday of Easter (B) - 7 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, Your Son is the firstborn from the dead. In Him, we have been reborn into a new and living hope. Nurture us with the pure milk of Your Word, that we may grow to maturity of faith and have everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant to those ordained for Your service the gift of the Spirit, wisdom that comes down from above, and grace to faithfully fulfill their holy calling where You have placed them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
As Your people are united in the common life and love of our Savior, grant that we would share that life and love with those in need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have instituted authorities to carry out Your justice. Bless all who make, administer and judge the laws of our land. Give them wisdom, integrity and honor to serve according to Your good will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
As Your Son’s wounds brought gladness and peace to the troubled disciples, give Your presence and comfort to the troubled in our midst [especially _____________]. Comfort also those who weep [especially _____________] with the blessed joy of Easter morning. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of the risen Christ, You give us the crucified and risen body and blood of our Lord in this Holy Supper. Let us taste that the Lord is good and continually grow up unto salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that out of Your indescribable grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the Holy Gospel and instituted the blessed Sacraments, that through them we may have comfort and the forgiveness of sin. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Your Word, and through the Holy Sacraments establish our faith day by day, until at last we obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. By His death, He has redeemed us from bondage to sin and death, and by His resurrection, He has delivered us into new life in Him.
Grant us to keep the Feast in sincerity and truth, faithfully eating His body given into death and drinking His life’s blood poured out for our salvation until we pass through death to the promised land of life eternal.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
483 “With High Delight Let Us Unite”
1 With high delight
Let us unite
In songs of great jubilation.
Ye pure in heart,
All bear your part,
Sing Jesus Christ, our salvation.
To set us free
Forever, He
Is ris’n and sends
To all earth’s ends
Good news to save ev’ry nation.
2 True God, He first
From death has burst
Forth into life, all subduing.
His enemy
Doth vanquished lie;
His death has been death’s undoing.
“And yours shall be
Like victory
O’er death and grave,”
Saith He, who gave
His life for us, life renewing.
3 Let praises ring;
Give thanks, and bring
To Christ our Lord adoration.
His honor speed
By word and deed
To ev’ry land, ev’ry nation.
So shall His love
Give us above,
From misery
And death set free,
All joy and full consolation.
Text: Georg Vetter, 1536–99; tr. Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
480 “He’s Risen, He’s Risen”
1 He’s risen, He’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;
He opened death’s prison, the_incarnate, true Word.
Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song
And earth, sea, and mountain their praises prolong.
2 The foe was triumphant when on Calvary
The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear.
3 But short was their triumph; the Savior arose,
And death, hell, and Satan He vanquished, His foes.
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high;
He lives, yes, He lives, and will nevermore die.
4 O, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;
Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.
For all our transgressions His blood does atone;
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.
D 5 Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;
Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.
Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain:
With Father and Spirit He ever shall reign.
Text: C. F. W. Walther, 1811–87, abr.; tr. Anna M. Meyer, 1867–1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 487 “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
1 Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness,
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke
Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
Through the Red Sea waters.
2 ’Tis the spring of souls today:
Christ has burst His prison
And from three days’ sleep in death
As a sun has risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From His light, to whom is giv’n
Laud and praise undying.
3 Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to gladden faithful hearts
Which with true affection
Welcome in unwearied strain
Jesus’ resurrection!
4 For today among His own
Christ appeared, bestowing
His deep peace, which evermore
Passes human knowing.
Neither could the gates of death
Nor the tomb’s dark portal
Nor the watchers nor the seal
Hold Him as a mortal.
5 Alleluia! Now we cry
To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
Of the tomb’s dark portal.
Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness!
Text: John of Damascus, c. 696–c. 754; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday of Easter –April 7, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Dave Dixon
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith, Orville Harsh-
barger (honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS, Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study will be offered following today’s worship service
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Room
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Second Sunday of Easter
April 7, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 463 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia”
1 Christ the Lord is ris’n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
Offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
At the paschal victim’s feet. Alleluia!
2 For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
Sinless in the sinner’s stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3 Hail, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
When contending death and life, Alleluia!
Met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!
4 Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
All your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
Text: attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; tr. Jane E. Leeson, 1809–81, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 1 Peter 2:2–3; Psalm 105:1–5, 8
P Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered. He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 4:32–35
32The full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 148
1Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the | heavens;*
praise him | in the heights!
2Praise him, all his | angels;*
praise him, | all his hosts!
3Praise him, | sun and moon,*
praise him, all you | shining stars!
4Praise him, you highest | heavens,*
and you waters above the | heavens!
5Let them praise the name | of the Lord!*
For he commanded and they were cre- | ated.
6And he established them forever and | ever;*
he gave a decree, and it shall not | pass away.
7Praise the Lord | from the earth,*
you great sea creatures and | all deeps,
8fire and hail, | snow and mist,*
stormy wind fulfill- | ing his word!
9Mountains and | all hills,*
fruit trees and all | cedars!
10Beasts and all | livestock,*
creeping things and | flying birds!
11Kings of the earth and all | peoples,*
princes and all rulers | of the earth!
12Young men and maidens to- | gether,*
old men and | children!
13Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is ex- | alted;*
his majesty is above earth and | heaven.
14He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for | all his saints,*
for the people of Israel who are near to him. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 1:1—2:2
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 20:19–31
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 470 “O Sons and Daughters of the King”
1 O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 An angel clad in white they see,
Who sits and speaks unto the three,
“Your Lord will go to Galilee.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 That night the_apostles met in fear;
Among them came their master dear
And said, “My peace be with you here.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 When Thomas first the tidings heard
That they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
6 “My piercèd side, O Thomas, see,
And look upon My hands, My feet;
Not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
7 No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“You are my Lord and God!” he cried.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
8 How blest are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
9 On this most holy day of days
Be laud and jubilee and praise:
To God your hearts and voices raise.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: attr. Jean Tisserand, d. 1494; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Who Is Being Sent to Do What?” John 20:19-31
Who Is Being Sent to Do What? John 20:19-31
From time to time, headlines from the Middle East tell us that Christians are losing their lives because of their faith. What many people don’t know is that many of these martyrs can trace their faith back to the Apostle Thomas. While the Bible doesn’t tell us much about Thomas, extra-Biblical histories indicate that just as Paul went west, Thomas went east.
Historical artifacts seem to place Thomas in the area of Mylapore, India at the time of his death. The accounts of his death vary widely, but the most likely account indicates that Thomas died of spear wounds when four soldiers pinned him to the ground with four spears.
In spite of the fuzziness of the historical record, we do know that Thomas was a faithful apostle of Jesus Christ. We know that he proclaimed the gospel and many of the Christians who are losing their lives to the sword of the Islamic State and other terrorist organizations can trace their faith back to Thomas. There are even a few active congregations that claim that they were founded by the Apostle Thomas.
In spite of all the wonderful work God did through the Apostle Thomas in his later life, the world will always remember Thomas as Doubting Thomas. He missed the appearance of Jesus on that first Easter evening, and he refused to consider the eyewitness account of his fellow disciples. Therefore, his legacy as Doubting Thomas will remain until the Lord returns on the Last Day.
Strictly speaking, doubt is not the right word to describe Thomas. Listen to Thomas again. He said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” (John 20:25) Thomas did not say that he wasn’t sure. He did not say that he needed time to think. He said, “I will never believe.” (John 20:25) Thomas did not merely doubt. He flat out did not believe. We need to call Him Unbelieving Thomas.
But before we are too hard on Thomas, we need to check out the other disciples. Listen to their response when the women returned from the tomb and reported that they had seen Jesus. “Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” (Luke 24:10–11) So, all the disciples were unbelievers until Jesus revealed Himself to them. The first time Jesus showed Himself to the disciples, He was showing Himself to unbelievers.
Jesus would have had the right to show up and scold the disciples. “You thick-headed people, I told you over and over and over again that I was going to rise on the third day. How come you never got it?” Jesus had the right to do that, but He did not. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) Instead of scolding them, He gave them peace. They deserved wrath, but Jesus gave them peace.
Jesus even showed them the wounds of the cross in His hands and side. In fact, it is these wounds that show the price Jesus paid so that He could even give peace to the disciples. These wounds tell us that Jesus hung on a cross. It was while He hung on that cross that He faced the hell that these disciples deserved for their thick-headed stubbornness … for their refusal to believe everything that Jesus had told them.
These wounds tell us about our salvation as well. We also sin daily and deserve nothing but eternal punishment. Nevertheless, for the sake of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, we receive eternal life. This is the most important news of all times and places. This is news that everyone needs to hear.
So what amazing plan did Jesus have to spread this good news throughout the world? Today’s Gospel has the answer to this question. Jesus unveiled this plan right after He showed Himself to His disciples. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) Did you hear that? To send someone is to make them an apostle. Jesus basically told the disciples, “Up until now, I have been the apostle of the Father. Now, you are to be my apostles.”
Now wait a minute! I’ve heard about these guys. You remember Peter. Jesus had to scold him with the words, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Mark 8:33) Then there were James and his brother John who asked Jesus to place them at His right and left when He came into His glory. How many times do we read that these men tried to establish a pecking order amongst themselves arguing over who was the greatest. They ran away as cowards when Jesus was arrested. These are not stellar examples of virtue.
Then, as if sending these guys out as His Apostles wasn’t strange enough, He gave them even more authority. He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23) It is as if He said, “You know that forgiveness that I just finished earning with my suffering and death a few days ago? I now give you the authority to administer that forgiveness in my name.”
Think about it. A few hours earlier, these same men refused to believe the report of Jesus’ resurrection. Now Jesus has commissioned them to be His apostles and administer His forgiveness. If I were there, I would turn to Jesus and ask, “Jesus, are You sure You want to commission these losers as Your apostles? Do You really want these guys to take over for You?”
God regularly works in these strange ways … ways that make no sense from a worldly point of view.
When Moses was forty years old and all fired up to be the great liberator of Israel, he might have taken credit for liberating Israel. So God sent him out into the wilderness. Then, when he was 80 years old and did not want to go, then God sent him to Pharaoh.
Gideon was terrified of the Midianites and did not want to fight them. So God sent him out with a whole 300 soldiers to take on an army of 120,000 Midianites.
Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh, but God drafted a fish into making sure that Jonah went anyway. So a grumpy old Jonah told Nineveh that God was about to destroy them and they repented.
An up and coming Pharisee named Saul was arresting Christians for trial and consenting to their executions. Then Jesus knocked him to the ground on the road to Damascus and called him to proclaim the Gospel.
Augustine lived the immoral life of a spoiled playboy until God got a hold of him. Then he became one of the foremost theologians of the late fourth and early fifth centuries.
It seems as though God goes out of His way to scrape the bottom of the barrel of humanity in order to find His servants. In every case, God took away any chance of boasting on the part of the human being. In every case, the odds of human success were so pathetic, that it is absolutely certain that only a miracle of God could provide success. The absolute helplessness of God’s servant showed the power of God’s salvation.
If I were God and it were up to me, I would have set aside a few legions of angels to do my preaching for me. The holy angels are way more dependable than human beings. Humans have a bad record of messing things up. Nevertheless, that is not what the true God does. He places foolish, sinful men into the office of preacher. Then He puts the administration of the forgiveness of sins into the mouths of those same foolish, sinful men. When He needs to proclaim salvation, He sends sinners to proclaim it. It makes no sense from a worldly point of view.
The comfort for Christians in all ages is that no matter how odd or weird or boring or ugly or whatever their pastor is, they can know that their salvation is sure. It is sure because it does not depend on the pastor. Instead, it is God Himself who deserves all the credit for our salvation. Jesus Christ earned it on the cross. The Holy Spirit delivers it in Word and Sacrament. Your pastor is merely the servant who administers the gifts God gives to you.
The Gospel account we heard today tells how Jesus came to a bunch of unbelieving cowards and gave them forgiveness and peace. He then appointed them as Apostles and gave them authority to administer the forgiveness of sins. Even though the world would say that these men were totally unqualified, the Holy Spirit used them to proclaim the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins for the sake of the perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)
The plan of the Lord has not changed. He still sends sinners to tell other sinners about salvation. He still gives sinners the authority to forgive sins. The wisdom of the world insists that this is a plan that can never work. The forgiven sinner knows that the foolishness of this plan simply shows that it does not depend on human power. Instead, our salvation is provided by
God the Father’s grace for
God the Son’s sake through
God the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith.
When it comes to our salvation, God does all the work, and He loves to do that work in you. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday of Easter (B) - 7 April 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, Your Son is the firstborn from the dead. In Him, we have been reborn into a new and living hope. Nurture us with the pure milk of Your Word, that we may grow to maturity of faith and have everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant to those ordained for Your service the gift of the Spirit, wisdom that comes down from above, and grace to faithfully fulfill their holy calling where You have placed them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
As Your people are united in the common life and love of our Savior, grant that we would share that life and love with those in need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You have instituted authorities to carry out Your justice. Bless all who make, administer and judge the laws of our land. Give them wisdom, integrity and honor to serve according to Your good will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
As Your Son’s wounds brought gladness and peace to the troubled disciples, give Your presence and comfort to the troubled in our midst [especially _____________]. Comfort also those who weep [especially _____________] with the blessed joy of Easter morning. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of the risen Christ, You give us the crucified and risen body and blood of our Lord in this Holy Supper. Let us taste that the Lord is good and continually grow up unto salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that out of Your indescribable grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the Holy Gospel and instituted the blessed Sacraments, that through them we may have comfort and the forgiveness of sin. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Your Word, and through the Holy Sacraments establish our faith day by day, until at last we obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. By His death, He has redeemed us from bondage to sin and death, and by His resurrection, He has delivered us into new life in Him.
Grant us to keep the Feast in sincerity and truth, faithfully eating His body given into death and drinking His life’s blood poured out for our salvation until we pass through death to the promised land of life eternal.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
483 “With High Delight Let Us Unite”
1 With high delight
Let us unite
In songs of great jubilation.
Ye pure in heart,
All bear your part,
Sing Jesus Christ, our salvation.
To set us free
Forever, He
Is ris’n and sends
To all earth’s ends
Good news to save ev’ry nation.
2 True God, He first
From death has burst
Forth into life, all subduing.
His enemy
Doth vanquished lie;
His death has been death’s undoing.
“And yours shall be
Like victory
O’er death and grave,”
Saith He, who gave
His life for us, life renewing.
3 Let praises ring;
Give thanks, and bring
To Christ our Lord adoration.
His honor speed
By word and deed
To ev’ry land, ev’ry nation.
So shall His love
Give us above,
From misery
And death set free,
All joy and full consolation.
Text: Georg Vetter, 1536–99; tr. Martin H. Franzmann, 1907–76
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
480 “He’s Risen, He’s Risen”
1 He’s risen, He’s risen, Christ Jesus, the Lord;
He opened death’s prison, the_incarnate, true Word.
Break forth, hosts of heaven, in jubilant song
And earth, sea, and mountain their praises prolong.
2 The foe was triumphant when on Calvary
The Lord of creation was nailed to the tree.
In Satan’s domain did the hosts shout and jeer,
For Jesus was slain, whom the evil ones fear.
3 But short was their triumph; the Savior arose,
And death, hell, and Satan He vanquished, His foes.
The conquering Lord lifts His banner on high;
He lives, yes, He lives, and will nevermore die.
4 O, where is your sting, death? We fear you no more;
Christ rose, and now open is fair Eden’s door.
For all our transgressions His blood does atone;
Redeemed and forgiven, we now are His own.
D 5 Then sing your hosannas and raise your glad voice;
Proclaim the blest tidings that all may rejoice.
Laud, honor, and praise to the Lamb that was slain:
With Father and Spirit He ever shall reign.
Text: C. F. W. Walther, 1811–87, abr.; tr. Anna M. Meyer, 1867–1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 487 “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
1 Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness,
Loosed from Pharaoh’s bitter yoke
Jacob’s sons and daughters,
Led them with unmoistened foot
Through the Red Sea waters.
2 ’Tis the spring of souls today:
Christ has burst His prison
And from three days’ sleep in death
As a sun has risen;
All the winter of our sins,
Long and dark, is flying
From His light, to whom is giv’n
Laud and praise undying.
3 Now the queen of seasons, bright
With the day of splendor,
With the royal feast of feasts
Comes its joy to render;
Comes to gladden faithful hearts
Which with true affection
Welcome in unwearied strain
Jesus’ resurrection!
4 For today among His own
Christ appeared, bestowing
His deep peace, which evermore
Passes human knowing.
Neither could the gates of death
Nor the tomb’s dark portal
Nor the watchers nor the seal
Hold Him as a mortal.
5 Alleluia! Now we cry
To our King immortal,
Who, triumphant, burst the bars
Of the tomb’s dark portal.
Come, you faithful, raise the strain
Of triumphant gladness!
God has brought His Israel
Into joy from sadness!
Text: John of Damascus, c. 696–c. 754; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesu+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Resurrection of Our Lord – March 31, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Crucifer Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU to all who helped with our Community Easter Outreach yesterday. It was greatly appreciated!
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the
fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Resurrection of Our Lord –March 31, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 457, “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 25:6-9
6On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. 9It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
EPISTLE LESSON 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 16:1-8
1When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 479, “Christ Is Risen, Christ Is Living”
Jesus Has Risen – Mark 16:1-8
Christ has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia!
Most faithful translations of the Bible have a strange note right after today’s reading from the Gospel according to Mark. This note will read something like this: Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20. There is a lot of evidence that Mark stops at verse 8. Some commentators suggest that Mark’s account of the resurrection was so unsatisfying that later scribes added some notes to the text to help explain the ending. A generation or so later, other scribes took these notes to be part of the text of the original Gospel account.
You can see why this is when you consider what this short version of Mark’s resurrection account actually says. A few women purchased some spices after sunset on Saturday. By the time the sun came up the next day, they were on their way to the tomb and wondering how to get past the stone over the entrance. Then they discovered that the stone was already rolled away. When they looked for Jesus body, there was an angel instead. The angel explained that Jesus was no longer in the tomb because He had risen. The women fled the tomb in terror and, for the time being, said nothing to anyone. That’s it. That’s all that we learn about the resurrection from the short ending of Mark.
At least in the other Gospels, the disciples see Jesus. They talk with Him. They eat with Him. They touch the wounds of the cross in Jesus’ body. The other Gospels record the words of Jesus for us to consider. Not so, the short ending of Mark. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. There is a scary angel. The women run away in fear. I can understand a scribe wanting the reader to get the rest of the story. He could at least add a note: “See the Gospel according to Matthew or Luke for more information on the resurrection.”
When you hear Mark’s short ending, you hear the announcement of the resurrection from the angel in the empty tomb. Although Mark does not give you a whole lot, there is something special right at the end of the angel’s announcement. Listen to the account again and pay special attention to the last few words that the angel says. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:5–7) Did you notice the last few words from the angel: “Just as He told you?”
The angel finished by reminding the people in the empty tomb that Jesus was keeping a promise. Jesus was acting just as He said He would act. All of the writers of the Gospel accounts record Jesus promising to rise from the dead. Listen to these passages from Mark:
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31)
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (Mark 9:9)
For he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” (Mark 9:31)
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:32–34)
The disciples heard these promises, but they didn’t understand them. It wasn’t until after Jesus actually suffered, died, and rose that the disciples began to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them. It is almost as if the angel is giving his hearers a mild rebuke. “You know, He told you about all this stuff beforehand. He kept His promise to die and then rise. You really need to think back on His other promises and expect Him to fulfill those as well.”
This is the opposite of the serpent’s words to the woman in Eden. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say …?” (Genesis 3:1) The angels who rebelled against God want us to question God’s Word. They want us to believe that it doesn’t always turn out the way God said. They want us to doubt God’s promises. They want us to look away from the source of God’s promises, the Word of God. They want us to believe that it is NOT just as He told you. They want to lead us away from the truth and so lead us away from salvation.
Here we see the difference between the faithful angels and the angels that rebelled. The rebel angels question God’s Word. The faithful angels point to the fulfillment of God’s Word.
Don’t be surprised, then, when you have a difficult time believing all His promises. Don’t be surprised when doubts arise. This is a sign of the battle that continues in every Christian. The disciples struggled and they saw Jesus face-to-face. He had them in His seminary for three years. They were still terrified when He died and shocked when He rose. The promises that Jesus made to you may seem too good to be true. You may struggle to believe them, but the resurrection of Jesus assures that He will keep every promise that He has made to you.
Jesus promised to rise from the dead, and then He kept that promise. If He can keep a promise like that, we shouldn’t be too worried that He will keep the other promises that He made, not only to the disciples, but also to you and me. Here is where we need to listen to the angel in the empty tomb. Jesus does things just as He says He will.
Jesus made some amazing promises. For example He said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) Just before He raised Lazarus from the dead, He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25–26) In the upper room, He taught His disciples and said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1–3) With these words Jesus promised that a day will come when the universe as we know it will come to an end. Jesus has promised to return on that day and raise all the dead. He has promised to take me and all believers into eternal life.
Jesus’ promises are not just for the sweet by-and-by, but they are also for the here and now. Matthew closed his Gospel account with the promise, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Jesus has given us special ways to know that He is with us. On the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25) While we wait for the final day, Jesus has promised to give His body and blood along with the bread and wine of the sacrament. He has promised that when the bread and the wine enter your mouth, that His body and blood are also entering your mouth along with the bread and wine.
The Holy Supper is not the only way He promises His forgiveness. Listen to another promise that He made to His disciples. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:21–23) These words promise the authority to forgive sins. Even though your pastor is just as sinful as you are, when he forgives your sins, Jesus Himself has forgiven them.
Listen to another promise Jesus made concerning His Word. He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) When you hear the words of the prophets and apostles from the Bible, He sends the Holy Spirit to work in you through those words. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Jesus has even given us a way to give us God’s name. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18–20) He has promised to pour the Holy Spirit out on you as His Word works with the water of Holy Baptism.
Jesus has made some amazing promises to you. You would have no reason to trust His promises if it weren’t for one thing. He promised to rise from the dead and He kept that promise. The words of the angel remind us that Jesus will keep all of His promises just as He told you.
Christ has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia! Amen
SERMON “Jesus Has Risen” Mark 16:1-8
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
461, “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
633, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 478, “The Day of Resurrection”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Resurrection of Our Lord – March 31, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Crucifer Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
A SPECIAL THANK YOU to all who helped with our Community Easter Outreach yesterday. It was greatly appreciated!
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the
fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Resurrection of Our Lord –March 31, 2024
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 457, “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
P: Almighty God the Father, through Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, You have overcome death and opened the gate of everlasting life to us. Grant that we, who celebrate with joy the day of our Lord’s resurrection, may be raised from the death of sin by Your life-giving Spirit; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C: Amen.
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 25:6-9
6On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. 9It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
EPISTLE LESSON 1 Corinthians 15:1-11
1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Mark 16:1-8
1When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” 4And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. 5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” 8And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 479, “Christ Is Risen, Christ Is Living”
Jesus Has Risen – Mark 16:1-8
Christ has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia!
Most faithful translations of the Bible have a strange note right after today’s reading from the Gospel according to Mark. This note will read something like this: Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20. There is a lot of evidence that Mark stops at verse 8. Some commentators suggest that Mark’s account of the resurrection was so unsatisfying that later scribes added some notes to the text to help explain the ending. A generation or so later, other scribes took these notes to be part of the text of the original Gospel account.
You can see why this is when you consider what this short version of Mark’s resurrection account actually says. A few women purchased some spices after sunset on Saturday. By the time the sun came up the next day, they were on their way to the tomb and wondering how to get past the stone over the entrance. Then they discovered that the stone was already rolled away. When they looked for Jesus body, there was an angel instead. The angel explained that Jesus was no longer in the tomb because He had risen. The women fled the tomb in terror and, for the time being, said nothing to anyone. That’s it. That’s all that we learn about the resurrection from the short ending of Mark.
At least in the other Gospels, the disciples see Jesus. They talk with Him. They eat with Him. They touch the wounds of the cross in Jesus’ body. The other Gospels record the words of Jesus for us to consider. Not so, the short ending of Mark. The stone is rolled away. The tomb is empty. There is a scary angel. The women run away in fear. I can understand a scribe wanting the reader to get the rest of the story. He could at least add a note: “See the Gospel according to Matthew or Luke for more information on the resurrection.”
When you hear Mark’s short ending, you hear the announcement of the resurrection from the angel in the empty tomb. Although Mark does not give you a whole lot, there is something special right at the end of the angel’s announcement. Listen to the account again and pay special attention to the last few words that the angel says. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:5–7) Did you notice the last few words from the angel: “Just as He told you?”
The angel finished by reminding the people in the empty tomb that Jesus was keeping a promise. Jesus was acting just as He said He would act. All of the writers of the Gospel accounts record Jesus promising to rise from the dead. Listen to these passages from Mark:
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31)
And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (Mark 9:9)
For he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” (Mark 9:31)
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:32–34)
The disciples heard these promises, but they didn’t understand them. It wasn’t until after Jesus actually suffered, died, and rose that the disciples began to understand what Jesus was trying to tell them. It is almost as if the angel is giving his hearers a mild rebuke. “You know, He told you about all this stuff beforehand. He kept His promise to die and then rise. You really need to think back on His other promises and expect Him to fulfill those as well.”
This is the opposite of the serpent’s words to the woman in Eden. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say …?” (Genesis 3:1) The angels who rebelled against God want us to question God’s Word. They want us to believe that it doesn’t always turn out the way God said. They want us to doubt God’s promises. They want us to look away from the source of God’s promises, the Word of God. They want us to believe that it is NOT just as He told you. They want to lead us away from the truth and so lead us away from salvation.
Here we see the difference between the faithful angels and the angels that rebelled. The rebel angels question God’s Word. The faithful angels point to the fulfillment of God’s Word.
Don’t be surprised, then, when you have a difficult time believing all His promises. Don’t be surprised when doubts arise. This is a sign of the battle that continues in every Christian. The disciples struggled and they saw Jesus face-to-face. He had them in His seminary for three years. They were still terrified when He died and shocked when He rose. The promises that Jesus made to you may seem too good to be true. You may struggle to believe them, but the resurrection of Jesus assures that He will keep every promise that He has made to you.
Jesus promised to rise from the dead, and then He kept that promise. If He can keep a promise like that, we shouldn’t be too worried that He will keep the other promises that He made, not only to the disciples, but also to you and me. Here is where we need to listen to the angel in the empty tomb. Jesus does things just as He says He will.
Jesus made some amazing promises. For example He said, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) Just before He raised Lazarus from the dead, He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25–26) In the upper room, He taught His disciples and said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1–3) With these words Jesus promised that a day will come when the universe as we know it will come to an end. Jesus has promised to return on that day and raise all the dead. He has promised to take me and all believers into eternal life.
Jesus’ promises are not just for the sweet by-and-by, but they are also for the here and now. Matthew closed his Gospel account with the promise, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Jesus has given us special ways to know that He is with us. On the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:23–25) While we wait for the final day, Jesus has promised to give His body and blood along with the bread and wine of the sacrament. He has promised that when the bread and the wine enter your mouth, that His body and blood are also entering your mouth along with the bread and wine.
The Holy Supper is not the only way He promises His forgiveness. Listen to another promise that He made to His disciples. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:21–23) These words promise the authority to forgive sins. Even though your pastor is just as sinful as you are, when he forgives your sins, Jesus Himself has forgiven them.
Listen to another promise Jesus made concerning His Word. He said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32) When you hear the words of the prophets and apostles from the Bible, He sends the Holy Spirit to work in you through those words. It is as the Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Jesus has even given us a way to give us God’s name. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18–20) He has promised to pour the Holy Spirit out on you as His Word works with the water of Holy Baptism.
Jesus has made some amazing promises to you. You would have no reason to trust His promises if it weren’t for one thing. He promised to rise from the dead and He kept that promise. The words of the angel remind us that Jesus will keep all of His promises just as He told you.
Christ has risen! He has risen indeed, Alleluia! Amen
SERMON “Jesus Has Risen” Mark 16:1-8
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
461, “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
633, “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 478, “The Day of Resurrection”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion – March 24, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Carla Lanz
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as an Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
MAUNDY THURSDAY worship with Holy Communion is at 7 p.m. and GOOD FRIDAY worship (a Tenebrae service of darkness) is also at 7 p.m. this week. Our EASTER communion service is at 9 a.m., followed by a light brunch.
OUR COMMUNITY EASTER EVENT, “Hoppin’ Down the Bunny Trail,” is THIS Saturday, March 30th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Candy and monetary gifts are appreciated. There is a box for the candy in the Fellowship Room. Please give any monetary gifts to Barb Whitley. If you would like to help with the event, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin Board in the Fellowship Room.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
We love because He [God] first loved us.
1 John 4:19
Palm Sunday/ The Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord
March 24, 2024
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Procession of Palms
Greeting
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna to the Son of David.
Collect
P Let us pray.
Most merciful God, as the people of Jerusalem, with palms in their hands, gathered to greet Your dearly beloved Son when He came into His Holy City, grant that we may ever hail Him as our King and, when He comes again, may go forth to meet Him with trusting and steadfast hearts and follow Him in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Holy Gospel John 12:12–19
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
P 12The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
16His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord. C Praise to You, O Christ.
P Let us go forth in peace, C in the name of the Lord.
Processional Hymn: 442 “All Glory, Laud, and Honor”
ref All glory, laud, and honor
To You, Redeemer, King,
To whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.
1 You are the King of Israel
And David’s royal Son,
Now in the Lord’s name coming,
Our King and Blessèd One. Refrain
2 The company of angels
Is praising You on high,
And we with all creation
In chorus make reply. Refrain
3 The multitude of pilgrims
With palms before You went;
Our praise and prayer and anthems
Before You we present. Refrain
4 To You before Your passion
They sang their hymns of praise;
To You, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise. Refrain
5 As You received their praises,
Accept the prayers we bring,
O Source of ev’ry blessing,
Our good and gracious King. Refrain
Text: Theodulf of Orléans, c. 762–821; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
P Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
C Hosanna in the highest.
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 118:26, 24:7–10
P We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Blessèd is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You sent Your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon Himself our flesh and to suffer death upon the cross. Mercifully grant that we may follow the example of His great humility and patience and be made partakers of His resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Zechariah 9:9–12
9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 118:19–29
19Open to me the gates of | righteousness,*
that I may enter through them
and give thanks | to the Lord.
20This is the gate | of the Lord;*
the righteous shall enter | through it.
21I thank you that you have | answered me*
and have become my sal- | vation.
22The stone that the builders re- | jected*
has become the | cornerstone.
23This is the Lord’s | doing;*
it is marvelous | in our eyes.
24This is the day that the | Lord has made;*
let us rejoice and be | glad in it.
25Save us, we pray, | O Lord!*
O Lord, we pray, give | us success!
26Blessèd is he who comes in the name | of the Lord!*
We bless you from the house | of the Lord.
27The Lord is God,
and he has made his light to shine up- | on us.*
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
up to the horns of the | altar!
28You are my God, and I will give | thanks to you;*
you are my God; I will ex- | tol you.
29Oh give thanks to the Lord, for | he is good;*
for his steadfast love endures for- | ever!
Epistle Philippians 2:5–11
5Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel John 12:20–43
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twelfth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
20Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. 21So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
27“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” 29The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. 31Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. 34So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 36While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. 37Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, 38so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
40“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
41Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 443 “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna”
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna,
The little children sang;
Through pillared court and temple
The lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
Close folded to His breast,
The children sang their praises,
The simplest and the best.
2 From Olivet they followed
Mid an exultant crowd,
The victor palm branch waving
And chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
Rode on in lowly state
Nor scorned that little children
Should on His bidding wait.
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing;
For Christ is our Redeemer,
The Lord of heav’n our King.
Oh, may we ever praise Him
With heart and life and voice
And in His blissful presence
Eternally rejoice!
Text: Jeannette Threlfall, 1821–80, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “A Strange King Indeed!” John 12:12-43
A Strange King Indeed – John 12: 12-43
What would you do if a king were coming to your house? If you’re like me, you’d sin and wish you had a bigger, better house. But you’d quickly realize you can’t afford one and would do everything you could to clean up your place as much and as fast as possible. You would want to present your home in the most hospitable way possible.
What would you do if a thief were coming to your house? You’d probably do everything you could to barricade every possible point of entry. You’d probably make sure that you got all of your valuables in a safe place. And you’d probably situate yourself in front of all your prized possessions so that you could protect them.
Well, there are two ways of looking at Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem – one is right and one is wrong. You can look at Jesus’ entry the way the people do – as a king, or you can look at it the way Jesus does – as a strange, thieving King. (You can probably guess who is right.)
The people in Jerusalem that Palm Sunday looked at Jesus’ entry as the coming of their King. They did everything they could to spiff the place up for the King who was riding in on a donkey. They cut the palm branches and laid them and their cloaks on the road in homage to this King. They shouted royal praise to Jesus who was coming “in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.”
The crowd did all of this because they had heard that Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead. A King who can overcome the power of death sounds like a good kind of King to have. If your King could undo death, well then, life will be good.
The people welcoming Him thought Jesus would establish an earthly reign and overthrow their enemies. They thought He would set up a kingdom that would last forever and ever. They thought He would bring a kingdom full of glory. They had visions of “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.” Maybe to update that, they had visions of tenderloin on every high-end stainless-steel grill and Beamers, or better yet, Rolls Royces and Bentleys in every slot of their four-stall garage.
But that is not how Jesus looks at His coming to Jerusalem. Jesus has come to be King, but He has come to be a strange King. He has come to be anointed not with oil, but with His own blood. He has come to be crowned not with gold and jewels, but with thorns. He has come to be enthroned not on a throne of glory, but the throne of a splintered cross. Jesus has come to be a thieving King who steals their sins in His death on the cross.
Jesus hadn’t kept this a secret either. He had repeatedly said that He was going to Jerusalem to be handed over, suffer, and die. Jesus knew that He was coming to His coronation as the suffering, crucified, sin-stealing King.
Even as Phillip and Andrew tell Jesus there are some Greeks who wish to see Him, Jesus says, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. The hour has come for the grain of wheat to die and fall to the earth. The hour has come for the Son of Man to be lifted up from the earth.” Jesus says these things, and His soul is troubled.
Jesus’ soul is so troubled at the type of King He has come to be that He asks, “What shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour, this kingship’?”
“No,” Jesus says, “for this purpose I have come.”
Jesus will not deny His coronation as the strange King who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
Jesus is the King who bore your sins in His body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus, the King of sorrows, came in order to bear your grief and carry your sorrows; He was a King who came to be pierced for your transgressions and crushed for your iniquities (Is. 52:13-53:12). The Son of God came to humble Himself, to die a sinner’s death, and to suffer the wrath of God. This strange King came to wrap Himself in your sin. The sinless One came to become sin (2 Cor. 5:21). God laid on Christ the iniquity of us all.
On the cross is Christ’s glory; on the cross, Christ is lifted up. On the cross, your strange King won your freedom from sin and death that separates you from God. On the cross, Jesus pulled off the greatest caper of all time by stealing the sin of the whole world. Because of the cross, your sin is no longer yours. Through this strange King’s death, there is forgiveness, life, and salvation.
So this Holy Week, let us follow this strange King to His death so that through His death we may be with Him and live eternally in His blessed kingdom (Jn. 12:25-26). Amen.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion (B) - 24 March 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, Your Son humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross. Fix our faith upon His death for our salvation, enrich the proclamation of the Gospel, and enliven our hearts to live out this faith until Christ comes again in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Uphold this world in Your order. Preserve the Church and the preaching of Your Word against all enemies. Bless our homes, that parents and children may serve one another faithfully and grow in instruction and faith until life’s end. Give health and wisdom to all who serve in public office, that their authority may be exercised for the benefit of our people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God Almighty, our Lord Jesus did not count His equality with You something to be grasped, but humbled Himself. Grant us a mind like His to spurn all worldly equality and, humbling ourselves, to find Your greater portion in the life of the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, Your Son came to deliver His people from all evil. Take away the fear of all who suffer in this world [especially _____________]. As they await the fullness of their salvation, fix their eyes upon their crucified Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, as Your Son once entered humbly into Jerusalem to cries of “hosanna,” so send Him to us according to His promise in the Holy Sacrament, that we may eat His body and drink His blood in repentance and faith for the forgiveness of our sins and in the unity of a true confession. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! We praise You, Father, that You have sent Your Son not in wrath but in mercy. As we enter this most holy week and ponder together the mysteries of Your great salvation, show us the answer to Your people’s prayers of “hosanna” in the Passion of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who accomplished the salvation of mankind by the tree of the cross that, where death arose, there life also might rise again and that the serpent who overcame by the tree of the garden might likewise by the tree of the cross be overcome. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
634 The Death of Jesus Christ, Our Lord
1 The death of Jesus Christ, our Lord,
We celebrate with one accord;
It is our comfort in distress,
Our heart’s sweet joy and happiness.
2 He blotted out with His own blood
The judgment that against us stood;
For us He full atonement made,
And all our debt He fully paid.
3 That this forever true shall be
He gives a solemn guarantee:
In this His holy Supper here
We taste His love so sweet, so near.
4 His Word proclaims and we believe
That in this Supper we receive
His very body, as He said,
His very blood for sinners shed.
5 We dare not ask how this can be,
But simply hold the mystery
And trust this word where life begins:
“Given and shed for all your sins.”
6 They who this word do not believe
This food unworthily receive,
Salvation here will never find--
May we this warning keep in mind!
7 But blest is each believing guest
Who in these promises finds rest;
For Jesus shall in love remain
With all who here His grace obtain.
8 Help us sincerely to believe
That we may worthily receive
Your Supper and in You find rest.
Amen! They who believe are blest.
Text (sts. 1–4, 6–8): Haquin Spegel, 1645–1714; (sts. 1–4, 6–8): tr. Olof Olsson, 1841–1900, alt.; (st. 5): composite
Text: Public domain
444 “No Tramp of Soldiers’ Marching Feet”
1 No tramp of soldiers’ marching feet
With banners and with drums,
No sound of music’s martial beat:
“The King of glory comes!”
To greet what pomp of kingly pride
No bells in triumph ring,
No city gates swing open wide:
“Behold, behold your King!”
2 And yet He comes. The children cheer;
With palms His path is strown.
With ev’ry step the cross draws near:
The King of glory’s throne.
Astride a colt He passes by
As loud hosannas ring,
Or else the very stones would cry
“Behold, behold your King!”
3 What fading flow’rs His road adorn;
The palms, how soon laid down!
No bloom or leaf but only thorn
The King of glory’s crown.
The soldiers mock, the rabble cries,
The streets with tumult ring,
As Pilate to the mob replies,
“Behold, behold your King!”
4 Now He who bore for mortals’ sake
The cross and all its pains
And chose a servant’s form to take,
The King of glory reigns.
Hosanna to the Savior’s name
Till heaven’s rafters ring,
And all the ransomed host proclaim
“Behold, behold your King!”
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 441 “Ride On, Ride On in Majesty”
1 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hark! All the tribes hosanna cry.
O Savior meek, pursue Thy road,
With palms and scattered garments strowed.
2 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.
3 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The angel armies of the sky
Look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
To see the_approaching sacrifice.
4 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
Awaits His own anointed Son.
5 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, Thy pow’r and reign.
Text: Henry H. Milman, 1791–1868, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 17, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
ON WEDNESDAY, we will have our last Lenten soup supper at 6 p.m. and a service at 7 p.m. There is a signup sheet for the soup supper on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if need more info.
OUR COMMUNITY EASTER EVENT, “Hoppin’ Down the Bunny Trail,” is Saturday, March 30th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Candy and monetary gifts are appreciated. There is a box for the candy in the Fellowship Room. Please give any monetary gifts to Barb Whitley. If you would like to help with the event, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin Board in the Fellowship Room.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 17, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 616 “Baptismal Waters Cover Me”
1 Baptismal waters cover me
As I approach on bended knee;
My Father’s mercy here I plead,
For grievous sins of thought and deed.
2 I look to Christ upon the tree,
His body broken there for me;
I lay before Him all my sin,
My darkest secrets from within.
3 Lord, may Your wounded hand impart
Your healing to my broken heart;
Your love alone can form in me
A heart that serves You joyfully.
4 From Your own mouth comes forth a word;
Your shepherd speaks, but You are heard;
Through him Your hand now stretches out,
Forgiving sin, destroying doubt.
5 Baptismal waters cover me;
Christ’s wounded hand has set me free.
Held in my Father’s strong embrace,
With joy I praise Him for His grace.
Text: Kurt E. Reinhardt, 1969
Text: © 2003 Kurt E. Reinhardt. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken]O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 31:31–34
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 31.
31“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Hebrews 5:1–10
L A reading from Hebrews, chapter 5.
1Every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
6as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 10:35–45
L A reading from Mark, chapter 10.
35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to [Jesus] and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Lent)
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 430 “My Song Is Love Unknown”
1 My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?
2 He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend,
My friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend!
3 Sometimes they strew His way
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry.
4 Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
Yet they at these
Themselves displease
And ’gainst Him rise.
5 They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suff’ring goes
That He His foes
From thence might free.
6 In life no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was His home
But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay.
7 Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend!
Text: Samuel Crossman, c. 1624–1683
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Cup” Mark 10:35-45
The Cup – Mark 10:35-45
You have often heard me say that Peter is often the one who says out loud what all the disciples are thinking. Today’s Gospel demonstrates that Peter is not the only disciple who doesn’t get it. A few weeks ago, we heard Peter stick his foot into his mouth. Jesus was explaining that, as the Christ, He was to go to Jerusalem, get arrested, suffer, die, and rise from the dead. Peter thought it was his responsibility to scold Jesus for such silly talk. It was then that Jesus scolded Peter and said, “Get behind me Satan!” (Mark 8:33)
This time, it is James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, who demonstrate that they don’t get it. Jesus is all about His suffering, death, and resurrection, and James and John respond with a request for power. They said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” (Mark 10:37) Have they been listening? Jesus has told them about His glory. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:33-34) The way of glory goes through suffering and death on a cross, but these two disciples are not paying attention. They are not getting it.
Jesus said as much. He flat out told them, “You do not know what you are asking.” (Mark 10:38) James and John were thinking that glory meant power and honor, but Jesus knew that it meant suffering and shame. The glory of God totally contradicts the glory of this world.
Jesus then went on to instruct these disciples using the metaphors of the cup and baptism. Jesus said to them, “… Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:38)
The Cup is a Biblical metaphor that can stand for all kinds of things. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5) “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” (Psalm 16:5) “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” (Psalm 116:12–14)
Of course a cup does not always contain good things. “Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalm 11:6) “For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.” (Psalm 75:8) “You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. Thus says the Lord God: ‘You shall drink your sister’s cup that is deep and large; you shall be laughed at and held in derision, for it contains much; you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow; a cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.’” (Ezekiel 23:31–33)
We learn exactly what kind of cup Jesus speaks of when we hear the words of His prayer in Gethsemane. He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36) So Jesus was asking James and John, “Can you drink the cup of suffering and crucifixion with me?”
Jesus also used the word “baptism” as a metaphor. The way He used the word indicates that this is a future baptism. It is not the baptism of John in the Jordan. When we look at the context, we see that He is using baptism in the way we use it when we say the phrase “Baptism of Fire.” Within the context of this sentence, the word baptism is also a metaphor for His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Once again, Jesus was asking James and John, “Can you endure the baptism of suffering and crucifixion with me?”
The answer that James and John gave to Jesus question was astonishing. Jesus basically asked them if they were able to endure suffering and crucifixion with Him, and they said to him, “We are able.” (Mark 10:39) I have to think that they were utterly clueless.
Jesus’ reply is equally amazing. Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized …” (Mark 10:39) Indeed James, John, and all the apostles joined Jesus in suffering. Except for Judas the betrayer, all the apostles spent time in prison for their faith. The Bible tells us that James was the first of the apostles to die for his faith. About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword. (Acts 12:1–2) Although John died of natural causes, church tradition indicates that his enemies tried to poison him and boil him in oil. The apostles did indeed drink the cup of suffering and death while they lived here on this earth. Millions of martyrs have drunk of this cup down through the centuries. Even now many Christians are drinking the cup of suffering at the hands of the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.
Jesus then continued, “… but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (Mark 10:39) Jesus told the disciples that they would suffer for their faith, but those who were to be at His right and left were already chosen as we read in the account of the crucifixion: “And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.” (Mark 15:25–27) All we know about the two men who sat with Jesus when He came into his glory is that they were criminals. We do not even know their names. James and John, in their ignorance, were asking to take the role of these two criminals. They just don’t get it.
The other ten disciples didn’t get it either. Our reading tells us that the other ten were just as self-centered. “When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.” (Mark 10:41) All twelve disciples struggled to make themselves the most important in their group. All twelve struggled for power.
Once again, we see that human nature hasn’t changed. People still fight over who is in charge … who has the most power. It is just as the Holy Spirit inspired James to write: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:1–3) These words accurately describe the little dictator inside of each and every one of us … the little dictator who wants to be in charge … the little dictator who wants to give the orders.
Fortunately for James and John, and you and me, Jesus does not have a problem with His role as servant and slave. Jesus did not just instruct us to serve one another, but He Himself is the ultimate servant. He continued to teach His disciples in spite of their stubbornness and He said, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Even though we don’t serve as we should – even though we don’t adopt the role of slave as Jesus commands, Jesus still became the perfect servant for us. “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) In Jesus Christ we see the glory of victory in the agony of the cross. We see him who for a little while was “made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9)
Early in today’s reading from the Gospel, we heard Jesus tell the disciples that He would not only serve with His suffering and death, but that He would also serve by rising on the third day. His resurrection certified His perfect service – His role as perfect slave in order to offer us perfect salvation. Even though we still fight for power over others, He gives us forgiveness. He forgives our self-centered search for glory, power, and pride. He gives the salvation that He earned with His glorious victory on the cross.
Jesus still gives us a cup to drink and a baptism with which to be baptized. Because He offered Himself up as the perfect slave, we will not drink the cup of God’s wrath. Instead, we shall drink the cup of salvation. We shall not endure the baptism of eternal fire. Instead, we receive the baptism of water and word. We may suffer in this life, but our eternal salvation is secure in Jesus Christ, our perfect suffering servant.
We, like James and John, want glory for ourselves. We want popularity, fame, power, security, and all the other things that serve our own self-interest. This is one more symptom of the sin that is around us and in us while we live in this world.
Jesus came for a different kind of glory. He came to rescue us from this world of sin by submitting to death on a cross. He has special honor and glory because of the suffering of that death. He revealed that honor and glory with His resurrection from that death. Now He offers salvation to us through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith for He has given His life as a ransom for many. Amen.
Hymn: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church
Kyrie
C [spoken]Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday in Lent (B) - 17 March 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, pour out Your Holy Spirit and write Your Word on our hearts, that we may know You as the God who forgives our iniquities and remembers our sins no more. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, bless and sustain _____________, our Synod president; _____________, our district president; _____________, our circuit visitor; and our pastor(s), who like all flesh are beset with weakness. Grant that they would deal with us gently, and keep them faithful to proclaim Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son came not to be served but to serve. Help us not lord our authority over one another, but humbly serve one another in our homes, communities and congregation as Christ has so humbly served us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, look with mercy on _____________ and all earthly authorities. Guard them from the temptation to wield earthly power improperly. Lead them to serve faithfully according to Your good and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as Your only begotten Son learned obedience though what He suffered, we pray that You would instruct, bless and relieve Your servants [including _____________]. Sustain them as they walk the way of the cross with Your Son, that they may know the fullness of His eternal salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son stands before You as our great High Priest. By Your Spirit, prepare our hearts to worthily receive the body and blood of our Savior, who was sacrificed for us on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
857 “Lord, Help Us Walk Your Servant Way”
1 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
2 You came to earth, O Christ, as Lord,
But pow’r You laid aside.
You lived Your years in servanthood;
In lowliness You died.
3 No golden scepter but a towel
You place within the hands
Of those who seek to follow You
And live by Your commands.
4 You bid us bend our human pride
Nor count ourselves above
The lowest place, the meanest task
That waits the gift of love.
5 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
560 “Drawn to the Cross, Which Thou Hast Blessed”
1 Drawn to the cross, which Thou hast blessed
With healing gifts for souls distressed,
To find in Thee my life, my rest,
Christ crucified, I come.
2 Thou knowest all my griefs and fears,
Thy grace abused, my misspent years;
Yet now to Thee with contrite tears,
Christ crucified, I come.
3 Wash me and take away each stain;
Let nothing of my sin remain.
For cleansing, though it be through pain,
Christ crucified, I come.
4 And then for work to do for Thee,
Which shall so sweet a service be
That angels well might envy me,
Christ crucified, I come.
Text: Genevieve M. Irons, 1855–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 433 “Glory Be to Jesus”
1 Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!
2 Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
3 Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torment
Did the world redeem!
4 Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
5 Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
6 Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!
Text: Italian, c. 18th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 17, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
ON WEDNESDAY, we will have our last Lenten soup supper at 6 p.m. and a service at 7 p.m. There is a signup sheet for the soup supper on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if need more info.
OUR COMMUNITY EASTER EVENT, “Hoppin’ Down the Bunny Trail,” is Saturday, March 30th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Candy and monetary gifts are appreciated. There is a box for the candy in the Fellowship Room. Please give any monetary gifts to Barb Whitley. If you would like to help with the event, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin Board in the Fellowship Room.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 17, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 616 “Baptismal Waters Cover Me”
1 Baptismal waters cover me
As I approach on bended knee;
My Father’s mercy here I plead,
For grievous sins of thought and deed.
2 I look to Christ upon the tree,
His body broken there for me;
I lay before Him all my sin,
My darkest secrets from within.
3 Lord, may Your wounded hand impart
Your healing to my broken heart;
Your love alone can form in me
A heart that serves You joyfully.
4 From Your own mouth comes forth a word;
Your shepherd speaks, but You are heard;
Through him Your hand now stretches out,
Forgiving sin, destroying doubt.
5 Baptismal waters cover me;
Christ’s wounded hand has set me free.
Held in my Father’s strong embrace,
With joy I praise Him for His grace.
Text: Kurt E. Reinhardt, 1969
Text: © 2003 Kurt E. Reinhardt. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken]O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 31:31–34
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 31.
31“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Hebrews 5:1–10
L A reading from Hebrews, chapter 5.
1Every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. 3Because of this he is obligated to offer sacrifice for his own sins just as he does for those of the people. 4And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was.
5So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him,
“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”;
6as he says also in another place,
“You are a priest forever,
after the order of Melchizedek.”
7In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 10:35–45
L A reading from Mark, chapter 10.
35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to [Jesus] and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Lent)
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 430 “My Song Is Love Unknown”
1 My song is love unknown,
My Savior’s love to me,
Love to the loveless shown
That they might lovely be.
Oh, who am I
That for my sake
My Lord should take
Frail flesh and die?
2 He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know.
But, oh, my friend,
My friend indeed,
Who at my need
His life did spend!
3 Sometimes they strew His way
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King.
Then “Crucify!”
Is all their breath,
And for His death
They thirst and cry.
4 Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight.
Sweet injuries!
Yet they at these
Themselves displease
And ’gainst Him rise.
5 They rise and needs will have
My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save,
The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He
To suff’ring goes
That He His foes
From thence might free.
6 In life no house, no home
My Lord on earth might have;
In death no friendly tomb
But what a stranger gave.
What may I say?
Heav’n was His home
But mine the tomb
Wherein He lay.
7 Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine!
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.
This is my friend,
In whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend!
Text: Samuel Crossman, c. 1624–1683
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Cup” Mark 10:35-45
The Cup – Mark 10:35-45
You have often heard me say that Peter is often the one who says out loud what all the disciples are thinking. Today’s Gospel demonstrates that Peter is not the only disciple who doesn’t get it. A few weeks ago, we heard Peter stick his foot into his mouth. Jesus was explaining that, as the Christ, He was to go to Jerusalem, get arrested, suffer, die, and rise from the dead. Peter thought it was his responsibility to scold Jesus for such silly talk. It was then that Jesus scolded Peter and said, “Get behind me Satan!” (Mark 8:33)
This time, it is James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, who demonstrate that they don’t get it. Jesus is all about His suffering, death, and resurrection, and James and John respond with a request for power. They said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” (Mark 10:37) Have they been listening? Jesus has told them about His glory. “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:33-34) The way of glory goes through suffering and death on a cross, but these two disciples are not paying attention. They are not getting it.
Jesus said as much. He flat out told them, “You do not know what you are asking.” (Mark 10:38) James and John were thinking that glory meant power and honor, but Jesus knew that it meant suffering and shame. The glory of God totally contradicts the glory of this world.
Jesus then went on to instruct these disciples using the metaphors of the cup and baptism. Jesus said to them, “… Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (Mark 10:38)
The Cup is a Biblical metaphor that can stand for all kinds of things. “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:5) “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” (Psalm 16:5) “What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.” (Psalm 116:12–14)
Of course a cup does not always contain good things. “Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalm 11:6) “For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed, and he pours out from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.” (Psalm 75:8) “You have gone the way of your sister; therefore I will give her cup into your hand. Thus says the Lord God: ‘You shall drink your sister’s cup that is deep and large; you shall be laughed at and held in derision, for it contains much; you will be filled with drunkenness and sorrow; a cup of horror and desolation, the cup of your sister Samaria.’” (Ezekiel 23:31–33)
We learn exactly what kind of cup Jesus speaks of when we hear the words of His prayer in Gethsemane. He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:36) So Jesus was asking James and John, “Can you drink the cup of suffering and crucifixion with me?”
Jesus also used the word “baptism” as a metaphor. The way He used the word indicates that this is a future baptism. It is not the baptism of John in the Jordan. When we look at the context, we see that He is using baptism in the way we use it when we say the phrase “Baptism of Fire.” Within the context of this sentence, the word baptism is also a metaphor for His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. Once again, Jesus was asking James and John, “Can you endure the baptism of suffering and crucifixion with me?”
The answer that James and John gave to Jesus question was astonishing. Jesus basically asked them if they were able to endure suffering and crucifixion with Him, and they said to him, “We are able.” (Mark 10:39) I have to think that they were utterly clueless.
Jesus’ reply is equally amazing. Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized …” (Mark 10:39) Indeed James, John, and all the apostles joined Jesus in suffering. Except for Judas the betrayer, all the apostles spent time in prison for their faith. The Bible tells us that James was the first of the apostles to die for his faith. About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword. (Acts 12:1–2) Although John died of natural causes, church tradition indicates that his enemies tried to poison him and boil him in oil. The apostles did indeed drink the cup of suffering and death while they lived here on this earth. Millions of martyrs have drunk of this cup down through the centuries. Even now many Christians are drinking the cup of suffering at the hands of the Islamic State and other terrorist groups.
Jesus then continued, “… but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” (Mark 10:39) Jesus told the disciples that they would suffer for their faith, but those who were to be at His right and left were already chosen as we read in the account of the crucifixion: “And it was the third hour when they crucified him. And the inscription of the charge against him read, ‘The King of the Jews.’ And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.” (Mark 15:25–27) All we know about the two men who sat with Jesus when He came into his glory is that they were criminals. We do not even know their names. James and John, in their ignorance, were asking to take the role of these two criminals. They just don’t get it.
The other ten disciples didn’t get it either. Our reading tells us that the other ten were just as self-centered. “When the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.” (Mark 10:41) All twelve disciples struggled to make themselves the most important in their group. All twelve struggled for power.
Once again, we see that human nature hasn’t changed. People still fight over who is in charge … who has the most power. It is just as the Holy Spirit inspired James to write: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:1–3) These words accurately describe the little dictator inside of each and every one of us … the little dictator who wants to be in charge … the little dictator who wants to give the orders.
Fortunately for James and John, and you and me, Jesus does not have a problem with His role as servant and slave. Jesus did not just instruct us to serve one another, but He Himself is the ultimate servant. He continued to teach His disciples in spite of their stubbornness and He said, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Even though we don’t serve as we should – even though we don’t adopt the role of slave as Jesus commands, Jesus still became the perfect servant for us. “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:8) In Jesus Christ we see the glory of victory in the agony of the cross. We see him who for a little while was “made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9)
Early in today’s reading from the Gospel, we heard Jesus tell the disciples that He would not only serve with His suffering and death, but that He would also serve by rising on the third day. His resurrection certified His perfect service – His role as perfect slave in order to offer us perfect salvation. Even though we still fight for power over others, He gives us forgiveness. He forgives our self-centered search for glory, power, and pride. He gives the salvation that He earned with His glorious victory on the cross.
Jesus still gives us a cup to drink and a baptism with which to be baptized. Because He offered Himself up as the perfect slave, we will not drink the cup of God’s wrath. Instead, we shall drink the cup of salvation. We shall not endure the baptism of eternal fire. Instead, we receive the baptism of water and word. We may suffer in this life, but our eternal salvation is secure in Jesus Christ, our perfect suffering servant.
We, like James and John, want glory for ourselves. We want popularity, fame, power, security, and all the other things that serve our own self-interest. This is one more symptom of the sin that is around us and in us while we live in this world.
Jesus came for a different kind of glory. He came to rescue us from this world of sin by submitting to death on a cross. He has special honor and glory because of the suffering of that death. He revealed that honor and glory with His resurrection from that death. Now He offers salvation to us through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith for He has given His life as a ransom for many. Amen.
Hymn: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church
Kyrie
C [spoken]Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday in Lent (B) - 17 March 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, pour out Your Holy Spirit and write Your Word on our hearts, that we may know You as the God who forgives our iniquities and remembers our sins no more. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, bless and sustain _____________, our Synod president; _____________, our district president; _____________, our circuit visitor; and our pastor(s), who like all flesh are beset with weakness. Grant that they would deal with us gently, and keep them faithful to proclaim Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son came not to be served but to serve. Help us not lord our authority over one another, but humbly serve one another in our homes, communities and congregation as Christ has so humbly served us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, look with mercy on _____________ and all earthly authorities. Guard them from the temptation to wield earthly power improperly. Lead them to serve faithfully according to Your good and gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as Your only begotten Son learned obedience though what He suffered, we pray that You would instruct, bless and relieve Your servants [including _____________]. Sustain them as they walk the way of the cross with Your Son, that they may know the fullness of His eternal salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son stands before You as our great High Priest. By Your Spirit, prepare our hearts to worthily receive the body and blood of our Savior, who was sacrificed for us on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
857 “Lord, Help Us Walk Your Servant Way”
1 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
2 You came to earth, O Christ, as Lord,
But pow’r You laid aside.
You lived Your years in servanthood;
In lowliness You died.
3 No golden scepter but a towel
You place within the hands
Of those who seek to follow You
And live by Your commands.
4 You bid us bend our human pride
Nor count ourselves above
The lowest place, the meanest task
That waits the gift of love.
5 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
560 “Drawn to the Cross, Which Thou Hast Blessed”
1 Drawn to the cross, which Thou hast blessed
With healing gifts for souls distressed,
To find in Thee my life, my rest,
Christ crucified, I come.
2 Thou knowest all my griefs and fears,
Thy grace abused, my misspent years;
Yet now to Thee with contrite tears,
Christ crucified, I come.
3 Wash me and take away each stain;
Let nothing of my sin remain.
For cleansing, though it be through pain,
Christ crucified, I come.
4 And then for work to do for Thee,
Which shall so sweet a service be
That angels well might envy me,
Christ crucified, I come.
Text: Genevieve M. Irons, 1855–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, by Your great goodness mercifully look upon Your people that we may be governed and preserved evermore in body and soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 433 “Glory Be to Jesus”
1 Glory be to Jesus,
Who in bitter pains
Poured for me the lifeblood
From His sacred veins!
2 Grace and life eternal
In that blood I find;
Blest be His compassion,
Infinitely kind!
3 Blest through endless ages
Be the precious stream
Which from endless torment
Did the world redeem!
4 Abel’s blood for vengeance
Pleaded to the skies;
But the blood of Jesus
For our pardon cries.
5 Oft as earth exulting
Wafts its praise on high,
Angel hosts rejoicing
Make their glad reply.
6 Lift we, then, our voices,
Swell the mighty flood;
Louder still and louder
Praise the precious blood!
Text: Italian, c. 18th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Voters’ Meeting and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 10, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be two remaining soup suppers: March 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 10, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 915 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”
1 Today Your mercy calls us
To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
And make us clean today.
2 Today Your gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv’n,
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav’n.
3 Today our Father calls us;
His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessèd angels gather
Around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
It is our Father’s home.
4 O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You
When heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.
Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 27:1, 3–5
P The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Numbers 21:4–9
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 107:19, 1–9
1Oh give thanks to the Lord, for | he is good,*
for his steadfast love endures for- | ever!
2Let the redeemed of the Lord | say so,*
whom he has redeemed from | trouble
3and gathered in | from the lands,*
from the east and from the west,
from the north and | from the south.
4Some wandered in | desert wastes,*
finding no way to a city to | dwell in;
5hungry and | thirsty,*
their soul fainted with- | in them.
6Then they cried to the Lord in their | trouble,*
and he delivered them from | their distress.
7He led them by a | straight way*
till they reached a city to | dwell in.
8Let them thank the Lord for his | steadfast love,*
for his wondrous works to the chil- | dren of men!
9For he satisfies the | longing soul,*
and the hungry soul he fills | with good things.
Epistle Ephesians 2:1–10
1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel John 3:14–21
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the third chapter.
14[Jesus said:] “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 571“God Loved the World So That He Gave”
1 God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
2 Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.
3 God would not have the sinner die;
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.
4 Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins which you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.
5 If you are sick, if death is near,
This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves your soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.
D 6 Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
Text: Heiliges Lippen- und Hertzens-Opffer, c. 1778, Stettin; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Gospel on a Pole” John 3:14-21
The Gospel on a Pole – John 3:14-21
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That, of course, is John 3:16, a verse you all know. Why is that? Because it sums up the good news of Christ so succinctly. John 3:16 is often called “the gospel in a nutshell.” But today, instead of the nutshell, this morning we’re going to be looking at the verses right before it, what we may wish to call, “The Gospel on a Pole.”
The gospel on a pole? What’s that? Well, what I’m referring to is the account mentioned in verses 14 and 15, where Jesus says, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” So the story is hanging on a pole. And in both the Old Testament and the New, what God lifts up on a pole means salvation for God’s people.
Jesus’ words take us back to the incident you heard about in the Old Testament Reading for today, from Numbers 21. Israel had come out of Egypt, and now they are wandering in the wilderness. As they were wont to do, the Israelites start grumbling against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” The Israelites are complaining, saying they would rather go back to the slavery they experienced in Egypt than to have to travel through the desert like this to get to the Promised Land. They were sick of the “meals ready to eat” that the Lord was providing for them. Every day it was manna on the menu. Manna waffles. Manna burgers. Bamanna bread. Same old, same old, every day. So they groused and grumbled and complained.
But this was manna sent from heaven. The Lord was providing for them, keeping them alive through the wilderness. They had to trust God to provide for them on a daily basis. They had to trust God to be faithful and to lead them eventually into the land he had promised. But the people of Israel did not fear, love, and trust in God above all things. And so they grumbled. They grumbled against Moses. But since Moses was simply God’s servant, doing what the Lord had told him to do, in effect they were grumbling against God.
Do we do this, my friends? Grumble against God on our way to the Promised Land? Complain about how difficult we have it? Complain about God’s provision, or lack thereof, as we perceive it? Then we are no better than the Israelites, and our lack of trust in God is exposed.
This lack of trust in God and his goodness, the idea that God is somehow holding out on us, this is the essence of what sin is. It goes back a long way, even before the time of the Israelites in the wilderness. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the garden–they thought God was holding out on them. The serpent tempted them to doubt God, to doubt God’s word, to doubt his goodness. You know how that turned out. Adam and Eve fell into sin, and with sin came the curse of death. And the rest is history. We’ve all been doing the same thing ever since.
And Israel–the Lord had taken them to himself to be his own people. But they too failed to trust in God. They too fell into sin. And with sin came death. The Lord sent poisonous snakes among them. The snakes bit them, and they began to die. Notice the instrument of death here: snakes, serpents, just like the serpent in the garden that had first tempted man to sin. The Lord here is drawing the connection between sin and death, the sin of failing to trust in God and the consequence of death that follows as a result. And that is all you and I would have to look forward to, if that were all there was to the story. We too are sinners, grumblers against God, people who do not trust God as we ought. And the wages of sin is death.
But there is more to the story, thank God! And the story is hanging on a pole. Judgment and punishment and condemnation–as just and as well-deserved as that judgment is–that is not all there is. There is also God’s unmerited mercy and grace and love. And out of that great love, God provided a way of escape, a way of salvation. And he hung it on a pole. “Make a snake and put it up on a pole,” the Lord told Moses. “Everyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” This bronze snake, a symbol of the very sin that literally was killing them, became the means God provided for their healing. To look to that bronze serpent, lifted up on a pole, was to see and receive the salvation the Lord in his mercy had bestowed.
And that is the comparison Jesus makes in our text: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” What happened with that snake on a pole would be replayed in an even greater fashion. Jesus himself must be lifted up, as the means of an even greater salvation. And this story, too, is hanging on a pole.
The whole world–not just the children of Israel, but the whole world, including us–we were sick and dying, as we lay there grumbling against God, doubting his goodness, shaking our fist at God. That is the world’s natural state, our lost condition. We “were dead in our trespasses and sins,” as Ephesians says. But God, being rich in mercy and love, provided the way of escape, the way of salvation. Just as that bronze snake, the very sign of the sin and death that was killing the Israelites, became the very means of their healing, so in the same way Christ Jesus took the sin that was killing us–he literally embodied it–and thus became the means of our healing and salvation. Jesus literally embodied sin. Let me repeat that; it may sound shocking: Jesus literally embodied sin. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,” St. Peter says in his epistle. St. Paul says it even more starkly in Corinthians: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus became sin for us. He literally took it all in. And Jesus did this by being “lifted up.”
Now one might think of Jesus being “lifted up” in terms of his being “lifted up” in glory–being exalted, being highly honored. But not here. When Jesus says of himself, “the Son of Man must be lifted up,” he is talking about his being lifted up on the cross–being lifted up in shame, being lifted up to die. In the strange paradox that is the gospel, Christ is glorified precisely by dying on a cross. Christ is lifted up–and consequently God’s grace and mercy and love are lifted up, glorified–by Jesus literally being lifted up, that is, being hoisted in the air, on the tree of the cross. The story is hanging on a pole.
Dear friends, look to that pole, look to the cross, for your healing! Here is your only hope, Christ hanging on that cross! God has provided for your salvation–indeed, the salvation of the whole world! Look to Jesus, your crucified Savior, in faith. This is what it is to believe. And this is no great work you are doing. This is no new demand, as though, well, you couldn’t keep the Ten Commandments, but now you’ve really got to meet this new requirement and make your decision for Jesus, and it’s all up to you. No. Faith is not some new demand. It’s simply receiving the gift that God gives.
Ephesians puts it like this: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). You see, even your faith is part of the gift. This whole “being saved by grace through faith” thing–the whole thing, the whole package, comes from God. Your believing is no great accomplishment on your part. It’s just receiving what God freely gives you. It’s like you learned in the Catechism: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel,” and so on. Friends, we were helpless and hopeless and dead, by nature children of wrath. But God in his mercy made us alive together with Christ. Faith, then, believing, is simply receiving. All the glory goes to God.
Yes, look in faith to that pole, look to the cross, where your Savior is lifted up! He is lifted up, “that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” This is more than a snakebite you’re being cured of. You’re being given eternal life! And “eternal” life is more than just this same current existence stretched out for a bazillion years. No, it’s not just more of the same–the same old sorrows and miseries that characterize life in this vale of tears. Eternal life is not just a matter of quantity; it’s a matter of quality. Eternal life is new life, life with God, life restored to how it ought to be, life with no more sorrows or misery or separation or sin or death. Eternal life is the new life found only in Christ, and it lasts forever. It is life that will characterize the age to come, when Christ returns in glory and leads his people home, at home in the promised land of the kingdom of heaven.
And yet it begins even now. We have this eternal life now, all you who are baptized into Christ and believe in his name. You have eternal life already now, and death will not stop it. Christ died the Big Death for you; that’s already taken place. And Jesus rose from the dead, rose from the grave never to die again, because death could not hold him. Brothers and sisters, you were joined to Christ in Holy Baptism. You have already died and arisen with Christ. So now you are already in “eternal life,” believe it or not. No, wait, just believe it! It’s true!
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” In its own way, this passage, John 3:14-15 expresses the good news of salvation just as well as John 3:16. It’s not the gospel in a nutshell, but it comes pretty close. It’s the gospel hanging on a pole. And here’s what it tells you: Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross for you and for all the other snakebit sinners of the world. Look to him, look to Jesus in faith and be saved. Believe in his name and you have eternal life. Beloved, it is this “gospel on a pole” that will lift you up all the way to heaven!
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday in Lent (B) - 10 March 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord God, draw us into Your light. Expose wherever we, like Your people of old, have thought, spoken and acted against You, that in repentance we might look to Your Son lifted up on the cross and be saved from Your righteous wrath. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You gave Your only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Bless the work of missionaries as they carry this Gospel to the ends of the earth, that many may hear of Your love in Christ Jesus and be saved through Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have set _____________, our president, and _____________, our governor, as authorities over us for our good. Bless and sustain them with all they need to govern us, that we might be ruled wisely and in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You had Moses lift up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, thereby foreshadowing Your own Son’s lifting up on the cross. Teach us to hear in the Old Testament the promises and pictures of the coming Christ, who is their Savior and ours. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You are our light and our salvation. Hide in Your shelter [_____________ and] all who suffer in body, mind or soul. Keep them in their day of trouble from falling into faithless fear, and uphold them with Your peace in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, whose steadfast love endures forever, we lift up our voices in thanksgiving. You have redeemed us out of trouble and gathered us here to feed us, that our souls may not faint within us. Satisfy the longing of our hearts with Your Son’s good things, His body and blood, that we may abide in Your eternal peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, You have made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Cause Your Spirit to be at work in us, that we may not carry out the sinful desires of our bodies and minds, but be Your workmanship in Christ Jesus, walking in the good works He has prepared for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
542 “When I Behold Jesus Christ”
1 When I behold Jesus Christ,
True God who died for me,
I wonder much at His love
As He hung on the tree. Refrain
ref What kind of love is this?
What kind of love is this?
You showed Your love, Jesus, there
To me on Calvary.
What kind of love is this?
What kind of love is this?
You showed Your love, Jesus, there
To me on Calvary.
2 For me You gave all Your love,
For me You suffered pain;
I find no words, nothing can
Your selflessness explain. Refrain
3 You had no sin, holy Lord,
But You were tortured, tried;
On Golgotha there for all
My sins You bled and died. Refrain
4 What love is this? Greater love
No one has ever known.
My life with God— this I owe
To You, and You alone. Refrain
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): tr. Hartmut Schoenherr, with Jim and Aurelia Keefer; (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): Almaz Belhu; (st. 4): Joseph Herl, 1959
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): © 1970 Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus; (st. 4): © 1998 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
580 “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace”
1 The Gospel shows the Father’s grace,
Who sent His Son to save our race,
Proclaims how Jesus lived and died
That we might thus be justified.
2 It sets the Lamb before our eyes,
Who made the_atoning sacrifice,
And calls the souls with guilt oppressed
To come and find eternal rest.
3 It brings the Savior’s righteousness
To robe our souls in royal dress;
From all our guilt it brings release
And gives the troubled conscience peace.
4 It is the pow’r of God to save
From sin and Satan and the grave;
It works the faith which firmly clings
To all the treasures which it brings.
5 It bears to all the tidings glad
And bids their hearts no more be sad;
The weary, burdened souls it cheers
And banishes their guilty fears.
6 May we in faith its message learn
Nor thanklessly its blessings spurn;
May we in faith its truth confess
And praise the Lord, our righteousness.
Text: Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday in Lent – March 10, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be two remaining soup suppers: March 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board. Please speak with Randy Peeters if need more info.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe.
ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH at 11 a.m., there will be a memorial service for Robert Haase.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 10, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 915 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”
1 Today Your mercy calls us
To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
And make us clean today.
2 Today Your gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv’n,
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav’n.
3 Today our Father calls us;
His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessèd angels gather
Around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
It is our Father’s home.
4 O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You
When heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.
Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 27:1, 3–5
P The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Your mercies are new every morning; and though we deserve only punishment, You receive us as Your children and provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant that we may heartily acknowledge Your merciful goodness, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Numbers 21:4–9
4From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom. And the people became impatient on the way. 5And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food.” 6Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7And the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 107:19, 1–9
1Oh give thanks to the Lord, for | he is good,*
for his steadfast love endures for- | ever!
2Let the redeemed of the Lord | say so,*
whom he has redeemed from | trouble
3and gathered in | from the lands,*
from the east and from the west,
from the north and | from the south.
4Some wandered in | desert wastes,*
finding no way to a city to | dwell in;
5hungry and | thirsty,*
their soul fainted with- | in them.
6Then they cried to the Lord in their | trouble,*
and he delivered them from | their distress.
7He led them by a | straight way*
till they reached a city to | dwell in.
8Let them thank the Lord for his | steadfast love,*
for his wondrous works to the chil- | dren of men!
9For he satisfies the | longing soul,*
and the hungry soul he fills | with good things.
Epistle Ephesians 2:1–10
1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel John 3:14–21
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the third chapter.
14[Jesus said:] “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 571“God Loved the World So That He Gave”
1 God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
2 Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.
3 God would not have the sinner die;
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.
4 Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins which you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.
5 If you are sick, if death is near,
This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves your soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.
D 6 Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
Text: Heiliges Lippen- und Hertzens-Opffer, c. 1778, Stettin; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Gospel on a Pole” John 3:14-21
The Gospel on a Pole – John 3:14-21
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That, of course, is John 3:16, a verse you all know. Why is that? Because it sums up the good news of Christ so succinctly. John 3:16 is often called “the gospel in a nutshell.” But today, instead of the nutshell, this morning we’re going to be looking at the verses right before it, what we may wish to call, “The Gospel on a Pole.”
The gospel on a pole? What’s that? Well, what I’m referring to is the account mentioned in verses 14 and 15, where Jesus says, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” So the story is hanging on a pole. And in both the Old Testament and the New, what God lifts up on a pole means salvation for God’s people.
Jesus’ words take us back to the incident you heard about in the Old Testament Reading for today, from Numbers 21. Israel had come out of Egypt, and now they are wandering in the wilderness. As they were wont to do, the Israelites start grumbling against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!” The Israelites are complaining, saying they would rather go back to the slavery they experienced in Egypt than to have to travel through the desert like this to get to the Promised Land. They were sick of the “meals ready to eat” that the Lord was providing for them. Every day it was manna on the menu. Manna waffles. Manna burgers. Bamanna bread. Same old, same old, every day. So they groused and grumbled and complained.
But this was manna sent from heaven. The Lord was providing for them, keeping them alive through the wilderness. They had to trust God to provide for them on a daily basis. They had to trust God to be faithful and to lead them eventually into the land he had promised. But the people of Israel did not fear, love, and trust in God above all things. And so they grumbled. They grumbled against Moses. But since Moses was simply God’s servant, doing what the Lord had told him to do, in effect they were grumbling against God.
Do we do this, my friends? Grumble against God on our way to the Promised Land? Complain about how difficult we have it? Complain about God’s provision, or lack thereof, as we perceive it? Then we are no better than the Israelites, and our lack of trust in God is exposed.
This lack of trust in God and his goodness, the idea that God is somehow holding out on us, this is the essence of what sin is. It goes back a long way, even before the time of the Israelites in the wilderness. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, in the garden–they thought God was holding out on them. The serpent tempted them to doubt God, to doubt God’s word, to doubt his goodness. You know how that turned out. Adam and Eve fell into sin, and with sin came the curse of death. And the rest is history. We’ve all been doing the same thing ever since.
And Israel–the Lord had taken them to himself to be his own people. But they too failed to trust in God. They too fell into sin. And with sin came death. The Lord sent poisonous snakes among them. The snakes bit them, and they began to die. Notice the instrument of death here: snakes, serpents, just like the serpent in the garden that had first tempted man to sin. The Lord here is drawing the connection between sin and death, the sin of failing to trust in God and the consequence of death that follows as a result. And that is all you and I would have to look forward to, if that were all there was to the story. We too are sinners, grumblers against God, people who do not trust God as we ought. And the wages of sin is death.
But there is more to the story, thank God! And the story is hanging on a pole. Judgment and punishment and condemnation–as just and as well-deserved as that judgment is–that is not all there is. There is also God’s unmerited mercy and grace and love. And out of that great love, God provided a way of escape, a way of salvation. And he hung it on a pole. “Make a snake and put it up on a pole,” the Lord told Moses. “Everyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” This bronze snake, a symbol of the very sin that literally was killing them, became the means God provided for their healing. To look to that bronze serpent, lifted up on a pole, was to see and receive the salvation the Lord in his mercy had bestowed.
And that is the comparison Jesus makes in our text: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” What happened with that snake on a pole would be replayed in an even greater fashion. Jesus himself must be lifted up, as the means of an even greater salvation. And this story, too, is hanging on a pole.
The whole world–not just the children of Israel, but the whole world, including us–we were sick and dying, as we lay there grumbling against God, doubting his goodness, shaking our fist at God. That is the world’s natural state, our lost condition. We “were dead in our trespasses and sins,” as Ephesians says. But God, being rich in mercy and love, provided the way of escape, the way of salvation. Just as that bronze snake, the very sign of the sin and death that was killing the Israelites, became the very means of their healing, so in the same way Christ Jesus took the sin that was killing us–he literally embodied it–and thus became the means of our healing and salvation. Jesus literally embodied sin. Let me repeat that; it may sound shocking: Jesus literally embodied sin. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,” St. Peter says in his epistle. St. Paul says it even more starkly in Corinthians: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus became sin for us. He literally took it all in. And Jesus did this by being “lifted up.”
Now one might think of Jesus being “lifted up” in terms of his being “lifted up” in glory–being exalted, being highly honored. But not here. When Jesus says of himself, “the Son of Man must be lifted up,” he is talking about his being lifted up on the cross–being lifted up in shame, being lifted up to die. In the strange paradox that is the gospel, Christ is glorified precisely by dying on a cross. Christ is lifted up–and consequently God’s grace and mercy and love are lifted up, glorified–by Jesus literally being lifted up, that is, being hoisted in the air, on the tree of the cross. The story is hanging on a pole.
Dear friends, look to that pole, look to the cross, for your healing! Here is your only hope, Christ hanging on that cross! God has provided for your salvation–indeed, the salvation of the whole world! Look to Jesus, your crucified Savior, in faith. This is what it is to believe. And this is no great work you are doing. This is no new demand, as though, well, you couldn’t keep the Ten Commandments, but now you’ve really got to meet this new requirement and make your decision for Jesus, and it’s all up to you. No. Faith is not some new demand. It’s simply receiving the gift that God gives.
Ephesians puts it like this: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). You see, even your faith is part of the gift. This whole “being saved by grace through faith” thing–the whole thing, the whole package, comes from God. Your believing is no great accomplishment on your part. It’s just receiving what God freely gives you. It’s like you learned in the Catechism: “I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel,” and so on. Friends, we were helpless and hopeless and dead, by nature children of wrath. But God in his mercy made us alive together with Christ. Faith, then, believing, is simply receiving. All the glory goes to God.
Yes, look in faith to that pole, look to the cross, where your Savior is lifted up! He is lifted up, “that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” This is more than a snakebite you’re being cured of. You’re being given eternal life! And “eternal” life is more than just this same current existence stretched out for a bazillion years. No, it’s not just more of the same–the same old sorrows and miseries that characterize life in this vale of tears. Eternal life is not just a matter of quantity; it’s a matter of quality. Eternal life is new life, life with God, life restored to how it ought to be, life with no more sorrows or misery or separation or sin or death. Eternal life is the new life found only in Christ, and it lasts forever. It is life that will characterize the age to come, when Christ returns in glory and leads his people home, at home in the promised land of the kingdom of heaven.
And yet it begins even now. We have this eternal life now, all you who are baptized into Christ and believe in his name. You have eternal life already now, and death will not stop it. Christ died the Big Death for you; that’s already taken place. And Jesus rose from the dead, rose from the grave never to die again, because death could not hold him. Brothers and sisters, you were joined to Christ in Holy Baptism. You have already died and arisen with Christ. So now you are already in “eternal life,” believe it or not. No, wait, just believe it! It’s true!
“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” In its own way, this passage, John 3:14-15 expresses the good news of salvation just as well as John 3:16. It’s not the gospel in a nutshell, but it comes pretty close. It’s the gospel hanging on a pole. And here’s what it tells you: Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross for you and for all the other snakebit sinners of the world. Look to him, look to Jesus in faith and be saved. Believe in his name and you have eternal life. Beloved, it is this “gospel on a pole” that will lift you up all the way to heaven!
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday in Lent (B) - 10 March 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord God, draw us into Your light. Expose wherever we, like Your people of old, have thought, spoken and acted against You, that in repentance we might look to Your Son lifted up on the cross and be saved from Your righteous wrath. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You gave Your only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Bless the work of missionaries as they carry this Gospel to the ends of the earth, that many may hear of Your love in Christ Jesus and be saved through Him. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have set _____________, our president, and _____________, our governor, as authorities over us for our good. Bless and sustain them with all they need to govern us, that we might be ruled wisely and in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You had Moses lift up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, thereby foreshadowing Your own Son’s lifting up on the cross. Teach us to hear in the Old Testament the promises and pictures of the coming Christ, who is their Savior and ours. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You are our light and our salvation. Hide in Your shelter [_____________ and] all who suffer in body, mind or soul. Keep them in their day of trouble from falling into faithless fear, and uphold them with Your peace in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, whose steadfast love endures forever, we lift up our voices in thanksgiving. You have redeemed us out of trouble and gathered us here to feed us, that our souls may not faint within us. Satisfy the longing of our hearts with Your Son’s good things, His body and blood, that we may abide in Your eternal peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, You have made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Cause Your Spirit to be at work in us, that we may not carry out the sinful desires of our bodies and minds, but be Your workmanship in Christ Jesus, walking in the good works He has prepared for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
542 “When I Behold Jesus Christ”
1 When I behold Jesus Christ,
True God who died for me,
I wonder much at His love
As He hung on the tree. Refrain
ref What kind of love is this?
What kind of love is this?
You showed Your love, Jesus, there
To me on Calvary.
What kind of love is this?
What kind of love is this?
You showed Your love, Jesus, there
To me on Calvary.
2 For me You gave all Your love,
For me You suffered pain;
I find no words, nothing can
Your selflessness explain. Refrain
3 You had no sin, holy Lord,
But You were tortured, tried;
On Golgotha there for all
My sins You bled and died. Refrain
4 What love is this? Greater love
No one has ever known.
My life with God— this I owe
To You, and You alone. Refrain
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): tr. Hartmut Schoenherr, with Jim and Aurelia Keefer; (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): Almaz Belhu; (st. 4): Joseph Herl, 1959
Text (sts. 1, ref, 2–3): © 1970 Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus; (st. 4): © 1998 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
580 “The Gospel Shows the Father’s Grace”
1 The Gospel shows the Father’s grace,
Who sent His Son to save our race,
Proclaims how Jesus lived and died
That we might thus be justified.
2 It sets the Lamb before our eyes,
Who made the_atoning sacrifice,
And calls the souls with guilt oppressed
To come and find eternal rest.
3 It brings the Savior’s righteousness
To robe our souls in royal dress;
From all our guilt it brings release
And gives the troubled conscience peace.
4 It is the pow’r of God to save
From sin and Satan and the grave;
It works the faith which firmly clings
To all the treasures which it brings.
5 It bears to all the tidings glad
And bids their hearts no more be sad;
The weary, burdened souls it cheers
And banishes their guilty fears.
6 May we in faith its message learn
Nor thanklessly its blessings spurn;
May we in faith its truth confess
And praise the Lord, our righteousness.
Text: Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 918 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer”
1 Guide me, O Thou great Redeemer,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.
2 Open now the crystal fountain
Whence the healing stream doth flow;
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong deliv’rer, strong deliv’rer,
Be Thou still my strength and shield;
Be Thou still my strength and shield.
3 When I tread the verge of Jordan,
Bid my anxious fears subside;
Death of death and hell’s destruction,
Land me safe on Canaan’s side.
Songs of praises, songs of praises
I will ever give to Thee;
I will ever give to Thee.
Text: William Williams, 1717–91, abr.; (st. 1): tr. Peter Williams, 1722–96, alt.; (sts. 2–3): tr. William Williams, 1717–91
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Lent – March 3, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be three remaining soup suppers: March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
IF WE DON’T have a photo of you for the new church photo directory, please see Randy Peeters. He will take your photo and include it in the directory which is posted on the church bulletin board.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board—a River Cats game, and trip to Rail Town. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you have any questions.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Third Sunday in Lent
March 3, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 429 “We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died”
1 We sing the praise of Him who died,
Of Him who died upon the cross.
The sinner’s hope let all deride;
For this we count the world but loss.
2 Inscribed upon the cross we see
In shining letters, “God is love.”
He bears our sins upon the tree;
He brings us mercy from above.
3 The cross! It takes our guilt away;
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day
And sweetens ev’ry bitter cup.
4 It makes the coward spirit brave
And nerves the feeble arm for fight;
It takes the terror from the grave
And gilds the bed of death with light;
5 The balm of life, the cure of woe,
The measure and the pledge of love,
The sinner’s refuge here below,
The angels’ theme in heav’n above.
6 To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.
Text (sts. 1–5): Thomas Kelly, 1769–1855; (st. 6): Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 69:9, 14–16
P For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swal- low me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 20:1–17
1And God spoke all these words, saying,
2“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3“You shall have no other gods before me.
4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13“You shall not murder.
14“You shall not commit adultery.
15“You shall not steal.
16“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 19: 7-11, 14
7The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviv- | ing the soul;*
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the | simple;
8the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing | the heart;*
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening | the eyes;
9the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring for- | ever;*
the just decrees of the Lord are true,
and righteous alto- | gether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
even | much fine gold;*
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the | honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is your | servant warned;*
in keeping them there is | great reward.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable | in your sight,*
O Lord, my rock and my re- | deemer.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 1:18–31
18The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel John 2:13–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 530 “No Temple Now, No Gift of Price”
[Note: We will sing using a different melody.]
1 No temple now, no gift of price,
No priestly round of sacrifice,
Retain their ancient pow’rs.
As shadows fade before the sun
The day of sacrifice is done,
The day of grace is ours.
2 The dying Lord our ransom paid,
One final full self-off’ring made,
Complete in ev’ry part.
His finished sacrifice for sins
The covenant of grace begins,
The law within the heart.
3 In faith and confidence draw near,
Within the holiest appear,
With all who praise and pray;
Who share one family, one feast,
One great imperishable Priest,
One new and living way.
4 For Christ is ours! With purpose true
The pilgrim path of faith pursue,
The road that Jesus trod;
Until by His prevailing grace
We stand at last before His face,
Our Savior and our God.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Spring Cleaning” John 2:13-22
Spring House Cleaning – John 2:13-22
If we are not very careful, it can seem as though Jesus is two different people. In last week's Gospel Jesus [Mark 8:33] rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." At another time, He went on a rant against the scribes and Pharisees. Among other things, He called them children of hell, blind fools, white-washed tombs full of dead men's bones, serpents, vipers, and murderers. (Matthew 23) Now, in today's Gospel, we read about Jesus braiding a whip and driving the merchants out of the temple.
In contrast to this Jesus there is the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount - the Jesus who taught, [Matthew 5:38-45] "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
On the one hand, today's Gospel seems to show us a Rambo Jesus who wants to cause chaos in the temple. Then, on the other hand, the teachings from the Sermon on the Mount seem to show us a Mahatma Gandhi Jesus who just wants everyone to get along. We can get really confused about Jesus, His teachings, and His work if we are not careful to understand what is happening here. A little background information will help us understand the reason that Jesus became angry.
There was a special place on the temple grounds called the "Court of the Gentiles." While there were many places in the temple that were off limits to the gentile, one area of the temple was set aside for the gentile. Anyone who loved God, regardless of His origin, could come to the Court of the Gentiles and worship God.
At the dedication of the first temple, Solomon prayed these words: [2 Chronicles 6:32-33] "When a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.”
Isaiah wrote these words: [Isaiah 56:6-7] "The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant- these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples."
The court of the Gentiles - a place where anyone could come and find solitude and peace in the presence of God
The only thing is that, when Jesus stepped into the Court of the Gentiles, it sounded and smelled more like a sale barn than a place of solitude and peace. God's Holy House seemed more like a shopping Mall on the Day after Thanksgiving than a place for prayer and meditation. The banking and merchandizing were keeping God's gifts away from God's people.
One of the many things we can learn from the Bible is that God takes action when someone or something prevents His people from receiving His gifts. Well, Jesus is God. We should expect Jesus to take action when His people are not able to receive His gifts. Jesus spoke against the scribes and Pharisees for giving people their opinions instead of God's gifts. Jesus scolded Peter because Peter was trying to stop Jesus from giving the greatest gift of all. Jesus took action in the temple because His people were not able to receive His gifts.
When God's people are not able to receive God's gifts, Jesus responds. He takes action against those who block the gifts. Jesus warned those who would block His gifts with these words, [Mark 9:42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." Given the serious nature of this warning, we should examine ourselves on a regular basis. Have we ever prevented God's people from receiving God's gifts in God's house?
One of the saddest things in today's Gospel is the reaction of the Jewish authorities. They should have been ecstatic that Jesus cleared out the merchants and the money changers. They should never have let this situation develop in the first place. When the first vendor applied for permission to sell his wares in the temple courts, they should have said, "No!" Instead, they got angry with Jesus. How sad. Merchants were profaning the temple and they questioned the one person who was trying to set things right.
The temple authorities should have praised Jesus for making it possible for Gentiles to receive God's gifts in the temple. Instead, they began to cross examine Him. "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" Jesus responded with one of those answers that no one understood until after He rose from the dead. He answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John himself tells us that it was only after Jesus rose from the dead that the disciples understood that Jesus meant Himself when He said destroy this temple. Jesus was saying, "Destroy me and I will rise from the dead in three days." With these words, Jesus is saying, "I am the Christ, the Son of God."
Christ's words are more than a figure of speech. He is the ultimate temple. After all, the temple is the place where God makes Himself known to His people, and Jesus is God in the flesh. When Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," He was doing more than giving a sign to the temple authorities.
Jesus cleared out the temple with a whip made of cords. The words "Destroy this temple" tell us that He used something much more precious to cleanse us from sin. He allowed the authorities to abuse the temple of His body. They arrested Him, beat Him, and then nailed Him to a cross. They did everything they could to destroy the temple of His body. In this way He produced the cleansing agent that cleans away all our sin - His holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.
Jesus also said, "… in three days I will raise it up." This is the sign of the resurrection. It is in His resurrection from the dead that we have the sure and certain hope that our sins are gone. As the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts, we know that Jesus has moved into us and we are now temples of God. As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians [1 Corinthians 3:16] "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" St. Paul also wrote, [1 Corinthians 3:17] "God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." And again, He said, [1 Corinthians 6:19] "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?"
The God-man who took action to cleanse His temple made of stone has promised that He will purify His living temples. Just as He brought His temple back from the dead, so also will He come one day to raise all our temples back to life. On that day, He will give eternal life in both body and soul to all who believe in Him. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday in Lent (B) - 3 March 2024
O Lord, You are a jealous God. Save the third and fourth generations that will come after us from Your punishment. Fill us with Your Son’s zeal for Your house, that we may cast every idol from our hearts and be devoted to You and Your commandments. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son’s cross and crucifixion is folly to the world, but it is the source of repentance and forgiveness for all His elect. Preserve the preaching of the cross in our midst, that from this life-giving tree we would continually receive Your faith-preserving gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, preserve and bless all Christian households, that husbands and wives would live in love and service to each other, that fathers and mothers would diligently bring up their children in Your fear, and that children would honor their parents and be well equipped for service to their neighbors in this life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of the perfect Law, You have called us to honor our parents and all other authorities, that it may go well with us in our land. Bless _____________ and all who govern us. Make them wise in Your ways, that Your justice may be upheld among us. Help us to serve and obey them in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, Your steadfast love in Christ is good. Turn in Your abundant mercy toward all who suffer in our midst [especially _____________]. Do not let the flood sweep over them nor the pit close its mouth on them. Deliver them and grant them healing, comfort and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Rock and Redeemer, though we cannot even discern all our errors, declare us innocent in Christ of all hidden faults, and by Your Holy Spirit keep us back from presumptuous sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You bless this day and make it holy with Your Word and the gifts of Your altar. Grant that we may come before Your presence to eat Your Son’s body and blood, not boasting of ourselves, but of Christ alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Rock and Redeemer, three days after the temple of Your Son’s body was destroyed by wicked men He raised it up again. Grant that on the Last Day we and all the saints who now rest in Your presence may share in the glory of His resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
At Your command, Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain; yet, in mercy You provided a ram as a substitute. We give You thanks that on Calvary You spared not Your only Son but sent Him to offer His life as a ransom for many.
As we eat and drink His body and blood, grant us, like Abraham our father, to trust in Your promise now fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
561 “The Tree of Life”
1 The tree of life with ev’ry good
In Eden’s holy orchard stood,
And of its fruit so pure and sweet
God let the man and woman eat.
Yet in this garden also grew
Another tree, of which they knew;
Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned
Against whose eating God had warned.
2 The stillness of that sacred grove
Was broken, as the serpent strove
With tempting voice Eve to beguile
And Adam too by sin defile.
O day of sadness when the breath
Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,
Its awful poison first displayed
Within the world so newly made.
3 What mercy God showed to our race,
A plan of rescue by His grace:
In sending One from woman’s seed,
The One to fill our greatest need--
For on a tree uplifted high
His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread
To crush the ancient serpent’s head!
4 Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame
Flows life eternal in His name;
For all who trust and will believe,
Salvation’s living fruit receive.
And of this fruit so pure and sweet
The Lord invites the world to eat,
To find within this cross of wood
The tree of life with ev’ry good.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1993 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
581 “These Are the Holy Ten Commands”
1 These are the holy Ten Commands
God gave to us by Moses’ hands
When high on Sinai’s mount he stood,
Receiving them for our good.
Have mercy, Lord!
2 “I am alone your God, the Lord;
No other gods shall be adored.
But you shall fully trust in Me
And love Me wholeheartedly.”
Have mercy, Lord!
3 “Do not My holy name disgrace,
Do not My Word of truth debase.
Praise only that as good and true
Which I Myself say and do.”
Have mercy, Lord!
4 “You shall observe the worship day
That peace may fill your home, and pray,
And put aside the work you do,
So that God may work in you.”
Have mercy, Lord!
5 “You are to honor and obey
Your father, mother, ev’ry day,
Serve them each way that comes to hand;
You’ll then live long in the land.”
Have mercy, Lord!
6 “You shall not murder, hurt, nor hate;
Your anger dare not dominate.
Be kind and patient; help, defend,
And treat your foe as your friend.”
Have mercy, Lord!
7 “Be faithful to your marriage vow;
No lust or impure thoughts allow.
Keep all your conduct free from sin
By self-controlled discipline.”
Have mercy, Lord!
8 “You shall not steal or take away
What others worked for night and day,
But open wide a gen’rous hand
And help the poor in the land.”
Have mercy, Lord!
9 “Bear no false witness nor defame
Your neighbor nor destroy his name,
But view him in the kindest way;
Speak truth in all that you say.”
Have mercy, Lord!
10 “You shall not crave your neighbor’s house
Nor covet money, goods, or spouse.
Pray God He would your neighbor bless
As you yourself wish success.”
Have mercy, Lord!
11 You have this Law to see therein
That you have not been free from sin
But also that you clearly see
How pure toward God life should be.
Have mercy, Lord!
12 Our works cannot salvation gain;
They merit only endless pain.
Forgive us, Lord! To Christ we flee,
Who pleads for us endlessly.
Have mercy, Lord!
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (st. 1): tr. Joseph Herl, 1959; (st. 2): tr. Michael A. Penikis, 1964; (sts. 3–5, 7, 11): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001, alt.; (sts. 6, 8–10, 12): tr. Christian Worship, 1993, alt.
Text (sts. 1–2): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 3–5, 7, 11): © 1980 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Text (sts. 6, 8–10, 12): Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 850 “God of Grace and God of Glory”
1 God of grace and God of glory,
On Your people pour Your pow’r;
Crown Your ancient Church’s story;
Bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.
2 Lo, the hosts of evil round us
Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
3 Cure Your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to Your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Your salvation
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving You whom we adore,
Serving You whom we adore.
Text: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1878–1969
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Lent – March 3, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Allan Bliss, Howard Holman,
Randy Peeters, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be three remaining soup suppers: March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
IF WE DON’T have a photo of you for the new church photo directory, please see Randy Peeters. He will take your photo and include it in the directory which is posted on the church bulletin board.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board—a River Cats game, and trip to Rail Town. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you have any questions.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Third Sunday in Lent
March 3, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 429 “We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died”
1 We sing the praise of Him who died,
Of Him who died upon the cross.
The sinner’s hope let all deride;
For this we count the world but loss.
2 Inscribed upon the cross we see
In shining letters, “God is love.”
He bears our sins upon the tree;
He brings us mercy from above.
3 The cross! It takes our guilt away;
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day
And sweetens ev’ry bitter cup.
4 It makes the coward spirit brave
And nerves the feeble arm for fight;
It takes the terror from the grave
And gilds the bed of death with light;
5 The balm of life, the cure of woe,
The measure and the pledge of love,
The sinner’s refuge here below,
The angels’ theme in heav’n above.
6 To Christ, who won for sinners grace
By bitter grief and anguish sore,
Be praise from all the ransomed race
Forever and forevermore.
Text (sts. 1–5): Thomas Kelly, 1769–1855; (st. 6): Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 69:9, 14–16
P For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me. Deliver me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood sweep over me, or the deep swal- low me up, or the pit close its mouth over me. Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 20:1–17
1And God spoke all these words, saying,
2“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3“You shall have no other gods before me.
4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13“You shall not murder.
14“You shall not commit adultery.
15“You shall not steal.
16“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 19: 7-11, 14
7The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviv- | ing the soul;*
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the | simple;
8the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing | the heart;*
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening | the eyes;
9the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring for- | ever;*
the just decrees of the Lord are true,
and righteous alto- | gether.
10More to be desired are they than gold,
even | much fine gold;*
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the | honeycomb.
11Moreover, by them is your | servant warned;*
in keeping them there is | great reward.
14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable | in your sight,*
O Lord, my rock and my re- | deemer.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 1:18–31
18The word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Holy Gospel John 2:13–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
18So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he was speaking about the temple of his body. 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 530 “No Temple Now, No Gift of Price”
[Note: We will sing using a different melody.]
1 No temple now, no gift of price,
No priestly round of sacrifice,
Retain their ancient pow’rs.
As shadows fade before the sun
The day of sacrifice is done,
The day of grace is ours.
2 The dying Lord our ransom paid,
One final full self-off’ring made,
Complete in ev’ry part.
His finished sacrifice for sins
The covenant of grace begins,
The law within the heart.
3 In faith and confidence draw near,
Within the holiest appear,
With all who praise and pray;
Who share one family, one feast,
One great imperishable Priest,
One new and living way.
4 For Christ is ours! With purpose true
The pilgrim path of faith pursue,
The road that Jesus trod;
Until by His prevailing grace
We stand at last before His face,
Our Savior and our God.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Spring Cleaning” John 2:13-22
Spring House Cleaning – John 2:13-22
If we are not very careful, it can seem as though Jesus is two different people. In last week's Gospel Jesus [Mark 8:33] rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." At another time, He went on a rant against the scribes and Pharisees. Among other things, He called them children of hell, blind fools, white-washed tombs full of dead men's bones, serpents, vipers, and murderers. (Matthew 23) Now, in today's Gospel, we read about Jesus braiding a whip and driving the merchants out of the temple.
In contrast to this Jesus there is the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount - the Jesus who taught, [Matthew 5:38-45] "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”
On the one hand, today's Gospel seems to show us a Rambo Jesus who wants to cause chaos in the temple. Then, on the other hand, the teachings from the Sermon on the Mount seem to show us a Mahatma Gandhi Jesus who just wants everyone to get along. We can get really confused about Jesus, His teachings, and His work if we are not careful to understand what is happening here. A little background information will help us understand the reason that Jesus became angry.
There was a special place on the temple grounds called the "Court of the Gentiles." While there were many places in the temple that were off limits to the gentile, one area of the temple was set aside for the gentile. Anyone who loved God, regardless of His origin, could come to the Court of the Gentiles and worship God.
At the dedication of the first temple, Solomon prayed these words: [2 Chronicles 6:32-33] "When a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a far country for the sake of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm, when he comes and prays toward this house, hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.”
Isaiah wrote these words: [Isaiah 56:6-7] "The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant- these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples."
The court of the Gentiles - a place where anyone could come and find solitude and peace in the presence of God
The only thing is that, when Jesus stepped into the Court of the Gentiles, it sounded and smelled more like a sale barn than a place of solitude and peace. God's Holy House seemed more like a shopping Mall on the Day after Thanksgiving than a place for prayer and meditation. The banking and merchandizing were keeping God's gifts away from God's people.
One of the many things we can learn from the Bible is that God takes action when someone or something prevents His people from receiving His gifts. Well, Jesus is God. We should expect Jesus to take action when His people are not able to receive His gifts. Jesus spoke against the scribes and Pharisees for giving people their opinions instead of God's gifts. Jesus scolded Peter because Peter was trying to stop Jesus from giving the greatest gift of all. Jesus took action in the temple because His people were not able to receive His gifts.
When God's people are not able to receive God's gifts, Jesus responds. He takes action against those who block the gifts. Jesus warned those who would block His gifts with these words, [Mark 9:42] "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea." Given the serious nature of this warning, we should examine ourselves on a regular basis. Have we ever prevented God's people from receiving God's gifts in God's house?
One of the saddest things in today's Gospel is the reaction of the Jewish authorities. They should have been ecstatic that Jesus cleared out the merchants and the money changers. They should never have let this situation develop in the first place. When the first vendor applied for permission to sell his wares in the temple courts, they should have said, "No!" Instead, they got angry with Jesus. How sad. Merchants were profaning the temple and they questioned the one person who was trying to set things right.
The temple authorities should have praised Jesus for making it possible for Gentiles to receive God's gifts in the temple. Instead, they began to cross examine Him. "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" Jesus responded with one of those answers that no one understood until after He rose from the dead. He answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." John himself tells us that it was only after Jesus rose from the dead that the disciples understood that Jesus meant Himself when He said destroy this temple. Jesus was saying, "Destroy me and I will rise from the dead in three days." With these words, Jesus is saying, "I am the Christ, the Son of God."
Christ's words are more than a figure of speech. He is the ultimate temple. After all, the temple is the place where God makes Himself known to His people, and Jesus is God in the flesh. When Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," He was doing more than giving a sign to the temple authorities.
Jesus cleared out the temple with a whip made of cords. The words "Destroy this temple" tell us that He used something much more precious to cleanse us from sin. He allowed the authorities to abuse the temple of His body. They arrested Him, beat Him, and then nailed Him to a cross. They did everything they could to destroy the temple of His body. In this way He produced the cleansing agent that cleans away all our sin - His holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death.
Jesus also said, "… in three days I will raise it up." This is the sign of the resurrection. It is in His resurrection from the dead that we have the sure and certain hope that our sins are gone. As the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts, we know that Jesus has moved into us and we are now temples of God. As St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians [1 Corinthians 3:16] "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" St. Paul also wrote, [1 Corinthians 3:17] "God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." And again, He said, [1 Corinthians 6:19] "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?"
The God-man who took action to cleanse His temple made of stone has promised that He will purify His living temples. Just as He brought His temple back from the dead, so also will He come one day to raise all our temples back to life. On that day, He will give eternal life in both body and soul to all who believe in Him. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday in Lent (B) - 3 March 2024
O Lord, You are a jealous God. Save the third and fourth generations that will come after us from Your punishment. Fill us with Your Son’s zeal for Your house, that we may cast every idol from our hearts and be devoted to You and Your commandments. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son’s cross and crucifixion is folly to the world, but it is the source of repentance and forgiveness for all His elect. Preserve the preaching of the cross in our midst, that from this life-giving tree we would continually receive Your faith-preserving gifts. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, preserve and bless all Christian households, that husbands and wives would live in love and service to each other, that fathers and mothers would diligently bring up their children in Your fear, and that children would honor their parents and be well equipped for service to their neighbors in this life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of the perfect Law, You have called us to honor our parents and all other authorities, that it may go well with us in our land. Bless _____________ and all who govern us. Make them wise in Your ways, that Your justice may be upheld among us. Help us to serve and obey them in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, Your steadfast love in Christ is good. Turn in Your abundant mercy toward all who suffer in our midst [especially _____________]. Do not let the flood sweep over them nor the pit close its mouth on them. Deliver them and grant them healing, comfort and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Rock and Redeemer, though we cannot even discern all our errors, declare us innocent in Christ of all hidden faults, and by Your Holy Spirit keep us back from presumptuous sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You bless this day and make it holy with Your Word and the gifts of Your altar. Grant that we may come before Your presence to eat Your Son’s body and blood, not boasting of ourselves, but of Christ alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our Rock and Redeemer, three days after the temple of Your Son’s body was destroyed by wicked men He raised it up again. Grant that on the Last Day we and all the saints who now rest in Your presence may share in the glory of His resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
At Your command, Abraham prepared to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on the mountain; yet, in mercy You provided a ram as a substitute. We give You thanks that on Calvary You spared not Your only Son but sent Him to offer His life as a ransom for many.
As we eat and drink His body and blood, grant us, like Abraham our father, to trust in Your promise now fulfilled in Christ, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
561 “The Tree of Life”
1 The tree of life with ev’ry good
In Eden’s holy orchard stood,
And of its fruit so pure and sweet
God let the man and woman eat.
Yet in this garden also grew
Another tree, of which they knew;
Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned
Against whose eating God had warned.
2 The stillness of that sacred grove
Was broken, as the serpent strove
With tempting voice Eve to beguile
And Adam too by sin defile.
O day of sadness when the breath
Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,
Its awful poison first displayed
Within the world so newly made.
3 What mercy God showed to our race,
A plan of rescue by His grace:
In sending One from woman’s seed,
The One to fill our greatest need--
For on a tree uplifted high
His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread
To crush the ancient serpent’s head!
4 Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame
Flows life eternal in His name;
For all who trust and will believe,
Salvation’s living fruit receive.
And of this fruit so pure and sweet
The Lord invites the world to eat,
To find within this cross of wood
The tree of life with ev’ry good.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1993 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
581 “These Are the Holy Ten Commands”
1 These are the holy Ten Commands
God gave to us by Moses’ hands
When high on Sinai’s mount he stood,
Receiving them for our good.
Have mercy, Lord!
2 “I am alone your God, the Lord;
No other gods shall be adored.
But you shall fully trust in Me
And love Me wholeheartedly.”
Have mercy, Lord!
3 “Do not My holy name disgrace,
Do not My Word of truth debase.
Praise only that as good and true
Which I Myself say and do.”
Have mercy, Lord!
4 “You shall observe the worship day
That peace may fill your home, and pray,
And put aside the work you do,
So that God may work in you.”
Have mercy, Lord!
5 “You are to honor and obey
Your father, mother, ev’ry day,
Serve them each way that comes to hand;
You’ll then live long in the land.”
Have mercy, Lord!
6 “You shall not murder, hurt, nor hate;
Your anger dare not dominate.
Be kind and patient; help, defend,
And treat your foe as your friend.”
Have mercy, Lord!
7 “Be faithful to your marriage vow;
No lust or impure thoughts allow.
Keep all your conduct free from sin
By self-controlled discipline.”
Have mercy, Lord!
8 “You shall not steal or take away
What others worked for night and day,
But open wide a gen’rous hand
And help the poor in the land.”
Have mercy, Lord!
9 “Bear no false witness nor defame
Your neighbor nor destroy his name,
But view him in the kindest way;
Speak truth in all that you say.”
Have mercy, Lord!
10 “You shall not crave your neighbor’s house
Nor covet money, goods, or spouse.
Pray God He would your neighbor bless
As you yourself wish success.”
Have mercy, Lord!
11 You have this Law to see therein
That you have not been free from sin
But also that you clearly see
How pure toward God life should be.
Have mercy, Lord!
12 Our works cannot salvation gain;
They merit only endless pain.
Forgive us, Lord! To Christ we flee,
Who pleads for us endlessly.
Have mercy, Lord!
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; (st. 1): tr. Joseph Herl, 1959; (st. 2): tr. Michael A. Penikis, 1964; (sts. 3–5, 7, 11): tr. F. Samuel Janzow, 1913–2001, alt.; (sts. 6, 8–10, 12): tr. Christian Worship, 1993, alt.
Text (sts. 1–2): © 2006 Concordia Publishing House; (sts. 3–5, 7, 11): © 1980 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Text (sts. 6, 8–10, 12): Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 850 “God of Grace and God of Glory”
1 God of grace and God of glory,
On Your people pour Your pow’r;
Crown Your ancient Church’s story;
Bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.
2 Lo, the hosts of evil round us
Scorn the Christ, assail His ways!
From the fears that long have bound us
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.
3 Cure Your children’s warring madness;
Bend our pride to Your control;
Shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Your kingdom’s goal.
4 Save us from weak resignation
To the evils we deplore;
Let the gift of Your salvation
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving You whom we adore,
Serving You whom we adore.
Text: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1878–1969
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Lent – February 25, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabriel Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be four remaining soup suppers: Feb. 28th, March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
IF WE DON’T have a photo of you for the new church photo directory, please see Randy Peeters. He will take your photo and include it in the directory which is posted on the church bulletin board.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board—a River Cats game, and trip to Rail Town. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you have any questions.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Second Sunday in Lent
February 25, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 936 “Sing Praise to the God of Israel”
1 Sing praise to the God of Israel!
Sing praise for His visitation!
Redeeming His people from their sin,
Accomplishing their salvation,
Upraising a mighty horn within
The house of His servant David!
2 God spoke by the prophets long ago,
His promise on oath recalling--
To Abraham made in former years:
Of vanquishing foes appalling,
That those He delivered from their fears
Might gladly and truly serve Him.
3 You, child, will go on before the Lord
As prophet, His way preparing;
To speak on behalf of God Most High,
His counsel of truth declaring:
Rich mercy and grace for all whereby
Iniquity is forgiven.
4 O bright, rising Sun, now shine on us
In need of illumination;
Come scatter the shades of sin and death
And shatter their domination.
Be guiding our footsteps on the path
Of peace, in Your presence dawning!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1992 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 25:6, Psalm 115:11–13, 18
P Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. We will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. . . .
15And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 22:23–31
23You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glo- | rify him,*
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of | Israel!
24For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his | face from him,*
but has heard, when he | cried to him.
25From you comes my praise in the great congre- | gation;*
my vows I will perform before those who | fear him.
26The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall | praise the Lord!*
May your hearts live for- | ever!
27All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn | to the Lord,*
and all the families of the nations
shall worship be- | fore you.
28For kingship belongs | to the Lord,*
and he rules over the | nations.
29All the prosperous of the earth eat and | worship;*
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep him- | self alive.
30Posterity shall | serve him;*
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming gener- | ation;
31they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people | yet unborn,*
that he has | done it.
Epistle Romans 5:1–11
1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Verse for Lent [spoken]
C Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and abounding in steadfast love.
Holy Gospel Mark 8:27–38
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the eighth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
27And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
34And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37For what can a man give in return for his life? 38For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Is the Christ” Mark 8:27-38
Jesus Is the Christ – Mark 8:27-38
The reading that we just heard from the Gospel according to Mark once again demonstrates the condensed nature of this account. The reading you just heard was from Mark 8. The parallel account of the same event in the Gospel according to Matthew may be found in Matthew 16.
The other thing that demonstrates the condensation of the narrative is the number of events in today’s reading. Normally we would hear Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ,” one Sunday and then we would hear Jesus teaching about His suffering, death, and resurrection on the following Sunday. With Mark, you get them both on one Sunday and the reading still isn’t all that long.
The wonderful thing about this condensation in Mark is that you can compare and contrast these two events. Given that Mark wrote His Gospel based on what he heard from Peter, it is interesting to study Peter in these two events. At first Peter has this marvelous confession of Jesus, and then Peter has a major fail. You get it all in quick succession in Mark.
The location for these events is the area around Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi is north of Galilee in Gentile territory. This means that Jesus and His disciples are pretty much alone. This is a time of private teaching just for the disciples.
Jesus asked a very important question. In fact, if you get the answer to this question wrong, it is very doubtful that you are a Christian. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Most of us in the twenty-first century don’t know this, but just about every family in first century Israel had a son named Jesus. So, just as we hear of all the women named Mary, there were actually a lot of men named Jesus. It is important for our salvation that we get the right Jesus. It is important that we know who Jesus is. It is not enough to just say, “I believe in Jesus.” We need to day something about Jesus so that others will know in which Jesus we believe.
Well, according to the disciples, most people got Jesus wrong. They told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” The people’s guesses were all honorable heroes of the Bible. In most cases, men would be very honored to be compared to these servants of God, but not Jesus. The true Jesus is in a whole different category then these great historical figures.
Many people hold the name Jesus in high regard today, but they still have the wrong Jesus. Some people look at the example of Jesus and figure that that is all Jesus is. Jesus is an example, but He is much more. Some people think that Jesus was just a good, moral teacher and nothing more. In fact, Jesus is a great teacher, but He is so much more. There are all kinds of opinions about Jesus that get part of the truth, but don’t get the main truth of who Jesus is.
Then Jesus asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” Peter got the words exactly right. Jesus is the Christ. This is the foundation sentence of the creeds. When we properly confess Jesus as the Christ, we have properly confessed our salvation.
The interesting thing about the rest of the Gospel that we heard this morning is that the reading goes on to show that Peter did not understand what he said. Although Peter got the words exactly right, He didn’t know what they meant. How do we know that?
Well, first of all, Jesus strictly charged them to tell no one about him. You would think that Jesus would want everyone to know His true identity. Nevertheless, He strictly charged the disciples not to tell anyone. He was stern. Keep this information to yourself.
Then Jesus began to explain the true meaning of Peter’s confession to the disciples. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. This is what it means for Jesus to be the Christ. It means suffering, death, and resurrection. It means dying on the cross in order to take away our sins, and it means rising from the dead. If we are to have the right Jesus, it must be the Jesus who died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead. If your Jesus did not do these things, then you have the wrong Jesus.
Apparently, Peter got it wrong. Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him. Don’t let that word rebuke fool you. Peter is ready to give Jesus a good tongue-lashing … to bawl Him out. Peter is ready to read Jesus the riot act. Let me remind you that Peter is a fisherman who is only about halfway through his seminary training and Jesus is God in the flesh. Nevertheless Peter takes it upon himself to scold the Son of God.
Jesus immediately saw the danger to Peter and He rebuked Peter right back. Turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Jesus’ words teach us that not only was Peter’s understanding wrong, but Peter was even acting as an agent of Satan. Peter was actually tempting Jesus to abandon His mission to the cross to abandon His mission to die for our sins.
This exchange between Jesus and Peter should be a warning to us as well. Peter’s master had just told him that He was to suffer and die. It is very likely that Peter not only considered Jesus to be his master, but also a close friend. Who would want a friend to suffer and die? Peter, in his ignorance, was responding in the way that he thought was best. I can empathize with Peter. I can understand why Peter did what he did. Nevertheless, Peter was wrong, and Jesus scolded him severely.
How often do we make decisions based on what seems right to us instead of checking in the Word of God? How often do we assume things about God without checking the words that He Himself gave us? How often do we, like Peter, proceed in the way that we think is best and forget that God may have something totally different for us? How often do we follow in Peter’s footsteps?
How glad we can be that Jesus didn’t listen to Peter. Jesus followed up on His promise. He went to Jerusalem and there the elders and the chief priests and the scribes did exactly what He said they would do. They arrested Jesus and held a mock trial. Then they took Jesus to Pontius Pilate and used political pressure to have Him crucified. Jesus died just as He said He would and then He also rose … just as He said He would. Jesus did all this to take away our sin and give us His righteousness instead. Because Jesus did not listen to Peter, but followed through on His plan, we now have forgiveness, life, and salvation.
When we talk about Jesus, it is very important that we talk about the right Jesus … the Jesus who suffered many things, was rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and died and after three days rose again. The only Christ who can save us for eternity is the true Christ … the Christ crucified and risen from the dead. It is in this Christ and this Christ alone that we have eternal life. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Lent (B) - 25 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, give us Your Holy Spirit, that we might deny ourselves, take up the crosses You give and follow Your Son through this troubled life into heaven. Prepare us to give up our lives, knowing that Christ has already saved them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, give the Church and all her servants grace to fulfill the ministries to which You have committed them. Grant each of us the strength to confess Christ boldly before the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, teach us to shun neither our Lord’s suffering nor our own. When we endure persecution or ridicule for being Your children, give us faith and perseverance. As You have promised, deliver us out of the hand of the wicked and redeem us from the grasp of the ruthless. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, Abraham was only one when You called him, but You blessed and multiplied him. Protect mothers with child, and equip fathers to lead and raise their households in Your fear and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, all kingship belongs to You, and You rule over the nations. Bless our president and those who govern, that they may rule wisely and in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Great Physician, heal and restore. [We especially remember _____________.] Give them Your holy care and strength to bear their crosses, that they may endure to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, at Your table the afflicted eat the body and blood of Your Son and are satisfied. Through our afflictions, deepen our hunger for this table, that we may eat and drink and be satisfied by Christ’s saving life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, receive our praise this day for St. Peter and his confession that Jesus is the Christ. We rejoice that Your Son builds His Church upon this rock and that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. Keep us in this faith all our days; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
637 “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured;
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim and Himself the priest.
2 He who His saints in this world rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields;
With heav’nly bread He makes the hungry whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.
3 Come forward then with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the pledges of salvation here.
O Lord, our hearts with grateful thanks endow
As in this feast of love You bless us now.
Text: Latin, 7th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
685 “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus”
1 Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Through a world that would deceive us
And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in His footsteps treading,
Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide;
I shall follow where You guide.
2 Let us suffer here with Jesus
And with patience bear our cross.
Joy will follow all our sadness;
Where He is, there is no loss.
Though today we sow no laughter,
We shall reap celestial joy;
All discomforts that annoy
Shall give way to mirth hereafter.
Jesus, here I share Your woe;
Help me there Your joy to know.
3 Let us gladly die with Jesus.
Since by death He conquered death,
He will free us from destruction,
Give to us immortal breath.
Let us mortify all passion
That would lead us into sin;
And the grave that shuts us in
Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here with You I die,
There to live with You on high.
4 Let us also live with Jesus.
He has risen from the dead
That to life we may awaken.
Jesus, You are now our head.
We are Your own living members;
Where You live, there we shall be
In Your presence constantly,
Living there with You forever.
Jesus, let me faithful be,
Life eternal grant to me.
Text: Sigismund von Birken, 1626–81; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 837 “Lift High the Cross”
ref Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adore His sacred name.
1 Come, Christians, follow where our Captain trod,
Our king victorious, Christ, the Son of God. Refrain
2 Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conqu’ring ranks combine. Refrain
3 All newborn soldiers of the Crucified
Bear on their brows the seal of Him who died. Refrain
4 O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw us all to Thee. Refrain
5 Let ev’ry race and ev’ry language tell
Of Him who saves our lives from death and hell. Refrain
6 So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory! Refrain
Text: George W. Kitchin, 1827–1912; rev. Michael R. Newbolt, 1874–1956, alt.
Text: © 1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Lent – February 25, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gabriel Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be four remaining soup suppers: Feb. 28th, March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
IF WE DON’T have a photo of you for the new church photo directory, please see Randy Peeters. He will take your photo and include it in the directory which is posted on the church bulletin board.
UPCOMING FELLOWSHIP ACTIVITIES are posted on the church bulletin board—a River Cats game, and trip to Rail Town. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you have any questions.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Second Sunday in Lent
February 25, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 936 “Sing Praise to the God of Israel”
1 Sing praise to the God of Israel!
Sing praise for His visitation!
Redeeming His people from their sin,
Accomplishing their salvation,
Upraising a mighty horn within
The house of His servant David!
2 God spoke by the prophets long ago,
His promise on oath recalling--
To Abraham made in former years:
Of vanquishing foes appalling,
That those He delivered from their fears
Might gladly and truly serve Him.
3 You, child, will go on before the Lord
As prophet, His way preparing;
To speak on behalf of God Most High,
His counsel of truth declaring:
Rich mercy and grace for all whereby
Iniquity is forgiven.
4 O bright, rising Sun, now shine on us
In need of illumination;
Come scatter the shades of sin and death
And shatter their domination.
Be guiding our footsteps on the path
Of peace, in Your presence dawning!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1992 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 25:6, Psalm 115:11–13, 18
P Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great. We will bless the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, 2that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” 3Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. . . .
15And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and moreover, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 22:23–31
23You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you offspring of Jacob, glo- | rify him,*
and stand in awe of him, all you offspring of | Israel!
24For he has not despised or abhorred
the affliction of the afflicted,
and he has not hidden his | face from him,*
but has heard, when he | cried to him.
25From you comes my praise in the great congre- | gation;*
my vows I will perform before those who | fear him.
26The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
those who seek him shall | praise the Lord!*
May your hearts live for- | ever!
27All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn | to the Lord,*
and all the families of the nations
shall worship be- | fore you.
28For kingship belongs | to the Lord,*
and he rules over the | nations.
29All the prosperous of the earth eat and | worship;*
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
even the one who could not keep him- | self alive.
30Posterity shall | serve him;*
it shall be told of the Lord to the coming gener- | ation;
31they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people | yet unborn,*
that he has | done it.
Epistle Romans 5:1–11
1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Verse for Lent [spoken]
C Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and abounding in steadfast love.
Holy Gospel Mark 8:27–38
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the eighth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
27And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
34And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37For what can a man give in return for his life? 38For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Is the Christ” Mark 8:27-38
Jesus Is the Christ – Mark 8:27-38
The reading that we just heard from the Gospel according to Mark once again demonstrates the condensed nature of this account. The reading you just heard was from Mark 8. The parallel account of the same event in the Gospel according to Matthew may be found in Matthew 16.
The other thing that demonstrates the condensation of the narrative is the number of events in today’s reading. Normally we would hear Peter’s confession, “You are the Christ,” one Sunday and then we would hear Jesus teaching about His suffering, death, and resurrection on the following Sunday. With Mark, you get them both on one Sunday and the reading still isn’t all that long.
The wonderful thing about this condensation in Mark is that you can compare and contrast these two events. Given that Mark wrote His Gospel based on what he heard from Peter, it is interesting to study Peter in these two events. At first Peter has this marvelous confession of Jesus, and then Peter has a major fail. You get it all in quick succession in Mark.
The location for these events is the area around Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi is north of Galilee in Gentile territory. This means that Jesus and His disciples are pretty much alone. This is a time of private teaching just for the disciples.
Jesus asked a very important question. In fact, if you get the answer to this question wrong, it is very doubtful that you are a Christian. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” Most of us in the twenty-first century don’t know this, but just about every family in first century Israel had a son named Jesus. So, just as we hear of all the women named Mary, there were actually a lot of men named Jesus. It is important for our salvation that we get the right Jesus. It is important that we know who Jesus is. It is not enough to just say, “I believe in Jesus.” We need to day something about Jesus so that others will know in which Jesus we believe.
Well, according to the disciples, most people got Jesus wrong. They told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” The people’s guesses were all honorable heroes of the Bible. In most cases, men would be very honored to be compared to these servants of God, but not Jesus. The true Jesus is in a whole different category then these great historical figures.
Many people hold the name Jesus in high regard today, but they still have the wrong Jesus. Some people look at the example of Jesus and figure that that is all Jesus is. Jesus is an example, but He is much more. Some people think that Jesus was just a good, moral teacher and nothing more. In fact, Jesus is a great teacher, but He is so much more. There are all kinds of opinions about Jesus that get part of the truth, but don’t get the main truth of who Jesus is.
Then Jesus asked the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” Peter got the words exactly right. Jesus is the Christ. This is the foundation sentence of the creeds. When we properly confess Jesus as the Christ, we have properly confessed our salvation.
The interesting thing about the rest of the Gospel that we heard this morning is that the reading goes on to show that Peter did not understand what he said. Although Peter got the words exactly right, He didn’t know what they meant. How do we know that?
Well, first of all, Jesus strictly charged them to tell no one about him. You would think that Jesus would want everyone to know His true identity. Nevertheless, He strictly charged the disciples not to tell anyone. He was stern. Keep this information to yourself.
Then Jesus began to explain the true meaning of Peter’s confession to the disciples. He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. This is what it means for Jesus to be the Christ. It means suffering, death, and resurrection. It means dying on the cross in order to take away our sins, and it means rising from the dead. If we are to have the right Jesus, it must be the Jesus who died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead. If your Jesus did not do these things, then you have the wrong Jesus.
Apparently, Peter got it wrong. Peter took [Jesus] aside and began to rebuke him. Don’t let that word rebuke fool you. Peter is ready to give Jesus a good tongue-lashing … to bawl Him out. Peter is ready to read Jesus the riot act. Let me remind you that Peter is a fisherman who is only about halfway through his seminary training and Jesus is God in the flesh. Nevertheless Peter takes it upon himself to scold the Son of God.
Jesus immediately saw the danger to Peter and He rebuked Peter right back. Turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Jesus’ words teach us that not only was Peter’s understanding wrong, but Peter was even acting as an agent of Satan. Peter was actually tempting Jesus to abandon His mission to the cross to abandon His mission to die for our sins.
This exchange between Jesus and Peter should be a warning to us as well. Peter’s master had just told him that He was to suffer and die. It is very likely that Peter not only considered Jesus to be his master, but also a close friend. Who would want a friend to suffer and die? Peter, in his ignorance, was responding in the way that he thought was best. I can empathize with Peter. I can understand why Peter did what he did. Nevertheless, Peter was wrong, and Jesus scolded him severely.
How often do we make decisions based on what seems right to us instead of checking in the Word of God? How often do we assume things about God without checking the words that He Himself gave us? How often do we, like Peter, proceed in the way that we think is best and forget that God may have something totally different for us? How often do we follow in Peter’s footsteps?
How glad we can be that Jesus didn’t listen to Peter. Jesus followed up on His promise. He went to Jerusalem and there the elders and the chief priests and the scribes did exactly what He said they would do. They arrested Jesus and held a mock trial. Then they took Jesus to Pontius Pilate and used political pressure to have Him crucified. Jesus died just as He said He would and then He also rose … just as He said He would. Jesus did all this to take away our sin and give us His righteousness instead. Because Jesus did not listen to Peter, but followed through on His plan, we now have forgiveness, life, and salvation.
When we talk about Jesus, it is very important that we talk about the right Jesus … the Jesus who suffered many things, was rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and died and after three days rose again. The only Christ who can save us for eternity is the true Christ … the Christ crucified and risen from the dead. It is in this Christ and this Christ alone that we have eternal life. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Response: P Lord, in Your mercy; C Hear our prayer.
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Lent (B) - 25 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, give us Your Holy Spirit, that we might deny ourselves, take up the crosses You give and follow Your Son through this troubled life into heaven. Prepare us to give up our lives, knowing that Christ has already saved them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, give the Church and all her servants grace to fulfill the ministries to which You have committed them. Grant each of us the strength to confess Christ boldly before the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, teach us to shun neither our Lord’s suffering nor our own. When we endure persecution or ridicule for being Your children, give us faith and perseverance. As You have promised, deliver us out of the hand of the wicked and redeem us from the grasp of the ruthless. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, Abraham was only one when You called him, but You blessed and multiplied him. Protect mothers with child, and equip fathers to lead and raise their households in Your fear and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, all kingship belongs to You, and You rule over the nations. Bless our president and those who govern, that they may rule wisely and in accord with Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Great Physician, heal and restore. [We especially remember _____________.] Give them Your holy care and strength to bear their crosses, that they may endure to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, at Your table the afflicted eat the body and blood of Your Son and are satisfied. Through our afflictions, deepen our hunger for this table, that we may eat and drink and be satisfied by Christ’s saving life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, receive our praise this day for St. Peter and his confession that Jesus is the Christ. We rejoice that Your Son builds His Church upon this rock and that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it. Keep us in this faith all our days; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who overcame the assaults of the devil and gave His life as a ransom for many that with cleansed hearts we might be prepared joyfully to celebrate the paschal feast in sincerity and truth. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
637 “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured;
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim and Himself the priest.
2 He who His saints in this world rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields;
With heav’nly bread He makes the hungry whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.
3 Come forward then with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the pledges of salvation here.
O Lord, our hearts with grateful thanks endow
As in this feast of love You bless us now.
Text: Latin, 7th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
685 “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus”
1 Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Through a world that would deceive us
And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in His footsteps treading,
Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide;
I shall follow where You guide.
2 Let us suffer here with Jesus
And with patience bear our cross.
Joy will follow all our sadness;
Where He is, there is no loss.
Though today we sow no laughter,
We shall reap celestial joy;
All discomforts that annoy
Shall give way to mirth hereafter.
Jesus, here I share Your woe;
Help me there Your joy to know.
3 Let us gladly die with Jesus.
Since by death He conquered death,
He will free us from destruction,
Give to us immortal breath.
Let us mortify all passion
That would lead us into sin;
And the grave that shuts us in
Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here with You I die,
There to live with You on high.
4 Let us also live with Jesus.
He has risen from the dead
That to life we may awaken.
Jesus, You are now our head.
We are Your own living members;
Where You live, there we shall be
In Your presence constantly,
Living there with You forever.
Jesus, let me faithful be,
Life eternal grant to me.
Text: Sigismund von Birken, 1626–81; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 837 “Lift High the Cross”
ref Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim
Till all the world adore His sacred name.
1 Come, Christians, follow where our Captain trod,
Our king victorious, Christ, the Son of God. Refrain
2 Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conqu’ring ranks combine. Refrain
3 All newborn soldiers of the Crucified
Bear on their brows the seal of Him who died. Refrain
4 O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw us all to Thee. Refrain
5 Let ev’ry race and ev’ry language tell
Of Him who saves our lives from death and hell. Refrain
6 So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory! Refrain
Text: George W. Kitchin, 1827–1912; rev. Michael R. Newbolt, 1874–1956, alt.
Text: © 1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday in Lent – February 18, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Steve Broach
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Monday at 6 p.m.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be five soup suppers: Feb. 21st and 28th, March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
IF WE DON’T have a photo of you for the new church photo directory, please see Randy Peeters. He will take your photo and include it in the directory which is posted on the Church Bulletin Board.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The First Sunday in Lent
February 18, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: LSB 423, “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary”
1 Jesus, refuge of the weary,
Blest Redeemer, whom we love,
Fountain in life’s desert dreary,
Savior from the world above:
Often have Your eyes, offended,
Gazed upon the sinner’s fall;
Yet upon the cross extended,
You have borne the pain of all.
2 Do we pass that cross unheeding,
Breathing no repentant vow,
Though we see You wounded, bleeding,
See Your thorn-encircled brow?
Yet Your sinless death has brought us
Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what Your grace has taught us
Calms the sinner’s deep distress.
3 Jesus, may our hearts be burning
With more fervent love for You;
May our eyes be ever turning
To behold Your cross anew
Till in glory, parted never
From the blessèd Savior’s side,
Graven in our hearts forever,
Dwell the cross, the Crucified.
Text: Girolamo Savonarola, 1452–98; tr. Jane F. Wilde, 1826–96, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Genesis 22:1–18
L A reading from Genesis, chapter 22.
1After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
9When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
15And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading James 1:12–18
L A reading from James, chapter 1.
12Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 1:9–15
L A reading from Mark, chapter 1.
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
12The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Lent) LSB 222
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
Sit
Hymn: LSB 424, “O Christ, You Walked the Road”
1 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
You faced with us temptation’s pow’r
And fought our ancient foe.
2 No bread of earth alone
Can fill our hung’ring hearts.
Lord, help us seek Your living Word,
The food Your grace imparts.
3 No blinding sign we ask,
No wonder from above.
Lord, help us place our trust alone
In Your unswerving love.
4 When lures of easy gain
With promise brightly shine,
Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first;
Our wills with Yours align.
5 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
Stay with us through temptation’s hour
To fight our ancient foe.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Endures Temptation” Mark 1:9-15
Jesus Endures Temptation – Mark 1:9-15
Today’s reading from Mark’s account of the Gospel covers a lot of ground in a few verses. The Gospel according to Matthew records the baptism and temptation of Jesus in 16 verses. Luke records the baptism and temptation in 14 verses. Mark covers both events in 5 verses. The compact writing style of Mark is the reason that Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the four. In spite of Mark’s compact writing style, there are some details of Jesus’ ministry that we can find only in Mark.
One of the advantages of Mark’s brevity is that it is practical to include more than one event in the Gospel of the day. Generally speaking, we hear the account of Jesus’ baptism on the First Sunday after the Epiphany, and we hear the account of the temptation on the First Sunday in Lent. This means that several weeks go by between the reading of these two accounts and we don’t always see the connection between them. Mark’s compact writing style doesn’t let us do that. This morning we heard about both events and we understand that one moment the Holy Spirit was descending on Jesus and the next moment that same Holy Spirit was driving Jesus out into the desert in order to confront he devil. This was before He did any teaching or miracles. It was before He called any disciples.
We read, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” The Greek could also be translated as, “The Spirit immediately threw him out into the wilderness.” Mark almost gives us the impression that Jesus was still wet from His baptism when He entered the desert. It is as if the moment the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus as a dove and said, “Move out! Let’s go to the desert and do battle with the devil.” Jesus was in perfect agreement with the Holy Spirit and readily journeyed into the desert.
The idea is that this was an intentional confrontation with the devil. We should not think that the devil noticed Jesus fasting in the desert and thought to himself, “Now that He is hungry, He will be weaker. He will be easier to tempt. This will be a good time to tempt Him.” Instead we should think of Jesus eager to do battle for us and the Holy Spirit encouraging Him into that battle. The leading of the Holy Spirit teaches us that this was not some random encounter between enemies. Instead, the temptation was part of the intentional plan of God at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.
Mark does not record many details of the actual temptation. He does tell us that it was forty days long. He also tells us that Jesus was with the wild animals.
Jesus in the desert with the wild animals reminded me of an Old Testament figure that also went out into the desert with the wild animals. We commonly refer to this figure as the scape goat.
The scape goat is a part of the ceremony for the Day of Atonement. The regulations for the Day of Atonement say this about the scape goat:
[Leviticus 16:21–22] “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.”
The idea was that the goat was basically an innocent animal. It did not take on the role of scape goat for itself, but for others. It did not suffer or bear the burden of its own sins. Instead, it bore the iniquities, transgressions, and sins of the people of Israel. Aaron, the high priest, confessed the sins of the nation over the goat. In this way, he transferred the sins of the people onto the goat. After that a special shepherd led the scape goat out into the wilderness to be with the wild animals. The goat with all the sins of Israel went out into the wilderness never to be seen again. The sins are gone.
There are many similarities between the scape goat and Jesus. Jesus did not just appear innocent; He actually was the innocent Son of God. He did not take on the role of sin bearer for His own sins. Instead, He bore the iniquities of the entire world. God Himself placed the sins of the world on Jesus as Isaiah wrote, [Isaiah 53:6b] “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” The Holy Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness to be with the wild animals. Jesus carried our sins away so that no one will ever see them again. The sins are gone.
Of course, once the special shepherd set the scape goat free, no one really knew what happened to that goat. The most likely outcome is that wild animals ate the scape goat. It is also possible that a shepherd from another country who knew nothing about the scape goat would find it and take it home to his own flocks. No one really knew. The point is this: although the symbolism of the scape goat was that the sins of Israel were gone never to be seen or heard from again, no one really knew for sure what happened. No one could really, absolutely know that the goat couldn’t sneak back from the wilderness into someone’s flock.
Fortunately, the scape goat is only a shadow as we hear from the writer to the Hebrews: [Hebrews 10:1–4] “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The scape goat is only a shadow that points forward to the real thing, Jesus Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who carries away the sin of the world. Even though He carried the sin of the entire world into the desert, He Himself never sinned. He endured and triumphed over every temptation of the devil. [Hebrews 4:15] “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus endured the temptations of the devil and triumphed. He not only endured the temptation in the wilderness, but he also endured all the other temptations that the devil threw at Him as He journeyed to the cross.
You see, if the devil could have gotten Jesus to sin just once, He would no longer be able to carry our sins. He would have sins of His own to carry. Nevertheless, Jesus did not sin. He continued to carry our sin. He carried it all the way to the cross.
With Jesus, we do not have to worry that our sin might accidently come back to find us again. Jesus took our sin to the cross. There He did battle for us and conquered sin, death, and the power of the devil. Our sin is not just gone, but it is powerless. In fact, Jesus took our sin to the grave and left it there when He rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that our sin is not just gone, but it is dead and gone.
The Holy Spirit made His presence known when Jesus stepped up out of the water from His baptism. That same Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the desert to confront the devil and his temptations. This teaches us that all these things were part of the plan.
It is important for us to know that Jesus endured all the hardships that we endure. He is our substitute. He doesn’t just know our lives academically, but He has experienced life as we know it. He was tempted just as we are tempted. He also experienced our pain, our sorrow, our frustrations … He experienced it all except that He never sinned.
In spite of the fact that He never sinned, He was full of sin. [2 Corinthians 5:21] “For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Just as the High Priest placed the sin of Israel on the scape goat, God has placed the sin of the world on Jesus. He became full of our sin – your sin, my sin, the sin of the entire world. Jesus has carried that sin to the cross. As we remember the cross, we will remember that our sin filled Him as He suffered and died to pay the penalty that God’s justice demanded – a payment that freed us from our slavery to sin. We will remember that God saw Him as a sinner so that He can see us as righteous.
After Jesus endured the temptations of the devil in the desert, He began proclaiming the Gospel. Because Jesus endured temptation without sin, His Gospel proclamation is just as valid for you today as it was at the time of today’s reading from the Gospel. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Amen
Hymn LSB 941, “We Praise You and Acknowledge You”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday in Lent (B) - 18 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, in the midst of this life we are beset by many temptations. Fix our eyes on our Lord Jesus, who bore temptation for us and resisted to the point of death, and bring us through the evils of this fallen world to dwell with You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You placed the wood of the cross on the back of Your only begotten Son, that as the promised offspring of Abraham He might possess the gates of hell. Bless, we pray, His Church and all those called to preach and teach within her. Give them certainty that hell cannot prevail against them, and so embolden them in faith to trample every power of the enemy underfoot. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve all catechumens and their teachers, all children and their parents, and every Christian home from the assaults of the evil one. As Your Son overcame Satan in the desert by the Word of God, so also give us the victory through Christ and His Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of lights, from whom every good and perfect gift comes down to us from above, keep us from being enticed by our own desires to misuse Your gifts. Help us use them rightly in service to You and our neighbor. Bless our president and all our leaders, that we may be governed wisely and justly for the good of this present generation and those to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most High God, our refuge in every trouble, You have promised to hear when we call to You. Command Your angels to guard our brothers and sisters and all who suffer in our midst [especially _____________]. Keep them from every evil that can befall the body, mind or soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, the time is fulfilled and Your kingdom is at hand as Your beloved Son comes to us here at the altar. By Your Spirit, grant that we receive Him in repentance and believe the Gospel proclaimed in His body given and His blood shed for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, see how the adversary continually afflicts us and walks about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. We implore You for the sake of the suffering and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to help us by the grace of the Holy Spirit and to strengthen our hearts by Your Word, that our enemy would not prevail over us, but instead that we may abide evermore in Your grace and be preserved to life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
Hymn 746 “Through Jesus’ Blood and Merit”
1 Through Jesus’ blood and merit
I am at peace with God.
What, then, can daunt my spirit,
However dark my road?
My courage shall not fail me,
For God is on my side;
Though hell itself assail me,
Its rage I may deride.
2 There’s nothing that can sever
From this great love of God;
No want, no pain whatever,
No famine, peril, flood.
Though thousand foes surround me,
For slaughter mark His sheep,
They never shall confound me,
The vict’ry I shall reap.
3 For neither life’s temptation
Nor death’s most trying hour
Nor angels of high station
Nor any other pow’r
Nor things that now are present
Nor things that are to come
Nor height, however pleasant,
Nor darkest depths of gloom
4 Nor any creature ever
Shall from the love of God
This ransomed sinner sever;
For in my Savior’s blood
This love has its foundation;
God hears my faithful prayer
And long before creation
Named me His child and heir.
Text: Simon Dach, 1605–59; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Hymn 657, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Stand
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 418 “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days”
1 O Lord, throughout these forty days
You prayed and kept the fast;
Inspire repentance for our sin,
And free us from our past.
2 You strove with Satan, and You won;
Your faithfulness endured;
Lend us Your nerve, Your skill and trust
In God’s eternal Word.
3 Though parched and hungry, yet You prayed
And fixed Your mind above;
So teach us to deny ourselves,
Since we have known God’s love.
4 Be with us through this season, Lord,
And all our earthly days,
That when the final Easter dawns,
We join in heaven’s praise.
Text: based on Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838–98; para. Gilbert E. Doan, 1930
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday in Lent – February 18, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Steve Broach
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL meets on Monday at 6 p.m.
ON WEDNESDAY, there will be a soup supper at 6 p.m. and a midweek Lenten service at 7 p.m. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be five soup suppers: Feb. 21st and 28th, March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
IF WE DON’T have a photo of you for the new church photo directory, please see Randy Peeters. He will take your photo and include it in the directory which is posted on the Church Bulletin Board.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The First Sunday in Lent
February 18, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: LSB 423, “Jesus, Refuge of the Weary”
1 Jesus, refuge of the weary,
Blest Redeemer, whom we love,
Fountain in life’s desert dreary,
Savior from the world above:
Often have Your eyes, offended,
Gazed upon the sinner’s fall;
Yet upon the cross extended,
You have borne the pain of all.
2 Do we pass that cross unheeding,
Breathing no repentant vow,
Though we see You wounded, bleeding,
See Your thorn-encircled brow?
Yet Your sinless death has brought us
Life eternal, peace, and rest;
Only what Your grace has taught us
Calms the sinner’s deep distress.
3 Jesus, may our hearts be burning
With more fervent love for You;
May our eyes be ever turning
To behold Your cross anew
Till in glory, parted never
From the blessèd Savior’s side,
Graven in our hearts forever,
Dwell the cross, the Crucified.
Text: Girolamo Savonarola, 1452–98; tr. Jane F. Wilde, 1826–96, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, Lamb of our salvation.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Genesis 22:1–18
L A reading from Genesis, chapter 22.
1After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
9When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 12He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
15And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading James 1:12–18
L A reading from James, chapter 1.
12Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 1:9–15
L A reading from Mark, chapter 1.
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
12The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Lent) LSB 222
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is put away.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
L We have an advocate with the Father; Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.
C He was delivered up to death; He was delivered for the sins of the people.
Sit
Hymn: LSB 424, “O Christ, You Walked the Road”
1 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
You faced with us temptation’s pow’r
And fought our ancient foe.
2 No bread of earth alone
Can fill our hung’ring hearts.
Lord, help us seek Your living Word,
The food Your grace imparts.
3 No blinding sign we ask,
No wonder from above.
Lord, help us place our trust alone
In Your unswerving love.
4 When lures of easy gain
With promise brightly shine,
Lord, help us seek Your kingdom first;
Our wills with Yours align.
5 O Christ, You walked the road
Our wand’ring feet must go.
Stay with us through temptation’s hour
To fight our ancient foe.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus Endures Temptation” Mark 1:9-15
Jesus Endures Temptation – Mark 1:9-15
Today’s reading from Mark’s account of the Gospel covers a lot of ground in a few verses. The Gospel according to Matthew records the baptism and temptation of Jesus in 16 verses. Luke records the baptism and temptation in 14 verses. Mark covers both events in 5 verses. The compact writing style of Mark is the reason that Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the four. In spite of Mark’s compact writing style, there are some details of Jesus’ ministry that we can find only in Mark.
One of the advantages of Mark’s brevity is that it is practical to include more than one event in the Gospel of the day. Generally speaking, we hear the account of Jesus’ baptism on the First Sunday after the Epiphany, and we hear the account of the temptation on the First Sunday in Lent. This means that several weeks go by between the reading of these two accounts and we don’t always see the connection between them. Mark’s compact writing style doesn’t let us do that. This morning we heard about both events and we understand that one moment the Holy Spirit was descending on Jesus and the next moment that same Holy Spirit was driving Jesus out into the desert in order to confront he devil. This was before He did any teaching or miracles. It was before He called any disciples.
We read, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” The Greek could also be translated as, “The Spirit immediately threw him out into the wilderness.” Mark almost gives us the impression that Jesus was still wet from His baptism when He entered the desert. It is as if the moment the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus as a dove and said, “Move out! Let’s go to the desert and do battle with the devil.” Jesus was in perfect agreement with the Holy Spirit and readily journeyed into the desert.
The idea is that this was an intentional confrontation with the devil. We should not think that the devil noticed Jesus fasting in the desert and thought to himself, “Now that He is hungry, He will be weaker. He will be easier to tempt. This will be a good time to tempt Him.” Instead we should think of Jesus eager to do battle for us and the Holy Spirit encouraging Him into that battle. The leading of the Holy Spirit teaches us that this was not some random encounter between enemies. Instead, the temptation was part of the intentional plan of God at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.
Mark does not record many details of the actual temptation. He does tell us that it was forty days long. He also tells us that Jesus was with the wild animals.
Jesus in the desert with the wild animals reminded me of an Old Testament figure that also went out into the desert with the wild animals. We commonly refer to this figure as the scape goat.
The scape goat is a part of the ceremony for the Day of Atonement. The regulations for the Day of Atonement say this about the scape goat:
[Leviticus 16:21–22] “Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins. And he shall put them on the head of the goat and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness. The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.”
The idea was that the goat was basically an innocent animal. It did not take on the role of scape goat for itself, but for others. It did not suffer or bear the burden of its own sins. Instead, it bore the iniquities, transgressions, and sins of the people of Israel. Aaron, the high priest, confessed the sins of the nation over the goat. In this way, he transferred the sins of the people onto the goat. After that a special shepherd led the scape goat out into the wilderness to be with the wild animals. The goat with all the sins of Israel went out into the wilderness never to be seen again. The sins are gone.
There are many similarities between the scape goat and Jesus. Jesus did not just appear innocent; He actually was the innocent Son of God. He did not take on the role of sin bearer for His own sins. Instead, He bore the iniquities of the entire world. God Himself placed the sins of the world on Jesus as Isaiah wrote, [Isaiah 53:6b] “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” The Holy Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness to be with the wild animals. Jesus carried our sins away so that no one will ever see them again. The sins are gone.
Of course, once the special shepherd set the scape goat free, no one really knew what happened to that goat. The most likely outcome is that wild animals ate the scape goat. It is also possible that a shepherd from another country who knew nothing about the scape goat would find it and take it home to his own flocks. No one really knew. The point is this: although the symbolism of the scape goat was that the sins of Israel were gone never to be seen or heard from again, no one really knew for sure what happened. No one could really, absolutely know that the goat couldn’t sneak back from the wilderness into someone’s flock.
Fortunately, the scape goat is only a shadow as we hear from the writer to the Hebrews: [Hebrews 10:1–4] “For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The scape goat is only a shadow that points forward to the real thing, Jesus Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who carries away the sin of the world. Even though He carried the sin of the entire world into the desert, He Himself never sinned. He endured and triumphed over every temptation of the devil. [Hebrews 4:15] “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus endured the temptations of the devil and triumphed. He not only endured the temptation in the wilderness, but he also endured all the other temptations that the devil threw at Him as He journeyed to the cross.
You see, if the devil could have gotten Jesus to sin just once, He would no longer be able to carry our sins. He would have sins of His own to carry. Nevertheless, Jesus did not sin. He continued to carry our sin. He carried it all the way to the cross.
With Jesus, we do not have to worry that our sin might accidently come back to find us again. Jesus took our sin to the cross. There He did battle for us and conquered sin, death, and the power of the devil. Our sin is not just gone, but it is powerless. In fact, Jesus took our sin to the grave and left it there when He rose from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us that our sin is not just gone, but it is dead and gone.
The Holy Spirit made His presence known when Jesus stepped up out of the water from His baptism. That same Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the desert to confront the devil and his temptations. This teaches us that all these things were part of the plan.
It is important for us to know that Jesus endured all the hardships that we endure. He is our substitute. He doesn’t just know our lives academically, but He has experienced life as we know it. He was tempted just as we are tempted. He also experienced our pain, our sorrow, our frustrations … He experienced it all except that He never sinned.
In spite of the fact that He never sinned, He was full of sin. [2 Corinthians 5:21] “For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Just as the High Priest placed the sin of Israel on the scape goat, God has placed the sin of the world on Jesus. He became full of our sin – your sin, my sin, the sin of the entire world. Jesus has carried that sin to the cross. As we remember the cross, we will remember that our sin filled Him as He suffered and died to pay the penalty that God’s justice demanded – a payment that freed us from our slavery to sin. We will remember that God saw Him as a sinner so that He can see us as righteous.
After Jesus endured the temptations of the devil in the desert, He began proclaiming the Gospel. Because Jesus endured temptation without sin, His Gospel proclamation is just as valid for you today as it was at the time of today’s reading from the Gospel. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Amen
Hymn LSB 941, “We Praise You and Acknowledge You”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday in Lent (B) - 18 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, in the midst of this life we are beset by many temptations. Fix our eyes on our Lord Jesus, who bore temptation for us and resisted to the point of death, and bring us through the evils of this fallen world to dwell with You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You placed the wood of the cross on the back of Your only begotten Son, that as the promised offspring of Abraham He might possess the gates of hell. Bless, we pray, His Church and all those called to preach and teach within her. Give them certainty that hell cannot prevail against them, and so embolden them in faith to trample every power of the enemy underfoot. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve all catechumens and their teachers, all children and their parents, and every Christian home from the assaults of the evil one. As Your Son overcame Satan in the desert by the Word of God, so also give us the victory through Christ and His Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of lights, from whom every good and perfect gift comes down to us from above, keep us from being enticed by our own desires to misuse Your gifts. Help us use them rightly in service to You and our neighbor. Bless our president and all our leaders, that we may be governed wisely and justly for the good of this present generation and those to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Most High God, our refuge in every trouble, You have promised to hear when we call to You. Command Your angels to guard our brothers and sisters and all who suffer in our midst [especially _____________]. Keep them from every evil that can befall the body, mind or soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, the time is fulfilled and Your kingdom is at hand as Your beloved Son comes to us here at the altar. By Your Spirit, grant that we receive Him in repentance and believe the Gospel proclaimed in His body given and His blood shed for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, see how the adversary continually afflicts us and walks about as a roaring lion seeking to devour us. We implore You for the sake of the suffering and death of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to help us by the grace of the Holy Spirit and to strengthen our hearts by Your Word, that our enemy would not prevail over us, but instead that we may abide evermore in Your grace and be preserved to life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie [spoken]
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
Hymn 746 “Through Jesus’ Blood and Merit”
1 Through Jesus’ blood and merit
I am at peace with God.
What, then, can daunt my spirit,
However dark my road?
My courage shall not fail me,
For God is on my side;
Though hell itself assail me,
Its rage I may deride.
2 There’s nothing that can sever
From this great love of God;
No want, no pain whatever,
No famine, peril, flood.
Though thousand foes surround me,
For slaughter mark His sheep,
They never shall confound me,
The vict’ry I shall reap.
3 For neither life’s temptation
Nor death’s most trying hour
Nor angels of high station
Nor any other pow’r
Nor things that now are present
Nor things that are to come
Nor height, however pleasant,
Nor darkest depths of gloom
4 Nor any creature ever
Shall from the love of God
This ransomed sinner sever;
For in my Savior’s blood
This love has its foundation;
God hears my faithful prayer
And long before creation
Named me His child and heir.
Text: Simon Dach, 1605–59; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Hymn 657, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
1 A mighty fortress is our God,
A sword and shield victorious;
He breaks the cruel oppressor’s rod
And wins salvation glorious.
The old satanic foe
Has sworn to work us woe.
With craft and dreadful might
He arms himself to fight.
On earth he has no equal.
2 No strength of ours can match his might.
We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight,
Whom God Himself elected.
You ask who this may be?
The Lord of hosts is He,
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord,
God’s only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
3 Though hordes of devils fill the land
All threat’ning to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand;
They cannot overpow’r us.
Let this world’s tyrant rage;
In battle we’ll engage.
His might is doomed to fail;
God’s judgment must prevail!
One little word subdues him.
4 God’s Word forever shall abide,
No thanks to foes, who fear it;
For God Himself fights by our side
With weapons of the Spirit.
Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be wrenched away,
They cannot win the day.
The Kingdom’s ours forever!
Text: tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978; Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Stand
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 418 “O Lord, throughout These Forty Days”
1 O Lord, throughout these forty days
You prayed and kept the fast;
Inspire repentance for our sin,
And free us from our past.
2 You strove with Satan, and You won;
Your faithfulness endured;
Lend us Your nerve, Your skill and trust
In God’s eternal Word.
3 Though parched and hungry, yet You prayed
And fixed Your mind above;
So teach us to deny ourselves,
Since we have known God’s love.
4 Be with us through this season, Lord,
And all our earthly days,
That when the final Easter dawns,
We join in heaven’s praise.
Text: based on Claudia F. Hernaman, 1838–98; para. Gilbert E. Doan, 1930
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Transfiguration of Our Lord – February 11, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
LENT BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. We will also celebrate Holy Communion. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will also meet on Thursday at 10 a. m. at the Depoe Bay Coffee Shop on High Street in downtown Auburn. They are using a book entitled, “Coffee with the Savior.” If you need more information or transportation, please speak with Barb Whitley.
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, soup suppers will be offered at 6 p.m., followed by an evening Lenten service at 7 p.m. These services usually last a little over one-half hour. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be five soup suppers: Feb. 21st and 28th, and March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
The Transfiguration of Our Lord
February 11, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 417 “Alleluia, Song of Gladness”
1 Alleluia, song of gladness,
Voice of joy that cannot die;
Alleluia is the anthem
Ever raised by choirs on high;
In the house of God abiding
Thus they sing eternally.
2 Alleluia, thou resoundest,
True Jerusalem and free;
Alleluia, joyful mother,
All thy children sing with thee,
But by Babylon’s sad waters
Mourning exiles now are we.
3 Alleluia cannot always
Be our song while here below;
Alleluia, our transgressions
Make us for a while forgo;
For the solemn time is coming
When our tears for sin must flow.
4 Therefore in our hymns we pray Thee,
Grant us, blessèd Trinity,
At the last to keep Thine Easter
With Thy faithful saints on high;
There to Thee forever singing
Alleluia joyfully.
Text: Latin, c. 11th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 99:9, 1–5
P Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 2 Kings 2:1–12
1When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 50:1–6
1The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and sum- | mons the earth*
from the rising of the sun to its | setting.
2Out of Zion, the perfection of | beauty,*
God | shines forth.
3Our God comes; he does not keep | silence;*
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty | tempest.
4He calls to the heav- | ens above*
and to the earth, that he may judge his | people:
5“Gather to me my | faithful ones,*
who made a covenant with me by | sacrifice!”
6The heavens declare his | righteousness,*
for God him- | self is judge!
Epistle 2 Corinthians 3:12–13; 4:1–6
12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. . . .
1Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 9:2–9
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the ninth chapter.
2After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 413 “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair”
1 O wondrous type! O vision fair
Of glory that the Church may share,
Which Christ upon the mountain shows,
Where brighter than the sun He glows!
2 With Moses and Elijah nigh
The_incarnate Lord holds converse high;
And from the cloud the Holy One
Bears record to the only Son.
3 With shining face and bright array
Christ deigns to manifest today
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.
4 And faithful hearts are raised on high
By this great vision’s mystery,
For which in joyful strains we raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.
D 5 O Father, with the_eternal Son
And Holy Spirit ever one,
We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace
To see Thy glory face to face.
Text: Sarum Breviary, 1495, Salisbury; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus was Transfigured” Mark 9:2-9
Jesus Was Transfigured – Mark 9:2-9
Today is the Sunday of the Transfiguration. We just heard an account of that very Transformation from the Gospel according to Mark. Transfiguration Sunday is a major turning point on the church calendar. We enter the Sunday of the Transfiguration from the season of Epiphany and, as we leave, we look forward to Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent.
So it is that the Sunday of the Transfiguration is a hybrid of these two seasons. The obvious epiphany is Jesus standing before Peter, James, and John and giving them a glimpse of His glory. The foreshadowing of Lent is the prophecy of Jesus’ upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection that precedes the Transfiguration by just a few verses.
The reading that we just heard from the Gospel according to Mark begins with the phrase “And after six days …” Six days after what? The preceding verses tell us that Jesus [Mark 8:31–32] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. So the transfiguration happened six days after Jesus began telling the disciples about His sacrifice to save the world from sin.
We know that the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant because Mark’s account goes on to say, [Mark 8:31–32] And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. None of the disciples understood, but Peter was always the one with the mouth and he actually scolded Jesus for talking about suffering and death.
Many of you will remember Jesus’ response to Peter. [Mark 8:33] “Turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” With these words, Jesus warns Peter that not only is he wrong, but he is also acting as an agent of Satan in order to tempt Jesus to abandon His mission of going to the cross.
So the transfiguration happens about six days after Jesus began telling the disciples about His suffering, death, and resurrection. It also happens six days after this very dramatic demonstration of Peter’s confusion about these events.
So Jesus took Peter, James, and John up onto the mountain. Mark tells us that Jesus was transfigured so that even His clothing shone whiter than any launderer could get them. Not only that, but two Old Testament saints, Moses and Elijah, appeared and had a conversation with Jesus. You have got to admit that this is pretty impressive stuff.
The Gospel we recently heard doesn’t actually tell us anything else about Jesus and his conversation with Moses the Law Giver and Elijah the prophet. Instead, it draws our attention to the utter failure of Peter to understand what is happening. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Once again, here is Peter trying to divert Jesus from the cross. In effect he is saying, “Hey Jesus! We can build some shelters up here and just stay here and worship you.” Now keep in mind that if Jesus stays up on the mountain, then He can’t go to the cross. This is simply another variation on the devil’s main temptation of Jesus.
About this time, God the Father puts in an appearance similar to His appearance at Jesus’ baptism. A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.” It is almost as if God the Father was saying, “Hey! Pay attention! This is My Son. When He tells you that He is going to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise from the dead, listen to Him!” When the Father appears, the disciples find themselves face down on the ground trembling in terror.
Not much has changed over the centuries. We find ourselves down with our faces to the ground in terror right along with the disciples. You see, we think that we would really like to be there with the shiny, mountain top, Jesus. We think it would be really great to have God’s glory shine down on us. We think it would be great to bask in the brightness of God’s presence. But, what we think would happen and what the Bile actually says about being in the glory of God are two different things.
God’s revealed presence has a profound effect on people. The Bible tells of people falling to the ground like dead men, falling to their faces, quaking in fear, and so forth. Basically, it doesn’t make any difference what kind of person you are. If God were to show up in all His power and glory, you would have a panic attack. Today’s Gospel account says, “Peter did not know what to say, for they were terrified.”
You see, when God shows up in the full majesty of the glory that He revealed on the mountain top, we become intensely aware of how holy He is and how sinful we are. This is the terror of sinful people in the revealed presence of Holy God. There is a reason angels normally begin their message with the words, “Fear Not!” Even though the angels only reflect the glory of God’s holiness, it is enough to terrify even the bravest soul. We think we would like to bask in the glory of God, but the terror of Peter, James, and John teaches us to rethink our desire for this kind of mountaintop experience with God.
Instead, we should think about joining God on a different mountain … the mountain Jesus was talking about when He said [Mark 8:31–32] that “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” As marvelous as it is that we should hear about Jesus showing His glory to Peter, James, and John, this is not the glory that we should seek. Instead, we should seek the glory of the blood, sweat, and tears of the cross.
It is in the ugly brutality of Jesus on the cross that God reveals His greatest glory. The glory of Christ on the cross is the glory that takes away our fear and replaces it with humble confidence … a confidence, not in ourselves, but a confidence in the God-man on the cross. It is the brutal glory of Christ on the cross that takes away all sin and replaces it with the righteousness of Jesus. This is the glory that Peter did not understand when Jesus spoke of His suffering, death, and resurrection. This is the glory that Peter did not understand when he suggested building three shelters on the mountain top.
Eventually, Peter would understand. Before he understood, he had to witness Jesus in Gethsemane as He prayed. He had to witness as a band of soldiers arrested Jesus. He had to witness as he tried to stop Jesus’ mission with his sword only to see Jesus heal the ear of the servant. He had to witness as the soldiers took Jesus away to suffer and die. Most of all, he had to witness the living Lord risen from the dead … showing His hands, feet, and side to the disciples. Even then, it was only when the Holy Spirit came on the following Pentecost that Peter would get it right.
We are thankful that Peter got it right because he is the one who taught Mark, and Mark is the one who wrote today’s reading from the Gospel. Peter finally did get it right. It is through the apostolic words of Peter as recorded by Mark that we have the Gospel account we heard today.
All too often, we seek the bright glory of the mountain top experience that shone on Peter, James, and John as we heard it in today’s Gospel reading. We tend to ignore that part where the disciples were in terror. We ignore the terror because we are arrogant enough to believe that the holy glory of God will not strike us down with terror over our sins.
God the Father’s message is clear. “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him!” Listen to Jesus teach [Mark 8:31–32] that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. It is this suffering, death, and resurrection that is the glory of God that rescues us from sin, death, and the devil … that gives us eternal life.
The season of Epiphany is about the revelation of Jesus Christ. It begins with the light of the star that led the magi to the Christ child. It ends with the Transfiguration that teaches us that this man Jesus is also true God. In revealing Jesus as both man and God that Epiphany prepares us for the glory of the cross. It teaches us that the man who died on the cross is also the God who shone forth in the transfiguration. That in Jesus Christ, we have both man and God dying for our sins as He hangs on the cross.
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday … the beginning of Lent. Now that we have once again celebrated the Epiphany of Jesus Christ as both God and man, we are ready to remember that Jesus must be both God and man so that He can go to the cross and save us from sin. We are now ready to remember the journey that Jesus took from the mountain of the Transfiguration to the mountain of the cross. We are ready for Lent. We are ready to meditate on the journey that leads to the cross where Jesus will battle for us and win the victory – the victory that gives us true life with Him forever. Amen
Stand
Offertory
Sit
Offering
Stand
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Transfiguration of Our Lord (B) - 11 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Holy Father, with the appearance of Moses and Elijah at our Lord’s glorious Transfiguration, You reveal to us that the Law and the prophets are fulfilled in Him. Send Your blessing upon all pastors and servants of Your Church, that their preaching and teaching would flow from this right understanding of Christ and His work for our eternal salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, grant faithfulness, humility and patience to the sheep of Your flock here at St. Paul Lutheran Church, that in our various vocations we may strive to love You and our neighbor in all that we say and do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, bless the families of Your Church, that parents would teach the faith to their children and that the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in all households. Remember all expectant mothers, that they and their babies would be kept safe and healthy throughout their pregnancies. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, You alone establish all authority on earth. Bless those entrusted with this responsibility both here and abroad, that they would serve with integrity and honor and for the well-being of all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all grace, look with compassion on those who are in need [especially _____________]. Grant them relief and comfort through the promise of sharing in eternal glory with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You revealed Your glory in the Transfiguration of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who tabernacled among us in the flesh. Open our eyes, that by faith we would see Him continuing to tabernacle among us here in the Divine Service. Grant that we would heed Your admonition to “listen to Him” as He forgives and preserves us at the font, pulpit and altar. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember on this day the glorious manifestation of Your Son’s divinity on the Mount of Transfiguration. Teach us to listen to Jesus and ever fix our eyes on Him and His innocent suffering and death for our forgiveness. By Your grace and mercy, strengthen us to remain faithful in all circumstances of trial, temptation and persecution. Preserve us to the end, that we may die a blessed death believing in Your beloved Son with whom You are well pleased; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who at His transfiguration revealed His glory to His disciples that they might be strengthened to proclaim His cross and resurrection and with all the faithful look forward to the glory of life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
415 “Jesus on the Mountain Peak”
1 Jesus on the mountain peak
Stands alone in glory blazing;
Let us, if we dare to speak,
Join the saints and angels praising.
Alleluia!
2 Trembling at His feet we saw
Moses and Elijah speaking.
All the prophets and the law
Shout through them their joyful greeting:
Alleluia!
3 Swift the cloud of glory came:
God proclaiming in its thunder
Jesus as the Son by name!
Nations, cry aloud in wonder,
Alleluia!
4 This is God’s belovèd Son!
Law and prophets sing before Him,
First and Last and only One.
All creation shall adore Him!
Alleluia!
Text: Brian Wren, 1936
Text: © 1977 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
700 “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter ev’ry trembling heart.
2 Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into ev’ry troubled breast;
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find Thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
3 Come, Almighty, to deliver;
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
4 Finish then Thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee,
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 414 “’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here”
1 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.
2 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.
3 Fulfiller of the past
And hope of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see.
4 Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.
5 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain.
Text: Joseph A. Robinson, 1858–1933, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Transfiguration of Our Lord – February 11, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
LENT BEGINS THIS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. We will also celebrate Holy Communion. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m. HERE.
A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will also meet on Thursday at 10 a. m. at the Depoe Bay Coffee Shop on High Street in downtown Auburn. They are using a book entitled, “Coffee with the Savior.” If you need more information or transportation, please speak with Barb Whitley.
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST, soup suppers will be offered at 6 p.m., followed by an evening Lenten service at 7 p.m. These services usually last a little over one-half hour. There are signup sheets for the soup suppers on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room. There will be five soup suppers: Feb. 21st and 28th, and March 6th, 13th, and 20th.
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19
The Transfiguration of Our Lord
February 11, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 417 “Alleluia, Song of Gladness”
1 Alleluia, song of gladness,
Voice of joy that cannot die;
Alleluia is the anthem
Ever raised by choirs on high;
In the house of God abiding
Thus they sing eternally.
2 Alleluia, thou resoundest,
True Jerusalem and free;
Alleluia, joyful mother,
All thy children sing with thee,
But by Babylon’s sad waters
Mourning exiles now are we.
3 Alleluia cannot always
Be our song while here below;
Alleluia, our transgressions
Make us for a while forgo;
For the solemn time is coming
When our tears for sin must flow.
4 Therefore in our hymns we pray Thee,
Grant us, blessèd Trinity,
At the last to keep Thine Easter
With Thy faithful saints on high;
There to Thee forever singing
Alleluia joyfully.
Text: Latin, c. 11th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 99:9, 1–5
P Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy! The Lord reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!
The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he! The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, in the glorious transfiguration of Your beloved Son You confirmed the mysteries of the faith by the testimony of Moses and Elijah. In the voice that came from the bright cloud You wonderfully foreshowed our adoption by grace. Mercifully make us co-heirs with the King in His glory and bring us to the fullness of our inheritance in heaven; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 2 Kings 2:1–12
1When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. 2And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
4Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. 5The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. 7Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. 8Then Elijah took his cloak and rolled it up and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other, till the two of them could go over on dry ground.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” 10And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” 11And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. 12And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 50:1–6
1The Mighty One, God the Lord,
speaks and sum- | mons the earth*
from the rising of the sun to its | setting.
2Out of Zion, the perfection of | beauty,*
God | shines forth.
3Our God comes; he does not keep | silence;*
before him is a devouring fire,
around him a mighty | tempest.
4He calls to the heav- | ens above*
and to the earth, that he may judge his | people:
5“Gather to me my | faithful ones,*
who made a covenant with me by | sacrifice!”
6The heavens declare his | righteousness,*
for God him- | self is judge!
Epistle 2 Corinthians 3:12–13; 4:1–6
12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. . . .
1Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 9:2–9
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the ninth chapter.
2After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.
9And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 413 “O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair”
1 O wondrous type! O vision fair
Of glory that the Church may share,
Which Christ upon the mountain shows,
Where brighter than the sun He glows!
2 With Moses and Elijah nigh
The_incarnate Lord holds converse high;
And from the cloud the Holy One
Bears record to the only Son.
3 With shining face and bright array
Christ deigns to manifest today
What glory shall be theirs above
Who joy in God with perfect love.
4 And faithful hearts are raised on high
By this great vision’s mystery,
For which in joyful strains we raise
The voice of prayer, the hymn of praise.
D 5 O Father, with the_eternal Son
And Holy Spirit ever one,
We pray Thee, bring us by Thy grace
To see Thy glory face to face.
Text: Sarum Breviary, 1495, Salisbury; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus was Transfigured” Mark 9:2-9
Jesus Was Transfigured – Mark 9:2-9
Today is the Sunday of the Transfiguration. We just heard an account of that very Transformation from the Gospel according to Mark. Transfiguration Sunday is a major turning point on the church calendar. We enter the Sunday of the Transfiguration from the season of Epiphany and, as we leave, we look forward to Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent.
So it is that the Sunday of the Transfiguration is a hybrid of these two seasons. The obvious epiphany is Jesus standing before Peter, James, and John and giving them a glimpse of His glory. The foreshadowing of Lent is the prophecy of Jesus’ upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection that precedes the Transfiguration by just a few verses.
The reading that we just heard from the Gospel according to Mark begins with the phrase “And after six days …” Six days after what? The preceding verses tell us that Jesus [Mark 8:31–32] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. So the transfiguration happened six days after Jesus began telling the disciples about His sacrifice to save the world from sin.
We know that the disciples did not understand what Jesus meant because Mark’s account goes on to say, [Mark 8:31–32] And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. None of the disciples understood, but Peter was always the one with the mouth and he actually scolded Jesus for talking about suffering and death.
Many of you will remember Jesus’ response to Peter. [Mark 8:33] “Turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” With these words, Jesus warns Peter that not only is he wrong, but he is also acting as an agent of Satan in order to tempt Jesus to abandon His mission of going to the cross.
So the transfiguration happens about six days after Jesus began telling the disciples about His suffering, death, and resurrection. It also happens six days after this very dramatic demonstration of Peter’s confusion about these events.
So Jesus took Peter, James, and John up onto the mountain. Mark tells us that Jesus was transfigured so that even His clothing shone whiter than any launderer could get them. Not only that, but two Old Testament saints, Moses and Elijah, appeared and had a conversation with Jesus. You have got to admit that this is pretty impressive stuff.
The Gospel we recently heard doesn’t actually tell us anything else about Jesus and his conversation with Moses the Law Giver and Elijah the prophet. Instead, it draws our attention to the utter failure of Peter to understand what is happening. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Once again, here is Peter trying to divert Jesus from the cross. In effect he is saying, “Hey Jesus! We can build some shelters up here and just stay here and worship you.” Now keep in mind that if Jesus stays up on the mountain, then He can’t go to the cross. This is simply another variation on the devil’s main temptation of Jesus.
About this time, God the Father puts in an appearance similar to His appearance at Jesus’ baptism. A cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him.” It is almost as if God the Father was saying, “Hey! Pay attention! This is My Son. When He tells you that He is going to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise from the dead, listen to Him!” When the Father appears, the disciples find themselves face down on the ground trembling in terror.
Not much has changed over the centuries. We find ourselves down with our faces to the ground in terror right along with the disciples. You see, we think that we would really like to be there with the shiny, mountain top, Jesus. We think it would be really great to have God’s glory shine down on us. We think it would be great to bask in the brightness of God’s presence. But, what we think would happen and what the Bile actually says about being in the glory of God are two different things.
God’s revealed presence has a profound effect on people. The Bible tells of people falling to the ground like dead men, falling to their faces, quaking in fear, and so forth. Basically, it doesn’t make any difference what kind of person you are. If God were to show up in all His power and glory, you would have a panic attack. Today’s Gospel account says, “Peter did not know what to say, for they were terrified.”
You see, when God shows up in the full majesty of the glory that He revealed on the mountain top, we become intensely aware of how holy He is and how sinful we are. This is the terror of sinful people in the revealed presence of Holy God. There is a reason angels normally begin their message with the words, “Fear Not!” Even though the angels only reflect the glory of God’s holiness, it is enough to terrify even the bravest soul. We think we would like to bask in the glory of God, but the terror of Peter, James, and John teaches us to rethink our desire for this kind of mountaintop experience with God.
Instead, we should think about joining God on a different mountain … the mountain Jesus was talking about when He said [Mark 8:31–32] that “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” As marvelous as it is that we should hear about Jesus showing His glory to Peter, James, and John, this is not the glory that we should seek. Instead, we should seek the glory of the blood, sweat, and tears of the cross.
It is in the ugly brutality of Jesus on the cross that God reveals His greatest glory. The glory of Christ on the cross is the glory that takes away our fear and replaces it with humble confidence … a confidence, not in ourselves, but a confidence in the God-man on the cross. It is the brutal glory of Christ on the cross that takes away all sin and replaces it with the righteousness of Jesus. This is the glory that Peter did not understand when Jesus spoke of His suffering, death, and resurrection. This is the glory that Peter did not understand when he suggested building three shelters on the mountain top.
Eventually, Peter would understand. Before he understood, he had to witness Jesus in Gethsemane as He prayed. He had to witness as a band of soldiers arrested Jesus. He had to witness as he tried to stop Jesus’ mission with his sword only to see Jesus heal the ear of the servant. He had to witness as the soldiers took Jesus away to suffer and die. Most of all, he had to witness the living Lord risen from the dead … showing His hands, feet, and side to the disciples. Even then, it was only when the Holy Spirit came on the following Pentecost that Peter would get it right.
We are thankful that Peter got it right because he is the one who taught Mark, and Mark is the one who wrote today’s reading from the Gospel. Peter finally did get it right. It is through the apostolic words of Peter as recorded by Mark that we have the Gospel account we heard today.
All too often, we seek the bright glory of the mountain top experience that shone on Peter, James, and John as we heard it in today’s Gospel reading. We tend to ignore that part where the disciples were in terror. We ignore the terror because we are arrogant enough to believe that the holy glory of God will not strike us down with terror over our sins.
God the Father’s message is clear. “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him!” Listen to Jesus teach [Mark 8:31–32] that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. It is this suffering, death, and resurrection that is the glory of God that rescues us from sin, death, and the devil … that gives us eternal life.
The season of Epiphany is about the revelation of Jesus Christ. It begins with the light of the star that led the magi to the Christ child. It ends with the Transfiguration that teaches us that this man Jesus is also true God. In revealing Jesus as both man and God that Epiphany prepares us for the glory of the cross. It teaches us that the man who died on the cross is also the God who shone forth in the transfiguration. That in Jesus Christ, we have both man and God dying for our sins as He hangs on the cross.
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday … the beginning of Lent. Now that we have once again celebrated the Epiphany of Jesus Christ as both God and man, we are ready to remember that Jesus must be both God and man so that He can go to the cross and save us from sin. We are now ready to remember the journey that Jesus took from the mountain of the Transfiguration to the mountain of the cross. We are ready for Lent. We are ready to meditate on the journey that leads to the cross where Jesus will battle for us and win the victory – the victory that gives us true life with Him forever. Amen
Stand
Offertory
Sit
Offering
Stand
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Transfiguration of Our Lord (B) - 11 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Holy Father, with the appearance of Moses and Elijah at our Lord’s glorious Transfiguration, You reveal to us that the Law and the prophets are fulfilled in Him. Send Your blessing upon all pastors and servants of Your Church, that their preaching and teaching would flow from this right understanding of Christ and His work for our eternal salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, grant faithfulness, humility and patience to the sheep of Your flock here at St. Paul Lutheran Church, that in our various vocations we may strive to love You and our neighbor in all that we say and do. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, bless the families of Your Church, that parents would teach the faith to their children and that the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in all households. Remember all expectant mothers, that they and their babies would be kept safe and healthy throughout their pregnancies. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, You alone establish all authority on earth. Bless those entrusted with this responsibility both here and abroad, that they would serve with integrity and honor and for the well-being of all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all grace, look with compassion on those who are in need [especially _____________]. Grant them relief and comfort through the promise of sharing in eternal glory with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You revealed Your glory in the Transfiguration of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who tabernacled among us in the flesh. Open our eyes, that by faith we would see Him continuing to tabernacle among us here in the Divine Service. Grant that we would heed Your admonition to “listen to Him” as He forgives and preserves us at the font, pulpit and altar. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember on this day the glorious manifestation of Your Son’s divinity on the Mount of Transfiguration. Teach us to listen to Jesus and ever fix our eyes on Him and His innocent suffering and death for our forgiveness. By Your grace and mercy, strengthen us to remain faithful in all circumstances of trial, temptation and persecution. Preserve us to the end, that we may die a blessed death believing in Your beloved Son with whom You are well pleased; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who at His transfiguration revealed His glory to His disciples that they might be strengthened to proclaim His cross and resurrection and with all the faithful look forward to the glory of life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
415 “Jesus on the Mountain Peak”
1 Jesus on the mountain peak
Stands alone in glory blazing;
Let us, if we dare to speak,
Join the saints and angels praising.
Alleluia!
2 Trembling at His feet we saw
Moses and Elijah speaking.
All the prophets and the law
Shout through them their joyful greeting:
Alleluia!
3 Swift the cloud of glory came:
God proclaiming in its thunder
Jesus as the Son by name!
Nations, cry aloud in wonder,
Alleluia!
4 This is God’s belovèd Son!
Law and prophets sing before Him,
First and Last and only One.
All creation shall adore Him!
Alleluia!
Text: Brian Wren, 1936
Text: © 1977 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
700 “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heav’n, to earth come down!
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Enter ev’ry trembling heart.
2 Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
Into ev’ry troubled breast;
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find Thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.
3 Come, Almighty, to deliver;
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.
4 Finish then Thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee,
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 414 “’Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here”
1 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.
2 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.
3 Fulfiller of the past
And hope of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see.
4 Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We long to hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.
5 ’Tis good, Lord, to be here!
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain.
Text: Joseph A. Robinson, 1858–1933, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
February 4, 2024
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
"The Work of Preaching"
Mark 1:29-39
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Please disregard video post after our worship. I have no idea how they got there…
God’s blessings,
Barbara Brandenburg Whitley
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at our church or on line at 9 AM
Follow the order of service below,
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – February 4, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
LENT BEGINS ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH! We will have an Ash Wednesday evening service that day at 7 p.m. The optional rite of the imposition of ashes will be offered. “Jesus, I will ponder now, on Thy holy passion; with Your Spirit me endow, for such meditation.”
ON SUNDAY, APRIL 28TH at 2 p.m., there will be a memorial service for Marge Roe. Again, the service isn’t until the month of April.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 4, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 868 “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun”
1 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 In conversation be sincere,
Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
Think how the_all-seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.
3 All praise to Thee, who safe hast kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept;
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,
I may of endless light partake.
4 Lord, I my vows to Thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will
And with Thyself my spirit fill.
5 Direct, control, suggest this day
All I design or do or say
That all my pow’rs with all their might
In Thy sole glory may unite.
D 6 Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host:
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Text: Thomas Ken, 1637–1711, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 13:3–6
P I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:21–31
21Do you not know? Do you not hear?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
22It is he who sits above the circle of the earth,
and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers;
who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
and spreads them like a tent to dwell in;
23who brings princes to nothing,
and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
24Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown,
scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth,
when he blows on them, and they wither,
and the tempest carries them off like stubble.
25To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
26Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.
27Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 147:1–11
1Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises | to our God;*
for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is | fitting.
2The LORD builds up Je- | rusalem;*
he gathers the outcasts of | Israel.
3He heals the broken- | hearted*
and binds | up their wounds.
4He determines the number | of the stars;*
he gives to all of | them their names.
5Great is our Lord, and abun- | dant in power;*
his understanding is beyond | measure.
6The LORD lifts up the | humble;*
he casts the wicked | to the ground.
7Sing to the LORD with thanks- | giving;*
make melody to our God | on the lyre!
8He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares rain | for the earth;*
he makes grass grow | on the hills.
9He gives to the | beasts their food,*
and to the young ravens | that cry.
10His delight is not in the strength | of the horse,*
nor his pleasure in the legs | of a man,
11but the LORD takes pleasure in those who | fear him,*
in those who hope in his | steadfast love.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 9:16–27
16If I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:29–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
29Immediately [Jesus] left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 398 “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed”
1 Hail to the Lord’s anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
2 He comes with rescue speedy
To those who suffer wrong,
To help the poor and needy
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in His sight.
3 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
Love, joy, and hope, like flowers,
Spring in His path to birth.
Before Him on the mountains
Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness in fountains
From hill to valley flow.
4 Kings shall fall down before Him
And gold and incense bring;
All nations shall adore Him,
His praise all people sing.
To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.
5 O’er ev’ry foe victorious,
He on His throne shall rest,
From age to age more glorious,
All blessing and all-blest.
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand forever--
That name to us is Love.
Text: James Montgomery, 1771–1854, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Work of Preaching” Mark 1:29-39
The Work of Preaching – Mark 1:29-39
Today’s Gospel picks up in the middle of what has already been a long day for Jesus. The verses leading up to today’s Gospel tell us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He began teaching on the reading of the day when a demon possessed man interrupted Him. Jesus then drove the demon from the man with the authority of His word.
Now, as was the custom of that time and place, one of the members invited the teacher to a meal in his home. That is how Jesus came to be in the home of Simon. This is the same Simon whom Jesus had already called to be a disciple. Later on, Jesus would give Simon the nickname of Peter.
When they arrived in the home, they expressed their sadness that one member of the household was not able to meet with them. They quickly informed Jesus that Simon’s mother-in-law was bedridden with a fever and could not be with them.
Jesus went to the woman and took her by the hand and the fever left. She stood up and began serving the meal. Jesus’ healing was immediate and complete. The woman didn’t even need a period of recuperation after she recovered from the fever. She was healthy enough to serve the meal.
Well, Capernaum is not that big of a town. The word got out. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man in the synagogue and then gone to Simon’s house and healed his mother-in-law. News like that travels fast. As soon as the sun went down and the Sabbath was over, the area around Simon’s house filled up with people who wanted healing. Mark describes it this way: “the whole city was gathered together at the door.”
Jesus provided relief for those who came. He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Given that the healing did not start until sundown, it is reasonable to assume that the ministry to these people lasted late into the night. The next day promised to be even busier with healing and teaching.
The only thing is that when the next day came, they could not find Jesus. Jesus was gone. Mark tells us where Jesus went. Rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Instead of making Himself available to all the people who needed Him, He was off having quiet time in prayer.
Whenever a Gospel account tells us that Jesus went off and prayed by Himself like this, we should stop and think. You see, the Gospel accounts often tell us that Jesus went off to pray like this when He was under severe temptation. Perhaps the best example of this is the Garden of Gethsemane where the Gospel writers recorded the actual words of Jesus’ prayer … [Mark 14:36] “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” This was a time of temptation to abandon His mission by avoiding the cross. He could have walked away from it all … the beatings … the shame … the crucifixion … the death.
Another example of this is after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. [Mark 6:46] “After he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray.” He prayed because the five thousand wanted to make Him king so that He could feed them free food every day. He could have been their king … been popular … had a lot of followers … and so forth.
The temptation in today’s Gospel was for Jesus to continue His healing ministry in Capernaum indefinitely. There were great crowds flocking to Him. He was popular. He had the power to recreate a small version of the Garden of Eden right there in Capernaum. Simon would have been happy to convert his home into a medical clinic and Jesus could have lived out a long and happy life healing people in Capernaum … maybe get married … settle down … start a family. There didn’t have to be any torture or crucifixion. Jesus could have set up shop as the popular healing rabbi of Capernaum.
But that is not what He came into this world to do. He did not leave His throne above and take up human flesh in order to be popular, or famous, or wealthy, or powerful or anything like that. Instead, He came to overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil. He came to open heaven’s gates to us. He came to do his Father’s will and bring eternal life to all people.
So Jesus went to the empty places … away from the people. That is where He confronted His most severe temptations … away from the crowds, but not alone … for He prayed to God the Father in heaven.
Jesus never gave in to temptation. He remained faithful to His mission. He remained [Philippians 2:8] “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He carried the entire burden of the world’s sin to a hill just outside Jerusalem. There He allowed a crucifixion squad to nail Him to a cross. There He hung with all our sin, our burdens, our hurts bearing down on Him. It is place of punishment. It is our punishment that He endures. It is a place of agony and suffering. It is a place of death. It is a place where even God the Father in heaven abandons Him to the evils of hell. Because Jesus never gave in to temptation, He could cry out in triumph just before He died and say, “It is finished!”
Yet this was not the end for our faithful savior. The grave could not hold Him, for out of a desolate tomb, a grave, a place of death, Jesus rose from the dead. Not even death could hold Him. He had defeated Satan and death on the cross. Now He lives forever more celebrating the successful completion of His mission.
When Jesus went missing, Simon got together a search party and looked for Jesus. Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” They wanted Jesus to come back and continue healing people.
Jesus had other ideas. He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” When the time was right, Jesus would go to Jerusalem in order to give Himself up as a sacrifice on the cross. Until that time, the main purpose of His ministry was preaching. The healing and other miracles were a sign of His authority, but they were not the main mission. The healing and other miracles were there to serve the main mission of preaching.
You see, as marvelous as it was that Jesus went about healing people, it is His preaching that delivers the Kingdom of God to them. Jesus could go about giving away free food, healing the sick, and even raising the dead. None of this would bring the Kingdom of God to one soul. Instead the Holy Spirit has promised to work through the Word of God … through preaching. It is as the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul: [Romans 10:17] “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
Today’s reading from the Gospel ends with these words: Jesus went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. With His preaching He was bringing forgiveness, life, and salvation to those places.
Now, almost two thousand years after the events in today’s Gospel, Jesus still gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through preaching. Even though Jesus has long ago ascended into heaven, His preaching continues. Before He ascended into heaven He appeared before His disciples [Luke 24:46–47] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”
Our Lord Jesus continues to bless us with good health just as He did in Capernaum. Only now He gives us medical facilities to alleviate our pain and suffering. He even gives us wealth and luxury that even kings could not imagine in ancient days. Jesus is our shield and protection as we live day-by-day. He has answered our prayers, and we need to thank Him for these blessings.
But what a sad thing it would be if we stopped there. We have two thousand years of Church history and teachings to help us see what Jesus came to do. We have the Bible to read and study as over and over again it points us to the cross and Jesus’ resurrection. We have Bible classes to teach us why Jesus gave his life for us. We have artwork and jewelry that take us to the cross. Look around. Our worship services lead us to repent of our sins and confess our faith in Him.
Jesus still gives the forgiveness that leads to eternal life. He has opened heaven’s gates. We already have eternal life even if we only see it dimly. We have this all because Jesus did not give in to temptation, but remained faithful to His mission … His mission to the cross to take away all our sins. Amen
Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 4 February 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
We give thanks to You, dear Father, for sending Your Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh to preach the Gospel and cast out the works of Satan and the corruption of sin, which we could not overcome. By Your Word, rescue us from every evil of body and soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the Church, give joy to Your servants on whom You have laid the necessity to preach the Gospel, that many would be saved in every nation and that together we may share in the blessings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, give to all Christian homes the endurance that comes from Your Holy Spirit, that husbands and wives, parents and children may be disciplined and self-controlled in their duties, run their course in this life, and continue to the end in the holy Christian faith, ready to receive the imperishable wreath of eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Creator of the world and its foundations, You hold sway over the powers of nature and the rulers of the earth. Graciously preserve our land, its produce and industry, and our leaders together with our people. Do not disregard us for our sins, but renew us, that our lives may be peaceful and our country governed according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son is the Great Physician of body and soul, at whose hand demon, disease and every ill must turn away. We bring before You those in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation. Bring us in faith to Your Holy Sacrament, that the blood of Christ, which atoned for our sins, may make us whole, strengthen us against every spiritual attack of the devil, turn us in love toward our neighbor, and preserve us in body and soul to life everlasting. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Presentation and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
731 “O God, Forsake Me Not”
1 O God, forsake me not!
Your gracious presence lend me;
Lord, lead Your helpless child;
Your Holy Spirit send me
That I my course may run.
O be my light, my lot,
My staff, my rock, my shield--
O God, forsake me not!
2 O God, forsake me not!
Take not Your Spirit from me;
Do not permit the might
Of sin to overcome me.
Increase my feeble faith,
Which You alone have wrought.
O be my strength and pow’r--
O God, forsake me not!
3 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, hear my supplication!
In ev’ry evil hour
Help me resist temptation;
And when the prince of hell
My conscience seeks to blot,
Be then not far from me--
O God, forsake me not!
4 O God, forsake me not!
Lord, I am Yours forever.
O keep me strong in faith
That I may leave You never.
Grant me a blessèd end
When my good fight is fought;
Help me in life and death--
O God, forsake me not!
Text: Salomo Franck, 1659–1725; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
624 “The Infant Priest Was Holy Born”
1 The infant Priest was holy born
For us unholy and forlorn;
From fleshly temple forth came He,
Anointed from eternity.
2 This great High Priest in human flesh
Was icon of God’s righteousness.
His hallowed touch brought sanctity;
His hand removed impurity.
3 The holy Lamb undaunted came
To God’s own altar lit with flame;
While weeping angels hid their eyes,
This Priest became a sacrifice.
4 But death would not the victor be
Of Him who hung upon the tree.
He leads us to the Holy Place
Within the veil, before God’s face.
5 The veil is torn, our Priest we see,
As at the rail on bended knee
Our hungry mouths from Him receive
The bread of immortality.
6 The body of God’s Lamb we eat,
A priestly food and priestly meat;
On sin-parched lips the chalice pours
His quenching blood that life restores.
7 With cherubim and seraphim
Our voices join the endless hymn,
And “Holy, holy, holy” sing
To Christ, God’s Lamb, our Priest and King.
Text: Chad L. Bird, 1970
Text: © 1997, 2003 Chad L. Bird. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 551 “When to Our World the Savior Came”
1 When to our world the Savior came
The sick and helpless heard His name,
And in their weakness longed to see
The healing Christ of Galilee.
2 That good physician! Night and day
The people thronged about His way;
And wonder ran from soul to soul,
“The touch of Christ has made us whole!”
3 His praises then were heard and sung
By opened ears and loosened tongue,
While lightened eyes could see and know
The healing Christ of long ago.
4 Of long ago: yet living still,
Who died for us on Calv’ry’s hill;
Who triumphed over cross and grave,
His healing hands stretched forth to save.
5 His sov’reign purpose still remains
Who rose in pow’r, and lives and reigns;
Till ev’ry tongue confess His praise,
The healing Christ of all our days.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1984 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishin
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany –January 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
January 28, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 528 “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
1 Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!
2 My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad,
The honors of Thy name.
3 Jesus! The name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life and health and peace.
4 He breaks the pow’r of canceled sin;
He sets the pris’ner free.
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood avails for me.
5 Look unto Him, ye nations; own
Your God, ye fallen race.
Look and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.
6 See all your sins on Jesus laid;
The Lamb of God was slain.
His soul was once an off’ring made
For ev’ry soul of man.
7 To God all glory, praise, and love
Be now and ever giv’n
By saints below and saints above,
The Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 32:10, 1–2, 5–7
P Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Blessèd is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessèd is the man against whom the Lord counts no in- iquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of de-liverance.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 18:15–20
15“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 111
1Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my | whole heart,*
in the company of the upright, in the congre- | gation.
2Great are the works | of the Lord,*
studied by all who de- | light in them.
3Full of splendor and majesty | is his work,*
and his righteousness endures for- | ever.
4He has caused his wondrous works to be re- | membered;*
the Lord is gracious and | merciful.
5He provides food for those who | fear him;*
he remembers his covenant for- | ever.
6He has shown his people the power | of his works,*
in giving them the inheritance of the | nations.
7The works of his hands are faith- | ful and just;*
all his precepts are | trustworthy;
8they are established forever and | ever,*
to be performed with faithfulness and up- | rightness.
9He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant for- | ever.*
Holy and awesome | is his name!
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good under- | standing.*
His praise endures for- | ever!
Epistle 1 Corinthians 8:1–13
1Concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
4Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:21–28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
21They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 541 “‘Away from Us!’ the Demon Cried”
1 “Away from us!” the demon cried
When Christ, the Lord, drew near.
“Our dark, disordered world is lost
When You, the Light, appear!”
2 But Jesus spoke with God’s own pow’r;
“Come forth!” was His command;
For evil cannot bear the Light
Nor sin the Truth withstand.
3 O risen Christ, God’s living Word,
To us, we pray, draw near.
Come, speak the truth that cleanses sin
With love that conquers fear.
4 Drive out the doubt that cripples faith;
Expel our pride and greed
That we, from pow’rs that threaten us,
May, by Your grace, be freed.
5 Then help us, Lord, to greet each day
With hearts and wills made new
And, when You call us forth to serve,
To rise and follow You.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 2000 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Even the Demons Obey Him” Mark 1:21-28
Even the Demons Obey Him – Mark 1:21-28
When you investigate the history of war, you will find that even ancient civilizations had rules of engagement. There are places where you can fight and places where fighting is prohibited. There are honorable ways to fight and dishonorable ways to fight. Even today, the United States and many other countries subscribe to the Geneva Convention. We put the Nazis on trial for crimes against humanity. In these and various other ways, we acknowledge that there are rules even in war.
We might be inclined to believe that there are also rules in spiritual warfare. We might be tempted to believe that the angels who rebelled against God and became demons also fight fair. Today’s Gospel shows that there are no rules for demons. Our only protection against demons is the protection God provides for Jesus’ sake.
Jesus was in Capernaum on the Sabbath and went to the synagogue. This was pretty normal behavior for all God-fearing Jews. Furthermore, He taught in the synagogue. Jesus had demonstrated that He was a superior theologian already at the age of twelve when He went to the temple with His parents. The synagogue ruler often invited gifted theologians to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. So far, things are still pretty normal.
Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus’ teaching was of a higher quality than other teachers. The people who heard Him were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Apparently the scribes spent a lot of time quoting authorities. They might say something like, “Here’s what the text says and Rabbi Josef has this to say about it. On the other hand Rabbi Schlomo disagrees and says this. Then there is the teaching of the Talmud which says something else.” It seems as though the scribes talked a lot, but never really said very much. Jesus was different. He taught as though He was the authority.
Jesus’ teaching style was so superior that the people were astonished. This is consistent with one of the major themes of Mark. Jesus regularly astonished people so that they asked questions like, “What does this mean,” and “Who is this Jesus?
In contrast to all the human beings who encounter Jesus and ask, “Who is this guy,” there are others in the Gospel according to Mark who know exactly who Jesus is. There was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” The human beings in the synagogue did not know who Jesus was, but the unclean spirit who inhabited this man knew exactly who Jesus was.
Demon possession is a strange and confusing topic. This is because of the nature of demons.
First of all, demons are evil angels. They were good when God created them, but they rebelled against their creator. The Bible is not clear about the nature of their rebellion. It just informs us that they fell and they are under God’s curse. They will forever be God’s enemies and they are therefore our enemies.
Because demons are evil angels, we cannot detect them. That means that we cannot touch, smell, hear, or see them. Today’s Gospel demonstrates that they can exert an influence on the physical world, but this influence is only a disguise. They are not physical beings.
Because demons are spirits, the demon in today’s gospel may have regularly attended synagogue along with his victim. Who knows how long this demon attended synagogue with the man it possessed … weeks … months … years … a lifetime. Who knows how many times the members of this synagogue gathered together and never noticed that this man had an unclean spirit. This Sabbath began like any other Sabbath. Everyone came together and saw their friends and neighbors, and everything seemed to be fine. Most of the time, people with unclean spirits do not look like raving lunatics. Most of the time, they look normal, just like you and me. They work undercover … like a spy. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to describe this by saying, [2 Corinthians 11:14] “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
The ability of demons to act natural helps us understand the answer to another question. Why are there so many examples of demon possession in the Bible, but no examples in our modern culture? When we understand that demons can disguise themselves, then we can understand that this is a matter of demonic strategy. Demons have worked out that they can do the most damage in our modern culture by working quietly, behind the scenes. It is possible that there are just as many demon possessions now as there ever were, but they are choosing not to act out.
This tendency to lurk behind the scenes may make demons even more dangerous. At least when you see a raving lunatic you know he’s a raving lunatic! And you can see the danger. After all, If Satan popped up in front of you in red pajamas with horns, a pitchfork, and the strong smell of sulfur, you would run and hide. It wouldn’t be very tempting. On the other hand, demons tempt us with things that appear harmless. The temptation may even be fun and pleasurable. It might even be something that seems good. Don’t be fooled. The powerful lure leads to a powerful trap and slavery to sin.
There is another reason for the demon in today’s Gospel to immediately act out. Its cover was blown. Although demons are quite capable of hiding from us, they cannot hide from their creator. When this demon heard the words of authority that came from the mouth of Jesus, it recognized the word and authority that created the heavens and the earth. It recognized the word and authority that commands the heavenly host of angels. It recognized the word and authority that had cast Satan and his followers (including this unclean spirit) out of heaven. It recognized that that same word and authority had come to earth and taken on human flesh and was now speaking that same authoritative word! And immediately the unclean spirit cried out because it could not endure those authoritative words. It cried out not only in agony and fear, but in subjection and humiliation as well. The demons have no choice but to know the voice of God when they hear it.
Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. The unclean spirit has no choice. It is no longer in control. It must submit and come out. Jesus is Lord even over the demons. It is just as James, the brother of the Lord wrote, [James 2:19] “Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
The power of Jesus over demons is pure Gospel. The most powerful demon can no longer rule you. Jesus has come. He has come to expel them and set you free.
The expulsion of the demon in today’s Gospel was an early skirmish in the war that leads to the cross. Jesus finished this war with His death on the cross. His death overcame sin, death, and the power of the devil. It is on the cross that we hear Jesus say, [Luke 23:34] “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for the sin of the world. With that sacrifice, our forgiveness and cleansing, is won. Jesus does not drive us out as He did the demon. Instead, He makes us His own so that we may live with Him forever.
Listen to the response of the crowd in the synagogue. They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” Note how they phrase their wonder. The ability to command unclean spirits is teaching with authority! They saw the exorcism as an extension of His teaching … His word.
Jesus still comes with the authority of His teaching even as His word shows up in churches all over the world. Even though the church is made up of people who are sinners, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and makes us saints. While we still struggle as saints and sinners, Jesus has given His authority to His church on earth to proclaim and give His wonderful forgiveness to all nations in His Name. We have this authority because Jesus carried the uncleanness and captivity of all nations to the cross.
So, the authority of Jesus Christ comes to us even today as we hear the audible Word of God in our readings and preaching … as we feel the wet word of God in baptism … as we hear the forgiving word of God in the absolution … as we taste the forgiveness of sins as Jesus gives us His very body and blood in the bread and wine. This is the full power and authority of the cross applied to you.
We need the authority of Christ every day for demons still attack us. In many cases, they work undercover so that we will be tempted to believe that they a fairy tale dreamt up by ancient imaginations. Nevertheless, demons are real. They are spirits, so they never grow tired and they never rest. Their hatred knows no rules. Their one desire is for you to suffer hell along with them. So don’t be fooled.
Instead, look to the authority of Christ’s teaching. [Acts 16:31] “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” It is by His teaching with authority that you are safe from the attack of the evil ones and have eternal life. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 28 January 2024
O Holy Trinity, You are God of gods and Lord of lords. Truly, there is no God but You alone. From You and from Your Son, Jesus Christ, are all things. Reveal the saving knowledge of Christ’s truth to us and all the world, that loving You and one another, together we may be known by God. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, whose voice was heard at Sinai and whose authority was made manifest in Christ, the Prophet greater than Moses, send faithful preachers into Your harvest who will be diligent to listen to Your Word and speak it faithfully in Your name. Preserve us from false prophets who would lead us away from Your truth, and give us ears to hear gladly the saving words of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, guard our families and homes, and build them up in love. Support parents in their task of instructing their children, strengthen those whose faith is weak, and make us bold to forego convenience and security to attest the truths of our most holy faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give health and success to our president and governor, our legislators and judges, and all who serve for our governance and protection. Make them high in purpose, wise in counsel and unwavering in duty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son cast out unclean spirits and taught with authority. He is the Great Physician of body and soul. Have mercy on those who are sick, distressed, in danger or facing any need [especially _____________]. Sustain them with patience, trusting in Your merciful care, and graciously relieve them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Dear Lord, look with favor on all who partake this day of Christ’s holy body and blood, that in their eating and drinking they may receive the benefits of forgiveness of sins and renewal of life, and so receive a foretaste of the feast to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hope, guard and keep all who face the temptations of the devil, the world and our sinful flesh, and preserve the faith of those troubled by doubts. Through the daily remembrance of our Baptism, enable us to win the victory over all that threatens our faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
698 “May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill”
1 May we Thy precepts, Lord, fulfill
And do on earth our Father’s will
As angels do above;
Still walk in Christ, the living way,
With all Thy children and obey
The law of Christian love.
2 So may we join Thy name to bless,
Thy grace adore, Thy pow’r confess,
From sin and strife to flee.
One is our calling, one our name,
The end of all our hopes the same,
A crown of life with Thee.
3 Spirit of life, of love and peace,
Unite our hearts, our joy increase,
Thy gracious help supply.
To each of us the blessing give
In Christian fellowship to live,
In joyful hope to die.
Text: Edward Osler, 1798–1863, alt.
Text: Public domain
620 “Jesus Comes Today with Healing”
1 Jesus comes today with healing,
Knocking at my door, appealing,
Off’ring pardon, grace, and peace.
He Himself makes preparation,
And I hear His invitation:
“Come and taste the blessèd feast.”
2 Christ Himself, the priest presiding,
Yet in bread and wine abiding
In this holy sacrament,
Gives the bread of life, once broken,
And the cup, the precious token
Of His sacred covenant.
3 Under bread and wine, though lowly,
I receive the Savior holy,
Blood and body, giv’n for me,
Very Lamb of God from heaven,
Who to bitter death was given,
Hung upon the cursèd tree.
4 God descends with heav’nly power,
Gives Himself to me this hour
In this ordinary sign.
On my tongue His pledge receiving,
I accept His grace, believing
That I taste His love divine.
5 Let me praise God’s boundless favor,
Whose own feast of love I savor,
Bidden by His gracious call.
Wedding garments He provides me,
With a robe of white He hides me,
Fits me for the royal hall.
6 Now have I found consolation,
Comfort in my tribulation,
Balm to heal the troubled soul.
God, my shield from ev’ry terror,
Cleanses me from sin and error,
Makes my wounded spirit whole.
Text: Heinrich Puchta, 1808–58; tr. David W. Rogner, 1960
Text: © David W. Rogner. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
842 Son of God, Eternal Savior
1 Son of God, eternal Savior,
Source of life and truth and grace,
Word made flesh, whose birth among us
Hallows all our human race,
You our Head, who, throned in glory,
For Your own will ever plead:
Fill us with Your love and pity,
Heal our wrongs, and help our need.
2 As You, Lord, have lived for others,
So may we for others live.
Freely have Your gifts been granted;
Freely may Your servants give.
Yours the gold and Yours the silver,
Yours the wealth of land and sea;
We but stewards of Your bounty
Held in solemn trust will be.
3 Come, O Christ, and reign among us,
King of love and Prince of Peace;
Hush the storm of strife and passion,
Bid its cruel discords cease.
By Your patient years of toiling,
By Your silent hours of pain,
Quench our fevered thirst of pleasure,
Stem our selfish greed of gain.
4 Son of God, eternal Savior,
Source of life and truth and grace,
Word made flesh, whose birth among us
Hallows all our human race:
By Your praying, by Your willing
That Your people should be one,
Grant, O grant our hope’s fruition:
Here on earth Your will be done.
Text: Somerset T. C. Lowry, 1855–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany –January 28, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Gabe Dixon
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19
The Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
January 28, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 528 “Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
1 Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!
2 My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad,
The honors of Thy name.
3 Jesus! The name that charms our fears,
That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’Tis life and health and peace.
4 He breaks the pow’r of canceled sin;
He sets the pris’ner free.
His blood can make the foulest clean;
His blood avails for me.
5 Look unto Him, ye nations; own
Your God, ye fallen race.
Look and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.
6 See all your sins on Jesus laid;
The Lamb of God was slain.
His soul was once an off’ring made
For ev’ry soul of man.
7 To God all glory, praise, and love
Be now and ever giv’n
By saints below and saints above,
The Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 32:10, 1–2, 5–7
P Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord.
Blessèd is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessèd is the man against whom the Lord counts no in- iquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of de-liverance.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Deuteronomy 18:15–20
15“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 16just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 111
1Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my | whole heart,*
in the company of the upright, in the congre- | gation.
2Great are the works | of the Lord,*
studied by all who de- | light in them.
3Full of splendor and majesty | is his work,*
and his righteousness endures for- | ever.
4He has caused his wondrous works to be re- | membered;*
the Lord is gracious and | merciful.
5He provides food for those who | fear him;*
he remembers his covenant for- | ever.
6He has shown his people the power | of his works,*
in giving them the inheritance of the | nations.
7The works of his hands are faith- | ful and just;*
all his precepts are | trustworthy;
8they are established forever and | ever,*
to be performed with faithfulness and up- | rightness.
9He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant for- | ever.*
Holy and awesome | is his name!
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good under- | standing.*
His praise endures for- | ever!
Epistle 1 Corinthians 8:1–13
1Concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. 2If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.
4Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:21–28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
21They went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 541 “‘Away from Us!’ the Demon Cried”
1 “Away from us!” the demon cried
When Christ, the Lord, drew near.
“Our dark, disordered world is lost
When You, the Light, appear!”
2 But Jesus spoke with God’s own pow’r;
“Come forth!” was His command;
For evil cannot bear the Light
Nor sin the Truth withstand.
3 O risen Christ, God’s living Word,
To us, we pray, draw near.
Come, speak the truth that cleanses sin
With love that conquers fear.
4 Drive out the doubt that cripples faith;
Expel our pride and greed
That we, from pow’rs that threaten us,
May, by Your grace, be freed.
5 Then help us, Lord, to greet each day
With hearts and wills made new
And, when You call us forth to serve,
To rise and follow You.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 2000 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Even the Demons Obey Him” Mark 1:21-28
Even the Demons Obey Him – Mark 1:21-28
When you investigate the history of war, you will find that even ancient civilizations had rules of engagement. There are places where you can fight and places where fighting is prohibited. There are honorable ways to fight and dishonorable ways to fight. Even today, the United States and many other countries subscribe to the Geneva Convention. We put the Nazis on trial for crimes against humanity. In these and various other ways, we acknowledge that there are rules even in war.
We might be inclined to believe that there are also rules in spiritual warfare. We might be tempted to believe that the angels who rebelled against God and became demons also fight fair. Today’s Gospel shows that there are no rules for demons. Our only protection against demons is the protection God provides for Jesus’ sake.
Jesus was in Capernaum on the Sabbath and went to the synagogue. This was pretty normal behavior for all God-fearing Jews. Furthermore, He taught in the synagogue. Jesus had demonstrated that He was a superior theologian already at the age of twelve when He went to the temple with His parents. The synagogue ruler often invited gifted theologians to teach in the synagogue on the Sabbath. So far, things are still pretty normal.
Today’s Gospel tells us that Jesus’ teaching was of a higher quality than other teachers. The people who heard Him were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Apparently the scribes spent a lot of time quoting authorities. They might say something like, “Here’s what the text says and Rabbi Josef has this to say about it. On the other hand Rabbi Schlomo disagrees and says this. Then there is the teaching of the Talmud which says something else.” It seems as though the scribes talked a lot, but never really said very much. Jesus was different. He taught as though He was the authority.
Jesus’ teaching style was so superior that the people were astonished. This is consistent with one of the major themes of Mark. Jesus regularly astonished people so that they asked questions like, “What does this mean,” and “Who is this Jesus?
In contrast to all the human beings who encounter Jesus and ask, “Who is this guy,” there are others in the Gospel according to Mark who know exactly who Jesus is. There was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” The human beings in the synagogue did not know who Jesus was, but the unclean spirit who inhabited this man knew exactly who Jesus was.
Demon possession is a strange and confusing topic. This is because of the nature of demons.
First of all, demons are evil angels. They were good when God created them, but they rebelled against their creator. The Bible is not clear about the nature of their rebellion. It just informs us that they fell and they are under God’s curse. They will forever be God’s enemies and they are therefore our enemies.
Because demons are evil angels, we cannot detect them. That means that we cannot touch, smell, hear, or see them. Today’s Gospel demonstrates that they can exert an influence on the physical world, but this influence is only a disguise. They are not physical beings.
Because demons are spirits, the demon in today’s gospel may have regularly attended synagogue along with his victim. Who knows how long this demon attended synagogue with the man it possessed … weeks … months … years … a lifetime. Who knows how many times the members of this synagogue gathered together and never noticed that this man had an unclean spirit. This Sabbath began like any other Sabbath. Everyone came together and saw their friends and neighbors, and everything seemed to be fine. Most of the time, people with unclean spirits do not look like raving lunatics. Most of the time, they look normal, just like you and me. They work undercover … like a spy. The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to describe this by saying, [2 Corinthians 11:14] “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”
The ability of demons to act natural helps us understand the answer to another question. Why are there so many examples of demon possession in the Bible, but no examples in our modern culture? When we understand that demons can disguise themselves, then we can understand that this is a matter of demonic strategy. Demons have worked out that they can do the most damage in our modern culture by working quietly, behind the scenes. It is possible that there are just as many demon possessions now as there ever were, but they are choosing not to act out.
This tendency to lurk behind the scenes may make demons even more dangerous. At least when you see a raving lunatic you know he’s a raving lunatic! And you can see the danger. After all, If Satan popped up in front of you in red pajamas with horns, a pitchfork, and the strong smell of sulfur, you would run and hide. It wouldn’t be very tempting. On the other hand, demons tempt us with things that appear harmless. The temptation may even be fun and pleasurable. It might even be something that seems good. Don’t be fooled. The powerful lure leads to a powerful trap and slavery to sin.
There is another reason for the demon in today’s Gospel to immediately act out. Its cover was blown. Although demons are quite capable of hiding from us, they cannot hide from their creator. When this demon heard the words of authority that came from the mouth of Jesus, it recognized the word and authority that created the heavens and the earth. It recognized the word and authority that commands the heavenly host of angels. It recognized the word and authority that had cast Satan and his followers (including this unclean spirit) out of heaven. It recognized that that same word and authority had come to earth and taken on human flesh and was now speaking that same authoritative word! And immediately the unclean spirit cried out because it could not endure those authoritative words. It cried out not only in agony and fear, but in subjection and humiliation as well. The demons have no choice but to know the voice of God when they hear it.
Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. The unclean spirit has no choice. It is no longer in control. It must submit and come out. Jesus is Lord even over the demons. It is just as James, the brother of the Lord wrote, [James 2:19] “Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
The power of Jesus over demons is pure Gospel. The most powerful demon can no longer rule you. Jesus has come. He has come to expel them and set you free.
The expulsion of the demon in today’s Gospel was an early skirmish in the war that leads to the cross. Jesus finished this war with His death on the cross. His death overcame sin, death, and the power of the devil. It is on the cross that we hear Jesus say, [Luke 23:34] “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross for the sin of the world. With that sacrifice, our forgiveness and cleansing, is won. Jesus does not drive us out as He did the demon. Instead, He makes us His own so that we may live with Him forever.
Listen to the response of the crowd in the synagogue. They were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” Note how they phrase their wonder. The ability to command unclean spirits is teaching with authority! They saw the exorcism as an extension of His teaching … His word.
Jesus still comes with the authority of His teaching even as His word shows up in churches all over the world. Even though the church is made up of people who are sinners, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and makes us saints. While we still struggle as saints and sinners, Jesus has given His authority to His church on earth to proclaim and give His wonderful forgiveness to all nations in His Name. We have this authority because Jesus carried the uncleanness and captivity of all nations to the cross.
So, the authority of Jesus Christ comes to us even today as we hear the audible Word of God in our readings and preaching … as we feel the wet word of God in baptism … as we hear the forgiving word of God in the absolution … as we taste the forgiveness of sins as Jesus gives us His very body and blood in the bread and wine. This is the full power and authority of the cross applied to you.
We need the authority of Christ every day for demons still attack us. In many cases, they work undercover so that we will be tempted to believe that they a fairy tale dreamt up by ancient imaginations. Nevertheless, demons are real. They are spirits, so they never grow tired and they never rest. Their hatred knows no rules. Their one desire is for you to suffer hell along with them. So don’t be fooled.
Instead, look to the authority of Christ’s teaching. [Acts 16:31] “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” It is by His teaching with authority that you are safe from the attack of the evil ones and have eternal life. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 28 January 2024
O Holy Trinity, You are God of gods and Lord of lords. Truly, there is no God but You alone. From You and from Your Son, Jesus Christ, are all things. Reveal the saving knowledge of Christ’s truth to us and all the world, that loving You and one another, together we may be known by God. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, whose voice was heard at Sinai and whose authority was made manifest in Christ, the Prophet greater than Moses, send faithful preachers into Your harvest who will be diligent to listen to Your Word and speak it faithfully in Your name. Preserve us from false prophets who would lead us away from Your truth, and give us ears to hear gladly the saving words of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, guard our families and homes, and build them up in love. Support parents in their task of instructing their children, strengthen those whose faith is weak, and make us bold to forego convenience and security to attest the truths of our most holy faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give health and success to our president and governor, our legislators and judges, and all who serve for our governance and protection. Make them high in purpose, wise in counsel and unwavering in duty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son cast out unclean spirits and taught with authority. He is the Great Physician of body and soul. Have mercy on those who are sick, distressed, in danger or facing any need [especially _____________]. Sustain them with patience, trusting in Your merciful care, and graciously relieve them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Dear Lord, look with favor on all who partake this day of Christ’s holy body and blood, that in their eating and drinking they may receive the benefits of forgiveness of sins and renewal of life, and so receive a foretaste of the feast to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hope, guard and keep all who face the temptations of the devil, the world and our sinful flesh, and preserve the faith of those troubled by doubts. Through the daily remembrance of our Baptism, enable us to win the victory over all that threatens our faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
698 “May We Thy Precepts, Lord, Fulfill”
1 May we Thy precepts, Lord, fulfill
And do on earth our Father’s will
As angels do above;
Still walk in Christ, the living way,
With all Thy children and obey
The law of Christian love.
2 So may we join Thy name to bless,
Thy grace adore, Thy pow’r confess,
From sin and strife to flee.
One is our calling, one our name,
The end of all our hopes the same,
A crown of life with Thee.
3 Spirit of life, of love and peace,
Unite our hearts, our joy increase,
Thy gracious help supply.
To each of us the blessing give
In Christian fellowship to live,
In joyful hope to die.
Text: Edward Osler, 1798–1863, alt.
Text: Public domain
620 “Jesus Comes Today with Healing”
1 Jesus comes today with healing,
Knocking at my door, appealing,
Off’ring pardon, grace, and peace.
He Himself makes preparation,
And I hear His invitation:
“Come and taste the blessèd feast.”
2 Christ Himself, the priest presiding,
Yet in bread and wine abiding
In this holy sacrament,
Gives the bread of life, once broken,
And the cup, the precious token
Of His sacred covenant.
3 Under bread and wine, though lowly,
I receive the Savior holy,
Blood and body, giv’n for me,
Very Lamb of God from heaven,
Who to bitter death was given,
Hung upon the cursèd tree.
4 God descends with heav’nly power,
Gives Himself to me this hour
In this ordinary sign.
On my tongue His pledge receiving,
I accept His grace, believing
That I taste His love divine.
5 Let me praise God’s boundless favor,
Whose own feast of love I savor,
Bidden by His gracious call.
Wedding garments He provides me,
With a robe of white He hides me,
Fits me for the royal hall.
6 Now have I found consolation,
Comfort in my tribulation,
Balm to heal the troubled soul.
God, my shield from ev’ry terror,
Cleanses me from sin and error,
Makes my wounded spirit whole.
Text: Heinrich Puchta, 1808–58; tr. David W. Rogner, 1960
Text: © David W. Rogner. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
842 Son of God, Eternal Savior
1 Son of God, eternal Savior,
Source of life and truth and grace,
Word made flesh, whose birth among us
Hallows all our human race,
You our Head, who, throned in glory,
For Your own will ever plead:
Fill us with Your love and pity,
Heal our wrongs, and help our need.
2 As You, Lord, have lived for others,
So may we for others live.
Freely have Your gifts been granted;
Freely may Your servants give.
Yours the gold and Yours the silver,
Yours the wealth of land and sea;
We but stewards of Your bounty
Held in solemn trust will be.
3 Come, O Christ, and reign among us,
King of love and Prince of Peace;
Hush the storm of strife and passion,
Bid its cruel discords cease.
By Your patient years of toiling,
By Your silent hours of pain,
Quench our fevered thirst of pleasure,
Stem our selfish greed of gain.
4 Son of God, eternal Savior,
Source of life and truth and grace,
Word made flesh, whose birth among us
Hallows all our human race:
By Your praying, by Your willing
That Your people should be one,
Grant, O grant our hope’s fruition:
Here on earth Your will be done.
Text: Somerset T. C. Lowry, 1855–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday after Epiphany –January 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
ON PRAYER--
“When you pray, do not be afraid that God won’t hear you because you don’t get the form of the prayer just right. Don’t avoid prayer because your sins trouble you. Remember that God hears our prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you. Jesus opens the door to the throne room of our Heavenly Father, by His perfect life and His sacrifice on Calvary. Baptized into His name, you receive credit for His good works and freedom from your sins. Pray boldly with your Lord. Pray for others before asking for yourself. Finally, and always, as the hymnwriter suggests, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’” [from CPH Lifelight Bible Study on John’s Gospel, p. 21]
GOD IS PRESENT IN OUR STORMS--
The storm did not awaken Jesus, but the cry of his disciples did. Storms happen all the time on the Sea of Galilee, but apparently this was a pretty bad one, because even the seasoned sailors were freaking out. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat. Now, in a broad sense, God never sleeps. He’s always aware of what we’re going through. The Bible tells us that “he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God. Is. 40:28
The Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jonah 3:1–5, 10
L A reading from Jonah, chapter 3.
1Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. . . .
10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Corinthians 7:29–31
L A reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 7.
29This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 1:14–20
L A reading from Mark, chapter 1.
14After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
16Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn: 682 “God of the Prophets, Bless the Prophets’ Sons”
1 God of the prophets, bless the prophets’ sons;
Elijah’s mantle o’er Elisha cast.
Each age its solemn task may claim but once;
Make each one nobler, stronger than the last.
2 Anoint them prophets, men who are intent
To be Your witnesses in word and deed,
Their hearts aflame, their lips made eloquent,
Their eyes awake to ev’ry human need.
3 Anoint them priests, strong intercessors they,
For pardon and for love and hope and peace,
That, through their pleading, guilty sinners may
Find Jesus’ mercy and from sin release.
4 Anoint them kings, yes, kingly kings, O Lord.
Anoint them with the Spirit of Your Son.
Theirs not a jeweled crown, a bloodstained sword;
Theirs, by sweet love, for Christ a kingdom won.
5 Make them apostles, heralds of Your cross;
Forth let them go to tell the world of grace.
Inspired by You, may they count all but loss
And stand at last with joy before Your face.
Text: Denis Wortman, 1835–1922, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Let’s Go Fishing!” Mark 1:14-20
Let’s Go Fishing! – Mark 1:14-20
My dad was from Minnesota. Does anyone here know what Minnesota is known for? Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Just about everyone in Minnesota fishes. I once heard the story about a peculiar fisherman from Minnesota. You see, this fisherman was very well prepared. He knew how to fish. He had everything you need to be a good fisherman. He had poles, nets, bait, and even a really nice boat, but this fisherman had a problem. You see, for all his preparation he never caught anything. Not one fish. Not one, not ever. And you know why he never caught a fish? What do you think? The answer’s easy: He never went fishing. He had all the knowledge and all the equipment, but he never got into the boat, he never left the dock. Today, we are going to talk about fishing. Because God wants us to thank Him for the blessings of the past by going fishing, but as we see in our text for this morning, not for fish, but for men. God wants us to go fishing for basically two reasons: because he has prepared us to go and because He has called us to go fishing.
I. Because God has prepared us
In the text for this morning we see Jesus at the very beginning of his ministry. He has just spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. The news on the street is that John the Baptist, who had baptized him only a few weeks earlier had been thrown in jail. So Jesus travels up to the land where he grew up, Galilee, and begins to preach "the Gospel of God." The good news of God. It was kind of like those newspaper boys in the olden days, yelling from the corner of the street, "Extra, Extra read all about it…"
And that’s basically what Jesus did. He went into Galilee proclaiming this good news. He yelled out, "the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand." The time has come. Every event of the past, everything that would happen in the future meet at this point in history. We can literally say that this was history’s defining moment. Jesus had come to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. He had come to bring the Kingdom of God, that is, He came to rule in people’s hearts. That’s what the Kingdom of God is: that God rules in people’s hearts.
But before He could reign in their hearts, they had to first see their need for Him, and so Jesus used one simple word. He said, "repent." Repent---one little word that literally brings men to their knees. For with this word, men were shown the mirror of the law, the law that they knew all too well, the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. In this law they could see that they hadn’t even kept one of God’s commandments perfectly as He demands. In this law they saw the punishment they deserved, the eternal suffering and anguish of hell. All in one little word, "repent." With this one word, Jesus showed them that they needed a Savior, that they needed Him.
But He didn’t stop there. He told them, "believe the good news." And what was this good news? It was the good news that God had come to earth, it was the good news that the Savior so long awaited, the Savior that they so desperately needed had come to suffer and die for their sins. "Extra, extra read all about, God is here to save us!"
And this was the message that these first disciples heard. Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John: they had been disciples of John the Baptist. John had told them that Jesus was the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And with this message, Jesus started to prepare them, to prepare them for fishing. And during the rest of his life here on this earth Jesus continued to prepare them. He taught them, he allowed them to see miracles, he even promised them his Holy Spirit to empower them. These men were well prepared for fishing…
But you know, God really has called us in the same way. He calls to us through his Word, "the time has come, the kingdom of God is at hand." Today is the day of our salvation. Today, right this moment God calls to us to tell us that He has come and now reigns forever in heaven and in the hearts of all those who believe in Him. And so, just as Jesus called to those Galileans two thousand years ago, so He now calls to us:
"Repent." That one little word that brings each and everyone of us to our knees, for it forces us to look into the mirror of the Law in which we see that we haven’t kept even one of God’s commandments. Kids, how many times do you not listen to your parents? You go where they tell you not to go and do what they tell not to do. But you know what, as adults, we aren’t any better. We lie, we get angry, we gossip, we have lustful thoughts… When we look in the mirror of God’s Law we see that we are ugly and deformed sinners who deserve God’s eternal punishment in hell. That one little word "repent" reminds us of our need for a Savior.
But, Jesus announces the good news to us in His word, "Extra, Extra read all about it." We can read all about it…All about how the holy and all-powerful God came to this world as a man to suffer in our place and to die for our sins. We have the good news that each and every one of our sins is forgiven because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
And so in this way God has prepared us for fishing. He started this preparation in our baptism, when He called us to faith and He has continued to prepare us through his Word, in catechism classes, Bible Studies, even here every Sunday in our worship services, God prepares us for fishing. St. Paul Lutheran Church has been here for more than seventy-six years as a fishing school, among other things.
So we are prepared, just like that fisherman from Minnesota. God has trained us and continues to train us through his Word and he also give us the equipment that we need right here in the Bible. All we need is right here. It’s the same message that Jesus preached to the Galileans, "Repent and believe the Gospel." But you know, we aren’t going to "catch" anything if we don’t go. And so God invites us to go fishing…
II. Because God has called us to go
Every year come January, folks in the upper Midwest and elsewhere go ice fishing. I did it once in Montana and really didn’t like it because I wasn’t prepared for the extreme cold on Georgetown Lake outside of Anaconda, MT. I have never done it since, and this was some forty years ago. Once was enough, at least for me. It wasn’t a pleasant experience because of the external conditions. Thankfully I did get to “escape” and go to the lodge and warm up a few times and that helped.
The first disciples had mixed reviews about their “fishing for men” experience. Mark tells us that they left their boats and nets behind to follow Jesus. Jesus invited them to go fishing and through the faith worked in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, they were excited. They left behind their boats, they left behind their nets, James and John even left behind their very own father to follow Jesus immediately. And so they followed Jesus for three years, three years of ups and downs, three years of learning. And when Jesus sent them out, they went out to preach to the whole world…
And let me tell you, the fishing wasn’t always easy. Most people didn’t listen to them. The governing authorities persecuted them. They were thrown in prison. And we learn from tradition that all except John suffered a martyr’s death for being fishers of men.
Jesus has invited us to go fishing. How will we react? Excitement. Joy. "I can’t believe I get to tell people about Jesus." Or is it something like, "I’ve got other things to do." "I don’t know what to say." "We won’t catch anything anyway, nobody will listen." "It’s better if somebody else does it." Those excuses didn’t work for Moses when God called him to service and they’re not going to work for you, because God has called you to be a fisherman. It’s not just the job of the pastor or the elders. God calls to each and every one of us in Matthew 28:19 "Go and make disciples of all nations." But what a privilege, when we see the love that he has showered upon each of us individually, the years of blessings that he has given to our church and to our synod–-when we see that amazing grace, we will just want to share that good news with others.
And there are so many opportunities. You don’t have to go to foreign countries as a missionary to find people who don’t believe in Jesus. We all have neighbors, friends and family members, all these people who live around the church who don’t know Jesus and are therefore going to hell. It’s time to go fishing. How many people at work even know that you’re a Christian? It’s time to go fishing. I know it’s not easy. I know that it’s uncomfortable. I know they may laugh at you. But our Savior is calling and He even promises you that He will do all the real work. The results are in His hands…
Yes, we have an incredible gift. God gives us heaven free of charge and now invites us to share that gift with others. He prepares us for fishing and gives us everything we need to be good fisherman through His Word, and now He invites us to go. If you don’t know what to say, we can help you. Trust me, there are many people who would be happy to help you, AND you’ll probably make their day. Ask them to teach you how to share the good news of salvation with others. All God asks us to do is fish and leave the results up to Him. So, let’s go fishing! AMEN
Hymn: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 21 January 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, heavenly Father, You desire not the death of a sinner but that all would repent and believe the Gospel. In the epiphany of Your Son, Your time of salvation and Your kingdom have come near. As this world passes away, give faithfulness and urgency to Your Church to proclaim the Gospel of our God to all people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the harvest, as You called Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow You and made them fishers of men, so send faithful preachers of Your Gospel in our time. Increase the spirit of generosity to all who support the missionaries, seminaries, colleges and other institutions of our Church for the spread of the Gospel and the service of God’s people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, in view of every current distress as the present form of this world passes away, give constancy and contentment to Your people in their God-given stations. Give comfort and faithfulness to the married, and strengthen them to pass on the faith to the next generation. Show kindness also to the unmarried and assure them of the holiness of their place in life, that they would be freed from anxiety and attend to holiness in body and spirit, undividedly devoted to You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve our nation with its rulers. Call to repentance those who have forgotten You. Spare our president, our governor; and all who serve for the good of this people. Do not let disaster befall us, but preserve us in peace and quietness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, turn us from every distracting anxiety and the dealings of this world that would draw our hearts away from Your blessed Gospel and its end, eternal life. Give us confidence in the resurrection and the peace of a clean conscience by the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. Graciously behold and help those for whom we pray [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, in Your Holy Sacrament You deliver the Gospel proclaimed by Your Son and won by His death in His true body and blood. Work repentance and faith in all who commune, and unite them in a sincere confession of Your divine truth at this altar. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
685 “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus”
1 Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Through a world that would deceive us
And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in His footsteps treading,
Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide;
I shall follow where You guide.
2 Let us suffer here with Jesus
And with patience bear our cross.
Joy will follow all our sadness;
Where He is, there is no loss.
Though today we sow no laughter,
We shall reap celestial joy;
All discomforts that annoy
Shall give way to mirth hereafter.
Jesus, here I share Your woe;
Help me there Your joy to know.
3 Let us gladly die with Jesus.
Since by death He conquered death,
He will free us from destruction,
Give to us immortal breath.
Let us mortify all passion
That would lead us into sin;
And the grave that shuts us in
Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here with You I die,
There to live with You on high.
4 Let us also live with Jesus.
He has risen from the dead
That to life we may awaken.
Jesus, You are now our head.
We are Your own living members;
Where You live, there we shall be
In Your presence constantly,
Living there with You forever.
Jesus, let me faithful be,
Life eternal grant to me.
Text: Sigismund von Birken, 1626–81; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
618 “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table”
1 I come, O Savior, to Thy table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole: Refrain
ref Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!
2 Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee. Refrain
3 Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never,
For Thou my faithful shepherd art: Refrain
4 Weary am I and heavy laden;
With sin my soul is sore oppressed;
Receive me graciously and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest. Refrain
5 What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith’s bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace. Refrain
Text: Friedrich Christian Heyder, 1677–1754; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 856 “O Christ, Who Called the Twelve”
1 O Christ, who called the Twelve
To rise and follow You,
Forsaking old, familiar ways
For ventures bold and new:
Grant us to hear Your call
To risk security
And, bound in heart and will to You,
Find perfect liberty.
2 O Christ, who taught the Twelve
The truth for ages sealed,
Whose words and works awakened faith,
The ways of God revealed:
Instruct us now, we pray,
By Your empow’ring Word.
True teacher, be for all who seek
Their light, their life, their Lord.
3 O Christ, who led the Twelve
Among the desolate
And broke as bread of life for all
Your love compassionate:
Lead us along the ways
Where hope has nearly died
And help us climb the lonely hills
Where love is crucified.
4 O Christ, who sent the Twelve
On roads they’d never trod
To serve, to suffer, teach, proclaim
The nearer reign of God:
Send us on ways where faith
Transcends timidity,
Where love informs and hope sustains
Both life and ministry.
5 O Christ, the_apostles’ Lord,
The martyrs’ strength and song,
The crucified and risen King
To whom the saints belong:
Though generations pass,
Our tribute still we bring,
Our hymns a sacrifice of praise,
Our lives an offering.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday after Epiphany –January 21, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Lynn Tallman
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
ON PRAYER--
“When you pray, do not be afraid that God won’t hear you because you don’t get the form of the prayer just right. Don’t avoid prayer because your sins trouble you. Remember that God hears our prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you. Jesus opens the door to the throne room of our Heavenly Father, by His perfect life and His sacrifice on Calvary. Baptized into His name, you receive credit for His good works and freedom from your sins. Pray boldly with your Lord. Pray for others before asking for yourself. Finally, and always, as the hymnwriter suggests, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’” [from CPH Lifelight Bible Study on John’s Gospel, p. 21]
GOD IS PRESENT IN OUR STORMS--
The storm did not awaken Jesus, but the cry of his disciples did. Storms happen all the time on the Sea of Galilee, but apparently this was a pretty bad one, because even the seasoned sailors were freaking out. Meanwhile, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat. Now, in a broad sense, God never sleeps. He’s always aware of what we’re going through. The Bible tells us that “he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).
Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God. Is. 40:28
The Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 21, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jonah 3:1–5, 10
L A reading from Jonah, chapter 3.
1Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. 4Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. . . .
10When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Corinthians 7:29–31
L A reading from 1 Corinthians, chapter 7.
29This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Mark 1:14–20
L A reading from Mark, chapter 1.
14After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
16Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn: 682 “God of the Prophets, Bless the Prophets’ Sons”
1 God of the prophets, bless the prophets’ sons;
Elijah’s mantle o’er Elisha cast.
Each age its solemn task may claim but once;
Make each one nobler, stronger than the last.
2 Anoint them prophets, men who are intent
To be Your witnesses in word and deed,
Their hearts aflame, their lips made eloquent,
Their eyes awake to ev’ry human need.
3 Anoint them priests, strong intercessors they,
For pardon and for love and hope and peace,
That, through their pleading, guilty sinners may
Find Jesus’ mercy and from sin release.
4 Anoint them kings, yes, kingly kings, O Lord.
Anoint them with the Spirit of Your Son.
Theirs not a jeweled crown, a bloodstained sword;
Theirs, by sweet love, for Christ a kingdom won.
5 Make them apostles, heralds of Your cross;
Forth let them go to tell the world of grace.
Inspired by You, may they count all but loss
And stand at last with joy before Your face.
Text: Denis Wortman, 1835–1922, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Let’s Go Fishing!” Mark 1:14-20
Let’s Go Fishing! – Mark 1:14-20
My dad was from Minnesota. Does anyone here know what Minnesota is known for? Minnesota is the land of 10,000 lakes. Just about everyone in Minnesota fishes. I once heard the story about a peculiar fisherman from Minnesota. You see, this fisherman was very well prepared. He knew how to fish. He had everything you need to be a good fisherman. He had poles, nets, bait, and even a really nice boat, but this fisherman had a problem. You see, for all his preparation he never caught anything. Not one fish. Not one, not ever. And you know why he never caught a fish? What do you think? The answer’s easy: He never went fishing. He had all the knowledge and all the equipment, but he never got into the boat, he never left the dock. Today, we are going to talk about fishing. Because God wants us to thank Him for the blessings of the past by going fishing, but as we see in our text for this morning, not for fish, but for men. God wants us to go fishing for basically two reasons: because he has prepared us to go and because He has called us to go fishing.
I. Because God has prepared us
In the text for this morning we see Jesus at the very beginning of his ministry. He has just spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil. The news on the street is that John the Baptist, who had baptized him only a few weeks earlier had been thrown in jail. So Jesus travels up to the land where he grew up, Galilee, and begins to preach "the Gospel of God." The good news of God. It was kind of like those newspaper boys in the olden days, yelling from the corner of the street, "Extra, Extra read all about it…"
And that’s basically what Jesus did. He went into Galilee proclaiming this good news. He yelled out, "the time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand." The time has come. Every event of the past, everything that would happen in the future meet at this point in history. We can literally say that this was history’s defining moment. Jesus had come to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament. He had come to bring the Kingdom of God, that is, He came to rule in people’s hearts. That’s what the Kingdom of God is: that God rules in people’s hearts.
But before He could reign in their hearts, they had to first see their need for Him, and so Jesus used one simple word. He said, "repent." Repent---one little word that literally brings men to their knees. For with this word, men were shown the mirror of the law, the law that they knew all too well, the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. In this law they could see that they hadn’t even kept one of God’s commandments perfectly as He demands. In this law they saw the punishment they deserved, the eternal suffering and anguish of hell. All in one little word, "repent." With this one word, Jesus showed them that they needed a Savior, that they needed Him.
But He didn’t stop there. He told them, "believe the good news." And what was this good news? It was the good news that God had come to earth, it was the good news that the Savior so long awaited, the Savior that they so desperately needed had come to suffer and die for their sins. "Extra, extra read all about, God is here to save us!"
And this was the message that these first disciples heard. Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John: they had been disciples of John the Baptist. John had told them that Jesus was the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." And with this message, Jesus started to prepare them, to prepare them for fishing. And during the rest of his life here on this earth Jesus continued to prepare them. He taught them, he allowed them to see miracles, he even promised them his Holy Spirit to empower them. These men were well prepared for fishing…
But you know, God really has called us in the same way. He calls to us through his Word, "the time has come, the kingdom of God is at hand." Today is the day of our salvation. Today, right this moment God calls to us to tell us that He has come and now reigns forever in heaven and in the hearts of all those who believe in Him. And so, just as Jesus called to those Galileans two thousand years ago, so He now calls to us:
"Repent." That one little word that brings each and everyone of us to our knees, for it forces us to look into the mirror of the Law in which we see that we haven’t kept even one of God’s commandments. Kids, how many times do you not listen to your parents? You go where they tell you not to go and do what they tell not to do. But you know what, as adults, we aren’t any better. We lie, we get angry, we gossip, we have lustful thoughts… When we look in the mirror of God’s Law we see that we are ugly and deformed sinners who deserve God’s eternal punishment in hell. That one little word "repent" reminds us of our need for a Savior.
But, Jesus announces the good news to us in His word, "Extra, Extra read all about it." We can read all about it…All about how the holy and all-powerful God came to this world as a man to suffer in our place and to die for our sins. We have the good news that each and every one of our sins is forgiven because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.
And so in this way God has prepared us for fishing. He started this preparation in our baptism, when He called us to faith and He has continued to prepare us through his Word, in catechism classes, Bible Studies, even here every Sunday in our worship services, God prepares us for fishing. St. Paul Lutheran Church has been here for more than seventy-six years as a fishing school, among other things.
So we are prepared, just like that fisherman from Minnesota. God has trained us and continues to train us through his Word and he also give us the equipment that we need right here in the Bible. All we need is right here. It’s the same message that Jesus preached to the Galileans, "Repent and believe the Gospel." But you know, we aren’t going to "catch" anything if we don’t go. And so God invites us to go fishing…
II. Because God has called us to go
Every year come January, folks in the upper Midwest and elsewhere go ice fishing. I did it once in Montana and really didn’t like it because I wasn’t prepared for the extreme cold on Georgetown Lake outside of Anaconda, MT. I have never done it since, and this was some forty years ago. Once was enough, at least for me. It wasn’t a pleasant experience because of the external conditions. Thankfully I did get to “escape” and go to the lodge and warm up a few times and that helped.
The first disciples had mixed reviews about their “fishing for men” experience. Mark tells us that they left their boats and nets behind to follow Jesus. Jesus invited them to go fishing and through the faith worked in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, they were excited. They left behind their boats, they left behind their nets, James and John even left behind their very own father to follow Jesus immediately. And so they followed Jesus for three years, three years of ups and downs, three years of learning. And when Jesus sent them out, they went out to preach to the whole world…
And let me tell you, the fishing wasn’t always easy. Most people didn’t listen to them. The governing authorities persecuted them. They were thrown in prison. And we learn from tradition that all except John suffered a martyr’s death for being fishers of men.
Jesus has invited us to go fishing. How will we react? Excitement. Joy. "I can’t believe I get to tell people about Jesus." Or is it something like, "I’ve got other things to do." "I don’t know what to say." "We won’t catch anything anyway, nobody will listen." "It’s better if somebody else does it." Those excuses didn’t work for Moses when God called him to service and they’re not going to work for you, because God has called you to be a fisherman. It’s not just the job of the pastor or the elders. God calls to each and every one of us in Matthew 28:19 "Go and make disciples of all nations." But what a privilege, when we see the love that he has showered upon each of us individually, the years of blessings that he has given to our church and to our synod–-when we see that amazing grace, we will just want to share that good news with others.
And there are so many opportunities. You don’t have to go to foreign countries as a missionary to find people who don’t believe in Jesus. We all have neighbors, friends and family members, all these people who live around the church who don’t know Jesus and are therefore going to hell. It’s time to go fishing. How many people at work even know that you’re a Christian? It’s time to go fishing. I know it’s not easy. I know that it’s uncomfortable. I know they may laugh at you. But our Savior is calling and He even promises you that He will do all the real work. The results are in His hands…
Yes, we have an incredible gift. God gives us heaven free of charge and now invites us to share that gift with others. He prepares us for fishing and gives us everything we need to be good fisherman through His Word, and now He invites us to go. If you don’t know what to say, we can help you. Trust me, there are many people who would be happy to help you, AND you’ll probably make their day. Ask them to teach you how to share the good news of salvation with others. All God asks us to do is fish and leave the results up to Him. So, let’s go fishing! AMEN
Hymn: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 21 January 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, heavenly Father, You desire not the death of a sinner but that all would repent and believe the Gospel. In the epiphany of Your Son, Your time of salvation and Your kingdom have come near. As this world passes away, give faithfulness and urgency to Your Church to proclaim the Gospel of our God to all people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of the harvest, as You called Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow You and made them fishers of men, so send faithful preachers of Your Gospel in our time. Increase the spirit of generosity to all who support the missionaries, seminaries, colleges and other institutions of our Church for the spread of the Gospel and the service of God’s people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal Lord, in view of every current distress as the present form of this world passes away, give constancy and contentment to Your people in their God-given stations. Give comfort and faithfulness to the married, and strengthen them to pass on the faith to the next generation. Show kindness also to the unmarried and assure them of the holiness of their place in life, that they would be freed from anxiety and attend to holiness in body and spirit, undividedly devoted to You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, preserve our nation with its rulers. Call to repentance those who have forgotten You. Spare our president, our governor; and all who serve for the good of this people. Do not let disaster befall us, but preserve us in peace and quietness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, turn us from every distracting anxiety and the dealings of this world that would draw our hearts away from Your blessed Gospel and its end, eternal life. Give us confidence in the resurrection and the peace of a clean conscience by the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name. Graciously behold and help those for whom we pray [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, in Your Holy Sacrament You deliver the Gospel proclaimed by Your Son and won by His death in His true body and blood. Work repentance and faith in all who commune, and unite them in a sincere confession of Your divine truth at this altar. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
685 “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus”
1 Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Through a world that would deceive us
And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in His footsteps treading,
Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide;
I shall follow where You guide.
2 Let us suffer here with Jesus
And with patience bear our cross.
Joy will follow all our sadness;
Where He is, there is no loss.
Though today we sow no laughter,
We shall reap celestial joy;
All discomforts that annoy
Shall give way to mirth hereafter.
Jesus, here I share Your woe;
Help me there Your joy to know.
3 Let us gladly die with Jesus.
Since by death He conquered death,
He will free us from destruction,
Give to us immortal breath.
Let us mortify all passion
That would lead us into sin;
And the grave that shuts us in
Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here with You I die,
There to live with You on high.
4 Let us also live with Jesus.
He has risen from the dead
That to life we may awaken.
Jesus, You are now our head.
We are Your own living members;
Where You live, there we shall be
In Your presence constantly,
Living there with You forever.
Jesus, let me faithful be,
Life eternal grant to me.
Text: Sigismund von Birken, 1626–81; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
618 “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table”
1 I come, O Savior, to Thy table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole: Refrain
ref Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!
2 Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee. Refrain
3 Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never,
For Thou my faithful shepherd art: Refrain
4 Weary am I and heavy laden;
With sin my soul is sore oppressed;
Receive me graciously and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest. Refrain
5 What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith’s bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace. Refrain
Text: Friedrich Christian Heyder, 1677–1754; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 856 “O Christ, Who Called the Twelve”
1 O Christ, who called the Twelve
To rise and follow You,
Forsaking old, familiar ways
For ventures bold and new:
Grant us to hear Your call
To risk security
And, bound in heart and will to You,
Find perfect liberty.
2 O Christ, who taught the Twelve
The truth for ages sealed,
Whose words and works awakened faith,
The ways of God revealed:
Instruct us now, we pray,
By Your empow’ring Word.
True teacher, be for all who seek
Their light, their life, their Lord.
3 O Christ, who led the Twelve
Among the desolate
And broke as bread of life for all
Your love compassionate:
Lead us along the ways
Where hope has nearly died
And help us climb the lonely hills
Where love is crucified.
4 O Christ, who sent the Twelve
On roads they’d never trod
To serve, to suffer, teach, proclaim
The nearer reign of God:
Send us on ways where faith
Transcends timidity,
Where love informs and hope sustains
Both life and ministry.
5 O Christ, the_apostles’ Lord,
The martyrs’ strength and song,
The crucified and risen King
To whom the saints belong:
Though generations pass,
Our tribute still we bring,
Our hymns a sacrifice of praise,
Our lives an offering.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1993 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Epiphany –January 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
T-O-D-A-Y, the church officers for 2024 will be installed. They are:
President - Robert Potts
Vice-President – Kermitt Dickey
Secretary – Pat Tavare
Treasurer – Sue Hullen
Financial Secretaries – Coleen Tallman and Doak Whitley
Elders – Gil McMillan, Howard Holman, Mark Klein and Lynn Tallman
Board of Trustees Chair – Steve Broach
Board of Education Chair – Barb Whitley
Fellowship Committee Chair – Randy Peeters (appointed)
Worship Committee Chair – Karen Broach (appointed)
Please keep them and all that work with them in your prayers.
1,000 years from now . . . things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their sins against them. 2 Cor. 5:19
The Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 14, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 518 “By All Your Saints in Warfare” sts. 1,23, 3
1 By all Your saints in warfare,
For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
Reflected from Your throne.
sing stanza 23 here
D 3 Then let us praise the Father
And worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One,
Till all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory
And praise to God alone.
Text: Horatio Bolton Nelson, 1823–1913, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 40:10a, b,1–5
P I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Blessèd is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Samuel 3:1–20
1The young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 139:1–10
1O Lord, you have searched me and | known me!*
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts | from afar.
3You search out my path and my | lying down*
and are acquainted with | all my ways.
4Even before a word is | on my tongue,*
behold, O Lord, you know it alto- | gether.
5You hem me in, behind | and before,*
and lay your hand up- | on me.
6Such knowledge is too wonder- | ful for me;*
it is high; I cannot | attain it.
7Where shall I go from your | Spirit?*
Or where shall I flee from your | presence?
8If I ascend to heaven, | you are there!*
If I make my bed in Sheol, | you are there!
9If I take the wings of the | morning*
and dwell in the uttermost parts | of the sea,
10even there your hand shall | lead me,*
and your right hand shall | hold me.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
12“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 1:43–51
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the first chapter.
43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 688 “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake
1 “Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake,
“All in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake,
Obey My call and guiding.
O bear the cross, whate’er betide,
Take My example for your guide.
2 “I am the light, I light the way,
A godly life displaying;
I bid you walk as in the day;
I keep your feet from straying.
I am the way, and well I show
How you must sojourn here below.
3 “My heart abounds in lowliness,
My soul with love is glowing;
And gracious words My lips express,
With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,
To God I yield, on Him I call.
4 “I teach you how to shun and flee
What harms your soul’s salvation,
Your heart from ev’ry guile to free,
From sin and its temptation.
I am the refuge of the soul
And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”
5 Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,
And take the cross appointed
And, firmly clinging to His Word,
In suff’ring be undaunted.
For those who bear the battle’s strain
The crown of heav’nly life obtain.
Text: tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813–96; (sts. 1–3, 5): Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; (st. 4): Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Come and See” John 1:43-51
Come and See – John 1:43-51
Today we meet up with Saints Philip and Bartholomew. In the Holy Gospel we see Bartholomew under his Hebrew name, Nathanael. Philip had told Nathanael that the Christ was on earth and said he should come with him and he would take him to Him. Nathanael is impressed when Christ foresaw Nathanael sitting under a fig tree even before Philip had spoken to him. Nathanael gave a good confession upon meeting Jesus. “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Accurate and faith filled as those words are, Christ does not praise Nathanael for them. Instead, He says, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these. Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
These words hearken back to the vision of Jacob. He saw a ladder or stairway extending from heaven to earth, and the angels of God going up and down on the ladder. The word missing from Christ’s pronouncement is the word for “ladder”. In place of that word is the phrase, “Son of Man.”
The Son of Man IS the stairway that extends from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth.
He first of all opens up the heavens. This was visually revealed at His Baptism. As the Spirit descended like a dove and the voice of the Father proclaimed the identity of His Son, the heavens were opened.
As the Baptism of Christ began His earthly ministry, so it began His work of creating the bridge or stairway between earth and heaven. The heavens were opened because Christ was bringing down the grace and truth of God. Already by His incarnation and birth, He had brought heaven to earth, and the goodwill of the Lord to men of His favor.
As Saint John also wrote in His Gospel, the Word, who was with God and who was God, was the true Light. He was coming into the world. The Son descended to earth in order to bring adoption as God’s sons to men.
So He brought the presence of the Lord to men. As He said, “I and the Father are one.” Wherever Christ is, there the Father’s presence and grace are found. Heaven is on earth, wherever the Son of Man came, and still comes today.
The problem with humankind was that our sins had severed our connection to heaven. We were separated from God, and therefore separated from the source of all true life and light and grace.
But Christ came to reunite what had been severed. He descended so that we could ascend. He became Man so that we might have unity with God once again.
A sign of the presence of God is the holy angels. They appeared in droves during certain key moments of Christ’s earthly life. At the Annunciation of His conception in the Virgin Mary, Gabriel was there. A heavenly host announced Christ’s birth to shepherds. At His temptation, angels ministered to Christ, and again an angel strengthened Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Angels appeared in and around the empty tomb on Easter morning. Finally, at His Ascension two angels spoke to the disciples.
Angels are special servants of the Almighty. Their presence is a sign of the favor and purpose of the Lord. He sends His servants to protect His saints. This is mostly an invisible task, yet we rest assured that angels are always with us to be the protecting hands of our loving God.
Why bother? Why are we worth it? We are sinners, undeserving that a single angel should lift a twig for us. Yet they do so much more. Why does the Father invest these angels to guard us from the evil one?
The answer is that Christ has opened the heavens, and He has set up the ladder between heaven and earth. He has brought the presence and favor of the Lord to us. Therefore the Lord is pleased to send His heavenly servants on our behalf. The angels now treat us as they treated Christ when they accompanied Him, ready to help Him when He was weakened, and to guard Him against evil. Now they serve us as if they were serving their Lord.
This is what Christ established by His earthly ministry. He became one of us, in the form of a servant, born under the Law. He lived a life like ours, except without sin.
More than that, He performed His ministry to proclaim the Gospel and to heal the sick and raise the dead. He completed the ministry by dying as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of all men, and then rose from the dead to show that all was now accomplished.
This work He did throughout His life established the bridge or stairway between earth and heaven. The favor of God rests on you because the Son has obeyed the Law in your place. As our representative, the Son of Man took human flesh. Now God looks upon you with divine approval. The Lamb of God has taken away the sins of the world, that is, He has paid the price for every trespass, iniquity, and transgression. All evil and wickedness performed by men was atoned for on Calvary. Only holiness remains in God’s sight when He looks at you, and this holiness is worthy of heaven.
So earth and heaven are connected. Christ is the ladder who has connected us to God’s glorious presence.
This ladder was established during the earthly life of Christ. Yet the effects endure for us. Indeed, the effects extend backwards in time, so that even Jacob could see the ladder some two thousand years before the death of Christ. Even Jacob enjoyed the grace and protection of the Almighty, although the Lamb for the sacrifice had not yet taken flesh.
Even for Jacob, the ladder is Christ. Christ has established peace and communion between sinners and the Most High God. He has established it for all time, so great and perfect was His work.
This is the amazing and awesome thing Christ is telling Nathanael. Should Nathanael be impressed by a small miracle, Christ seeing him from a distance? Or should he be astounded by the miracle of all miracles, the splitting open of heaven, the creation of the bridge between man and God, and the redemption of mankind in the Blood of the perfect Lamb?
In the same way, let us not be dazzled by small miracles. They may indeed be signs of God’s love and presence. Yet we should not be mesmerized by them and put our faith in them. Instead, let us trust in the Stairway of God, His fantastic work of bringing His presence to us. In the words of the Nicene creed: “For our salvation He came down from heaven.” Let us keep our eyes fascinated and mesmerized upon the Cross, and the One who gave all and did all so that we are one with Him.
In His Name, the Word and Lamb above all others. Amen.
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 14 January 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, put a new song in our mouths. Lead us out of all deceit and into the confidence of Your truth. Let us proclaim Your wondrous deeds of faithfulness and salvation in Christ without fear or hesitancy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
King of Israel, as You once called Samuel, Philip and Nathanael into Your service, be pleased now to call men into Your holy ministry. Give them a delight in Your Holy Scriptures, that their witness would lead many to follow Jesus, the Son of God. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You call fathers, mothers and children to serve in their households. Let them serve eagerly, each according to their station, trusting that such love honors You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, let all the nations and peoples of the earth ascribe to You the glory due Your name. Hear our prayers for all rulers and leaders, especially for our president, and our governor, together with all legislators and judges. Direct them by Your Word and Spirit, and establish them in saving faith. Lead them in their offices to govern wisely for the good of their people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, behold in mercy all for whom we pray [especially _____________]. Bring healing, comfort, strength, patience and certainty to all in need. Receive our thanks for Your constant watch and merciful kindness. In every sorrow and every joy, do not let our eyes be drawn from the greater marvel of Your kindness in Christ Jesus, by whose grace and forgiveness alone we receive every blessing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, renew the gift of Your Holy Spirit to all who commune this day. Work in us true contrition to lament and abandon our sins, and so to come in confident faith to eat Your Son’s body and drink His blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, mighty God, You have shown us the face of Your mercy in Your Son, through whom all nations may find unity and life. Hear the prayers of Your people and grant what is needful to us and those for whom we pray, that trusting in Your mercy, our hearts may find perfect peace and rest; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Installation of Congregational Officers for 2024
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
827 “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling”
1 Hark, the voice of Jesus calling,
“Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting--
Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calleth;
Rich reward He offers thee.
Who will answer, gladly saying,
“Here am I, send me, send me”?
2 Some take up His task in morning,
To their Lord responding soon;
Some are called in heat of midday,
Others late in afternoon;
Even as the sun is setting,
Some are sent into the fields,
There to gather in the bounty
That God’s Word so richly yields.
3 For as rain and snow from heaven
Water seeds in dusty soil,
Causing them to bud and flower,
Giving bread to those who toil;
So the Lord sends forth His promise,
Words of life and joy and peace--
Never void to Him returning,
Bearing fruit with great increase.
4 Hearken to the Lord whose coming
Marks the time when grace shall end,
When with His angelic reapers
He in glory shall descend.
Soon the night, the final harvest;
Soon the time for work shall cease.
Then the souls His grace has garnered
Shall enjoy His Sabbath peace.
Text (st. 1): Daniel March, 1816–1909, alt.; (sts. 2–4): Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text (st. 1): Public domain
Text (sts. 2–4): © 2001 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 830 “Spread the Reign of God the Lord”
1 Spread the reign of God the Lord,
Spoken, written, mighty Word;
Ev’rywhere His creatures call
To His heav’nly banquet hall.
2 Tell how God the Father’s will
Made the world, upholds it still,
How His own dear Son He gave
Us from sin and death to save.
3 Tell of our Redeemer’s grace,
Who, to save our human race
And to pay rebellion’s price,
Gave Himself as sacrifice.
4 Tell of God the Spirit giv’n
Now to guide us on to heav’n,
Strong and holy, just and true,
Working both to will and do.
5 Enter, mighty Word, the field;
Ripe the promise of its yield.
But the reapers, oh, how few
For the work there is to do!
6 Lord of harvest, great and kind,
Rouse to action heart and mind;
Let the gath’ring nations all
See Your light and heed Your call.
Text: Jonathan Friedrich Bahnmaier, 1774–1841; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Epiphany –January 14, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
T-O-D-A-Y, the church officers for 2024 will be installed. They are:
President - Robert Potts
Vice-President – Kermitt Dickey
Secretary – Pat Tavare
Treasurer – Sue Hullen
Financial Secretaries – Coleen Tallman and Doak Whitley
Elders – Gil McMillan, Howard Holman, Mark Klein and Lynn Tallman
Board of Trustees Chair – Steve Broach
Board of Education Chair – Barb Whitley
Fellowship Committee Chair – Randy Peeters (appointed)
Worship Committee Chair – Karen Broach (appointed)
Please keep them and all that work with them in your prayers.
1,000 years from now . . . things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their sins against them. 2 Cor. 5:19
The Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 14, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 518 “By All Your Saints in Warfare” sts. 1,23, 3
1 By all Your saints in warfare,
For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
Reflected from Your throne.
sing stanza 23 here
D 3 Then let us praise the Father
And worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One,
Till all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory
And praise to God alone.
Text: Horatio Bolton Nelson, 1823–1913, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 40:10a, b,1–5
P I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Blessèd is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 1 Samuel 3:1–20
1The young man Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 5and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the young man. 9Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 139:1–10
1O Lord, you have searched me and | known me!*
2You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts | from afar.
3You search out my path and my | lying down*
and are acquainted with | all my ways.
4Even before a word is | on my tongue,*
behold, O Lord, you know it alto- | gether.
5You hem me in, behind | and before,*
and lay your hand up- | on me.
6Such knowledge is too wonder- | ful for me;*
it is high; I cannot | attain it.
7Where shall I go from your | Spirit?*
Or where shall I flee from your | presence?
8If I ascend to heaven, | you are there!*
If I make my bed in Sheol, | you are there!
9If I take the wings of the | morning*
and dwell in the uttermost parts | of the sea,
10even there your hand shall | lead me,*
and your right hand shall | hold me.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
12“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. 13“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 1:43–51
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the first chapter.
43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 688 “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake
1 “Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake,
“All in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake,
Obey My call and guiding.
O bear the cross, whate’er betide,
Take My example for your guide.
2 “I am the light, I light the way,
A godly life displaying;
I bid you walk as in the day;
I keep your feet from straying.
I am the way, and well I show
How you must sojourn here below.
3 “My heart abounds in lowliness,
My soul with love is glowing;
And gracious words My lips express,
With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,
To God I yield, on Him I call.
4 “I teach you how to shun and flee
What harms your soul’s salvation,
Your heart from ev’ry guile to free,
From sin and its temptation.
I am the refuge of the soul
And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”
5 Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,
And take the cross appointed
And, firmly clinging to His Word,
In suff’ring be undaunted.
For those who bear the battle’s strain
The crown of heav’nly life obtain.
Text: tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813–96; (sts. 1–3, 5): Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; (st. 4): Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Come and See” John 1:43-51
Come and See – John 1:43-51
Today we meet up with Saints Philip and Bartholomew. In the Holy Gospel we see Bartholomew under his Hebrew name, Nathanael. Philip had told Nathanael that the Christ was on earth and said he should come with him and he would take him to Him. Nathanael is impressed when Christ foresaw Nathanael sitting under a fig tree even before Philip had spoken to him. Nathanael gave a good confession upon meeting Jesus. “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Accurate and faith filled as those words are, Christ does not praise Nathanael for them. Instead, He says, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these. Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
These words hearken back to the vision of Jacob. He saw a ladder or stairway extending from heaven to earth, and the angels of God going up and down on the ladder. The word missing from Christ’s pronouncement is the word for “ladder”. In place of that word is the phrase, “Son of Man.”
The Son of Man IS the stairway that extends from earth to heaven, and from heaven to earth.
He first of all opens up the heavens. This was visually revealed at His Baptism. As the Spirit descended like a dove and the voice of the Father proclaimed the identity of His Son, the heavens were opened.
As the Baptism of Christ began His earthly ministry, so it began His work of creating the bridge or stairway between earth and heaven. The heavens were opened because Christ was bringing down the grace and truth of God. Already by His incarnation and birth, He had brought heaven to earth, and the goodwill of the Lord to men of His favor.
As Saint John also wrote in His Gospel, the Word, who was with God and who was God, was the true Light. He was coming into the world. The Son descended to earth in order to bring adoption as God’s sons to men.
So He brought the presence of the Lord to men. As He said, “I and the Father are one.” Wherever Christ is, there the Father’s presence and grace are found. Heaven is on earth, wherever the Son of Man came, and still comes today.
The problem with humankind was that our sins had severed our connection to heaven. We were separated from God, and therefore separated from the source of all true life and light and grace.
But Christ came to reunite what had been severed. He descended so that we could ascend. He became Man so that we might have unity with God once again.
A sign of the presence of God is the holy angels. They appeared in droves during certain key moments of Christ’s earthly life. At the Annunciation of His conception in the Virgin Mary, Gabriel was there. A heavenly host announced Christ’s birth to shepherds. At His temptation, angels ministered to Christ, and again an angel strengthened Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. Angels appeared in and around the empty tomb on Easter morning. Finally, at His Ascension two angels spoke to the disciples.
Angels are special servants of the Almighty. Their presence is a sign of the favor and purpose of the Lord. He sends His servants to protect His saints. This is mostly an invisible task, yet we rest assured that angels are always with us to be the protecting hands of our loving God.
Why bother? Why are we worth it? We are sinners, undeserving that a single angel should lift a twig for us. Yet they do so much more. Why does the Father invest these angels to guard us from the evil one?
The answer is that Christ has opened the heavens, and He has set up the ladder between heaven and earth. He has brought the presence and favor of the Lord to us. Therefore the Lord is pleased to send His heavenly servants on our behalf. The angels now treat us as they treated Christ when they accompanied Him, ready to help Him when He was weakened, and to guard Him against evil. Now they serve us as if they were serving their Lord.
This is what Christ established by His earthly ministry. He became one of us, in the form of a servant, born under the Law. He lived a life like ours, except without sin.
More than that, He performed His ministry to proclaim the Gospel and to heal the sick and raise the dead. He completed the ministry by dying as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of all men, and then rose from the dead to show that all was now accomplished.
This work He did throughout His life established the bridge or stairway between earth and heaven. The favor of God rests on you because the Son has obeyed the Law in your place. As our representative, the Son of Man took human flesh. Now God looks upon you with divine approval. The Lamb of God has taken away the sins of the world, that is, He has paid the price for every trespass, iniquity, and transgression. All evil and wickedness performed by men was atoned for on Calvary. Only holiness remains in God’s sight when He looks at you, and this holiness is worthy of heaven.
So earth and heaven are connected. Christ is the ladder who has connected us to God’s glorious presence.
This ladder was established during the earthly life of Christ. Yet the effects endure for us. Indeed, the effects extend backwards in time, so that even Jacob could see the ladder some two thousand years before the death of Christ. Even Jacob enjoyed the grace and protection of the Almighty, although the Lamb for the sacrifice had not yet taken flesh.
Even for Jacob, the ladder is Christ. Christ has established peace and communion between sinners and the Most High God. He has established it for all time, so great and perfect was His work.
This is the amazing and awesome thing Christ is telling Nathanael. Should Nathanael be impressed by a small miracle, Christ seeing him from a distance? Or should he be astounded by the miracle of all miracles, the splitting open of heaven, the creation of the bridge between man and God, and the redemption of mankind in the Blood of the perfect Lamb?
In the same way, let us not be dazzled by small miracles. They may indeed be signs of God’s love and presence. Yet we should not be mesmerized by them and put our faith in them. Instead, let us trust in the Stairway of God, His fantastic work of bringing His presence to us. In the words of the Nicene creed: “For our salvation He came down from heaven.” Let us keep our eyes fascinated and mesmerized upon the Cross, and the One who gave all and did all so that we are one with Him.
In His Name, the Word and Lamb above all others. Amen.
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after the Epiphany (B) - 14 January 2024
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, put a new song in our mouths. Lead us out of all deceit and into the confidence of Your truth. Let us proclaim Your wondrous deeds of faithfulness and salvation in Christ without fear or hesitancy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
King of Israel, as You once called Samuel, Philip and Nathanael into Your service, be pleased now to call men into Your holy ministry. Give them a delight in Your Holy Scriptures, that their witness would lead many to follow Jesus, the Son of God. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You call fathers, mothers and children to serve in their households. Let them serve eagerly, each according to their station, trusting that such love honors You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, let all the nations and peoples of the earth ascribe to You the glory due Your name. Hear our prayers for all rulers and leaders, especially for our president, and our governor, together with all legislators and judges. Direct them by Your Word and Spirit, and establish them in saving faith. Lead them in their offices to govern wisely for the good of their people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, behold in mercy all for whom we pray [especially _____________]. Bring healing, comfort, strength, patience and certainty to all in need. Receive our thanks for Your constant watch and merciful kindness. In every sorrow and every joy, do not let our eyes be drawn from the greater marvel of Your kindness in Christ Jesus, by whose grace and forgiveness alone we receive every blessing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, renew the gift of Your Holy Spirit to all who commune this day. Work in us true contrition to lament and abandon our sins, and so to come in confident faith to eat Your Son’s body and drink His blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Lord, mighty God, You have shown us the face of Your mercy in Your Son, through whom all nations may find unity and life. Hear the prayers of Your people and grant what is needful to us and those for whom we pray, that trusting in Your mercy, our hearts may find perfect peace and rest; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Installation of Congregational Officers for 2024
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; for what had been hidden from before the foundation of the world You have made known to the nations in Your Son. In Him, being found in the substance of our mortal nature, You have manifested the fullness of Your glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
827 “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Calling”
1 Hark, the voice of Jesus calling,
“Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting--
Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calleth;
Rich reward He offers thee.
Who will answer, gladly saying,
“Here am I, send me, send me”?
2 Some take up His task in morning,
To their Lord responding soon;
Some are called in heat of midday,
Others late in afternoon;
Even as the sun is setting,
Some are sent into the fields,
There to gather in the bounty
That God’s Word so richly yields.
3 For as rain and snow from heaven
Water seeds in dusty soil,
Causing them to bud and flower,
Giving bread to those who toil;
So the Lord sends forth His promise,
Words of life and joy and peace--
Never void to Him returning,
Bearing fruit with great increase.
4 Hearken to the Lord whose coming
Marks the time when grace shall end,
When with His angelic reapers
He in glory shall descend.
Soon the night, the final harvest;
Soon the time for work shall cease.
Then the souls His grace has garnered
Shall enjoy His Sabbath peace.
Text (st. 1): Daniel March, 1816–1909, alt.; (sts. 2–4): Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text (st. 1): Public domain
Text (sts. 2–4): © 2001 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 830 “Spread the Reign of God the Lord”
1 Spread the reign of God the Lord,
Spoken, written, mighty Word;
Ev’rywhere His creatures call
To His heav’nly banquet hall.
2 Tell how God the Father’s will
Made the world, upholds it still,
How His own dear Son He gave
Us from sin and death to save.
3 Tell of our Redeemer’s grace,
Who, to save our human race
And to pay rebellion’s price,
Gave Himself as sacrifice.
4 Tell of God the Spirit giv’n
Now to guide us on to heav’n,
Strong and holy, just and true,
Working both to will and do.
5 Enter, mighty Word, the field;
Ripe the promise of its yield.
But the reapers, oh, how few
For the work there is to do!
6 Lord of harvest, great and kind,
Rouse to action heart and mind;
Let the gath’ring nations all
See Your light and heed Your call.
Text: Jonathan Friedrich Bahnmaier, 1774–1841; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Baptism of Our Lord –January 7, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
NEXT SUNDAY, the church officers for 2024 will be installed. They are:
President - Robert Potts
Vice-President – Kermitt Dickey
Secretary – Pat Tavare
Treasurer – Sue Hullen
Financial Secretaries – Coleen Tallman and Doak Whitley
Elders – Gil McMillan, Howard Holman, Mark Klein and Lynn Tallman
Board of Trustees Chair – Steve Broach
Board of Education Chair – Barb Whitley
Fellowship Committee Chair – Randy Peeters (appointed)
Worship Committee Chair – Karen Broach (appointed)
Please keep them and all that work with them in your prayers.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Baptism of Our Lord
January 7, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 399 “The Star Proclaims the King Is Here”
1 The star proclaims the King is here;
But, Herod, why this senseless fear?
For He who offers heav’nly birth
Seeks not the kingdoms of this earth.
2 The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
And, led by light, to light they trod
And by their gifts confessed their God.
3 Within the Jordan’s sacred flood
The heav’nly Lamb in meekness stood
That He, of whom no sin was known,
Might cleanse His people from their own.
4 And oh, what miracle divine,
When water reddened into wine!
He spoke the word, and forth it flowed
In streams that nature ne’er bestowed.
D 5 For this Thy glad epiphany
All glory, Jesus, be to Thee,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Coelius Sedulius, 5th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Isaiah 42:1a; Psalm 2:7–11, 12c
P Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessèd are all who take refuge in him.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Genesis 1:1–5
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by everyone] Psalm 29
1Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly | beings,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is over the | waters;*
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many | waters.
4The voice of the Lord is | powerful;*
the voice of the Lord is full of | majesty.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the | cedars;*
the Lord breaks the cedars of | Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon to skip | like a calf,*
and Sirion like a young | wild ox.
7The voice | of the Lord*
flashes forth | flames of fire.
8The voice of the Lord shakes the | wilderness;*
the Lord shakes the wilderness | of Kadesh.
9The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the | forests bare,*
and in his temple all cry, | “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned o- | ver the flood;*
the Lord sits enthroned as king for- | ever.
11May the Lord give strength to his | people!*
May the Lord bless his people | with peace!
Epistle Romans 6:1–11
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:4–11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 405 “To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord”
1 To Jordan’s river came our Lord,
The Christ, whom heav’nly hosts adored,
The God from God, the Light from Light,
The Lord of glory, pow’r, and might.
2 The Savior came to be baptized--
The Son of God in flesh disguised--
To stand beneath the Father’s will
And all His righteousness fulfill.
3 As Jesus in the Jordan stood
And John baptized the Lamb of God,
The Holy Spirit, heav’nly dove,
Descended on Him from above.
4 Then from God’s throne with thund’rous sound
Came God’s own voice with words profound:
“This is My Son,” was His decree,
“The one I love, who pleases Me.”
5 The Father’s word, the Spirit’s flight
Anointed Christ in glorious sight
As God’s own choice, from Adam’s fall
To save the world and free us all.
6 Now rise, faint hearts, be resolute;
This man is Christ, our substitute!
He was baptized in Jordan’s stream,
Proclaimed Redeemer, Lord supreme.
Text: James P. Tiefel, 1949, alt.
Text: © 1993 James P. Tiefel. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus’ Baptism and Ours” Mark 1:4-11
Jesus’ Baptism and Ours – Mark 1:4-11
It has been quite awhile since we've had a public baptism here in the church service. That means it's been a long time since we've heard Luther's "Flood Prayer." Luther's "Flood Prayer" is part of the service of baptism and it uses several Biblical events related to baptism.
It is called the "Flood Prayer" because the first item Luther calls to mind is the Global Flood and the salvation God provided to Noah and his family by way of the ark. It then goes on to recall the Exodus as Israel passed through the Red Sea. It then focuses on the main event of today's Gospel - our Lord's baptism.
After it recalls these great events, it petitions God's blessing on the people who are being baptized. It recalls the promises that God has given us and prays them back to God. Imagine then, if you will, that we are in the middle of the service of Holy Baptism and listen to Luther's "Flood Prayer."
“Almighty and eternal God, according to Your strict judgment You condemned the unbelieving world through the flood, yet according to Your great mercy You preserved believing Noah and his family, eight souls in all. You drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea, yet led Your people Israel through the water on dry ground, foreshadowing this washing of Your Holy Baptism. Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin.
“We pray that You would behold this child according to Your boundless mercy and bless him with true faith by the Holy Spirit, that through this saving flood all sin in him, which has been inherited from Adam and which he himself has committed would be drowned and die.
Grant that he be kept safe and secure in the holy Ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving Your name at all times with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope, so that, with all believers in Your promise, he would be declared worthy of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
Right in the middle of this prayer, we thank God for sending His Son to sanctify the water of Holy Baptism for the washing away of sin - the very actions that we heard about in today's Gospel.
In today's Gospel, people come to John and he baptized them with a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This baptism was an Old Testament baptism that looked forward to the work that Jesus would do for us on the cross. As such, the sins of the people were washed into the water. You name the sin, and there it is in the water - idolatry, adultery, murder, theft, hatred, gossiping, lying, selfishness, pride, and more. As John pours on the water of baptism, the Jordan becomes a toxic waste dump of sin.
Suddenly, there is Jesus. He has no sin. He has no need to repent. He has no need to get rid of His sin because He has none. Instead, He steps down into that toxic sin and with His baptism, He takes that sin up out of the water and places it on Himself. All that sin is on Him.
In addition to that, the sin of the people that John baptized is not the only sin that is there. Holy Baptism is a Means of Grace. That means it is a connection between us today in the twenty-first century and the Grace of God that Jesus earned for us in the First Century. When the Holy Spirit baptizes us in the waters of Holy Baptism, our sin too is washed away. It is washed away onto Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus is covered with the sins of the entire world. He is a filthy, disgusting cesspool of sin - not His own sin, but the sin of every other man, woman, and child who has lived or ever will live. Your sins and my sins - washed from us and poured over Jesus.
As disgusting as Jesus is when He steps up out of the water covered with all our sins, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are delighted with Him. God tore heaven open in order to express His delight. The Holy Spirit descended as a dove and the voice from heaven proclaimed, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Once again, Jesus is among His Father's things. It is the Father's plan to save us by placing our sin on His Son Jesus. Jesus is right where He is supposed to be. He is covered with our sin so that we can be covered with His righteousness.
Jesus is the sin carrier and He will carry our sins all the way to the cross. He is the sin carrier and He will endure the wrath of God against our sin as He suffers the pain of crucifixion. In a mystery that we can't understand, God the Father will even forsake His beloved Son as part of that wrath against our sin. In this way, Jesus will overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil.
That is what it means to be joined to Jesus in Baptism. He receives our filth and we receive his righteousness. He becomes full of sin and we become holy. As Paul says in our epistle, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" Christ's suffering and death are credited to our account. We are joined to Him. All His good stuff now belongs to us and all our bad stuff now belongs to Him. We even receive the Holy Spirit and the Father speaks to us and says, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Because our baptism joins us to Christ in His death, it also joins us to Him in His resurrection. Again Paul proclaimed, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Once Jesus conquered our own sin and our other enemies, He rose from the dead. This is His promise that we too will rise from death and live with Him forever.
We are baptized. God has joined us to Himself. Because Jesus has joined us to Himself we are also marked as Jesus was marked. Just as the devil tempted Jesus, so he also tempts us. The devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will try to convince us that baptism is something we do - that baptism isn't really important - that baptism doesn't change anything - that you can't really trust in your baptism. The devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will do anything to make baptism seem trivial in our eyes. That is why baptism is not an end, but a beginning.
Our life in Holy Baptism lies in what baptism signifies. [Small Catechism, Baptism IV] “It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts. And also it shows that a new man should daily come forth and arise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” Every day, we confess our sins and every day God forgives us. He frees us from our slavery to sin and frees us to live a new life.
There has always been something special about water. Our Old Testament lesson tells us that even before the first day of creation the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Water has always been essential for physical life. In today's Epistle, we learn how water combined with God's Word in Holy Baptism also supports our Spiritual life. We learn that Holy Baptism joins us to Christ in His life, death, and resurrection. In today's Gospel, we learn how Jesus stepped down into filthy, sin-filled water and submitted to baptism in order to cover Himself with our sin and carry it away from us. In today's Gospel, we also learn how this was the will and plan not only of Jesus, but of the Father and the Holy Spirit as well. Thus in baptism, we begin a new life - a life eternal with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Baptism of Our Lord (B) - 7 January 2024
Heavenly Father, You revealed Your Son in the wondrous Epiphany in the Jordan. So also You have revealed Your name and blessing to us in Holy Baptism, declaring us Your beloved heirs. Grant that we may daily die to sin and rise to newness of life, living with joy as Your baptized children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, bless all places where Your people teach and learn. Guide teachers and students, that together we would marvel at Your creation and appreciate the depth of Your wisdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, grant that all those baptized into Christ would receive the boldness of Your servant John to lead faithful and pure lives in this world, ever mindful of our promised heavenly inheritance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Lord, Your Son, Jesus, is the Christ and the true King of this world. Grant great humility to the rulers of the nations, [especially _____________,] that they would submit to the preaching of His Holy Word for the sake of their own souls and for the good of Your holy people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give comfort and relief to those who are sick, depressed, tired, confused or in any need [especially _____________]. Watch over all expectant mothers and their children, [especially _____________,] that they may have a safe delivery and be brought also to the life-giving waters of Holy Baptism. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, in Holy Baptism You have opened the heavens to Your children. Grant that all those baptized into Your Son would worthily receive the heavenly feast of His body and blood for their salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal God, You have made us Your own people by Baptism and granted us Your Holy Spirit to confess Christ in word and deed. We remember with thanksgiving those who went before us, who passed the faith on to us and who now rest in Christ from all their labors. Since we have died with Christ through Baptism, grant that we would be raised with Him also. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, as Your Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the deep, You uttered Your Word and the world was created. In the waters of Holy Baptism, You have spoken our names and declared us righteous. You have drawn us to Jesus, the light of life, and saved us. Let His light now shine through us, that others may see our good works and give glory to You; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Presentation of the Offering and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
346 “When All the World Was Cursed”
1 When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2 Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3 Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4 O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
404 “Jesus, Once with Sinners Numbered”
1 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Had no blemish of His own;
In the waters of the Jordan
His true worth and work were shown:
Heaven opened and the Spirit
There descended like a dove,
As the Father’s voice resounded,
“Hear My Son, the One I love.”
2 John confessed Him as the Savior--
“Look, the sinless Lamb of God!”
Yet he dared not loose the sandals
Of the One God’s love had shod.
Oh, how fair the feet of Jesus,
Bringing news of peace to us,
Christ, the herald of salvation,
Preaching mercy from the cross:
3 This the baptism that our Savior
Greatly longed to undergo;
This the crimson cleansing needed
So the world God’s love might know;
This the mission of Messiah
As He stepped from Jordan’s stream,
He, the chosen and anointed
Son of God, sent to redeem.
4 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Full obedience was Your path;
You, by death, have consecrated
Water in this saving bath:
Dying to the sin of Adam,
Rising to a life of grace;
We are counted with the righteous,
Over us the cross You trace.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus LSB 212
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 401 “From God the Father, Virgin-Born”
1 From God the Father, virgin-born
To us the only Son came down;
By death the font to consecrate,
The faithful to regenerate.
2 Beginning from His home on high,
In human flesh He came to die;
Creation by His death restored,
And shed new joys of life abroad.
3 Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring
The gift of healing on Your wing;
To ev’ry dull and clouded sense
The clearness of Your light dispense.
4 Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;
The gloom of darkness chase away;
Your work of healing, Lord, begin,
And take away the stain of sin.
5 Lord, once You came to earth’s domain
And, we believe, shall come again;
Be with us on the battlefield,
From ev’ry harm Your people shield.
D 6 To You, O Lord, all glory be
For this Your blest epiphany;
To God, whom all His hosts adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Baptism of Our Lord –January 7, 2024
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Ted Smith,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Doak
Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
NEXT SUNDAY, the church officers for 2024 will be installed. They are:
President - Robert Potts
Vice-President – Kermitt Dickey
Secretary – Pat Tavare
Treasurer – Sue Hullen
Financial Secretaries – Coleen Tallman and Doak Whitley
Elders – Gil McMillan, Howard Holman, Mark Klein and Lynn Tallman
Board of Trustees Chair – Steve Broach
Board of Education Chair – Barb Whitley
Fellowship Committee Chair – Randy Peeters (appointed)
Worship Committee Chair – Karen Broach (appointed)
Please keep them and all that work with them in your prayers.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Baptism of Our Lord
January 7, 2024
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 399 “The Star Proclaims the King Is Here”
1 The star proclaims the King is here;
But, Herod, why this senseless fear?
For He who offers heav’nly birth
Seeks not the kingdoms of this earth.
2 The eastern sages saw from far
And followed on His guiding star;
And, led by light, to light they trod
And by their gifts confessed their God.
3 Within the Jordan’s sacred flood
The heav’nly Lamb in meekness stood
That He, of whom no sin was known,
Might cleanse His people from their own.
4 And oh, what miracle divine,
When water reddened into wine!
He spoke the word, and forth it flowed
In streams that nature ne’er bestowed.
D 5 For this Thy glad epiphany
All glory, Jesus, be to Thee,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Coelius Sedulius, 5th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Isaiah 42:1a; Psalm 2:7–11, 12c
P Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.
I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessèd are all who take refuge in him.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River You proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Genesis 1:1–5
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by everyone] Psalm 29
1Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly | beings,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength.
2Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness.
3The voice of the Lord is over the | waters;*
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many | waters.
4The voice of the Lord is | powerful;*
the voice of the Lord is full of | majesty.
5The voice of the Lord breaks the | cedars;*
the Lord breaks the cedars of | Lebanon.
6He makes Lebanon to skip | like a calf,*
and Sirion like a young | wild ox.
7The voice | of the Lord*
flashes forth | flames of fire.
8The voice of the Lord shakes the | wilderness;*
the Lord shakes the wilderness | of Kadesh.
9The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
and strips the | forests bare,*
and in his temple all cry, | “Glory!”
10The Lord sits enthroned o- | ver the flood;*
the Lord sits enthroned as king for- | ever.
11May the Lord give strength to his | people!*
May the Lord bless his people | with peace!
Epistle Romans 6:1–11
1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Mark 1:4–11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 405 “To Jordan’s River Came Our Lord”
1 To Jordan’s river came our Lord,
The Christ, whom heav’nly hosts adored,
The God from God, the Light from Light,
The Lord of glory, pow’r, and might.
2 The Savior came to be baptized--
The Son of God in flesh disguised--
To stand beneath the Father’s will
And all His righteousness fulfill.
3 As Jesus in the Jordan stood
And John baptized the Lamb of God,
The Holy Spirit, heav’nly dove,
Descended on Him from above.
4 Then from God’s throne with thund’rous sound
Came God’s own voice with words profound:
“This is My Son,” was His decree,
“The one I love, who pleases Me.”
5 The Father’s word, the Spirit’s flight
Anointed Christ in glorious sight
As God’s own choice, from Adam’s fall
To save the world and free us all.
6 Now rise, faint hearts, be resolute;
This man is Christ, our substitute!
He was baptized in Jordan’s stream,
Proclaimed Redeemer, Lord supreme.
Text: James P. Tiefel, 1949, alt.
Text: © 1993 James P. Tiefel. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Jesus’ Baptism and Ours” Mark 1:4-11
Jesus’ Baptism and Ours – Mark 1:4-11
It has been quite awhile since we've had a public baptism here in the church service. That means it's been a long time since we've heard Luther's "Flood Prayer." Luther's "Flood Prayer" is part of the service of baptism and it uses several Biblical events related to baptism.
It is called the "Flood Prayer" because the first item Luther calls to mind is the Global Flood and the salvation God provided to Noah and his family by way of the ark. It then goes on to recall the Exodus as Israel passed through the Red Sea. It then focuses on the main event of today's Gospel - our Lord's baptism.
After it recalls these great events, it petitions God's blessing on the people who are being baptized. It recalls the promises that God has given us and prays them back to God. Imagine then, if you will, that we are in the middle of the service of Holy Baptism and listen to Luther's "Flood Prayer."
“Almighty and eternal God, according to Your strict judgment You condemned the unbelieving world through the flood, yet according to Your great mercy You preserved believing Noah and his family, eight souls in all. You drowned hard-hearted Pharaoh and all his host in the Red Sea, yet led Your people Israel through the water on dry ground, foreshadowing this washing of Your Holy Baptism. Through the Baptism in the Jordan of Your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, You sanctified and instituted all waters to be a blessed flood and a lavish washing away of sin.
“We pray that You would behold this child according to Your boundless mercy and bless him with true faith by the Holy Spirit, that through this saving flood all sin in him, which has been inherited from Adam and which he himself has committed would be drowned and die.
Grant that he be kept safe and secure in the holy Ark of the Christian Church, being separated from the multitude of unbelievers and serving Your name at all times with a fervent spirit and a joyful hope, so that, with all believers in Your promise, he would be declared worthy of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
Right in the middle of this prayer, we thank God for sending His Son to sanctify the water of Holy Baptism for the washing away of sin - the very actions that we heard about in today's Gospel.
In today's Gospel, people come to John and he baptized them with a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This baptism was an Old Testament baptism that looked forward to the work that Jesus would do for us on the cross. As such, the sins of the people were washed into the water. You name the sin, and there it is in the water - idolatry, adultery, murder, theft, hatred, gossiping, lying, selfishness, pride, and more. As John pours on the water of baptism, the Jordan becomes a toxic waste dump of sin.
Suddenly, there is Jesus. He has no sin. He has no need to repent. He has no need to get rid of His sin because He has none. Instead, He steps down into that toxic sin and with His baptism, He takes that sin up out of the water and places it on Himself. All that sin is on Him.
In addition to that, the sin of the people that John baptized is not the only sin that is there. Holy Baptism is a Means of Grace. That means it is a connection between us today in the twenty-first century and the Grace of God that Jesus earned for us in the First Century. When the Holy Spirit baptizes us in the waters of Holy Baptism, our sin too is washed away. It is washed away onto Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus is covered with the sins of the entire world. He is a filthy, disgusting cesspool of sin - not His own sin, but the sin of every other man, woman, and child who has lived or ever will live. Your sins and my sins - washed from us and poured over Jesus.
As disgusting as Jesus is when He steps up out of the water covered with all our sins, both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are delighted with Him. God tore heaven open in order to express His delight. The Holy Spirit descended as a dove and the voice from heaven proclaimed, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Once again, Jesus is among His Father's things. It is the Father's plan to save us by placing our sin on His Son Jesus. Jesus is right where He is supposed to be. He is covered with our sin so that we can be covered with His righteousness.
Jesus is the sin carrier and He will carry our sins all the way to the cross. He is the sin carrier and He will endure the wrath of God against our sin as He suffers the pain of crucifixion. In a mystery that we can't understand, God the Father will even forsake His beloved Son as part of that wrath against our sin. In this way, Jesus will overcome sin, death, and the power of the devil.
That is what it means to be joined to Jesus in Baptism. He receives our filth and we receive his righteousness. He becomes full of sin and we become holy. As Paul says in our epistle, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" Christ's suffering and death are credited to our account. We are joined to Him. All His good stuff now belongs to us and all our bad stuff now belongs to Him. We even receive the Holy Spirit and the Father speaks to us and says, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Because our baptism joins us to Christ in His death, it also joins us to Him in His resurrection. Again Paul proclaimed, "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Once Jesus conquered our own sin and our other enemies, He rose from the dead. This is His promise that we too will rise from death and live with Him forever.
We are baptized. God has joined us to Himself. Because Jesus has joined us to Himself we are also marked as Jesus was marked. Just as the devil tempted Jesus, so he also tempts us. The devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will try to convince us that baptism is something we do - that baptism isn't really important - that baptism doesn't change anything - that you can't really trust in your baptism. The devil, the world, and even our own sinful nature will do anything to make baptism seem trivial in our eyes. That is why baptism is not an end, but a beginning.
Our life in Holy Baptism lies in what baptism signifies. [Small Catechism, Baptism IV] “It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts. And also it shows that a new man should daily come forth and arise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” Every day, we confess our sins and every day God forgives us. He frees us from our slavery to sin and frees us to live a new life.
There has always been something special about water. Our Old Testament lesson tells us that even before the first day of creation the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Water has always been essential for physical life. In today's Epistle, we learn how water combined with God's Word in Holy Baptism also supports our Spiritual life. We learn that Holy Baptism joins us to Christ in His life, death, and resurrection. In today's Gospel, we learn how Jesus stepped down into filthy, sin-filled water and submitted to baptism in order to cover Himself with our sin and carry it away from us. In today's Gospel, we also learn how this was the will and plan not only of Jesus, but of the Father and the Holy Spirit as well. Thus in baptism, we begin a new life - a life eternal with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Baptism of Our Lord (B) - 7 January 2024
Heavenly Father, You revealed Your Son in the wondrous Epiphany in the Jordan. So also You have revealed Your name and blessing to us in Holy Baptism, declaring us Your beloved heirs. Grant that we may daily die to sin and rise to newness of life, living with joy as Your baptized children. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, bless all places where Your people teach and learn. Guide teachers and students, that together we would marvel at Your creation and appreciate the depth of Your wisdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, grant that all those baptized into Christ would receive the boldness of Your servant John to lead faithful and pure lives in this world, ever mindful of our promised heavenly inheritance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Lord, Your Son, Jesus, is the Christ and the true King of this world. Grant great humility to the rulers of the nations, [especially _____________,] that they would submit to the preaching of His Holy Word for the sake of their own souls and for the good of Your holy people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give comfort and relief to those who are sick, depressed, tired, confused or in any need [especially _____________]. Watch over all expectant mothers and their children, [especially _____________,] that they may have a safe delivery and be brought also to the life-giving waters of Holy Baptism. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, in Holy Baptism You have opened the heavens to Your children. Grant that all those baptized into Your Son would worthily receive the heavenly feast of His body and blood for their salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal God, You have made us Your own people by Baptism and granted us Your Holy Spirit to confess Christ in word and deed. We remember with thanksgiving those who went before us, who passed the faith on to us and who now rest in Christ from all their labors. Since we have died with Christ through Baptism, grant that we would be raised with Him also. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, as Your Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the deep, You uttered Your Word and the world was created. In the waters of Holy Baptism, You have spoken our names and declared us righteous. You have drawn us to Jesus, the light of life, and saved us. Let His light now shine through us, that others may see our good works and give glory to You; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Presentation of the Offering and Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
As the glory of Your presence once filled Your ancient temple, so in the incarnation of Your Son, Jesus Christ, You manifested the fullness of Your glory in human flesh.
We give You thanks that in His most Holy Supper You reveal Your glory to us. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood so that we may one day behold Your glory face to face.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
346 “When All the World Was Cursed”
1 When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2 Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3 Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4 O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
404 “Jesus, Once with Sinners Numbered”
1 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Had no blemish of His own;
In the waters of the Jordan
His true worth and work were shown:
Heaven opened and the Spirit
There descended like a dove,
As the Father’s voice resounded,
“Hear My Son, the One I love.”
2 John confessed Him as the Savior--
“Look, the sinless Lamb of God!”
Yet he dared not loose the sandals
Of the One God’s love had shod.
Oh, how fair the feet of Jesus,
Bringing news of peace to us,
Christ, the herald of salvation,
Preaching mercy from the cross:
3 This the baptism that our Savior
Greatly longed to undergo;
This the crimson cleansing needed
So the world God’s love might know;
This the mission of Messiah
As He stepped from Jordan’s stream,
He, the chosen and anointed
Son of God, sent to redeem.
4 Jesus, once with sinners numbered,
Full obedience was Your path;
You, by death, have consecrated
Water in this saving bath:
Dying to the sin of Adam,
Rising to a life of grace;
We are counted with the righteous,
Over us the cross You trace.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus LSB 212
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 401 “From God the Father, Virgin-Born”
1 From God the Father, virgin-born
To us the only Son came down;
By death the font to consecrate,
The faithful to regenerate.
2 Beginning from His home on high,
In human flesh He came to die;
Creation by His death restored,
And shed new joys of life abroad.
3 Glide on, O glorious Sun, and bring
The gift of healing on Your wing;
To ev’ry dull and clouded sense
The clearness of Your light dispense.
4 Abide with us, O Lord, we pray;
The gloom of darkness chase away;
Your work of healing, Lord, begin,
And take away the stain of sin.
5 Lord, once You came to earth’s domain
And, we believe, shall come again;
Be with us on the battlefield,
From ev’ry harm Your people shield.
D 6 To You, O Lord, all glory be
For this Your blest epiphany;
To God, whom all His hosts adore,
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 31, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
THE TIME IS NOW! Eternity will not be long enough to thank Jesus for dying on the cross to save me. Eternity will not be long enough to thank a friend who introduced me to Jesus. But in eternity I will not be able to introduce anyone to Jesus - the time to do that is now. It is not a year from now. It is now! But with whom shall I do it?
++++++++
Let us all with gladsome voice Praise the God of heaven,
Who, to bid our hearts rejoice, His own Son hath given.
To this vale of tears He comes, Here to serve in sadness,
That with Him in heav’n’s fair homes We may reign in gladness.
Christ, our Lord and Savior dear, Be Thou ever near us,
Grant us now a glad new year. Amen, Jesus, hear us. LSB 390
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 31, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 389 “Let All Together Praise Our God”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 61:10-62:3
10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
EPISTLE LESSON Galatians 4:4-7
4When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 2:22-40
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 519 “In His Temple Now Behold Him”
SERMON “God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him!”
Luke 2:22-40
God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him! - Luke 2:22-40
We have an interesting situation in today's Gospel. The Bible tells us about different ways that God reveals Himself. We have Moses and the Burning Bush, the cloud by day and fire by night, the tabernacle, and the temple. All these are ways for the people to know that God is with them. When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, they were bringing the ultimate expression of God's presence into another expression of God's presence. They were bringing the holy God into His holy house.
The Son of God took on human flesh so that He could keep the law perfectly in our place. He even kept the very ceremonial laws that pointed to His coming. We read about one of those ceremonial laws in today's Old Testament reading. The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." This consecration is a reminder of the Passover in Egypt. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' This ceremony constantly pointed back to the great salvation God won for His people when He freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now, in today's Gospel, we see the one who fulfills this ceremonial law is also the one who will purchase freedom from the slavery of sin for all humanity.
Luke's inspired words in today's Gospel are very careful to tell us that the purification in the temple was according to the Law of Moses, and as it is written in the Law of the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, and to do for him according to the custom of the Law, and when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord. In addition to all this, today's Gospel immediately follows another verse that tells that Jesus had already fulfilled another requirement of the ceremonial law. [Luke 2:21] At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. This circumcision was also a fulfillment of the law. The Holy Spirit really wants us to understand that Jesus is the perfect substitute for us in that He keeps the law perfectly - even as an infant.
Luke's inspired account of Jesus fulfilling the law even as an infant teaches us that Jesus was already at work to save us from our sin. From the moment of His conception as the only perfect, sinless human being who ever lived, He was already at the work of earning our salvation for us.
As Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the temple in order to fulfill the law, they meet this wonderful Old Testament saint named Simeon. We call Simeon an Old Testament Christian because of the description: this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. The words "waiting for the consolation of Israel" tell us that He was looking forward to the future savior. That is the reason that he could be described as righteous and devout for no one can be righteous in God's sight without faith in the Savior.
God gave Simeon a special promise. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. This is a marvelous gift to give to an Old Testament Christian who believed in and waited for the future Savior. He had the promise of God that the future Savior would come during his lifetime.
Simeon became a prophet when he took the infant Christ up into his arms. The Holy Spirit gave him a proclamation of thanksgiving for the opportunity to see the Christ with his own eyes, and a proclamation of the salvation that this infant would bring to the world. The Lord had kept His promise to Simeon and now Simeon's life was complete. He was ready for the Lord to take him home to heaven at any time for he had seen the long-promised salvation of the Lord.
Simeon also had a message from God for Mary. This message affects Mary at the personal level and at the public level. It affects Mary personally as a foretelling of the grief she would endure for her Son suffering and dying on the cross. It also affects Mary as the personification of Israel. The mission of Jesus will pass through Israel like a sword and reveal the secret thoughts of many hearts.
As Simeon held the infant savior and prophesied another Old Testament saint appeared, Anna the prophetess. Luke does not record her words. Instead, he tells how Anna spread the Gospel of the Savior to all who would hear. She, like Simeon, was waiting. She was looking forward to the Redemption of Jerusalem. Now, she too had seen the promised Christ.
Christ Jesus came to the temple long ago to fulfill the law and so continue to keep the law perfectly. He must keep the law for us because that is something that we cannot do. We have defiled the law in thought, word, and deed. We have sinned by not doing as the law commands. We have sinned by doing what the law prohibits. We love ourselves more than we love God or our neighbor. Even when we do those things that seem right to the world around us, our hearts have not been in the right place and our motives have been selfish. We deserve a miserable existence in this life and eternal torment in the life to come. We know our only hope lies in the Christ who entered the temple as an infant to keep the law perfectly in our place.
We too can have the faith of Simeon that Jesus is the salvation that [the Lord has] prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to [His] people Israel. The salvation that the Lord has prepared will work its way out as Jesus continues to live the perfect, sinless life that is impossible for us. Just as He is our substitute under the law in order to keep it, He is also our substitute under the law in order to bear the punishment that the law demands for sin. In His great love for us, He took up the sin of the world. As God said through the prophet, [Isaiah 53:6b] The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [1 Peter 2:24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. This is the salvation that is a light for revelation to the Gentiles. Our Lord Jesus Christ took our sins to the cross and paid the penalty for them all.
We can have confidence in Jesus because [1 Corinthians 15:20] Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. In His resurrection, we have the sure and certain hope that we will also rise from the dead. For just as Christ is the firstfruits, so also are we the harvest that will follow Him so that we can live with Him forever.
We who meet here on this day follow in the footsteps of Simeon and Anna. We also desire to see our salvation. We also desire to see the Christ. We have a promise that is just as certain as Simeon's for Jesus Himself said, [Matthew 18:20] "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them," and [Matthew 28:20b] "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Then there are these words: [1 Corinthians 11:23-26] “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” When we eat the bread, we are eating the body of Christ. When we drink the wine, we are drinking the blood of Christ. In the bread and wine, we experience the very presence of the body and blood of Jesus. Here is the certain promise that we will find the Savior when the Holy Spirit draws us into His house.
That is the reason that we respond with Simeon's words as we chant: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel.” As we chant those words, we join Simeon and Anna in thanksgiving to God that we also do not see death before we see the Lord's Christ.
Once again we are reminded that we come to God's house to be with Christ and to receive His gifts. Just as the Holy Spirit gathered Simeon and Anna to the temple in order to see their Savior, so He also does the same for us today. He gathers us together in God's house to receive His blessings.
Simeon and Anna saw the Lord at the beginning of His work to be our substitute under the Law. The Lord finished His work under the law as He kept the law perfectly and took its punishment in our place. Now He comes to us through His holy Word and His blessed Sacraments. As He comes to us, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.
The day will come when we will join Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Mary, our loved ones, and all who believe in Christ as the Holy Spirit gathers us to eternal life. There we shall live in the eternal grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
387 “Joy to the World”
367 “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 390 “Let Us All with Gladsome Voice”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday after Christmas - 31 December 2023
Eternal Lord God, in the fullness of time, You sent forth Your Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem us and give us the adoption as Your sons and heirs. Hear us, Father, as we call to You in His name. Give us grace to rejoice in Christ’s blessed incarnation, and grant us a glad new year. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lead Your Church, Lord, to follow the example of blessed Simeon, that all baptized Christians would embrace the Christ Child by Word and faith, and so be ready to depart whenever they are called. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood on earth is named, bless Christian families with Your promises. Give parents diligence and delight in their work, and grant Your favor on all children, that they may grow in strength and wisdom. Bless widows, orphans and broken families also with Your mercy, and give them joy in the redemption You have won for us in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, mighty Lord, You have given power to the nations and to those who govern for the good of their people. Bless our president, Congress, governor and all our leaders, that justice may prevail and Your people would be free to live at peace with all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, receive our prayers for those who suffer from loneliness. Comfort them with the sure and certain knowledge that You will never forsake them. Give them family and friends within the household of faith with whom they can find loving companionship. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed Lord, help the sick and suffering, especially those who desire our prayers [including _____________]. Surround them with Your love in Christ and, according to Your gracious will, heal them. Comfort those who mourn, [especially _____________,] and fill their hearts with the certain hope of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of lasting peace, show Your mercy to those who receive the Lord’s Supper this day, that they would behold their salvation in the very body and blood of Christ given for them and, with St. Simeon, be well-prepared to depart in peace according to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we here remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Praising His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 31, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Coleen Tallman
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE a Men’s Bible Study on Thursday at 9 a.m.
THE TIME IS NOW! Eternity will not be long enough to thank Jesus for dying on the cross to save me. Eternity will not be long enough to thank a friend who introduced me to Jesus. But in eternity I will not be able to introduce anyone to Jesus - the time to do that is now. It is not a year from now. It is now! But with whom shall I do it?
- Family Members - spouse, parents, grandparents, etc.
- Neighbors - next door, the elderly, new families
- From Work - any and all you are in contact with
- Through Sports and Hobbies - People you are in contact with
- Friends - your and your spouse's friends, parents of your child's friends, etc.
- Casual Associates - your doctor, dentist, realtor, insurance, professional groups, sales reps who call on you, babysitters
- Those In Need - who are undergoing stress of some kind
- A Fellow Patient - in your hospital room
++++++++
Let us all with gladsome voice Praise the God of heaven,
Who, to bid our hearts rejoice, His own Son hath given.
To this vale of tears He comes, Here to serve in sadness,
That with Him in heav’n’s fair homes We may reign in gladness.
Christ, our Lord and Savior dear, Be Thou ever near us,
Grant us now a glad new year. Amen, Jesus, hear us. LSB 390
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The First Sunday after Christmas – December 31, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 389 “Let All Together Praise Our God”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 61:10-62:3
10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
1For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will give.
3You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
EPISTLE LESSON Galatians 4:4-7
4When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON Luke 2:22-40
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, [Mary and Joseph] brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,
29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
according to your word;
30for my eyes have seen your salvation
31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”
33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 519 “In His Temple Now Behold Him”
SERMON “God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him!”
Luke 2:22-40
God Is in His Temple, Let Us All Adore Him! - Luke 2:22-40
We have an interesting situation in today's Gospel. The Bible tells us about different ways that God reveals Himself. We have Moses and the Burning Bush, the cloud by day and fire by night, the tabernacle, and the temple. All these are ways for the people to know that God is with them. When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem, they were bringing the ultimate expression of God's presence into another expression of God's presence. They were bringing the holy God into His holy house.
The Son of God took on human flesh so that He could keep the law perfectly in our place. He even kept the very ceremonial laws that pointed to His coming. We read about one of those ceremonial laws in today's Old Testament reading. The LORD said to Moses, "Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." This consecration is a reminder of the Passover in Egypt. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.' This ceremony constantly pointed back to the great salvation God won for His people when He freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now, in today's Gospel, we see the one who fulfills this ceremonial law is also the one who will purchase freedom from the slavery of sin for all humanity.
Luke's inspired words in today's Gospel are very careful to tell us that the purification in the temple was according to the Law of Moses, and as it is written in the Law of the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, and to do for him according to the custom of the Law, and when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord. In addition to all this, today's Gospel immediately follows another verse that tells that Jesus had already fulfilled another requirement of the ceremonial law. [Luke 2:21] At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. This circumcision was also a fulfillment of the law. The Holy Spirit really wants us to understand that Jesus is the perfect substitute for us in that He keeps the law perfectly - even as an infant.
Luke's inspired account of Jesus fulfilling the law even as an infant teaches us that Jesus was already at work to save us from our sin. From the moment of His conception as the only perfect, sinless human being who ever lived, He was already at the work of earning our salvation for us.
As Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the temple in order to fulfill the law, they meet this wonderful Old Testament saint named Simeon. We call Simeon an Old Testament Christian because of the description: this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel. The words "waiting for the consolation of Israel" tell us that He was looking forward to the future savior. That is the reason that he could be described as righteous and devout for no one can be righteous in God's sight without faith in the Savior.
God gave Simeon a special promise. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. This is a marvelous gift to give to an Old Testament Christian who believed in and waited for the future Savior. He had the promise of God that the future Savior would come during his lifetime.
Simeon became a prophet when he took the infant Christ up into his arms. The Holy Spirit gave him a proclamation of thanksgiving for the opportunity to see the Christ with his own eyes, and a proclamation of the salvation that this infant would bring to the world. The Lord had kept His promise to Simeon and now Simeon's life was complete. He was ready for the Lord to take him home to heaven at any time for he had seen the long-promised salvation of the Lord.
Simeon also had a message from God for Mary. This message affects Mary at the personal level and at the public level. It affects Mary personally as a foretelling of the grief she would endure for her Son suffering and dying on the cross. It also affects Mary as the personification of Israel. The mission of Jesus will pass through Israel like a sword and reveal the secret thoughts of many hearts.
As Simeon held the infant savior and prophesied another Old Testament saint appeared, Anna the prophetess. Luke does not record her words. Instead, he tells how Anna spread the Gospel of the Savior to all who would hear. She, like Simeon, was waiting. She was looking forward to the Redemption of Jerusalem. Now, she too had seen the promised Christ.
Christ Jesus came to the temple long ago to fulfill the law and so continue to keep the law perfectly. He must keep the law for us because that is something that we cannot do. We have defiled the law in thought, word, and deed. We have sinned by not doing as the law commands. We have sinned by doing what the law prohibits. We love ourselves more than we love God or our neighbor. Even when we do those things that seem right to the world around us, our hearts have not been in the right place and our motives have been selfish. We deserve a miserable existence in this life and eternal torment in the life to come. We know our only hope lies in the Christ who entered the temple as an infant to keep the law perfectly in our place.
We too can have the faith of Simeon that Jesus is the salvation that [the Lord has] prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to [His] people Israel. The salvation that the Lord has prepared will work its way out as Jesus continues to live the perfect, sinless life that is impossible for us. Just as He is our substitute under the law in order to keep it, He is also our substitute under the law in order to bear the punishment that the law demands for sin. In His great love for us, He took up the sin of the world. As God said through the prophet, [Isaiah 53:6b] The LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. [1 Peter 2:24] He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. This is the salvation that is a light for revelation to the Gentiles. Our Lord Jesus Christ took our sins to the cross and paid the penalty for them all.
We can have confidence in Jesus because [1 Corinthians 15:20] Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. In His resurrection, we have the sure and certain hope that we will also rise from the dead. For just as Christ is the firstfruits, so also are we the harvest that will follow Him so that we can live with Him forever.
We who meet here on this day follow in the footsteps of Simeon and Anna. We also desire to see our salvation. We also desire to see the Christ. We have a promise that is just as certain as Simeon's for Jesus Himself said, [Matthew 18:20] "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them," and [Matthew 28:20b] "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Then there are these words: [1 Corinthians 11:23-26] “The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” When we eat the bread, we are eating the body of Christ. When we drink the wine, we are drinking the blood of Christ. In the bread and wine, we experience the very presence of the body and blood of Jesus. Here is the certain promise that we will find the Savior when the Holy Spirit draws us into His house.
That is the reason that we respond with Simeon's words as we chant: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, For mine eyes have seen Thy Salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of Thy people Israel.” As we chant those words, we join Simeon and Anna in thanksgiving to God that we also do not see death before we see the Lord's Christ.
Once again we are reminded that we come to God's house to be with Christ and to receive His gifts. Just as the Holy Spirit gathered Simeon and Anna to the temple in order to see their Savior, so He also does the same for us today. He gathers us together in God's house to receive His blessings.
Simeon and Anna saw the Lord at the beginning of His work to be our substitute under the Law. The Lord finished His work under the law as He kept the law perfectly and took its punishment in our place. Now He comes to us through His holy Word and His blessed Sacraments. As He comes to us, we receive forgiveness, life, and salvation.
The day will come when we will join Simeon, Anna, Joseph, Mary, our loved ones, and all who believe in Christ as the Holy Spirit gathers us to eternal life. There we shall live in the eternal grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
387 “Joy to the World”
367 “Angels from the Realms of Glory”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 390 “Let Us All with Gladsome Voice”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Prayer of the Church - First Sunday after Christmas - 31 December 2023
Eternal Lord God, in the fullness of time, You sent forth Your Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem us and give us the adoption as Your sons and heirs. Hear us, Father, as we call to You in His name. Give us grace to rejoice in Christ’s blessed incarnation, and grant us a glad new year. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lead Your Church, Lord, to follow the example of blessed Simeon, that all baptized Christians would embrace the Christ Child by Word and faith, and so be ready to depart whenever they are called. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood on earth is named, bless Christian families with Your promises. Give parents diligence and delight in their work, and grant Your favor on all children, that they may grow in strength and wisdom. Bless widows, orphans and broken families also with Your mercy, and give them joy in the redemption You have won for us in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, mighty Lord, You have given power to the nations and to those who govern for the good of their people. Bless our president, Congress, governor and all our leaders, that justice may prevail and Your people would be free to live at peace with all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, receive our prayers for those who suffer from loneliness. Comfort them with the sure and certain knowledge that You will never forsake them. Give them family and friends within the household of faith with whom they can find loving companionship. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed Lord, help the sick and suffering, especially those who desire our prayers [including _____________]. Surround them with Your love in Christ and, according to Your gracious will, heal them. Comfort those who mourn, [especially _____________,] and fill their hearts with the certain hope of the resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of lasting peace, show Your mercy to those who receive the Lord’s Supper this day, that they would behold their salvation in the very body and blood of Christ given for them and, with St. Simeon, be well-prepared to depart in peace according to Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we here remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Praising His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Anointing with Oil
Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday in Advent – December 24, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+T-O-D-A-Y, December 24th, at 5 p.m., we will have our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”
+On Monday, December 25th, we will have Christmas Day Worship at 10:30 a.m. This service will include the celebration of Holy Communion. “O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
+On Thursday, December 28th, there is a Men’s Bible Study at 9 a.m.
+On Friday, December 29th, at 7 p.m., there will be a Holiday Brass concert at Holy Cross Lutheran in Rocklin. See the flyer on the board.
As each happy Christmas
Dawns on earth again,
Comes the Holy Christ Child
To the hearts of men.
Enters with His blessing
Into ev’ry home,
Guides and guards our footsteps
As we go and come.
The Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 24, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 900 “Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love”
1 Jesus! Name of wondrous love,
Name all other names above,
Unto which must ev’ry knee
Bow in deep humility.
2 Jesus! Name decreed of old,
To the maiden mother told,
Kneeling in her lowly cell,
By the angel Gabriel.
3 Jesus! Name of priceless worth
To the fallen of the earth
For the promise that it gave,
“Jesus shall His people save.”
4 Jesus! Name of mercy mild,
Given to the holy Child
When the cup of human woe
First He tasted here below.
5 Jesus! Only name that’s giv’n
Under all the mighty heav’n
Whereby those to sin enslaved
Burst their fetters and are saved.
6 Jesus! Name of wondrous love,
Human name of God above;
Pleading only this, we flee
Helpless, O our God, to Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Isaiah 45:8a, b; Psalm 19:1, 4c, 5–6
P Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16
1Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. . . .
16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 89:1–5
1I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, for- | ever;*
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all gener- | ations.
2For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up for- | ever;*
in the heavens you will establish your | faithfulness.”
3You have said, “I have made a covenant with my | chosen one;*
I have sworn to David my | servant:
4‘I will establish your offspring for- | ever,*
and build your throne for all gener- | ations.’”
5Let the heavens praise your wonders, | O Lord,*
your faithfulness in the assembly of the | holy ones!
Epistle Romans 16:25–27
25Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Verse of the Day Matthew 1:23a
C Alleluia. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. Alleluia.
Holy Gospel Luke 1:26–38
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 356 “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came”
1 The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
“All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
2 “For know a blessèd mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee;
Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify God’s holy name.”
Most highly favored lady,
Gloria!
4 Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
“Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
Text: para. Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834–1924; Basque, c. 18th cent.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Mary, Mother of God” Luke 1:26-38
Mary, Mother of God – Luke 1:26-38
One of the things that Martin Luther and the other reformers had to deal with during the Reformation was the role of the Virgin Mary in the church. Even today, the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church about Mary do not agree with the teachings of the Bible. Among the many teachings that the Reformation brought back into line were the teachings about Mary, the mother of the Lord.
One of the questions the reformers asked was, “Is it right to call Mary the “Mother of God?” One of the difficulties with this title is that many think it is elevating Mary above her station. However, a little thought helps us understand that when we call Mary the “Mother of God,” we are actually acknowledging the special nature of Jesus who is both God and man. If we acknowledge that Mary is the true mother of Jesus and if we acknowledge that Jesus is true God, then, by definition, Mary actually is the “Mother of God.” When we say that Mary is the “Mother of God,” we are really not saying anything special about Mary. We are, in fact, proclaiming that her son, Jesus Christ, is not only true man, but He is also true God.
This gives us the ability to say all kinds of things about Mary and Jesus that force us to think about who Jesus really is. When we see Jesus dying on the cross, we see God dying on the cross. When we recognize that Jesus, the Son of God, is fully human, we recognize that a human being is a member of the Triune God.
In today’s Gospel we heard the angel Gabriel tell Mary that she was to become the “Mother of God.” Gabriel told her that her son would also be the Son of the Most High. When Mary asked for more details, Gabriel provided them.
The Holy Spirit worked the miracle that would provide the DNA that was missing from Mary’s egg … the part that the husband normally provides. At the instant the Holy Spirit did that, God the Son took up residence in the womb of the Virgin. He took human flesh unto Himself. From that moment on, the Christ would forever be both true God and true Man.
Think about that. That little one cell egg that the Holy Spirit fertilized is God. As that cell divided and matured, God would seek out and attach Himself to the wall of Mary’s womb. The placenta and umbilical cord would form. The placenta would provide for the exchange of nutrition and oxygen … waste and carbon dioxide back and forth from the sinful blood of Mary to the holy blood of God our savior. For nine months, Mary’s body sustained the body of God. Think what an amazingly complex biological and spiritual process we describe with the simple words of the Creed … conceived by the Holy Spirit … born of the Virgin Mary.
Mary will forever be the “Mother of God,” but for nine months she was also the temple of God. Again, we are not saying that Mary is some sort of supernatural being, nor are we saying that she is made of superior stuff compared to other women. Instead, we are simply saying that for nine months God revealed His presence in her womb. The temple is the temple because it is the place where God reveals His presence with His people. Mary is the temple because God in the flesh was present within her.
Now, as spectacular as this all is, there is a real problem here for Mary. From all outward appearances, this pregnancy will look like any other pregnancy. That is the whole point. The Son of God is to experience every aspect of human life as a full human. The entire community will look at Mary and see a perfectly natural pregnancy. That means that Joseph, her betrothed husband will see it as a normal pregnancy. Mary’s parents will see it as a normal pregnancy. How will she explain this to them? “Joseph … Mom … Dad … this baby is from the ah … the ah … Holy Spirit.” At the very least, this pregnancy could destroy her reputation. If she was publicly convicted of adultery, the penalty was death.
Why did God do this to Mary? For that matter, why did the Son of God submit to taking human nature unto Himself? Why go through all this inconvenience … this hardship … this shame? Why submit to this biological and sociological mess?
In this miracle, we already see our salvation at work. After all, the Bible tells us that Mary, like all human beings, was born in sin. Like all human beings, she deserved eternal punishment. The Holiness of God in her womb should have destroyed her sin and her along with it, but it did not. Instead, God came to be with her to bless her. The Holy Son of God had taken up His human flesh inside of her. He had already taken His first step on the road to the cross. The salvation He earned on the cross as both God and Man was already at work protecting Mary from the condemnation she deserved because of her sin.
The Lord did not come into human flesh merely to protect His mother from destruction, but He also came to protect you and me from destruction. During this coming week, we will celebrate the human birth of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. We will celebrate the fact that God and man come together in one person – Jesus the Christ – the Son of Mary – the savior of the world. His conception by the Holy Spirit and His birth of the Virgin are the beginning of His journey to save us. During His journey, He will live a life without sin, He will teach and heal, He will suffer, die, and be buried. He will rise and ascend back to His Father in Heaven. He will do all this so that He could come to us without punishing us for our sin. He will do all this so He could be with us and we could be His favored people.
Jesus’ journey will remove our sins from us so that they can be punished without punishing us. As the little human egg that began to divide in the womb of the Virgin, Jesus already carried our sin. Even though He will never sin in His entire life, the time will come when God will treat Him as the greatest sinner who ever lived. The little human egg in the womb of the Virgin will grow up to suffer the forsakenness of God as He hangs from the cross. The wrath of God over sin will pour out on Him so that it does not need to pour itself out on us. Instead God can come to us with His mercy, grace, and love. God can be with us and we will be His favored people.
The justice of God will proclaim its satisfaction with this sacrifice. The human body that began growing in the Virgin will rise out of the grave and ascend to the Father in Heaven. From there He will come to all who believe in Him. He will bring heaven to them. He will be with them and they will be His favored people.
Gabriel uttered God’s message to Mary over two thousand years ago. The promise in those words has come to pass. The baby was born and Mary named Him Jesus just as Gabriel had said. Jesus kept all the promises that God had made. His life was perfect in every way. Nevertheless, even though His life was perfect, He suffered the cruelty of death on a cross. Because His death conquered sin, death could not hold Him and He rose from the dead just as He had promised.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He made a promise. [Matthew 28:20] “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He continually comes to us and He is always with us. If Gabriel were to appear to us this day, he could greet us with the same greeting that he gave to Mary. He could say, “Greetings, O favored people of God, the Lord is with you!” This would not be just a polite greeting, but it would be a statement of fact. For the facts are these: that little single-celled God in the womb of the Virgin grew up to make us people of God and for His sake, the Lord really is with us. Amen
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday in Advent (B) - 24 December 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, our God, nothing is impossible with You. Grant us faith to believe Your Word and follow the example of Your servant Mary, to receive the miraculous gift of Your Son, our Immanuel. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal God, Your Word has been sent forth into the world to the joy and edification of Your holy people. Encourage, comfort and strengthen all who hear it. Grant faith to those who do not know You, both here and abroad, that all peoples may sing to Your name and extol Your goodness. By the power of the Holy Spirit, fill all who hear Your Word with joy and peace in believing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, bless our Synod president, our district president, our circuit visitor, and our pastor, that like the angel Gabriel, they may be faithful messengers of Your Good News. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, let Your favor rest upon all pregnant women and mothers of young children, that they may rejoice in the blessing of new life You give. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of lords, by the reign of Your Son You govern all things in heaven and earth. Raise up true Davids among us to govern our land in faithfulness and in humble strength to do Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in mind or body. Give them the knowledge of Christ, their Immanuel, who is with them in their trials. Grant them health and healing in accord with Your perfect will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, give us joy that as surely as Your Son was conceived in blessed Mary at Your Word, so He comes to abide in us also at Your Word in the blessed Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, we may with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to be our Judge; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
350 “Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come”
1 Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.
2 Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my guest divine!
3 My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.
4 Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our King.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
354 “Arise, O Christian People”
1 Arise, O Christian people!
Prepare yourselves today;
Prepare to greet the Savior,
Who takes your sins away.
To us by grace alone
The truth and light were given;
The promised Lord from heaven
To all the world is shown.
2 Prepare the way before Him;
Prepare for Him the best.
Cast out what would offend Him,
This great, this heav’nly guest.
Make straight, make plain the way:
The lowly valleys raising,
The heights of pride abasing,
His path all even lay.
3 The humble heart and lowly
God raises up on high;
Beneath His feet in terror
The haughty soul shall lie.
The heart sincere and right,
That heeds God’s invitation
And makes true preparation--
It is the Lord’s delight.
4 Prepare my heart, Lord Jesus;
Turn not from me aside,
And help me to receive You
This blessèd Adventtide.
From stall and manger low
Come now to dwell within me;
I’ll sing Your praises gladly
And forth Your glory show.
Text: Valentin Thilo, 1607–62; tr. Arthur T. Russell, 1806–74, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 855 “For All the Faithful Women” sts. 1, 8, 3-4
1 For all the faithful women
Who served in days of old,
To You shall thanks be given;
To all, their story told.
They served with strength and gladness
In tasks Your wisdom gave.
To You their lives bore witness,
Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.
8 We sing of Mary, mother,
Fair maiden, full of grace.
She bore the Christ, our brother,
Who came to save our race.
May we, with her, surrender,
Ourselves to Your command
And lay upon Your altar
Our gifts of heart and hand.
3 O God, for saints and servants,
Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
Our lives may sing Your praise.
D 4 All praise to God the Father!
All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
And strive to do Your will.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007, alt.
Text: © 1993, 1997, 2003 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
Our Christmas Eve Candlelight
Service is this afternoon at 5 p.m. [Note:This is two hours earlier than it has been in previous years.]
Tomorrow, our Christmas
Day Service with Holy
Communion is at 10:30 a.m.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday in Advent – December 24, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+T-O-D-A-Y, December 24th, at 5 p.m., we will have our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”
+On Monday, December 25th, we will have Christmas Day Worship at 10:30 a.m. This service will include the celebration of Holy Communion. “O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
+On Thursday, December 28th, there is a Men’s Bible Study at 9 a.m.
+On Friday, December 29th, at 7 p.m., there will be a Holiday Brass concert at Holy Cross Lutheran in Rocklin. See the flyer on the board.
As each happy Christmas
Dawns on earth again,
Comes the Holy Christ Child
To the hearts of men.
Enters with His blessing
Into ev’ry home,
Guides and guards our footsteps
As we go and come.
The Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 24, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 900 “Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love”
1 Jesus! Name of wondrous love,
Name all other names above,
Unto which must ev’ry knee
Bow in deep humility.
2 Jesus! Name decreed of old,
To the maiden mother told,
Kneeling in her lowly cell,
By the angel Gabriel.
3 Jesus! Name of priceless worth
To the fallen of the earth
For the promise that it gave,
“Jesus shall His people save.”
4 Jesus! Name of mercy mild,
Given to the holy Child
When the cup of human woe
First He tasted here below.
5 Jesus! Only name that’s giv’n
Under all the mighty heav’n
Whereby those to sin enslaved
Burst their fetters and are saved.
6 Jesus! Name of wondrous love,
Human name of God above;
Pleading only this, we flee
Helpless, O our God, to Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Isaiah 45:8a, b; Psalm 19:1, 4c, 5–6
P Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come and help us by Your might, that the sins which weigh us down may be quickly lifted by Your grace and mercy; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading 2 Samuel 7:1–11, 16
1Now when the king lived in his house and the Lord had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies, 2the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.” 3And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your heart, for the Lord is with you.”
4But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, 5“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: Would you build me a house to dwell in? 6I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling. 7In all places where I have moved with all the people of Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ 8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. 9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly, 11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. . . .
16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 89:1–5
1I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, for- | ever;*
with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all gener- | ations.
2For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up for- | ever;*
in the heavens you will establish your | faithfulness.”
3You have said, “I have made a covenant with my | chosen one;*
I have sworn to David my | servant:
4‘I will establish your offspring for- | ever,*
and build your throne for all gener- | ations.’”
5Let the heavens praise your wonders, | O Lord,*
your faithfulness in the assembly of the | holy ones!
Epistle Romans 16:25–27
25Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Verse of the Day Matthew 1:23a
C Alleluia. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel. Alleluia.
Holy Gospel Luke 1:26–38
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the first chapter.
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 356 “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came”
1 The angel Gabriel from heaven came,
With wings as drifted snow, with eyes as flame:
“All hail to thee, O lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
2 “For know a blessèd mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee;
Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
3 Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head;
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said.
“My soul shall laud and magnify God’s holy name.”
Most highly favored lady,
Gloria!
4 Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say:
“Most highly favored lady.”
Gloria!
Text: para. Sabine Baring-Gould, 1834–1924; Basque, c. 18th cent.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Mary, Mother of God” Luke 1:26-38
Mary, Mother of God – Luke 1:26-38
One of the things that Martin Luther and the other reformers had to deal with during the Reformation was the role of the Virgin Mary in the church. Even today, the official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church about Mary do not agree with the teachings of the Bible. Among the many teachings that the Reformation brought back into line were the teachings about Mary, the mother of the Lord.
One of the questions the reformers asked was, “Is it right to call Mary the “Mother of God?” One of the difficulties with this title is that many think it is elevating Mary above her station. However, a little thought helps us understand that when we call Mary the “Mother of God,” we are actually acknowledging the special nature of Jesus who is both God and man. If we acknowledge that Mary is the true mother of Jesus and if we acknowledge that Jesus is true God, then, by definition, Mary actually is the “Mother of God.” When we say that Mary is the “Mother of God,” we are really not saying anything special about Mary. We are, in fact, proclaiming that her son, Jesus Christ, is not only true man, but He is also true God.
This gives us the ability to say all kinds of things about Mary and Jesus that force us to think about who Jesus really is. When we see Jesus dying on the cross, we see God dying on the cross. When we recognize that Jesus, the Son of God, is fully human, we recognize that a human being is a member of the Triune God.
In today’s Gospel we heard the angel Gabriel tell Mary that she was to become the “Mother of God.” Gabriel told her that her son would also be the Son of the Most High. When Mary asked for more details, Gabriel provided them.
The Holy Spirit worked the miracle that would provide the DNA that was missing from Mary’s egg … the part that the husband normally provides. At the instant the Holy Spirit did that, God the Son took up residence in the womb of the Virgin. He took human flesh unto Himself. From that moment on, the Christ would forever be both true God and true Man.
Think about that. That little one cell egg that the Holy Spirit fertilized is God. As that cell divided and matured, God would seek out and attach Himself to the wall of Mary’s womb. The placenta and umbilical cord would form. The placenta would provide for the exchange of nutrition and oxygen … waste and carbon dioxide back and forth from the sinful blood of Mary to the holy blood of God our savior. For nine months, Mary’s body sustained the body of God. Think what an amazingly complex biological and spiritual process we describe with the simple words of the Creed … conceived by the Holy Spirit … born of the Virgin Mary.
Mary will forever be the “Mother of God,” but for nine months she was also the temple of God. Again, we are not saying that Mary is some sort of supernatural being, nor are we saying that she is made of superior stuff compared to other women. Instead, we are simply saying that for nine months God revealed His presence in her womb. The temple is the temple because it is the place where God reveals His presence with His people. Mary is the temple because God in the flesh was present within her.
Now, as spectacular as this all is, there is a real problem here for Mary. From all outward appearances, this pregnancy will look like any other pregnancy. That is the whole point. The Son of God is to experience every aspect of human life as a full human. The entire community will look at Mary and see a perfectly natural pregnancy. That means that Joseph, her betrothed husband will see it as a normal pregnancy. Mary’s parents will see it as a normal pregnancy. How will she explain this to them? “Joseph … Mom … Dad … this baby is from the ah … the ah … Holy Spirit.” At the very least, this pregnancy could destroy her reputation. If she was publicly convicted of adultery, the penalty was death.
Why did God do this to Mary? For that matter, why did the Son of God submit to taking human nature unto Himself? Why go through all this inconvenience … this hardship … this shame? Why submit to this biological and sociological mess?
In this miracle, we already see our salvation at work. After all, the Bible tells us that Mary, like all human beings, was born in sin. Like all human beings, she deserved eternal punishment. The Holiness of God in her womb should have destroyed her sin and her along with it, but it did not. Instead, God came to be with her to bless her. The Holy Son of God had taken up His human flesh inside of her. He had already taken His first step on the road to the cross. The salvation He earned on the cross as both God and Man was already at work protecting Mary from the condemnation she deserved because of her sin.
The Lord did not come into human flesh merely to protect His mother from destruction, but He also came to protect you and me from destruction. During this coming week, we will celebrate the human birth of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. We will celebrate the fact that God and man come together in one person – Jesus the Christ – the Son of Mary – the savior of the world. His conception by the Holy Spirit and His birth of the Virgin are the beginning of His journey to save us. During His journey, He will live a life without sin, He will teach and heal, He will suffer, die, and be buried. He will rise and ascend back to His Father in Heaven. He will do all this so that He could come to us without punishing us for our sin. He will do all this so He could be with us and we could be His favored people.
Jesus’ journey will remove our sins from us so that they can be punished without punishing us. As the little human egg that began to divide in the womb of the Virgin, Jesus already carried our sin. Even though He will never sin in His entire life, the time will come when God will treat Him as the greatest sinner who ever lived. The little human egg in the womb of the Virgin will grow up to suffer the forsakenness of God as He hangs from the cross. The wrath of God over sin will pour out on Him so that it does not need to pour itself out on us. Instead God can come to us with His mercy, grace, and love. God can be with us and we will be His favored people.
The justice of God will proclaim its satisfaction with this sacrifice. The human body that began growing in the Virgin will rise out of the grave and ascend to the Father in Heaven. From there He will come to all who believe in Him. He will bring heaven to them. He will be with them and they will be His favored people.
Gabriel uttered God’s message to Mary over two thousand years ago. The promise in those words has come to pass. The baby was born and Mary named Him Jesus just as Gabriel had said. Jesus kept all the promises that God had made. His life was perfect in every way. Nevertheless, even though His life was perfect, He suffered the cruelty of death on a cross. Because His death conquered sin, death could not hold Him and He rose from the dead just as He had promised.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He made a promise. [Matthew 28:20] “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” He continually comes to us and He is always with us. If Gabriel were to appear to us this day, he could greet us with the same greeting that he gave to Mary. He could say, “Greetings, O favored people of God, the Lord is with you!” This would not be just a polite greeting, but it would be a statement of fact. For the facts are these: that little single-celled God in the womb of the Virgin grew up to make us people of God and for His sake, the Lord really is with us. Amen
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday in Advent (B) - 24 December 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, our God, nothing is impossible with You. Grant us faith to believe Your Word and follow the example of Your servant Mary, to receive the miraculous gift of Your Son, our Immanuel. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Eternal God, Your Word has been sent forth into the world to the joy and edification of Your holy people. Encourage, comfort and strengthen all who hear it. Grant faith to those who do not know You, both here and abroad, that all peoples may sing to Your name and extol Your goodness. By the power of the Holy Spirit, fill all who hear Your Word with joy and peace in believing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, bless our Synod president, our district president, our circuit visitor, and our pastor, that like the angel Gabriel, they may be faithful messengers of Your Good News. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, let Your favor rest upon all pregnant women and mothers of young children, that they may rejoice in the blessing of new life You give. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of lords, by the reign of Your Son You govern all things in heaven and earth. Raise up true Davids among us to govern our land in faithfulness and in humble strength to do Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, uphold [_____________ and] all who suffer in mind or body. Give them the knowledge of Christ, their Immanuel, who is with them in their trials. Grant them health and healing in accord with Your perfect will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our God, give us joy that as surely as Your Son was conceived in blessed Mary at Your Word, so He comes to abide in us also at Your Word in the blessed Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, we may with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to be our Judge; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
350 “Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come”
1 Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.
2 Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my guest divine!
3 My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.
4 Hail! Hosanna, David’s Son!
Jesus, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail! Hosanna to our King.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
354 “Arise, O Christian People”
1 Arise, O Christian people!
Prepare yourselves today;
Prepare to greet the Savior,
Who takes your sins away.
To us by grace alone
The truth and light were given;
The promised Lord from heaven
To all the world is shown.
2 Prepare the way before Him;
Prepare for Him the best.
Cast out what would offend Him,
This great, this heav’nly guest.
Make straight, make plain the way:
The lowly valleys raising,
The heights of pride abasing,
His path all even lay.
3 The humble heart and lowly
God raises up on high;
Beneath His feet in terror
The haughty soul shall lie.
The heart sincere and right,
That heeds God’s invitation
And makes true preparation--
It is the Lord’s delight.
4 Prepare my heart, Lord Jesus;
Turn not from me aside,
And help me to receive You
This blessèd Adventtide.
From stall and manger low
Come now to dwell within me;
I’ll sing Your praises gladly
And forth Your glory show.
Text: Valentin Thilo, 1607–62; tr. Arthur T. Russell, 1806–74, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 855 “For All the Faithful Women” sts. 1, 8, 3-4
1 For all the faithful women
Who served in days of old,
To You shall thanks be given;
To all, their story told.
They served with strength and gladness
In tasks Your wisdom gave.
To You their lives bore witness,
Proclaimed Your pow’r to save.
8 We sing of Mary, mother,
Fair maiden, full of grace.
She bore the Christ, our brother,
Who came to save our race.
May we, with her, surrender,
Ourselves to Your command
And lay upon Your altar
Our gifts of heart and hand.
3 O God, for saints and servants,
Those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages
Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving
And fervent prayer we raise
That, faithful in Your service,
Our lives may sing Your praise.
D 4 All praise to God the Father!
All praise to Christ the Son!
All praise the Holy Spirit,
Who binds the Church in one!
With saints who went before us,
With saints who witness still,
We sing glad Alleluias
And strive to do Your will.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007, alt.
Text: © 1993, 1997, 2003 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
Our Christmas Eve Candlelight
Service is this afternoon at 5 p.m. [Note:This is two hours earlier than it has been in previous years.]
Tomorrow, our Christmas
Day Service with Holy
Communion is at 10:30 a.m.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday in Advent – December 17, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of HolyCommunion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+T-O-D-A-Y, December 17th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
+This Wednesday, December 20th, there will be a midweek service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. A sign-up sheet for the remaining midweek service meal is on the church bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
+On Thursday, December 21st, there is a Men’s Bible Study at 9 a.m.
+On Sunday, December 24th, we will have our fourth Sunday Advent service at 9 a.m., followed by Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study. At 5 p.m., we will have our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
+On Monday, December 25th, we will have Christmas Day Worship at 10:30 a.m. This service will include the celebration of Holy Communion. “O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
+On Friday, December 29th, at 7 p.m., there will be a Holiday Brass concert at Holy Cross Lutheran in Rocklin. See the flyer on the board.
The Third Sunday in Advent
December 17, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 338 “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”
1Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art,
Dear desire of ev’ry nation,
Joy of ev’ry longing heart.
2Born Thy people to deliver;
Born a child and yet a king!
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
LO Lord, open my lips,
Cand my mouth will declare Your praise.
LMake haste, O God, to deliver me;
Cmake haste to help me, O Lord.
CGlory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ, King who comes to save us.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung]LSB 220
CO come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
LBlessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
CO come, let us worship Him.
Sit
ReadingIsaiah 61:1–4, 8–11
LA reading from Isaiah, chapter 61.
1The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
4They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations. . . .
8For I the Lord love justice;
I hate robbery and wrong;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
9Their offspring shall be known among the nations,
and their descendants in the midst of the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge them,
that they are an offspring the Lord has blessed.
10I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to sprout up before all the nations.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Reading1 Thessalonians 5:16–24
LA reading from 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5.
16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies, 21but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.
23Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Stand
ReadingJohn 1:6–8, 19–28
LA reading from John, chapter 1.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. . . .
19This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
LO Lord, have mercy on us.
CThanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
LForever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LBlessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
LGlory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
CLord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 345 “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”
1Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
All you children of the day!”
2Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3See, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiv’n;
4So, when next He comes in glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
And with words of love draw near.
D5Honor, glory, might, dominion
To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
While eternal ages run!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “God’s Unexpected Salvation” John 1:6-8, 19-28
God’s Unexpected Salvation – John 1:6-8, 19-28
Today’s Gospel is sort of a repeat of what we heard in last week’s Gospel. Last week we heard about John the Baptist from the Gospel according to Mark. Today, we hear about John the Baptist from the Gospel according to John. Now, this can get a little bit confusing if we do not remember that John the Evangelist and John the Baptist are two different men. The Holy Spirit inspired John the Evangelist to include John the Baptist in his account of the Gospel.
The reading that we heard today from John’s Gospel is a fine example of something that literary scholars call step parallelism. Parallelism compares two people or things that have similar characteristics. Step parallelism uses this comparison to show that the second person or object has these characteristics in a way that is beyond our understanding. Basically, we build up someone or something and then we show that a second someone or something is even greater. Let’s see how this works in today’s Gospel.
John the Baptist was the last prophet to point forward to the coming Messiah. John the Evangelist described John the Baptist as an honest, faithful prophet who preached the words that the Holy Spirit gave him to preach. He was even important enough to have his own prophecies. John the Baptist described his calling with the words of Isaiah, [Isaiah 40:3] “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” These words were his identity. He described himself as that voice.
John the Evangelist makes it very clear that John the Baptist is important. He is faithful, honest, driven, and fearless. John the Evangelist has made it very clear that John the Baptist is a great man. John the Baptist is a force of history.
Now comes the step parallelism. When John had the opportunity to describe the one who came after him, He said, “I am not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal.” We can easily make the case that John the Baptist was the last and greatest of the Old Testament prophets. Nevertheless, he is not worthy to care for the footwear of the one who follows him. The step parallelism says that John the Baptist is great, but the one who follows him is several orders of magnitude greater.
There is one three letter word that describes the difference between John the Baptist and the one who followed him. That word is “NOT.” When the Jewish authorities came to investigate John, they asked, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” John’s three-word answer, “I am not,” is the great difference between him and the one who followed him. The one who followed him would say, [John 8:58] “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” He would also say, [John 6:35] “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” [John 8:12] “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” [John 10:11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” [John 11:25–26] “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” [John 14:6] “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The one who followed John is the one who spoke to Moses from the burning bush and said, [Exodus 3:14] “I AM WHO I AM.” The great prophet John could proclaim the blessings, but the blessings became reality in the even greater one who followed him … the great “I AM.”
There is something unusual hidden in John’s proclamation of the one who follows him. John began his proclamation of the one who follows him with the words: “Among you stands one you do not know.” The people were used to the idea that the Messiah would come … someday. John’s message was different in that he said that the one who followed him was already there. The one who followed John … the great “I AM” stood among them and they did not know him. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. [Isaiah 53:2b] He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. The one who followed John … the GREAT I AM … looked like an ordinary man. Even though He appeared to Moses in the burning bush, He is also 100% human. He was so human that you could not pick Him out of a crowd.
The one who followed John did not come in the expected way. We expect important people to come in important ways. We expect servants. We expect wealth. Important people demand service and they get it. Never the less, this one who followed John … who was more important than John said, [Mark 10:45] “[I] came not to be served but to serve, and to give [My] life as a ransom for many.” The one whose sandal John was not worthy to untie came to serve you. [Philippians 2:8] He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. He came to die for you. He came to ransom you. He came to earn eternal life for you.
The delegation that came from Jerusalem to check on John had its answers. The sad thing in today’s Gospel is that the men in the delegation wanted to know who John was, but they didn’t want to hear his message. When John told them about the Greater One who was already in the crowd standing among the people, they weren’t impressed. As far as they were concerned, no one in the crowd looked especially Messianic.
The problem is that the men in the delegations had preconceived notions about the coming Messiah and His messenger. John didn’t match up. He was not what they expected. They expected the Messiah to reveal Himself in worldly glory and power. They expected the Messiah’s messenger to be a splendid reflection of that glory and power. This shaggy haired, eccentric did not fit their preconceived notion of the prophet of the Messiah.
Their preconceived notions blinded them to the blessings that God wanted to give them through His servant John the Baptizer. John the Evangelist, his brother James and all the other disciples of the Baptizer would soon meet the Christ, but the men in these delegations would miss out. They passed up the opportunity of a lifetime because the Baptizer didn’t meet their expectations.
Nothing has changed in two thousand years. We still let our expectations block our relationship with God. We expect our religion to teach us how to get along with others even though thousands of years of human history show us that it can’t be done. We expect our religion to teach us how to lead an honorable life even though we have inherited the curse of sin from our parents as we grew in our mother’s womb. We expect our religion to make us happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise. In short, we expect our religion to teach us how to live happy and prosperous lives here on this earth and how to earn our way into heaven when we leave this world. Never mind that the Bible clearly teaches us that this is impossible.
The salvation God gives us is unexpected. The true God is the Almighty Lord of this and every other universe. Who would expect such a high and exalted God to pay the price of salvation for such lowly people? Who would expect Him to give it to us for free? Who would expect God to leave His high throne of glory to take on human nature and live under the authority of the law? Who would expect a savior to hide His divinity in the womb of a virgin? Who would expect a savior that was so poor that even in His death He laid in a borrowed tomb? Who would expect salvation to come out of the blood and bone and sweat and pain of a grisly execution on a cross? Who would expect the dead author of this salvation to rise from the dead or ascend into heaven? Nevertheless, this is the salvation provided by the Great One who followed John the Baptist.
The Great One who followed John the Baptist earned salvation for us when He sacrificed Himself on the cross. This is not the salvation that we would expect. Nevertheless, it is the truth.
The salvation of our God is so unexpected that one of the Gospel accounts … the Gospel according to Mark … keeps it a big secret. It is not until the one who followed John hangs dead on a cross that a Gentile Roman Centurion becomes the first human to properly identify the one whose sandals John is not worthy to untie. [Mark 15:39] When the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” So it is that we learn that the Jesus who died on the cross for our sin and rose from the dead is the Son of God … the GREAT I AM … the one whose sandals John was not worthy to untie. It is He who is our salvation. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday in Advent (B) - 17 December 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You sent John the Baptist to proclaim the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Grant that we who prepare to celebrate the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ may die to sin and rise to new life, that we may treasure up and ponder in our hearts the Christ announced by Your forerunner. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
You sent John to proclaim the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Richly and daily forgive our sins and the sins of all believers. Bless Matthew, our district president, =our circuit visitor, and all pastors in Christ. Gather and preserve Your Holy Christian Church by Your voice, and send us faithful preachers who will not deny but confess Your truth. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, be the source of strength and comfort in every home. Bless the children of our families, that every darkness would be lightened by Your Son’s gracious visitation. Preserve them from dangers to body and soul, guide them by Your Word in wise paths, and keep them firm in the faith until life’s end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Righteous Lord, You rule over all things in heaven and on earth. Until that day when Your Son comes in glory to usher in His kingdom, give wisdom and insight to all leaders, that we may live peaceable lives. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Creator of all, many in our midst have been afflicted with pain, sickness, trials and difficulties. Be merciful to those who are close to us, [especially _____________,] that they may be granted health or strength to endure their afflictions. Help us all to see that when Christ returns in glory, our bodies will be incorruptible and immortal when He makes all things new. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Church eagerly awaits the return of her Bridegroom. Grant that we would not grow weary. Strengthen us through Your Word and Sacraments, that we would ever hold fast Your promise of salvation won for us by Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, heavenly Father, we gratefully remember the sufferings and death of Your dear Son, Jesus Christ, for our salvation. Rejoicing in His victorious resurrection from the dead, we draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. Gather us together from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honor and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen
Kyrie [spoken]
CLord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
PIn the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
CAmen.
PBeloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
POur help is in the name of the Lord,
Cwho made heaven and earth.
PI said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
Cand You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
PO almighty God, merciful Father,
CI, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
PUpon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
CAmen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
COur Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
357 “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
1O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear. Refrain
refRejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
2O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who ord’rest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
3O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
4O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
Free them from Satan’s tyranny
That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
And give them vict’ry o’er the grave. Refrain
5O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery. Refrain
6O come, Thou Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight. Refrain
7O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace. Refrain
Text: Latin, c. 12th cent.; Psalteriolum Cantionum Catholicarum, 1710, Köln; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
563 “Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness”
1Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.
2Bold shall I stand in that great day,
Cleansed and redeemed, no debt to pay;
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
3Lord, I believe Thy precious blood,
Which at the mercy seat of God
Pleads for the captives’ liberty,
Was also shed in love for me.
4Lord, I believe, were sinners more
Than sands upon the ocean shore,
Thou hast for all a ransom paid,
For all a full atonement made.
5When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
This then shall be my only plea:
Jesus hath lived and died for me.
6Jesus, be endless praise to Thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me,
For me, and all Thy hands have made,
An everlasting ransom paid.
Text: Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, 1700–60; tr. John B. Wesley, 1703–91, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
LO Lord, hear my prayer.
CAnd let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Lord Jesus Christ, we implore You to hear our prayers and to lighten the darkness of our hearts by Your gracious visitation; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Collect for Grace
LO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
CAmen.
Benedicamus
LLet us bless the Lord.
CThanks be to God.
Benediction
PThe grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
CAmen.
Closing Hymn: 346 “When All the World Was Cursed”
1When all the world was cursed
By Moses’ condemnation,
Saint John the Baptist came
With words of consolation.
With true forerunner’s zeal
The greater One he named,
And Him, as yet unknown,
As Savior he proclaimed.
2Before he yet was born,
He leaped in joyful meeting,
Confessing Him as Lord
Whose mother he was greeting.
By Jordan’s rolling stream,
A new Elijah bold,
He testified of Him
Of whom the prophets told:
3Behold the Lamb of God
That bears the world’s transgression,
Whose sacrifice removes
The devil’s dread oppression.
Behold the Lamb of God,
Who takes away our sin,
Who for our peace and joy
Will full atonement win.
4O grant, dear Lord of love,
That we receive, rejoicing,
The word proclaimed by John,
Our true repentance voicing,
That gladly we may walk
Upon our Savior’s way
Until we live with Him
In His eternal day.
Text: Johann Gottfried Olearius, 1635–1711; tr. Paul E. Kretzmann, 1883–1965, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Advent – December 10, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+T-O-D-A-Y, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
+This Wednesday, December 13th, there will be a midweek service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the two remaining midweek service meals (12/13 and 12/20) are on the church bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
+On Thursday, December 14th, there is a Men’s Bible Study at 9 a.m.
+On Sunday, December 24th, we will have our fourth Sunday Advent service at 9 a.m., followed by Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study. At 5 p.m., we will have our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
+On Monday, December 25th, we will have Christmas Day Worship at 10:30 a.m. This service will include the celebration of Holy Communion. “O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
+On Friday, December 29th, at 7 p.m., there will be a Holiday Brass concert at Holy Cross Lutheran in Rocklin. See the flyer on the board.
The Second Sunday in Advent
December 10, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 352 “Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord”
1 Let the earth now praise the Lord,
Who has truly kept His word
And at last to us did send
Christ, the sinner’s help and friend.
2 What the fathers most desired,
What the prophets’ heart inspired,
What they longed for many_a year,
Stands fulfilled in glory here.
3 Abram’s promised great reward,
Zion’s helper, Jacob’s Lord--
Him of twofold race behold--
Truly came, as long foretold.
4 As Your coming was in peace,
Quiet, full of gentleness,
Let the same mind dwell in me
Which is Yours eternally.
5 Bruise for me the serpent’s head
That, set free from doubt and dread,
I may cling to You in faith,
Safely kept through life and death.
6 Then when You will come again
As the glorious king to reign,
I with joy will see Your face,
Freely ransomed by Your grace.
Text: Heinrich Held, 1620–59; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 80:1, 8a, 9b, 7,3
P Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. You brought a vine out of Egypt; it took deep root and filled the land.
Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:1–11
1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
9Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung] Psalm 85
1Lord, you were favorable | to your land;*
you restored the fortunes of | Jacob.
2You forgave the iniquity of your | people;*
you covered | all their sin.
3You withdrew | all your wrath;*
you turned from your hot | anger.
4Restore us again, O God of our sal- | vation,*
and put away your indignation | toward us!
5Will you be angry with us for- | ever?*
Will you prolong your anger to all gener- | ations?
6Will you not revive | us again,*
that your people may re- | joice in you?
7Show us your steadfast love, | O Lord,*
and grant us your sal- | vation.
8Let me hear what God the | Lord will speak,*
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to | folly.
9Surely his salvation is near to those who | fear him,*
that glory may dwell | in our land.
10Steadfast love and faith- | fulness meet;*
righteousness and peace kiss each | other.
11Faithfulness springs up | from the ground,*
and righteousness looks down | from the sky.
12Yes, the Lord will give | what is good,*
and our land will yield its | increase.
13Righteousness will go be- | fore him*
and make his foot- | steps a way.
Epistle 2 Peter 3:8–14
8But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 1:1–8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 344 “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry”
1 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings!
2 Then cleansed be ev’ry life from sin;
Make straight the way for God within,
And let us all our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.
3 We hail Thee as our Savior, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Without Thy grace we waste away
Like flow’rs that wither and decay.
4 Lay on the sick Thy healing hand
And make the fallen strong to stand;
Show us the glory of Thy face
Till beauty springs in ev’ry place.
D 5 All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Whose advent sets Thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Charles Coffin, 1676–1749; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Believe in the Lord Jesus” Mark 1:1-8
Believe in the Lord Jesus – Mark 1:1-8
Three days ago was the anniversary of a great tragedy in the history of the United States … the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Ordinarily, working such a day into a sermon is sort of awkward, but not today.
You see, the United States military had been experimenting with a new technology called Radio Detection And Ranging or RADAR for short. The military had just finished installing a RADAR station near Pearl Harbor. The equipment was up and running and the army was in the process of running drills and training with the new technology. When the Japanese planes showed up on the equipment, the RADAR operators notified the Fighter Control Center. The only officer in the center at the time was an army lieutenant who had not been fully trained. He interpreted the data as a flight of replacement aircraft from the mainland. He told the RADAR operators to forget about it.
The RADAR equipment properly tracked the Japanese aircraft as they attacked Pearl Harbor and then tracked them back to their carriers. The problem was that no procedures were in place to properly use the RADAR information. It is very likely that the attack on Pearl Harbor would have turned out a lot differently if the attack would have taken place only a few weeks later after the RADAR had gone on line and all the training had been complete. One wonders what the outcome would have been had someone known what to do with the warning provided by the RADAR.
There is a warning in the Gospel we recently read. John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John followed in the footsteps of the prophets before him and proclaimed repentance and forgiveness. He was proclaiming this message with the Word of God and with the waters of baptism. The importance of baptism in his ministry earned him the name John the Baptist.
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Just like all of God’s prophets, he warned people of sin and proclaimed the coming of Messiah to save us from our sin. Unlike his predecessors, he proclaimed Messiah after Messiah was born. Unlike the earlier prophets, Messiah actually came in the flesh to hear John’s proclamation.
John’s proclamation of repentance began with the proclamation of sin. In fact, all of God’s prophets proclaimed sin. Faithful pastors also proclaim sin. Why is this proclamation of sin so necessary? After all, people don’t like to hear about sin and they sure don’t like to hear about the punishment of sin – temporal death here on earth and eternal death in the suffering of hell. That is not a popular message, nor is it politically correct.
We really wouldn’t have to talk about sin if people were honest about the state of the world around us. We have always had the resources to adequately feed and clothe every person on the planet. Nevertheless, children still go naked and starve to death. It takes a lot of energy, resources, and wealth to go to war. It is a lot easier to be at peace. Nevertheless, the world has never really had peace. A lot of people think that the Golden Rule is natural … that if we are nice to others, then they will be nice to us. Yet history seems to teach that if you are nice to others, then they will take advantage of you. God has given us all the resources we need to make heaven on earth, but earth remains a valley of sorrows. If mankind were basically good, we would have used the gifts of God to solve humanity’s problems long ago. The fact that we still have problems is solid, experimental evidence that humanity is not good.
The fact is that humanity’s greatest earthly enemy is humanity itself. Dictators, government bureaucracies, criminal elements, and others work to suppress their fellow man. None of us is immune from the desire to exploit others for our own purposes. We have met the enemy and he is us.
There are plenty of verses in the Bible that tell us that we are natural born sinners, but we don’t really need the Bible to tell us this. Experience is enough. We don’t need to teach our children to lie, to hate, to covet, to worship the self. The sins are all very natural. Instead, we need to teach children to share, to serve, to love, and so forth. Virtues are very unnatural. Even without the Bible, it is easy to see that there is something very wrong with people. If there weren’t we would have solved the problems of society long ago.
Not only is humanity not honest about sin in general, but each of us is in denial concerning our own personal sin. We tell ourselves that although the world is really messed up, I am not so bad. When things go bad around us, we reply, “It’s not my fault!” Even though the sin clearly belongs to us, we point at others and blame them. We follow in the footsteps of Adam who blamed God for creating a defective woman.
John the Baptist comes along and points his bony finger in your face. His message is that you are a sinner. You are the one who is guilty. You need to repent. Stop blaming everyone else for your problems. If you try to hide your sin, its infection will only spread. Eventually, it will kill you … not just here on this earth, but forever in eternity. You deny your own sin at your peril.
Like John, all the faithful prophets of old and all faithful pastors warn us of sin, but this is no good for us if we reject the warning. Just as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was devastating partly because an untrained army lieutenant didn’t know what to do with the warning he received, so the warning that we heard from John in today’s Gospel does us no good if we reject it.
If you could ask a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he would tell you that he would have given anything to receive the warning that the Japanese military was on the way. Such a warning had the potential to save thousands of lives.
In a similar way, the hearer should be grateful for pastors who warn of sin. Sadly, that is not the case. So often the warning makes hearers angry instead. Pastors often hear complaints such as, “How dare you tell me that I am a sinner! How dare you tell me that I deserve eternal punishment forever in hell!”
Yet faithful pastors simply want to do what the RADAR operators wanted to do for Pearl Harbor – warn of the attack of the enemy. They simply want the Holy Spirit to take their hearers toward the solution to the problem. They simply want the Holy Spirit to make their hearers aware that that their primary problem is their own sin … that all their other problems find their root in that sin.
John the Baptist calls on you to trust the Messiah and repent! Get your sins out in the open. Confess them to almighty God. Rely on His mercy. Look to the forgiveness of sins you received through baptism. If you have not yet received baptism, then be baptized for the forgiveness of sins!
John was the fore runner of Jesus Christ. He prepared the way. He pointed to the one who would follow him. “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” John exhorted his followers to believe in the Messiah who was to come.
This mighty savior is no one other than Jesus Christ. He is the one whom the prophets proclaimed and He is the one in whom they believed. This mighty savior is the solution to our problem of sin. He is the one who earned forgiveness for our sins and offers that forgiveness to us for free. He is the one who makes us holy in God’s sight.
How did He do this? As mighty as Jesus is, He demonstrated His might in weakness. Even though we are not worthy to touch His feet, He allowed mere men to nail Him to a cross. It was from the apparent weakness of that cross that Jesus demonstrated His greatest might. In the apparent defeat of death, Christ conquered death. He became the solution for sin by taking our sin onto Himself and paying the price for it. It is only through Him that we receive the forgiveness of sins.
Suppose the RADAR warning would have been successful on that December 7 … 82 years ago. Suppose the innocent could have found shelter. Suppose the military could have mounted a defense. Many of the people who died in that attack would have lived instead.
Now suppose there was a person who thought the attack was a hoax. Suppose that person refused to take shelter. Suppose that person died. That person would be dead because of his own foolishness. He would be dead because he rejected the warning of attack and the opportunity of shelter.
Just as the Holy Spirit makes us aware of our sin, He also makes us aware of the savior and creates faith in us so that we can receive His salvation. Some people reject the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. They reject His warning and they reject the salvation of Jesus Christ. These people are like someone who rejects the warning of the battle and the opportunity for shelter. They are responsible for their own destruction.
Do not be so foolish. Listen to John’s warning and repent of your sin. Listen to John’s offer of salvation and believe in the one who is coming – the one whose sandal strap John is not worthy to loosen. [Acts 16:31] “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Advent (B) - 10 December 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Restore us, O God; let Your face shine, that we may be saved! As You led Joseph like a flock, so now by Your Son lead us into straight paths. Bring us out of the bondage of our sins, and plant us securely in Your eternal promises. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, You sent John the Baptist to herald the coming Messiah and proclaim a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In these latter days, You send pastors to proclaim the same repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and through them lead Your people to trust in Your salvation. Look with kindness upon all pastors, that they may be diligent and faithful heralds of Your beloved Son. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all comfort, Your Word alone endures forever. The nations of the world come and go before You, even kings and rulers are like grass before Your breath. Preserve us from placing our trust in princes and mortal men. Give us rulers who will rule after Your good pleasure, keeping order and protecting life, that we may live peaceably in godly quietness and honesty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, to our prayers [especially for _____________]. Give healing, courage and perseverance to all who cry to You, that they may find comfort in Your enduring Word and the certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we know that You are not slow in keeping Your promises. We thank You for Your patience. Do not take Your Spirit from us when we stray from Your commandments, but convict us of our sin and draw us back to You in repentance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You invite us again to Your table to receive the medicine of immortality in the body and blood of Christ, Your Son. May we receive this Sacrament rightly, that with faith strengthened and sins forgiven our lives may be lived in holiness and godliness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, as we in the Church on earth wait for the coming of Your Son, we remember all the saints who have gone before us and now rest in Your presence. Keep us safe in Your arms until You gather Your people together in the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
515 “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”
1 Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.
2 The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go forth as He approaches
With alleluias clear.
The marriage feast is waiting;
The gates wide open stand.
Arise, O heirs of glory;
The Bridegroom is at hand.
3 The saints, who here in patience
Their cross and suff’rings bore,
Shall live and reign forever
When sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb they shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Their diadems of gold.
4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption
That sets Your people free!
Text: Laurentius Laurenti, 1660–1722; tr. Sarah B. Findlater, 1823–1907, alt.
Text: Public domain
343 “Prepare the Royal Highway”
1 Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev’ry hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the King of Glory
Foretold in sacred story: Refrain
ref Hosanna to the Lord,
For He fulfills God’s Word!
2 God’s people, see Him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strew before Him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you! Refrain
3 Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet ev’ry nation
Its tribute too should bring.
All lands, bow down before Him!
All nations, now adore Him! Refrain
4 His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding: Refrain
Text: Frans Mikael Franzén, 1772–1847; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 349 “Hark the Glad Sound”
1 Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne
And ev’ry voice a song.
2 He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
3 He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace
To enrich the humble poor.
4 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With Thy belovèd name.
Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702–51
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday in Advent – December 10, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+T-O-D-A-Y, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
+This Wednesday, December 13th, there will be a midweek service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the two remaining midweek service meals (12/13 and 12/20) are on the church bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
+On Thursday, December 14th, there is a Men’s Bible Study at 9 a.m.
+On Sunday, December 24th, we will have our fourth Sunday Advent service at 9 a.m., followed by Adult Bible Class and a Children’s study. At 5 p.m., we will have our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.
+On Monday, December 25th, we will have Christmas Day Worship at 10:30 a.m. This service will include the celebration of Holy Communion. “O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”
+On Friday, December 29th, at 7 p.m., there will be a Holiday Brass concert at Holy Cross Lutheran in Rocklin. See the flyer on the board.
The Second Sunday in Advent
December 10, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 352 “Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord”
1 Let the earth now praise the Lord,
Who has truly kept His word
And at last to us did send
Christ, the sinner’s help and friend.
2 What the fathers most desired,
What the prophets’ heart inspired,
What they longed for many_a year,
Stands fulfilled in glory here.
3 Abram’s promised great reward,
Zion’s helper, Jacob’s Lord--
Him of twofold race behold--
Truly came, as long foretold.
4 As Your coming was in peace,
Quiet, full of gentleness,
Let the same mind dwell in me
Which is Yours eternally.
5 Bruise for me the serpent’s head
That, set free from doubt and dread,
I may cling to You in faith,
Safely kept through life and death.
6 Then when You will come again
As the glorious king to reign,
I with joy will see Your face,
Freely ransomed by Your grace.
Text: Heinrich Held, 1620–59; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 80:1, 8a, 9b, 7,3
P Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. You brought a vine out of Egypt; it took deep root and filled the land.
Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
Kyrie
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 40:1–11
1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6A voice says, “Cry!”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
All flesh is grass,
and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
7The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass.
8The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.
9Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
10Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
11He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms;
he will carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead those that are with young.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung] Psalm 85
1Lord, you were favorable | to your land;*
you restored the fortunes of | Jacob.
2You forgave the iniquity of your | people;*
you covered | all their sin.
3You withdrew | all your wrath;*
you turned from your hot | anger.
4Restore us again, O God of our sal- | vation,*
and put away your indignation | toward us!
5Will you be angry with us for- | ever?*
Will you prolong your anger to all gener- | ations?
6Will you not revive | us again,*
that your people may re- | joice in you?
7Show us your steadfast love, | O Lord,*
and grant us your sal- | vation.
8Let me hear what God the | Lord will speak,*
for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints;
but let them not turn back to | folly.
9Surely his salvation is near to those who | fear him,*
that glory may dwell | in our land.
10Steadfast love and faith- | fulness meet;*
righteousness and peace kiss each | other.
11Faithfulness springs up | from the ground,*
and righteousness looks down | from the sky.
12Yes, the Lord will give | what is good,*
and our land will yield its | increase.
13Righteousness will go be- | fore him*
and make his foot- | steps a way.
Epistle 2 Peter 3:8–14
8But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
14Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Mark 1:1–8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the first chapter.
1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’”
4John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 344 “On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry”
1 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings!
2 Then cleansed be ev’ry life from sin;
Make straight the way for God within,
And let us all our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.
3 We hail Thee as our Savior, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Without Thy grace we waste away
Like flow’rs that wither and decay.
4 Lay on the sick Thy healing hand
And make the fallen strong to stand;
Show us the glory of Thy face
Till beauty springs in ev’ry place.
D 5 All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Whose advent sets Thy people free,
Whom with the Father we adore
And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text: Charles Coffin, 1676–1749; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Believe in the Lord Jesus” Mark 1:1-8
Believe in the Lord Jesus – Mark 1:1-8
Three days ago was the anniversary of a great tragedy in the history of the United States … the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Ordinarily, working such a day into a sermon is sort of awkward, but not today.
You see, the United States military had been experimenting with a new technology called Radio Detection And Ranging or RADAR for short. The military had just finished installing a RADAR station near Pearl Harbor. The equipment was up and running and the army was in the process of running drills and training with the new technology. When the Japanese planes showed up on the equipment, the RADAR operators notified the Fighter Control Center. The only officer in the center at the time was an army lieutenant who had not been fully trained. He interpreted the data as a flight of replacement aircraft from the mainland. He told the RADAR operators to forget about it.
The RADAR equipment properly tracked the Japanese aircraft as they attacked Pearl Harbor and then tracked them back to their carriers. The problem was that no procedures were in place to properly use the RADAR information. It is very likely that the attack on Pearl Harbor would have turned out a lot differently if the attack would have taken place only a few weeks later after the RADAR had gone on line and all the training had been complete. One wonders what the outcome would have been had someone known what to do with the warning provided by the RADAR.
There is a warning in the Gospel we recently read. John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John followed in the footsteps of the prophets before him and proclaimed repentance and forgiveness. He was proclaiming this message with the Word of God and with the waters of baptism. The importance of baptism in his ministry earned him the name John the Baptist.
John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Just like all of God’s prophets, he warned people of sin and proclaimed the coming of Messiah to save us from our sin. Unlike his predecessors, he proclaimed Messiah after Messiah was born. Unlike the earlier prophets, Messiah actually came in the flesh to hear John’s proclamation.
John’s proclamation of repentance began with the proclamation of sin. In fact, all of God’s prophets proclaimed sin. Faithful pastors also proclaim sin. Why is this proclamation of sin so necessary? After all, people don’t like to hear about sin and they sure don’t like to hear about the punishment of sin – temporal death here on earth and eternal death in the suffering of hell. That is not a popular message, nor is it politically correct.
We really wouldn’t have to talk about sin if people were honest about the state of the world around us. We have always had the resources to adequately feed and clothe every person on the planet. Nevertheless, children still go naked and starve to death. It takes a lot of energy, resources, and wealth to go to war. It is a lot easier to be at peace. Nevertheless, the world has never really had peace. A lot of people think that the Golden Rule is natural … that if we are nice to others, then they will be nice to us. Yet history seems to teach that if you are nice to others, then they will take advantage of you. God has given us all the resources we need to make heaven on earth, but earth remains a valley of sorrows. If mankind were basically good, we would have used the gifts of God to solve humanity’s problems long ago. The fact that we still have problems is solid, experimental evidence that humanity is not good.
The fact is that humanity’s greatest earthly enemy is humanity itself. Dictators, government bureaucracies, criminal elements, and others work to suppress their fellow man. None of us is immune from the desire to exploit others for our own purposes. We have met the enemy and he is us.
There are plenty of verses in the Bible that tell us that we are natural born sinners, but we don’t really need the Bible to tell us this. Experience is enough. We don’t need to teach our children to lie, to hate, to covet, to worship the self. The sins are all very natural. Instead, we need to teach children to share, to serve, to love, and so forth. Virtues are very unnatural. Even without the Bible, it is easy to see that there is something very wrong with people. If there weren’t we would have solved the problems of society long ago.
Not only is humanity not honest about sin in general, but each of us is in denial concerning our own personal sin. We tell ourselves that although the world is really messed up, I am not so bad. When things go bad around us, we reply, “It’s not my fault!” Even though the sin clearly belongs to us, we point at others and blame them. We follow in the footsteps of Adam who blamed God for creating a defective woman.
John the Baptist comes along and points his bony finger in your face. His message is that you are a sinner. You are the one who is guilty. You need to repent. Stop blaming everyone else for your problems. If you try to hide your sin, its infection will only spread. Eventually, it will kill you … not just here on this earth, but forever in eternity. You deny your own sin at your peril.
Like John, all the faithful prophets of old and all faithful pastors warn us of sin, but this is no good for us if we reject the warning. Just as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was devastating partly because an untrained army lieutenant didn’t know what to do with the warning he received, so the warning that we heard from John in today’s Gospel does us no good if we reject it.
If you could ask a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he would tell you that he would have given anything to receive the warning that the Japanese military was on the way. Such a warning had the potential to save thousands of lives.
In a similar way, the hearer should be grateful for pastors who warn of sin. Sadly, that is not the case. So often the warning makes hearers angry instead. Pastors often hear complaints such as, “How dare you tell me that I am a sinner! How dare you tell me that I deserve eternal punishment forever in hell!”
Yet faithful pastors simply want to do what the RADAR operators wanted to do for Pearl Harbor – warn of the attack of the enemy. They simply want the Holy Spirit to take their hearers toward the solution to the problem. They simply want the Holy Spirit to make their hearers aware that that their primary problem is their own sin … that all their other problems find their root in that sin.
John the Baptist calls on you to trust the Messiah and repent! Get your sins out in the open. Confess them to almighty God. Rely on His mercy. Look to the forgiveness of sins you received through baptism. If you have not yet received baptism, then be baptized for the forgiveness of sins!
John was the fore runner of Jesus Christ. He prepared the way. He pointed to the one who would follow him. “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” John exhorted his followers to believe in the Messiah who was to come.
This mighty savior is no one other than Jesus Christ. He is the one whom the prophets proclaimed and He is the one in whom they believed. This mighty savior is the solution to our problem of sin. He is the one who earned forgiveness for our sins and offers that forgiveness to us for free. He is the one who makes us holy in God’s sight.
How did He do this? As mighty as Jesus is, He demonstrated His might in weakness. Even though we are not worthy to touch His feet, He allowed mere men to nail Him to a cross. It was from the apparent weakness of that cross that Jesus demonstrated His greatest might. In the apparent defeat of death, Christ conquered death. He became the solution for sin by taking our sin onto Himself and paying the price for it. It is only through Him that we receive the forgiveness of sins.
Suppose the RADAR warning would have been successful on that December 7 … 82 years ago. Suppose the innocent could have found shelter. Suppose the military could have mounted a defense. Many of the people who died in that attack would have lived instead.
Now suppose there was a person who thought the attack was a hoax. Suppose that person refused to take shelter. Suppose that person died. That person would be dead because of his own foolishness. He would be dead because he rejected the warning of attack and the opportunity of shelter.
Just as the Holy Spirit makes us aware of our sin, He also makes us aware of the savior and creates faith in us so that we can receive His salvation. Some people reject the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. They reject His warning and they reject the salvation of Jesus Christ. These people are like someone who rejects the warning of the battle and the opportunity for shelter. They are responsible for their own destruction.
Do not be so foolish. Listen to John’s warning and repent of your sin. Listen to John’s offer of salvation and believe in the one who is coming – the one whose sandal strap John is not worthy to loosen. [Acts 16:31] “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday in Advent (B) - 10 December 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Restore us, O God; let Your face shine, that we may be saved! As You led Joseph like a flock, so now by Your Son lead us into straight paths. Bring us out of the bondage of our sins, and plant us securely in Your eternal promises. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, You sent John the Baptist to herald the coming Messiah and proclaim a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. In these latter days, You send pastors to proclaim the same repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and through them lead Your people to trust in Your salvation. Look with kindness upon all pastors, that they may be diligent and faithful heralds of Your beloved Son. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all comfort, Your Word alone endures forever. The nations of the world come and go before You, even kings and rulers are like grass before Your breath. Preserve us from placing our trust in princes and mortal men. Give us rulers who will rule after Your good pleasure, keeping order and protecting life, that we may live peaceably in godly quietness and honesty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, to our prayers [especially for _____________]. Give healing, courage and perseverance to all who cry to You, that they may find comfort in Your enduring Word and the certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life with Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we know that You are not slow in keeping Your promises. We thank You for Your patience. Do not take Your Spirit from us when we stray from Your commandments, but convict us of our sin and draw us back to You in repentance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You invite us again to Your table to receive the medicine of immortality in the body and blood of Christ, Your Son. May we receive this Sacrament rightly, that with faith strengthened and sins forgiven our lives may be lived in holiness and godliness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, as we in the Church on earth wait for the coming of Your Son, we remember all the saints who have gone before us and now rest in Your presence. Keep us safe in Your arms until You gather Your people together in the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose way John the Baptist prepared, proclaiming Him the promised Messiah, the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and calling sinners to repentance that they might escape from the wrath to be revealed when He comes again in glory. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
515 “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”
1 Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.
2 The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go forth as He approaches
With alleluias clear.
The marriage feast is waiting;
The gates wide open stand.
Arise, O heirs of glory;
The Bridegroom is at hand.
3 The saints, who here in patience
Their cross and suff’rings bore,
Shall live and reign forever
When sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb they shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Their diadems of gold.
4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption
That sets Your people free!
Text: Laurentius Laurenti, 1660–1722; tr. Sarah B. Findlater, 1823–1907, alt.
Text: Public domain
343 “Prepare the Royal Highway”
1 Prepare the royal highway;
The King of kings is near!
Let ev’ry hill and valley
A level road appear!
Then greet the King of Glory
Foretold in sacred story: Refrain
ref Hosanna to the Lord,
For He fulfills God’s Word!
2 God’s people, see Him coming:
Your own eternal king!
Palm branches strew before Him!
Spread garments! Shout and sing!
God’s promise will not fail you!
No more shall doubt assail you! Refrain
3 Then fling the gates wide open
To greet your promised king!
Your king, yet ev’ry nation
Its tribute too should bring.
All lands, bow down before Him!
All nations, now adore Him! Refrain
4 His is no earthly kingdom;
It comes from heav’n above.
His rule is peace and freedom
And justice, truth, and love.
So let your praise be sounding
For kindness so abounding: Refrain
Text: Frans Mikael Franzén, 1772–1847; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 349 “Hark the Glad Sound”
1 Hark the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne
And ev’ry voice a song.
2 He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
3 He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace
To enrich the humble poor.
4 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With Thy belovèd name.
Text: Philip Doddridge, 1702–51
Text: Public domain
+Veni Emmanuel+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Last Sunday of the Church Year – November 26, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+This Wednesday, November 29th, there will be a midweek service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper (not a “traditional” soup supper on 11/29 & 12/20) at 6 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the four midweek service meals (11/29, 12/6, 12/13 and 12/20) are on the church bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
+On Thursday, November 30th, there is a Men’s Bible Study at 9 a.m.
+On Sunday, December 3rd, there will be a voters’ meeting for the purpose of electing officers for 2024 and approving the 2024 budget. This will be followed by a Christmas Dinner. Everything will be provided. See Barb Whitley if you would like to make a monetary contribution or if you have any questions. Thanks.
+On Sunday, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Last Sunday of the Church Year
November 26, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 811 “Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices”
1 Oh, that I had a thousand voices
To praise my God with thousand tongues!
My heart, which in the Lord rejoices,
Would then proclaim in grateful songs
To all, wherever I might be,
What great things God has done for me.
2 O all you pow’rs that He implanted,
Arise, keep silence now no more;
Put forth the strength that God has granted!
Your noblest work is to adore.
O soul and body, join to raise
With heartfelt joy our Maker’s praise.
3 You forest leaves so green and tender
That dance for joy in summer air,
You meadow grasses, bright and slender,
You flow’rs so fragrant and so fair,
You live to show God’s praise alone.
Join me to make His glory known.
4 All creatures that have breath and motion,
That throng the earth, the sea, the sky,
Come, share with me my heart’s devotion,
Help me to sing God’s praises high.
My utmost pow’rs can never quite
Declare the wonders of His might.
5 Creator, humbly I implore You
To listen to my earthly song
Until that day when I adore You,
Together with the angel throng
And learn with choirs of heav’n to sing
Eternal anthems to my King.
Text: Johann Mentzer, 1658–1734; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 2 Peter 3:13 NIV, Psalm 39:4–5a, 7–8, 12
P In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Eternal God, merciful Father, You have appointed Your Son as judge of the living and the dead. Enable us to wait for the day of His return with our eyes fixed on the kingdom prepared for Your own from the foundation of the world; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 34:11–16, 20–24
11“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. . . .
20“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm (sung) Psalm 95:1–7a
1Oh come, let us sing | to the Lord;*
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our sal- | vation!
2Let us come into his presence with thanks- | giving;*
let us make a joyful noise to him with | songs of praise!
3For the Lord is a | great God,*
and a great King a- | bove all gods.
4In his hand are the depths | of the earth;*
the heights of the mountains are his | also.
5The sea is his, for he | made it,*
and his hands formed the | dry land.
6Oh come, let us worship and | bow down;*
let us kneel before the Lord, our | Maker!
7For he | is our God,*
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep | of his hand.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 25:31–46
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-fifth chapter.
31[Jesus said:] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 525 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
1 Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless king
Through all eternity.
2 Crown Him the virgin’s Son,
The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
Which now His brow adorn:
Fruit of the mystic rose,
Yet of that rose the stem,
The root whence mercy ever flows,
The babe of Bethlehem.
3 Crown Him the Lord of love.
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angels in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bend their wond’ring eyes
At mysteries so bright.
4 Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.
5 Crown Him the Lord of heav’n,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
For He is king of all.
Text (sts. 1–3, 5): Matthew Bridges, 1800–94, alt.; (st. 4): Godfrey Thring, 1823–1903
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Recline in the Lord” Matthew 25:31-46
Recline in the Lord – Matthew 25:31-46
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” We pray this so often that we don’t even think about how weird it is to pray in this way. We are asking for the reign of God the Father to come to us and we don’t really give it a lot of thought. How often do you give thanks to God that you can pray for His reign to come among us as a comforting thing and not as a cause of terror?
Consider Adam and Eve’s response when God came to them. [Genesis 3:8–10] They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” Adam and Eve were terrified of God because they had sinned. They feared His judgment. After all, the Psalmist reminds us, [Psalm 5:4] “You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” The coming of God’s kingdom was the last thing they wanted.
When we examine ourselves in light of the Ten Commandments, we learn that we sin daily and deserve punishment here on this earth and forever in hell. It seems as though we should be terrified to pray the words, “Thy Kingdom come.” Why did Jesus teach us to pray in such a way if the coming of the Kingdom of God means the coming of judgment?
God’s actions in the Bible teaches that there is another way that He can come … a way that brings comfort and confidence … a way that removes fear and despair.
God came to Jacob in a dream. He came down a ladder and promised, [Genesis 28:15] “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” He appeared to Moses in the burning bush and said, [Exodus 3:12] “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Later on, Moses comforted the people of Israel with these words, [Deuteronomy 31:8] “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” God spoke words of comfort to His people through the Prophet Ezekiel, [Ezekiel 37:27] “My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
So it seems that the coming of the Kingdom of God can cause two completely different reactions. The first reaction is one of terror. I am a wretched sinner and deserve God’s righteous, eternal wrath. The second reaction is one of comfort, reassurance, and confidence. God is with me. Now I am safe.
We see these two reactions in today’s Gospel. The Gospels for these past few Sundays have been working their way through Jesus’ teaching concerning the Last Day. There was the “Parable of the Five Wise and Five Foolish Virgins.” Then there was the “Parable of the Talents.” Today, we heard about sheep and goats. In each case, there are those who rejoice that the reign of God has come, and there are those who despair at its coming. What is the difference?
Our Lord Jesus Christ has an ability that we do not have. He can look into the human heart. It is as He spoke through His prophet Jeremiah, [Jeremiah 17:10] “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches that it is as easy for Him to judge the heart as it is for a shepherd to tell the difference between a sheep and a goat. In fact, today’s Gospel teaches us that Jesus knows you better than you know yourself.
Jesus will hand out two verdicts on the Last Day. In today’s Gospel, Jesus said that He would place some people to His right and others to His left. Since Jesus already knows the heart, there is no questioning, no testimony, no presenting of evidence. There is only the verdict and the sentence.
The first verdict is for those on His right. The King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Those on the right enter the Judges home with a verdict of … forgiven.
Notice a few things about the judge’s statement:
First of all, note that the blessing flows from the Father. It is not something that these people work up for themselves.
Second of all, note that this is an inheritance. You don’t work for an inheritance. You receive an inheritance because someone put you in the will. You cannot earn an inheritance.
Finally, note that God prepared this outcome before any of us were even born. The kingdom is prepared from the foundation of the world. This tells us that this eternal kingdom was God’s will for these people from the very beginning.
The second verdict is for those on His left. Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Those on the left receive the verdict of guilty. The sentence is eternal fire.
In this instance the source of the curse remains un-named. The cursed condition is simply a characteristic of these people.
Secondly, notice that this condemnation was not prepared for people. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. People end up in eternal fire only because they reject God’s salvation. If they are arrogant enough to judge God and find Him offensive, then the eternal fire is the only alternative. There is no other place to spend eternity.
As the judge welcomes those on His right into eternal bliss, he recalls the work that His salvation has produced in their lives. Now here is the important point of the story. The sheep don’t remember any of it. The list of the works is a total surprise to the sheep. “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” They haven’t got a clue.
On the other hand, those on the left are angry that Jesus gives a similar list of things that they have NOT done. They have kept a careful record of their good works and they know for a fact that Jesus did NOT present Himself for their help at any time. Even as they stand before the judge of all things, they maintain that they have lived a life of good works and high moral character.
The point is that those who inherit the eternal kingdom do not look to their own good works for their salvation. Instead, the Holy Spirit finds dead souls and brings them to life through the proclamation of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit keeps those souls alive through that same proclamation of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The proclamation of our crucified and risen Lord and savior leads the Christian, carries the Christian, and follows the Christian. The Holy Spirit causes us to relax in Christ.
Good works are the result of the salvation that we already have. The Holy Spirit inspired the Prophet Isaiah to write, [Isaiah 64:6] “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” So even our best most righteous deeds are still sinful before God, but Jesus Christ redeemed our deeds with His suffering and death on the cross. It is Christ on the cross who makes our deeds righteous. Those who have had their good deeds sanctified by Jesus, focus on Jesus and not on their works. Therefore, they notice their good works about as much as they notice that their fingernails are growing.
Jesus warned us and said, [Matthew 6:1–2] “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” “They have received their reward.” That is one of the saddest statements in the Sermon on the Mount. They have traded away their eternal joy for the temporary praise of man.
You are pleasing to God, not because of what you do or don’t do. You are pleasing to God because of what Jesus did for you. Jesus lived a life that met God’s perfect standard. He died a death that paid our sin debt in full. He rose from the dead as a sign that our Father in Heaven accepted His work for us. Your salvation has been paid in full. Recline in the Lord.
As you recline in the Lord, you will be among those who can pray, “Thy kingdom come,” and look forward to the day. You can take comfort in the promise of Jesus, [Matthew 28:20b] Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” You can look forward in eager expectation to the day when you hear [Revelation 21:3] a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
While you wait for that day, you will produce good works. These works do you absolutely no good, but they are precious to your neighbor. God will accomplish His will in this world through your works. Confess your sins – even those righteous deeds that are actually polluted garments. Receive the forgiveness of Jesus. Live for your neighbor. Don’t waste time trying to measure your good works. You don’t need them. You are heir to the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Rejoice that God wants to dwell with you. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Last Sunday of the Church Year - 26 November 2023
Lord God, You gather Your people from all nations and bring them into Your one, holy Christian and apostolic flock. Strengthen them by Your grace, that they may gladly feast upon Your riches in Your Means of Grace and declare Your praises to all who will hear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You judge between Your sheep, and You shepherd Your people with Your Holy Word. Encourage Your pastors. Through their faithful service, continue to seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have subjected all things under Your Son, who gladly subjects Himself to You. Bless the homes of Your people, that parents may train and catechize their children with wisdom and love, and that children may gladly submit and honor their father and mother. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of lords, You sustain every rule, authority and power as You see fit, until this world’s powers should pass away. Bless all in civil authority, that they would not provoke Your wrath but maintain order and justice for the peace of Your people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness, while now we contend with a multitude of afflictions under the curse of sin. Remember those in need of help and healing [including _____________]. Preserve them, deliver them from their transgressions and hold not Your peace at their tears. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of grace, as death came by a man, so by Your Son has come the resurrection of the dead. Endow Your people with penitent hearts at Your table, that they would receive in Your risen Son’s body and blood a foretaste of the eternal feast to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of life, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. We give thanks to You for those You have gathered into Your kingdom and who are asleep in Him. Strengthen our conviction that death is defeated as we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have prepared Your kingdom for us from the foundation of the world. Preserve us in faith and love throughout our days, that we may care for Your servants and our neighbors with compassion and joy, looking toward that day when the Son of Man comes in His glory; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
741 “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense”
1 Jesus Christ, my sure defense
And my Savior, now is living!
Knowing this, my confidence
Rests upon the hope here given,
Though the night of death be fraught
Still with many_an anxious thought.
2 Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;
Likewise I to life shall waken.
He will bring me where He is;
Shall my courage then be shaken?
Shall I fear, or could the Head
Rise and leave His members dead?
3 No, too closely I am bound
By my hope to Christ forever;
Faith’s strong hand the Rock has found,
Grasped it, and will leave it never;
Even death now cannot part
From its Lord the trusting heart.
4 I am flesh and must return
To the dust, whence I am taken;
But by faith I now discern
That from death I shall awaken
With my Savior to abide
In His glory, at His side.
5 Glorified, I shall anew
With this flesh then be enshrouded;
In this body I shall view
God, my Lord, with eyes unclouded;
In this flesh I then shall see
Jesus Christ eternally.
6 Then take comfort and rejoice,
For His members Christ will cherish.
Fear not, they will hear His voice;
Dying, they will never perish;
For the very grave is stirred
When the trumpet’s blast is heard.
7 Laugh to scorn the gloomy grave
And at death no longer tremble;
He, the Lord, who came to save
Will at last His own assemble.
They will go their Lord to meet,
Treading death beneath their feet.
8 O, then, draw away your hearts
From all pleasures base and hollow;
Strive to share what He imparts
While you here His footsteps follow.
As you now still wait to rise,
Fix your hearts beyond the skies!
Text: Otto von Schwerin, 1616–79; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
632 “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
1 O Jesus, blessèd Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
2 Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou art!
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; tr. Arthur J. Mason, 1851–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 537 “Beautiful Savior”
1 Beautiful Savior,
King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee,
Truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
2 Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorr’wing spirit sing.
3 Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
4 Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!
Text: Münsterisch Gesangbuch, 1677, Münster; tr. Joseph A. Seiss, 1823–1904
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Last Sunday of the Church Year – November 26, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+This Wednesday, November 29th, there will be a midweek service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper (not a “traditional” soup supper on 11/29 & 12/20) at 6 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the four midweek service meals (11/29, 12/6, 12/13 and 12/20) are on the church bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
+On Thursday, November 30th, there is a Men’s Bible Study at 9 a.m.
+On Sunday, December 3rd, there will be a voters’ meeting for the purpose of electing officers for 2024 and approving the 2024 budget. This will be followed by a Christmas Dinner. Everything will be provided. See Barb Whitley if you would like to make a monetary contribution or if you have any questions. Thanks.
+On Sunday, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Last Sunday of the Church Year
November 26, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 811 “Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices”
1 Oh, that I had a thousand voices
To praise my God with thousand tongues!
My heart, which in the Lord rejoices,
Would then proclaim in grateful songs
To all, wherever I might be,
What great things God has done for me.
2 O all you pow’rs that He implanted,
Arise, keep silence now no more;
Put forth the strength that God has granted!
Your noblest work is to adore.
O soul and body, join to raise
With heartfelt joy our Maker’s praise.
3 You forest leaves so green and tender
That dance for joy in summer air,
You meadow grasses, bright and slender,
You flow’rs so fragrant and so fair,
You live to show God’s praise alone.
Join me to make His glory known.
4 All creatures that have breath and motion,
That throng the earth, the sea, the sky,
Come, share with me my heart’s devotion,
Help me to sing God’s praises high.
My utmost pow’rs can never quite
Declare the wonders of His might.
5 Creator, humbly I implore You
To listen to my earthly song
Until that day when I adore You,
Together with the angel throng
And learn with choirs of heav’n to sing
Eternal anthems to my King.
Text: Johann Mentzer, 1658–1734; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 2 Peter 3:13 NIV, Psalm 39:4–5a, 7–8, 12
P In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Eternal God, merciful Father, You have appointed Your Son as judge of the living and the dead. Enable us to wait for the day of His return with our eyes fixed on the kingdom prepared for Your own from the foundation of the world; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Ezekiel 34:11–16, 20–24
11“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. 12As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. 13And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. And I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the ravines, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel. 15I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. 16I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. . . .
20“Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22I will rescue my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep. 23And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I am the Lord; I have spoken.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm (sung) Psalm 95:1–7a
1Oh come, let us sing | to the Lord;*
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our sal- | vation!
2Let us come into his presence with thanks- | giving;*
let us make a joyful noise to him with | songs of praise!
3For the Lord is a | great God,*
and a great King a- | bove all gods.
4In his hand are the depths | of the earth;*
the heights of the mountains are his | also.
5The sea is his, for he | made it,*
and his hands formed the | dry land.
6Oh come, let us worship and | bow down;*
let us kneel before the Lord, our | Maker!
7For he | is our God,*
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep | of his hand.
Epistle 1 Corinthians 15:20–28
20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 25:31–46
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-fifth chapter.
31[Jesus said:] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 525 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
1 Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless king
Through all eternity.
2 Crown Him the virgin’s Son,
The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
Which now His brow adorn:
Fruit of the mystic rose,
Yet of that rose the stem,
The root whence mercy ever flows,
The babe of Bethlehem.
3 Crown Him the Lord of love.
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angels in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bend their wond’ring eyes
At mysteries so bright.
4 Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.
5 Crown Him the Lord of heav’n,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
For He is king of all.
Text (sts. 1–3, 5): Matthew Bridges, 1800–94, alt.; (st. 4): Godfrey Thring, 1823–1903
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Recline in the Lord” Matthew 25:31-46
Recline in the Lord – Matthew 25:31-46
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come.” We pray this so often that we don’t even think about how weird it is to pray in this way. We are asking for the reign of God the Father to come to us and we don’t really give it a lot of thought. How often do you give thanks to God that you can pray for His reign to come among us as a comforting thing and not as a cause of terror?
Consider Adam and Eve’s response when God came to them. [Genesis 3:8–10] They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” Adam and Eve were terrified of God because they had sinned. They feared His judgment. After all, the Psalmist reminds us, [Psalm 5:4] “You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.” The coming of God’s kingdom was the last thing they wanted.
When we examine ourselves in light of the Ten Commandments, we learn that we sin daily and deserve punishment here on this earth and forever in hell. It seems as though we should be terrified to pray the words, “Thy Kingdom come.” Why did Jesus teach us to pray in such a way if the coming of the Kingdom of God means the coming of judgment?
God’s actions in the Bible teaches that there is another way that He can come … a way that brings comfort and confidence … a way that removes fear and despair.
God came to Jacob in a dream. He came down a ladder and promised, [Genesis 28:15] “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” He appeared to Moses in the burning bush and said, [Exodus 3:12] “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Later on, Moses comforted the people of Israel with these words, [Deuteronomy 31:8] “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” God spoke words of comfort to His people through the Prophet Ezekiel, [Ezekiel 37:27] “My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
So it seems that the coming of the Kingdom of God can cause two completely different reactions. The first reaction is one of terror. I am a wretched sinner and deserve God’s righteous, eternal wrath. The second reaction is one of comfort, reassurance, and confidence. God is with me. Now I am safe.
We see these two reactions in today’s Gospel. The Gospels for these past few Sundays have been working their way through Jesus’ teaching concerning the Last Day. There was the “Parable of the Five Wise and Five Foolish Virgins.” Then there was the “Parable of the Talents.” Today, we heard about sheep and goats. In each case, there are those who rejoice that the reign of God has come, and there are those who despair at its coming. What is the difference?
Our Lord Jesus Christ has an ability that we do not have. He can look into the human heart. It is as He spoke through His prophet Jeremiah, [Jeremiah 17:10] “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” In today’s Gospel Jesus teaches that it is as easy for Him to judge the heart as it is for a shepherd to tell the difference between a sheep and a goat. In fact, today’s Gospel teaches us that Jesus knows you better than you know yourself.
Jesus will hand out two verdicts on the Last Day. In today’s Gospel, Jesus said that He would place some people to His right and others to His left. Since Jesus already knows the heart, there is no questioning, no testimony, no presenting of evidence. There is only the verdict and the sentence.
The first verdict is for those on His right. The King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Those on the right enter the Judges home with a verdict of … forgiven.
Notice a few things about the judge’s statement:
First of all, note that the blessing flows from the Father. It is not something that these people work up for themselves.
Second of all, note that this is an inheritance. You don’t work for an inheritance. You receive an inheritance because someone put you in the will. You cannot earn an inheritance.
Finally, note that God prepared this outcome before any of us were even born. The kingdom is prepared from the foundation of the world. This tells us that this eternal kingdom was God’s will for these people from the very beginning.
The second verdict is for those on His left. Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Those on the left receive the verdict of guilty. The sentence is eternal fire.
In this instance the source of the curse remains un-named. The cursed condition is simply a characteristic of these people.
Secondly, notice that this condemnation was not prepared for people. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. People end up in eternal fire only because they reject God’s salvation. If they are arrogant enough to judge God and find Him offensive, then the eternal fire is the only alternative. There is no other place to spend eternity.
As the judge welcomes those on His right into eternal bliss, he recalls the work that His salvation has produced in their lives. Now here is the important point of the story. The sheep don’t remember any of it. The list of the works is a total surprise to the sheep. “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” They haven’t got a clue.
On the other hand, those on the left are angry that Jesus gives a similar list of things that they have NOT done. They have kept a careful record of their good works and they know for a fact that Jesus did NOT present Himself for their help at any time. Even as they stand before the judge of all things, they maintain that they have lived a life of good works and high moral character.
The point is that those who inherit the eternal kingdom do not look to their own good works for their salvation. Instead, the Holy Spirit finds dead souls and brings them to life through the proclamation of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit keeps those souls alive through that same proclamation of Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. The proclamation of our crucified and risen Lord and savior leads the Christian, carries the Christian, and follows the Christian. The Holy Spirit causes us to relax in Christ.
Good works are the result of the salvation that we already have. The Holy Spirit inspired the Prophet Isaiah to write, [Isaiah 64:6] “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” So even our best most righteous deeds are still sinful before God, but Jesus Christ redeemed our deeds with His suffering and death on the cross. It is Christ on the cross who makes our deeds righteous. Those who have had their good deeds sanctified by Jesus, focus on Jesus and not on their works. Therefore, they notice their good works about as much as they notice that their fingernails are growing.
Jesus warned us and said, [Matthew 6:1–2] “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” “They have received their reward.” That is one of the saddest statements in the Sermon on the Mount. They have traded away their eternal joy for the temporary praise of man.
You are pleasing to God, not because of what you do or don’t do. You are pleasing to God because of what Jesus did for you. Jesus lived a life that met God’s perfect standard. He died a death that paid our sin debt in full. He rose from the dead as a sign that our Father in Heaven accepted His work for us. Your salvation has been paid in full. Recline in the Lord.
As you recline in the Lord, you will be among those who can pray, “Thy kingdom come,” and look forward to the day. You can take comfort in the promise of Jesus, [Matthew 28:20b] Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” You can look forward in eager expectation to the day when you hear [Revelation 21:3] a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
While you wait for that day, you will produce good works. These works do you absolutely no good, but they are precious to your neighbor. God will accomplish His will in this world through your works. Confess your sins – even those righteous deeds that are actually polluted garments. Receive the forgiveness of Jesus. Live for your neighbor. Don’t waste time trying to measure your good works. You don’t need them. You are heir to the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Rejoice that God wants to dwell with you. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Last Sunday of the Church Year - 26 November 2023
Lord God, You gather Your people from all nations and bring them into Your one, holy Christian and apostolic flock. Strengthen them by Your grace, that they may gladly feast upon Your riches in Your Means of Grace and declare Your praises to all who will hear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You judge between Your sheep, and You shepherd Your people with Your Holy Word. Encourage Your pastors. Through their faithful service, continue to seek the lost, bring back the strayed, bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You have subjected all things under Your Son, who gladly subjects Himself to You. Bless the homes of Your people, that parents may train and catechize their children with wisdom and love, and that children may gladly submit and honor their father and mother. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of lords, You sustain every rule, authority and power as You see fit, until this world’s powers should pass away. Bless all in civil authority, that they would not provoke Your wrath but maintain order and justice for the peace of Your people. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness, while now we contend with a multitude of afflictions under the curse of sin. Remember those in need of help and healing [including _____________]. Preserve them, deliver them from their transgressions and hold not Your peace at their tears. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of grace, as death came by a man, so by Your Son has come the resurrection of the dead. Endow Your people with penitent hearts at Your table, that they would receive in Your risen Son’s body and blood a foretaste of the eternal feast to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of life, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. We give thanks to You for those You have gathered into Your kingdom and who are asleep in Him. Strengthen our conviction that death is defeated as we look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have prepared Your kingdom for us from the foundation of the world. Preserve us in faith and love throughout our days, that we may care for Your servants and our neighbors with compassion and joy, looking toward that day when the Son of Man comes in His glory; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, out of love for His fallen creation, humbled Himself by taking on the form of a servant, becoming obedient unto death, even death upon a cross. Risen from the dead, He has freed us from eternal death and given us life everlasting. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
741 “Jesus Christ, My Sure Defense”
1 Jesus Christ, my sure defense
And my Savior, now is living!
Knowing this, my confidence
Rests upon the hope here given,
Though the night of death be fraught
Still with many_an anxious thought.
2 Jesus, my Redeemer, lives;
Likewise I to life shall waken.
He will bring me where He is;
Shall my courage then be shaken?
Shall I fear, or could the Head
Rise and leave His members dead?
3 No, too closely I am bound
By my hope to Christ forever;
Faith’s strong hand the Rock has found,
Grasped it, and will leave it never;
Even death now cannot part
From its Lord the trusting heart.
4 I am flesh and must return
To the dust, whence I am taken;
But by faith I now discern
That from death I shall awaken
With my Savior to abide
In His glory, at His side.
5 Glorified, I shall anew
With this flesh then be enshrouded;
In this body I shall view
God, my Lord, with eyes unclouded;
In this flesh I then shall see
Jesus Christ eternally.
6 Then take comfort and rejoice,
For His members Christ will cherish.
Fear not, they will hear His voice;
Dying, they will never perish;
For the very grave is stirred
When the trumpet’s blast is heard.
7 Laugh to scorn the gloomy grave
And at death no longer tremble;
He, the Lord, who came to save
Will at last His own assemble.
They will go their Lord to meet,
Treading death beneath their feet.
8 O, then, draw away your hearts
From all pleasures base and hollow;
Strive to share what He imparts
While you here His footsteps follow.
As you now still wait to rise,
Fix your hearts beyond the skies!
Text: Otto von Schwerin, 1616–79; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
632 “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”
1 O Jesus, blessèd Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
2 Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou art!
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; tr. Arthur J. Mason, 1851–1928
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 537 “Beautiful Savior”
1 Beautiful Savior,
King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee,
Truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
2 Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorr’wing spirit sing.
3 Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
4 Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!
Text: Münsterisch Gesangbuch, 1677, Münster; tr. Joseph A. Seiss, 1823–1904
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – November 19, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Randy Peeters
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
PASTOR will record a Thanksgiving devotion this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Members are welcome to come and view the recording in person.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+On Wednesday, November 29th, there will be a midweek service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the four midweek services (11/29, 12/6, 12/13 and 12/20) are on the church bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
+On Sunday, December 3rd, there will be a voters’ meeting for the purpose of electing officers for 2024 and approving the 2024 budget. This will be followed by a Christmas Dinner. Everything will be provided. See Barb Whitley if you would like to make a monetary contribution or if you have any questions. Thanks.
+On Sunday, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
come into His presence with singing.
Psalm 100:2
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
November 19, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 804 “O Worship the King”
1 O worship the King,
all-glorious above.
O gratefully sing
His pow’r and His love;
Our shield and defender,
the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor
and girded with praise.
2 O tell of His might,
O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light,
whose canopy space;
His chariots of wrath
the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path
on the wings of the storm.
3 This earth, with its store
of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy pow’r
hath founded of old,
Established it fast
by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast,
like a mantle, the sea.
4 Thy bountiful care
what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air,
it shines in the light,
It streams from the hills,
it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills
in the dew and the rain.
5 Frail children of dust
and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust,
nor find Thee to fail.
Thy mercies, how tender,
how firm to the end,
Our maker, defender,
redeemer, and friend!
6 O measureless Might,
ineffable Love,
While angels delight
to hymn Thee above,
Thy humbler creation,
though feeble their lays,
With true adoration
shall sing to Thy praise.
Text: Robert Grant, 1779–1838, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite (sung)
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Zephaniah 1:7–16
L A reading from Zephaniah, chapter 1.
7Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
8And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice--
“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
9On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s house
with violence and fraud.
10“On that day,” declares the Lord,
“a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the traders are no more;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do ill.’
13Their goods shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.”
14The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the mighty man cries aloud there.
15A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
L A reading from 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5.
1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Matthew 25:14–30
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 25.
14[Jesus said:] “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 508 “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near”
1 The day is surely drawing near
When Jesus, God’s anointed,
In all His power shall appear
As judge whom God appointed.
Then fright shall banish idle mirth,
And flames on flames shall ravage earth
As Scripture long has warned us.
2 The final trumpet then shall sound
And all the earth be shaken,
And all who rest beneath the ground
Shall from their sleep awaken.
But all who live will in that hour,
By God’s almighty, boundless pow’r,
Be changed at His commanding.
3 The books are opened then to all,
A record truly telling
What each has done, both great and small,
When he on earth was dwelling,
And ev’ry heart be clearly seen,
And all be known as they have been
In thoughts and words and actions.
4 Then woe to those who scorned the Lord
And sought but carnal pleasures,
Who here despised His precious Word
And loved their earthly treasures!
With shame and trembling they will stand
And at the judge’s stern command
To Satan be delivered.
5 My Savior paid the debt I owe
And for my sin was smitten;
Within the Book of Life I know
My name has now been written.
I will not doubt, for I am free,
And Satan cannot threaten me;
There is no condemnation!
6 May Christ our intercessor be
And through His blood and merit
Read from His book that we are free
With all who life inherit.
Then we shall see Him face to face,
With all His saints in that blest place
Which He has purchased for us.
7 O Jesus Christ, do not delay,
But hasten our salvation;
We often tremble on our way
In fear and tribulation.
O hear and grant our fervent plea:
Come, mighty judge, and set us free
From death and ev’ry evil.
Text: Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, 1532–99; tr. Philip A. Peter, 1832–1919, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Using God’s Varied Gifts” Matthew 25:14-30
Using God’s Varied Gifts – Matthew 25:14-30
The Gospel readings for last week, today, and next week are all part of the private instruction that Jesus gave to His disciples on the Mount of Olives just a few days before He died on the cross. Last week, we heard the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Next week, we will hear about the sheep and the goats. Today, we hear the parable of the talents. Jesus used each of these readings to help us learn what we need to know about the Last Day … the Day of Judgment … the day when each of us must appear before the Lord and give an account.
Today’s parable tells of a man who left on a long trip and returned at a later time. While he was away, he entrusted his wealth to three servants. When he returned, he called these servants before him to give an account of what they had done with his wealth.
The man in the parable represents Jesus who was about to leave on that long trip. In a few days, He would be hanging from a cross and paying for the sins of all humanity. After He paid for all our sins, He would rise from the dead and then ascend into heaven. The parable in the Gospel illustrates our lives during this time of waiting for Him to return. It also illustrates the judgment that will come to each of us at the end of our time on this earth.
Note that the man entrusts his wealth to servants. He does not entrust his wealth to two servants and a stranger. The fact that he entrusts his wealth to servants indicates that Jesus is talking about people who consider themselves members of a congregation. Even as Judas was still a member of Jesus’ congregation, so also we need to understand that not all who claim membership are really members. As Jesus said, [Matthew 7:21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Just as not all three servants were faithful, Jesus teaches that not all members are faithful.
Now, it would be very easy to get hung up on the amounts: the five, two, and one talent that the man gave to each of his servants. Instead, when we understand that even one talent is a lot of money, we can realize that the man put each of his servants in charge of a fortune … even one talent is worth millions of dollars. The stewardship this man entrusted to his servants was huge.
The first part of this parable illustrates the incredible wealth God gives to us. He has created us and the entire world. The different amounts indicate that God gives a unique set of gifts to each person. He gives these gifts so that each of us can care for himself and for others. Most importantly, He has given Jesus who earned salvation with His suffering and death on the cross. That salvation is not just for a few, but the salvation Jesus earned is for the entire world. It is as Jesus said, [Matthew 5:45b] “[Our Father in Heaven] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” God’s gifts to us are beyond anything we could measure or even imagine and He gives those gifts to all people.
We need to understand that the wealth in the parable is symbolic. There are many ways God’s gifts can be a blessing to us. Just as God gives out different gifts, so also there are different returns when we invest those gifts. On occasion, the Lord may bless with a financial return. Most of the time, the return is more valuable than mere earthly wealth.
As the parable continued, two of the servants put their stewardship to work. They invested and made a return. The third servant dug a hole and buried the entire talent. He hid his master’s money.
Jesus told this parable along with other parables to illustrate the final judgment on the Last Day. On the Last Day, some will stand before the Lord and rejoice like the two faithful servants. They will praise the Lord for the things they were able to do because of the Lord’s gifts. Others will stand in terror. Some of those who stand in terror will have their names on the rolls of the local congregation.
When we entered the world all of us were like the servant who stood before the master in terror. It is as David says, [Psalm 51:5] “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” The Apostle Paul writes, [Ephesians 2:1] “You were dead in the trespasses and sins,” and again, [Romans 8:7] “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
By nature, we, like the unfaithful servant, imagine a master who is not generous, loving, and kind. Our imagination prevents us from seeing the true master who pours out generous salvation and all the other gifts without calculation or measurement. We imagine the master to be “a hard man, reaping where [he] did not sow, and gathering where [he] scattered no seed.” This belief causes fear instead of joy. It paralyzes us so that the gifts of God terrify us and we despise them.
Fortunately, the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. God does NOT desire our terror. Instead, He loves us with the Holy, precious blood of His Son poured out in innocent suffering and death on a cross. Jesus brought into this world a love that was priceless, a love that would not balk at the cost of sin, a love that would suffer death and eternal damnation so that the debt of all humanity would be paid and every sin would be forgiven before God. God offers this love to us with a generosity that Jesus described as [Luke 6:38] good measure, pressed down, shaken together, [and] running over.
When the Holy Spirit creates faith in us, He brings this generous love and forgiveness to us. The terror is gone. Instead, we become like the two faithful servants who rejoiced in the presence of their master. Like the two faithful servants, we will rejoice in the presence of the master as we celebrate the return we will have made with the wealth the master gives to us. We will hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
The terrified servant heard different words, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This parable shows that there are two judgments on the Last Day: the joy of the master and the outer darkness. The other readings for this day also inform us of the terror of the Day of the Lord. The Old Testament reading speaks of wailing, punishment, plundering, waste, bitterness, ruin, devastation, darkness and gloom. The epistle speaks of destruction and the labor pains of childbirth. These readings make it very clear that there will be a very real day of judgment, and that day will terrify many. It will even terrify some who claim membership in a local congregation.
At the same time, there are some who look forward to that day with joy. These are the ones whom God has brought into His household of salvation. By God’s grace they celebrate and confess the gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation that God has given to them.
God’s love for us delights in the different gifts He gives to each of us. He rejoices in the various ways he has created us for service. As Paul writes to the saints in Corinth, [1 Corinthians 12:17] “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?”
Our service to God does not earn us a place in his kingdom. God has freely given us that in Christ. Instead, God gives us a variety of gifts at the same time that He gives us our place in God’s kingdom. Those who rejoice in the coming Day of the Lord will readily use these gifts to confess their faith to their friends and acquaintances. Who knows but that the Holy Spirit may use your confession to bring salvation to another so that they too will one day hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 19 November 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, enter not into judgment with Your servants, for no one living is righteous before You. Have mercy on those haunted by guilt and shame, and faithfully convince them of Your grace and holiness for them in Christ Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Teach us to do Your will, for You are our God. Strengthen pastors to meditate on all You have done and proclaim Your Word in its truth and purity, that Your good Spirit may lead us on level ground, holy and righteous before You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You have made us children of the light and of the day. Bless our homes, especially parents as they teach their children Your ways, that Your people may walk as those armored in faith, love and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, a nation that despises You will be as a sacrifice to others, for it has rejected You as its strength and shield. Grant repentance in our land, that our laws may be just, our transactions honest and our love for others fervent. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give ear to our pleas on behalf of the afflicted [including _____________]. For Your name’s sake, preserve their life and grant them healing according to Your will. In Your righteousness, strengthen their faith through all trials and bring their souls out of trouble. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, You have not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Until the day of His coming in glory, grant that we may welcome Him at the altar, even as we are welcomed to Him, receiving His body and blood for our forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of life, Your Son died for us so that, whether awake or asleep, we might live with Him. Receive our thanks for Your kindness to all who have died in the faith. Comfort those who mourn with the consolation that all who die in Christ live with Him forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of grace, preserve us from the temptation to consider You a hard and unmerciful master. Keep us mindful that You give us every good thing in abundance, most of all a place in Your household; for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
639 “Wide Open Stand the Gates”
1 Wide open stand the gates adorned with pearl,
While round God’s golden throne
The choirs of saints in endless circles curl,
And joyous praise the Son!
They watch Him now descending
To visit waiting earth.
The Lord of Life unending
Brings dying hope new birth!
2 He speaks the Word the bread and wine to bless:
“This is My flesh and blood!”
He bids us eat and drink with thankfulness
This gift of holy food.
All human thought must falter--
Our God stoops low to heal,
Now present on the altar,
For us both host and meal!
3 The cherubim, their faces veiled from light,
While saints in wonder kneel,
Sing praise to Him whose face with glory bright
No earthly masks conceal.
This sacrament God gives us
Binds us in unity,
Joins earth with heav’n beyond us,
Time with eternity!
Text: J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, 1808–72; tr. Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 2002 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
532 “The Head That Once Was Crowned with Thorns”
1 The Head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns
The mighty Victor’s brow.
2 The highest place that heav’n affords
Is His, is His by right,
The King of kings and Lord of lords,
And heav’n’s eternal Light;
3 The Joy of all who dwell above,
The Joy of all below
To whom He manifests His love
And grants His name to know.
4 To them the cross, with all its shame,
With all its grace, is giv’n;
Their name an everlasting name,
Their joy the joy of heav’n.
5 They suffer with their Lord below,
They reign with Him above,
Their profit and their joy to know
The myst’ry of His love.
6 The cross He bore is life and health,
Though shame and death to Him:
His people’s hope, His people’s wealth,
Their everlasting theme.
Text: Thomas Kelly, 1769–1855
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Dispel from us the works of darkness and grant us to live in the light of Your Son, Jesus Christ, that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 784 “Take My Life and Let It Be”
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost – November 19, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Randy Peeters
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
PASTOR will record a Thanksgiving devotion this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Members are welcome to come and view the recording in person.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+On Wednesday, November 29th, there will be a midweek service at 7 p.m., preceded by a soup supper at 6 p.m. Sign-up sheets for the four midweek services (11/29, 12/6, 12/13 and 12/20) are on the church bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
+On Sunday, December 3rd, there will be a voters’ meeting for the purpose of electing officers for 2024 and approving the 2024 budget. This will be followed by a Christmas Dinner. Everything will be provided. See Barb Whitley if you would like to make a monetary contribution or if you have any questions. Thanks.
+On Sunday, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
come into His presence with singing.
Psalm 100:2
The Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
November 19, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 804 “O Worship the King”
1 O worship the King,
all-glorious above.
O gratefully sing
His pow’r and His love;
Our shield and defender,
the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor
and girded with praise.
2 O tell of His might,
O sing of His grace,
Whose robe is the light,
whose canopy space;
His chariots of wrath
the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is His path
on the wings of the storm.
3 This earth, with its store
of wonders untold,
Almighty, Thy pow’r
hath founded of old,
Established it fast
by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast,
like a mantle, the sea.
4 Thy bountiful care
what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air,
it shines in the light,
It streams from the hills,
it descends to the plain,
And sweetly distills
in the dew and the rain.
5 Frail children of dust
and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust,
nor find Thee to fail.
Thy mercies, how tender,
how firm to the end,
Our maker, defender,
redeemer, and friend!
6 O measureless Might,
ineffable Love,
While angels delight
to hymn Thee above,
Thy humbler creation,
though feeble their lays,
With true adoration
shall sing to Thy praise.
Text: Robert Grant, 1779–1838, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite (sung)
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Zephaniah 1:7–16
L A reading from Zephaniah, chapter 1.
7Be silent before the Lord God!
For the day of the Lord is near;
the Lord has prepared a sacrifice
and consecrated his guests.
8And on the day of the Lord’s sacrifice--
“I will punish the officials and the king’s sons
and all who array themselves in foreign attire.
9On that day I will punish
everyone who leaps over the threshold,
and those who fill their master’s house
with violence and fraud.
10“On that day,” declares the Lord,
“a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
a loud crash from the hills.
11Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
For all the traders are no more;
all who weigh out silver are cut off.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the men
who are complacent,
those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do ill.’
13Their goods shall be plundered,
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.”
14The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the mighty man cries aloud there.
15A day of wrath is that day,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11
L A reading from 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5.
1Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Matthew 25:14–30
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 25.
14[Jesus said:] “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ 21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 508 “The Day Is Surely Drawing Near”
1 The day is surely drawing near
When Jesus, God’s anointed,
In all His power shall appear
As judge whom God appointed.
Then fright shall banish idle mirth,
And flames on flames shall ravage earth
As Scripture long has warned us.
2 The final trumpet then shall sound
And all the earth be shaken,
And all who rest beneath the ground
Shall from their sleep awaken.
But all who live will in that hour,
By God’s almighty, boundless pow’r,
Be changed at His commanding.
3 The books are opened then to all,
A record truly telling
What each has done, both great and small,
When he on earth was dwelling,
And ev’ry heart be clearly seen,
And all be known as they have been
In thoughts and words and actions.
4 Then woe to those who scorned the Lord
And sought but carnal pleasures,
Who here despised His precious Word
And loved their earthly treasures!
With shame and trembling they will stand
And at the judge’s stern command
To Satan be delivered.
5 My Savior paid the debt I owe
And for my sin was smitten;
Within the Book of Life I know
My name has now been written.
I will not doubt, for I am free,
And Satan cannot threaten me;
There is no condemnation!
6 May Christ our intercessor be
And through His blood and merit
Read from His book that we are free
With all who life inherit.
Then we shall see Him face to face,
With all His saints in that blest place
Which He has purchased for us.
7 O Jesus Christ, do not delay,
But hasten our salvation;
We often tremble on our way
In fear and tribulation.
O hear and grant our fervent plea:
Come, mighty judge, and set us free
From death and ev’ry evil.
Text: Bartholomäus Ringwaldt, 1532–99; tr. Philip A. Peter, 1832–1919, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Using God’s Varied Gifts” Matthew 25:14-30
Using God’s Varied Gifts – Matthew 25:14-30
The Gospel readings for last week, today, and next week are all part of the private instruction that Jesus gave to His disciples on the Mount of Olives just a few days before He died on the cross. Last week, we heard the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Next week, we will hear about the sheep and the goats. Today, we hear the parable of the talents. Jesus used each of these readings to help us learn what we need to know about the Last Day … the Day of Judgment … the day when each of us must appear before the Lord and give an account.
Today’s parable tells of a man who left on a long trip and returned at a later time. While he was away, he entrusted his wealth to three servants. When he returned, he called these servants before him to give an account of what they had done with his wealth.
The man in the parable represents Jesus who was about to leave on that long trip. In a few days, He would be hanging from a cross and paying for the sins of all humanity. After He paid for all our sins, He would rise from the dead and then ascend into heaven. The parable in the Gospel illustrates our lives during this time of waiting for Him to return. It also illustrates the judgment that will come to each of us at the end of our time on this earth.
Note that the man entrusts his wealth to servants. He does not entrust his wealth to two servants and a stranger. The fact that he entrusts his wealth to servants indicates that Jesus is talking about people who consider themselves members of a congregation. Even as Judas was still a member of Jesus’ congregation, so also we need to understand that not all who claim membership are really members. As Jesus said, [Matthew 7:21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Just as not all three servants were faithful, Jesus teaches that not all members are faithful.
Now, it would be very easy to get hung up on the amounts: the five, two, and one talent that the man gave to each of his servants. Instead, when we understand that even one talent is a lot of money, we can realize that the man put each of his servants in charge of a fortune … even one talent is worth millions of dollars. The stewardship this man entrusted to his servants was huge.
The first part of this parable illustrates the incredible wealth God gives to us. He has created us and the entire world. The different amounts indicate that God gives a unique set of gifts to each person. He gives these gifts so that each of us can care for himself and for others. Most importantly, He has given Jesus who earned salvation with His suffering and death on the cross. That salvation is not just for a few, but the salvation Jesus earned is for the entire world. It is as Jesus said, [Matthew 5:45b] “[Our Father in Heaven] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” God’s gifts to us are beyond anything we could measure or even imagine and He gives those gifts to all people.
We need to understand that the wealth in the parable is symbolic. There are many ways God’s gifts can be a blessing to us. Just as God gives out different gifts, so also there are different returns when we invest those gifts. On occasion, the Lord may bless with a financial return. Most of the time, the return is more valuable than mere earthly wealth.
As the parable continued, two of the servants put their stewardship to work. They invested and made a return. The third servant dug a hole and buried the entire talent. He hid his master’s money.
Jesus told this parable along with other parables to illustrate the final judgment on the Last Day. On the Last Day, some will stand before the Lord and rejoice like the two faithful servants. They will praise the Lord for the things they were able to do because of the Lord’s gifts. Others will stand in terror. Some of those who stand in terror will have their names on the rolls of the local congregation.
When we entered the world all of us were like the servant who stood before the master in terror. It is as David says, [Psalm 51:5] “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” The Apostle Paul writes, [Ephesians 2:1] “You were dead in the trespasses and sins,” and again, [Romans 8:7] “The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.”
By nature, we, like the unfaithful servant, imagine a master who is not generous, loving, and kind. Our imagination prevents us from seeing the true master who pours out generous salvation and all the other gifts without calculation or measurement. We imagine the master to be “a hard man, reaping where [he] did not sow, and gathering where [he] scattered no seed.” This belief causes fear instead of joy. It paralyzes us so that the gifts of God terrify us and we despise them.
Fortunately, the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. God does NOT desire our terror. Instead, He loves us with the Holy, precious blood of His Son poured out in innocent suffering and death on a cross. Jesus brought into this world a love that was priceless, a love that would not balk at the cost of sin, a love that would suffer death and eternal damnation so that the debt of all humanity would be paid and every sin would be forgiven before God. God offers this love to us with a generosity that Jesus described as [Luke 6:38] good measure, pressed down, shaken together, [and] running over.
When the Holy Spirit creates faith in us, He brings this generous love and forgiveness to us. The terror is gone. Instead, we become like the two faithful servants who rejoiced in the presence of their master. Like the two faithful servants, we will rejoice in the presence of the master as we celebrate the return we will have made with the wealth the master gives to us. We will hear those wonderful words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
The terrified servant heard different words, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This parable shows that there are two judgments on the Last Day: the joy of the master and the outer darkness. The other readings for this day also inform us of the terror of the Day of the Lord. The Old Testament reading speaks of wailing, punishment, plundering, waste, bitterness, ruin, devastation, darkness and gloom. The epistle speaks of destruction and the labor pains of childbirth. These readings make it very clear that there will be a very real day of judgment, and that day will terrify many. It will even terrify some who claim membership in a local congregation.
At the same time, there are some who look forward to that day with joy. These are the ones whom God has brought into His household of salvation. By God’s grace they celebrate and confess the gift of forgiveness, life, and salvation that God has given to them.
God’s love for us delights in the different gifts He gives to each of us. He rejoices in the various ways he has created us for service. As Paul writes to the saints in Corinth, [1 Corinthians 12:17] “If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?”
Our service to God does not earn us a place in his kingdom. God has freely given us that in Christ. Instead, God gives us a variety of gifts at the same time that He gives us our place in God’s kingdom. Those who rejoice in the coming Day of the Lord will readily use these gifts to confess their faith to their friends and acquaintances. Who knows but that the Holy Spirit may use your confession to bring salvation to another so that they too will one day hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost - 19 November 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, enter not into judgment with Your servants, for no one living is righteous before You. Have mercy on those haunted by guilt and shame, and faithfully convince them of Your grace and holiness for them in Christ Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Teach us to do Your will, for You are our God. Strengthen pastors to meditate on all You have done and proclaim Your Word in its truth and purity, that Your good Spirit may lead us on level ground, holy and righteous before You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You have made us children of the light and of the day. Bless our homes, especially parents as they teach their children Your ways, that Your people may walk as those armored in faith, love and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, a nation that despises You will be as a sacrifice to others, for it has rejected You as its strength and shield. Grant repentance in our land, that our laws may be just, our transactions honest and our love for others fervent. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, give ear to our pleas on behalf of the afflicted [including _____________]. For Your name’s sake, preserve their life and grant them healing according to Your will. In Your righteousness, strengthen their faith through all trials and bring their souls out of trouble. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, You have not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Until the day of His coming in glory, grant that we may welcome Him at the altar, even as we are welcomed to Him, receiving His body and blood for our forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of life, Your Son died for us so that, whether awake or asleep, we might live with Him. Receive our thanks for Your kindness to all who have died in the faith. Comfort those who mourn with the consolation that all who die in Christ live with Him forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of grace, preserve us from the temptation to consider You a hard and unmerciful master. Keep us mindful that You give us every good thing in abundance, most of all a place in Your household; for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
639 “Wide Open Stand the Gates”
1 Wide open stand the gates adorned with pearl,
While round God’s golden throne
The choirs of saints in endless circles curl,
And joyous praise the Son!
They watch Him now descending
To visit waiting earth.
The Lord of Life unending
Brings dying hope new birth!
2 He speaks the Word the bread and wine to bless:
“This is My flesh and blood!”
He bids us eat and drink with thankfulness
This gift of holy food.
All human thought must falter--
Our God stoops low to heal,
Now present on the altar,
For us both host and meal!
3 The cherubim, their faces veiled from light,
While saints in wonder kneel,
Sing praise to Him whose face with glory bright
No earthly masks conceal.
This sacrament God gives us
Binds us in unity,
Joins earth with heav’n beyond us,
Time with eternity!
Text: J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, 1808–72; tr. Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 2002 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
532 “The Head That Once Was Crowned with Thorns”
1 The Head that once was crowned with thorns
Is crowned with glory now;
A royal diadem adorns
The mighty Victor’s brow.
2 The highest place that heav’n affords
Is His, is His by right,
The King of kings and Lord of lords,
And heav’n’s eternal Light;
3 The Joy of all who dwell above,
The Joy of all below
To whom He manifests His love
And grants His name to know.
4 To them the cross, with all its shame,
With all its grace, is giv’n;
Their name an everlasting name,
Their joy the joy of heav’n.
5 They suffer with their Lord below,
They reign with Him above,
Their profit and their joy to know
The myst’ry of His love.
6 The cross He bore is life and health,
Though shame and death to Him:
His people’s hope, His people’s wealth,
Their everlasting theme.
Text: Thomas Kelly, 1769–1855
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Dispel from us the works of darkness and grant us to live in the light of Your Son, Jesus Christ, that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 784 “Take My Life and Let It Be”
1 Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose,
Ev’ry pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6 Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Text: Frances R. Havergal, 1836–79
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – November 12, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+On Sunday, December 3rd, there will be a voters’ meeting for the purpose of electing officers for 2024 and approving the 2024 budget. This will be followed by a Christmas Potluck.
+On Sunday, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
+Reservations need to be made now for the annual Church Camping Trip which will be October 10th-13th, 2024 at the Coloma Resort. The length of the stay would be from Thursday until Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. This includes a visit to the annual “Gold Discovery Days” re-enactment at Marshall Gold Discovery Site. A sign-up sheet is posted on the church bulletin board. See Randy Peeters for details.
+++
The LORD is my light and my salvation.
Whom shall I fear?
Psalm 27:1
The Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
November 12, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 814 “O Bless the Lord, My Soul”
1 O bless the Lord, my soul!
Let all within me join
And aid my tongue to bless His name
Whose favors are divine.
2 O bless the Lord, my soul,
Nor let His mercies lie
Forgotten in unthankfulness
And without praises die!
3 ’Tis He forgives thy sins;
’Tis He relieves thy pain;
’Tis He that heals thy sicknesses
And makes thee young again.
4 He crowns thy life with love
When ransomed from the grave;
He that redeemed my soul from hell
Hath sov’reign pow’r to save.
5 He fills the poor with good;
He gives the suff’rers rest.
The Lord hath judgments for the proud
And justice for th’oppressed.
6 His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known,
But sent the world His truth and grace
By His belovèd Son.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 84:3, 1, 9–12
P Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts,
blessèd is the one who trusts in you!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Lord God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Amos 5:18–24
18Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
Why would you have the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, and not light,
19as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
20Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
21“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
23Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm (sung) Psalm 70
1Make haste, O God, to de- | liver me!*
O Lord, make haste to | help me!
2Let them be put to shame and confusion
who | seek my life!*
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
who de- | sire my hurt!
3Let them turn back because | of their shame*
who say, “A- | ha, Aha!”
4May all who seek you
rejoice and be | glad in you!*
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, | “God is great!”
5But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, | O God!*
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do | not delay!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 25:1–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-fifth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 516 “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying”
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Called by the Gospel” Matthew 25:1-13
Called by the Gospel – Matthew 25:1-13
Back in October, we joined Jesus as He taught in the temple just a few days before He died on the cross. Two weeks ago, we broke away from the temple as we celebrated the 506th anniversary of Luther posting the 95 Theses. Last week, we observed the Feast of All Saints. Today, we return to the teachings of Jesus on that day.
The teaching we just heard happened later in the day. Jesus finished His debates with the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees. Then He condemned their hypocrisy. Finally, He and His disciples left the temple. As the disciples looked at the temple, they remarked on its majesty and beauty. Jesus used their remarks to warn them about the future destruction of Jerusalem. When they returned to their camp on the Mount of Olives, Jesus continued to teach about the end of Jerusalem, the end of life, and the end of time. The Gospel we heard this morning is one of the parables He used to illustrate the end.
Earlier in the day, when Jesus was still in the temple, He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a royal wedding banquet. In today's Gospel, we heard Him use the more common community wedding celebration as the background for His parable. Since we are talking about peasant farmers, the customs were not as lavish as the royal wedding. Still, there are differences between wedding customs back then and the wedding customs of our culture. I've shared some of these differences with you in the past, but a quick review won't hurt.
Marriages in first century Jewish culture began with two ceremonies. One ceremony began a time called the betrothal. The second came when the groom and the bride began living together as husband and wife.
During the betrothal ceremony, the groom and the bride officially became husband and wife, but they did not begin living together. Instead, they began a time of preparation. The husband built and decorated a home for his bride. The wife gathered together the things she needed to set up housekeeping with her groom. This period of betrothal could last more than a year.
After everything was ready, there would be a second ceremony and a great community celebration as the groom and the bride began to live together as husband and wife. The ceremony began at the groom's home. He would send out a messenger to let the bride know that everything was ready. Then, he would call together his family and friends and form a procession. The procession would then proceed to the bride's home celebrating along the way. If the groom and the bride lived in the same town, this procession would be over quickly. On the other hand, if they lived in different towns, the procession could be quite an adventure.
Travel was not as reliable back then as it is today. There were no planes, trains, or automobiles. While the groom and a few others might ride an animal or use a cart, most of the procession went on foot. They might encounter obstacles on the way. There was no telling when they might arrive at the bride's house. It could be at any time of the day or night.
In the meantime, the messenger would arrive at the bride's home. He would let the family know that the groom was on his way. Soon all the neighbors would help the bride get ready to travel. The anticipation would build. Everything would be ready and waiting.
Ordinarily, the watchmen on the walls would be looking for danger approaching the city, but now they had the joyful duty of watching for the groom. Day and night, they would scan the horizon looking for his procession. Eventually, the shout would go up, "The groom is here!" Then the bride's family and friends would join the procession.
Now the process is reversed. Once the groom arrived and the bride was ready, the entire community would accompany them in grand procession to their new home. There they would celebrate the beginning of this new family for about a week. No one in the community would miss it.
This is the culture into which Jesus told the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins. All ten women were part of the community who wished to celebrate the beginning of a new family. At first, all ten of them were ready for the arrival of the groom. But then, Jesus said that the groom was delayed. As I said earlier, travel was unpredictable, and delays were the rule rather than the exception.
The delay separated the wise from the foolish. The wise were prepared. They had extra oil. The foolish ran out. The wise virgins joined the community in grand procession to the new home and the wedding feast. The foolish were not ready and so they missed out.
Jesus gave many warnings on that day. Earlier in the day, back at the temple, He had warned about the wicked tenants who killed, not only the servants, but even the son of the landowner. He warned of the wedding guest who refused to wear the clothing provided by the king. He warned of an evil son who promised to work in the vineyard, but did not. These parables illustrate the warning. God offered His gift of salvation and the people who should have known better rejected it.
The psalmist says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psalm 111:10) He also says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 53:1) Within the parable, the wise were those who took the simple precaution of extra fuel for their lamps. The fools were those who thought the fuel in their lamp would last long enough.
In real life, the wise are those who fear the Lord. They examine their lives in light of the Ten Commandments and find themselves lacking. The serious nature of their sin terrifies them. They know that they do not have enough in themselves to work their own salvation. They know that their only hope for salvation must come from elsewhere. It must come from God.
The fools believe that they are sufficient to themselves. Salvation lies within. Self-esteem, confidence, positive thinking--these are the things that bring salvation. These are all things that we can produce in ourselves. We need nothing extra. We need nothing outside of ourselves. A little bit of self-improvement, a little bit of elbow-grease, that's all it takes. We can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We can be winners.
Even those who follow false religions still rely on themselves. The Buddhist must walk the eight-fold path and follow the middle way. The Moslem must keep the five pillars. The Baal worshipers of the Old Testament drew their own blood to get the attention of their false god. Even when you believe in a false god, that god gives you things to do to earn salvation. Your salvation still depends on you. You are still acting foolishly.
The wise one believes in the God who “loved the world by giving his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) The wise believes in the God who earns salvation Himself and then gives it freely. The wise one has salvation that does not come from within. Instead, the wise one has salvation that comes from God in the person of Jesus Christ.
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us of reality. “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) At the time of death, the wise one trusts the God who took on humanity and died on the cross. The wise one knows that the God who died also rose from the dead and lives forever. The promise of that God is certain. The wise one is ready.
The fool suddenly becomes wise when death strikes, but by then it is too late. The fool suddenly realizes he has nothing. At death, the fool learns who the true God is, but by then the door is closed. There is no entry to eternal life. The fool is lost forever.
What about you? When you do a good work, does it flow out of confidence in and thankfulness for your salvation? Does it flow out of love for your neighbor? OR does a little part of you think that God is a little more kindly disposed toward you because of your good deeds?
The wise one rests in God. God sends the Holy Spirit to fill us with the Gospel: the Gospel that we hear the wet Gospel of Holy Baptism; the Gospel consumed in the body and blood of Jesus. It is by these Means of Grace that God keeps us ready. It is by the Means of Grace that we are like the wise virgins who had the oil they needed.
The devil, the world, and even our own sinful flesh use us up and empty us out. If we rely on the flame within, we rely on nothing. Instead, the Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel, enlightens us with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps us in the true faith. In this way, He supplies us with all we need for eternal life. We are like those who were ready [and] went in with [the groom] to the marriage feast. (Matthew 25:10) Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost - 12 November 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord, You are our help and deliverer. We bring to You the prayers and petitions of Your people, that You may grant us all things needful and guard us against all things harmful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, preserve Your people from believing that You are pleased with us because of our works or ceremonies. Grant that what we do in worship and prayer may proclaim salvation in Christ Jesus alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You bestow favor and honor and withhold nothing from those who walk uprightly. Bless parents and those who teach children Your ways, that generations to come would love Your promises, walk in Your truth and dwell in Your house. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Righteous God, You despise corruption and command justice. Embolden our rulers and all in authority to enact and defend measures that preserve peace and provide justice for all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, show mercy to those who cry aloud as they await Your Son’s coming in glory [including _____________]. Answer them with strength and healing, comfort and hope. Make them confident in Christ, who will raise His people on the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son will descend from heaven with a cry of command, raise those who have fallen asleep and deliver us to Your kingdom of glory. Until that day, strengthen us by His body and blood and prepare us for His coming in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, grant that we may not grieve as those who have no hope but rejoice and encourage each other in the promise of the resurrection to life everlasting. [Especially strengthen and comfort the families of _____________.] Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, we know neither the day nor the hour of Christ’s return, but we know that He has died and is risen again to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Until that day, preserve us in faith and guard us from temptation. Do not let us be caught unprepared for His coming. Let us live our days in loving service and joyful expectation of the life of the world to come; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord / Words of Institution
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
663 “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray”
1 Rise, my soul, to watch and pray;
From your sleep awaken!
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o’ertaken;
For the foe,
Well we know,
Is a harvest reaping
While the saints are sleeping.
2 Watch against the devil’s snares
Lest asleep he find you;
For indeed no pains he spares
To deceive and blind you.
Satan’s prey
Oft are they
Who secure are sleeping
And no watch are keeping.
3 Watch! Let not the wicked world
With its lies defeat you
Lest with bold deceptions hurled
It betray and cheat you.
Watch and see
Lest there be
Faithless friends to charm you,
Who but seek to harm you.
4 Watch against yourself, my soul,
Lest with grace you trifle;
Let not self your thoughts control
Nor God’s mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
Lurk within,
All your hopes to shatter;
Heed not when they flatter.
5 But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
God protects you day by day,
Strength and faith increasing,
So that still
Mind and will
Shall unite to serve Him
And forever love Him.
Text: Johann Burkhard Freystein, 1671–1718; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
621 “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand
Christ our God to earth descending
Comes our homage to demand.
2 King of kings yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.
3 Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way
As the Light of Light, descending
From the realms of endless day,
Comes the pow’rs of hell to vanquish
As the darkness clears away.
4 At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, Lord Most High!”
Text: Liturgy of St. James, 5th cent.; tr. Gerard Moultrie, 1829–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 515 “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”
1 Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.
2 The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go forth as He approaches
With alleluias clear.
The marriage feast is waiting;
The gates wide open stand.
Arise, O heirs of glory;
The Bridegroom is at hand.
3 The saints, who here in patience
Their cross and suff’rings bore,
Shall live and reign forever
When sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb they shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Their diadems of gold.
4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption
That sets Your people free!
Text: Laurentius Laurenti, 1660–1722; tr. Sarah B. Findlater, 1823–1907, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost – November 12, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL will meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
+On Sunday, December 3rd, there will be a voters’ meeting for the purpose of electing officers for 2024 and approving the 2024 budget. This will be followed by a Christmas Potluck.
+On Sunday, December 10th at 2 p.m., we are privileged to have an encore performance of “Advent: Isaiah Proclamation” featuring Sam Williams and Fred Weber (our frequent organist). This will be a jazzy musical celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Sam and Fred will weave song, tap dance, piano, and storytelling to embody six Advent passages from the book of Isaiah. Come and bring along a friend or two! A free-will offering will be taken for the event.
+Reservations need to be made now for the annual Church Camping Trip which will be October 10th-13th, 2024 at the Coloma Resort. The length of the stay would be from Thursday until Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. This includes a visit to the annual “Gold Discovery Days” re-enactment at Marshall Gold Discovery Site. A sign-up sheet is posted on the church bulletin board. See Randy Peeters for details.
+++
The LORD is my light and my salvation.
Whom shall I fear?
Psalm 27:1
The Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
November 12, 2023
Prelude, Prayer, and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 814 “O Bless the Lord, My Soul”
1 O bless the Lord, my soul!
Let all within me join
And aid my tongue to bless His name
Whose favors are divine.
2 O bless the Lord, my soul,
Nor let His mercies lie
Forgotten in unthankfulness
And without praises die!
3 ’Tis He forgives thy sins;
’Tis He relieves thy pain;
’Tis He that heals thy sicknesses
And makes thee young again.
4 He crowns thy life with love
When ransomed from the grave;
He that redeemed my soul from hell
Hath sov’reign pow’r to save.
5 He fills the poor with good;
He gives the suff’rers rest.
The Lord hath judgments for the proud
And justice for th’oppressed.
6 His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known,
But sent the world His truth and grace
By His belovèd Son.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 84:3, 1, 9–12
P Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your anointed! For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts,
blessèd is the one who trusts in you!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Lord God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Amos 5:18–24
18Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
Why would you have the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, and not light,
19as if a man fled from a lion,
and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
and a serpent bit him.
20Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
21“I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
23Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
24But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm (sung) Psalm 70
1Make haste, O God, to de- | liver me!*
O Lord, make haste to | help me!
2Let them be put to shame and confusion
who | seek my life!*
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
who de- | sire my hurt!
3Let them turn back because | of their shame*
who say, “A- | ha, Aha!”
4May all who seek you
rejoice and be | glad in you!*
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, | “God is great!”
5But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, | O God!*
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do | not delay!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
13But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18Therefore encourage one another with these words.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 25:1–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-fifth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 516 “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying”
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Called by the Gospel” Matthew 25:1-13
Called by the Gospel – Matthew 25:1-13
Back in October, we joined Jesus as He taught in the temple just a few days before He died on the cross. Two weeks ago, we broke away from the temple as we celebrated the 506th anniversary of Luther posting the 95 Theses. Last week, we observed the Feast of All Saints. Today, we return to the teachings of Jesus on that day.
The teaching we just heard happened later in the day. Jesus finished His debates with the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees. Then He condemned their hypocrisy. Finally, He and His disciples left the temple. As the disciples looked at the temple, they remarked on its majesty and beauty. Jesus used their remarks to warn them about the future destruction of Jerusalem. When they returned to their camp on the Mount of Olives, Jesus continued to teach about the end of Jerusalem, the end of life, and the end of time. The Gospel we heard this morning is one of the parables He used to illustrate the end.
Earlier in the day, when Jesus was still in the temple, He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a royal wedding banquet. In today's Gospel, we heard Him use the more common community wedding celebration as the background for His parable. Since we are talking about peasant farmers, the customs were not as lavish as the royal wedding. Still, there are differences between wedding customs back then and the wedding customs of our culture. I've shared some of these differences with you in the past, but a quick review won't hurt.
Marriages in first century Jewish culture began with two ceremonies. One ceremony began a time called the betrothal. The second came when the groom and the bride began living together as husband and wife.
During the betrothal ceremony, the groom and the bride officially became husband and wife, but they did not begin living together. Instead, they began a time of preparation. The husband built and decorated a home for his bride. The wife gathered together the things she needed to set up housekeeping with her groom. This period of betrothal could last more than a year.
After everything was ready, there would be a second ceremony and a great community celebration as the groom and the bride began to live together as husband and wife. The ceremony began at the groom's home. He would send out a messenger to let the bride know that everything was ready. Then, he would call together his family and friends and form a procession. The procession would then proceed to the bride's home celebrating along the way. If the groom and the bride lived in the same town, this procession would be over quickly. On the other hand, if they lived in different towns, the procession could be quite an adventure.
Travel was not as reliable back then as it is today. There were no planes, trains, or automobiles. While the groom and a few others might ride an animal or use a cart, most of the procession went on foot. They might encounter obstacles on the way. There was no telling when they might arrive at the bride's house. It could be at any time of the day or night.
In the meantime, the messenger would arrive at the bride's home. He would let the family know that the groom was on his way. Soon all the neighbors would help the bride get ready to travel. The anticipation would build. Everything would be ready and waiting.
Ordinarily, the watchmen on the walls would be looking for danger approaching the city, but now they had the joyful duty of watching for the groom. Day and night, they would scan the horizon looking for his procession. Eventually, the shout would go up, "The groom is here!" Then the bride's family and friends would join the procession.
Now the process is reversed. Once the groom arrived and the bride was ready, the entire community would accompany them in grand procession to their new home. There they would celebrate the beginning of this new family for about a week. No one in the community would miss it.
This is the culture into which Jesus told the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins. All ten women were part of the community who wished to celebrate the beginning of a new family. At first, all ten of them were ready for the arrival of the groom. But then, Jesus said that the groom was delayed. As I said earlier, travel was unpredictable, and delays were the rule rather than the exception.
The delay separated the wise from the foolish. The wise were prepared. They had extra oil. The foolish ran out. The wise virgins joined the community in grand procession to the new home and the wedding feast. The foolish were not ready and so they missed out.
Jesus gave many warnings on that day. Earlier in the day, back at the temple, He had warned about the wicked tenants who killed, not only the servants, but even the son of the landowner. He warned of the wedding guest who refused to wear the clothing provided by the king. He warned of an evil son who promised to work in the vineyard, but did not. These parables illustrate the warning. God offered His gift of salvation and the people who should have known better rejected it.
The psalmist says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." (Psalm 111:10) He also says, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 53:1) Within the parable, the wise were those who took the simple precaution of extra fuel for their lamps. The fools were those who thought the fuel in their lamp would last long enough.
In real life, the wise are those who fear the Lord. They examine their lives in light of the Ten Commandments and find themselves lacking. The serious nature of their sin terrifies them. They know that they do not have enough in themselves to work their own salvation. They know that their only hope for salvation must come from elsewhere. It must come from God.
The fools believe that they are sufficient to themselves. Salvation lies within. Self-esteem, confidence, positive thinking--these are the things that bring salvation. These are all things that we can produce in ourselves. We need nothing extra. We need nothing outside of ourselves. A little bit of self-improvement, a little bit of elbow-grease, that's all it takes. We can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. We can be winners.
Even those who follow false religions still rely on themselves. The Buddhist must walk the eight-fold path and follow the middle way. The Moslem must keep the five pillars. The Baal worshipers of the Old Testament drew their own blood to get the attention of their false god. Even when you believe in a false god, that god gives you things to do to earn salvation. Your salvation still depends on you. You are still acting foolishly.
The wise one believes in the God who “loved the world by giving his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) The wise believes in the God who earns salvation Himself and then gives it freely. The wise one has salvation that does not come from within. Instead, the wise one has salvation that comes from God in the person of Jesus Christ.
The writer to the Hebrews reminds us of reality. “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) At the time of death, the wise one trusts the God who took on humanity and died on the cross. The wise one knows that the God who died also rose from the dead and lives forever. The promise of that God is certain. The wise one is ready.
The fool suddenly becomes wise when death strikes, but by then it is too late. The fool suddenly realizes he has nothing. At death, the fool learns who the true God is, but by then the door is closed. There is no entry to eternal life. The fool is lost forever.
What about you? When you do a good work, does it flow out of confidence in and thankfulness for your salvation? Does it flow out of love for your neighbor? OR does a little part of you think that God is a little more kindly disposed toward you because of your good deeds?
The wise one rests in God. God sends the Holy Spirit to fill us with the Gospel: the Gospel that we hear the wet Gospel of Holy Baptism; the Gospel consumed in the body and blood of Jesus. It is by these Means of Grace that God keeps us ready. It is by the Means of Grace that we are like the wise virgins who had the oil they needed.
The devil, the world, and even our own sinful flesh use us up and empty us out. If we rely on the flame within, we rely on nothing. Instead, the Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel, enlightens us with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps us in the true faith. In this way, He supplies us with all we need for eternal life. We are like those who were ready [and] went in with [the groom] to the marriage feast. (Matthew 25:10) Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost - 12 November 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord, You are our help and deliverer. We bring to You the prayers and petitions of Your people, that You may grant us all things needful and guard us against all things harmful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, preserve Your people from believing that You are pleased with us because of our works or ceremonies. Grant that what we do in worship and prayer may proclaim salvation in Christ Jesus alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You bestow favor and honor and withhold nothing from those who walk uprightly. Bless parents and those who teach children Your ways, that generations to come would love Your promises, walk in Your truth and dwell in Your house. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Righteous God, You despise corruption and command justice. Embolden our rulers and all in authority to enact and defend measures that preserve peace and provide justice for all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, show mercy to those who cry aloud as they await Your Son’s coming in glory [including _____________]. Answer them with strength and healing, comfort and hope. Make them confident in Christ, who will raise His people on the Last Day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son will descend from heaven with a cry of command, raise those who have fallen asleep and deliver us to Your kingdom of glory. Until that day, strengthen us by His body and blood and prepare us for His coming in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Lord, grant that we may not grieve as those who have no hope but rejoice and encourage each other in the promise of the resurrection to life everlasting. [Especially strengthen and comfort the families of _____________.] Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, we know neither the day nor the hour of Christ’s return, but we know that He has died and is risen again to open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Until that day, preserve us in faith and guard us from temptation. Do not let us be caught unprepared for His coming. Let us live our days in loving service and joyful expectation of the life of the world to come; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord / Words of Institution
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
663 “Rise, My Soul, to Watch and Pray”
1 Rise, my soul, to watch and pray;
From your sleep awaken!
Be not by the evil day
Unawares o’ertaken;
For the foe,
Well we know,
Is a harvest reaping
While the saints are sleeping.
2 Watch against the devil’s snares
Lest asleep he find you;
For indeed no pains he spares
To deceive and blind you.
Satan’s prey
Oft are they
Who secure are sleeping
And no watch are keeping.
3 Watch! Let not the wicked world
With its lies defeat you
Lest with bold deceptions hurled
It betray and cheat you.
Watch and see
Lest there be
Faithless friends to charm you,
Who but seek to harm you.
4 Watch against yourself, my soul,
Lest with grace you trifle;
Let not self your thoughts control
Nor God’s mercy stifle.
Pride and sin
Lurk within,
All your hopes to shatter;
Heed not when they flatter.
5 But while watching, also pray
To the Lord unceasing.
God protects you day by day,
Strength and faith increasing,
So that still
Mind and will
Shall unite to serve Him
And forever love Him.
Text: Johann Burkhard Freystein, 1671–1718; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
621 “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
1 Let all mortal flesh keep silence
And with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly-minded,
For with blessing in His hand
Christ our God to earth descending
Comes our homage to demand.
2 King of kings yet born of Mary,
As of old on earth He stood,
Lord of lords in human vesture,
In the body and the blood,
He will give to all the faithful
His own self for heav’nly food.
3 Rank on rank the host of heaven
Spreads its vanguard on the way
As the Light of Light, descending
From the realms of endless day,
Comes the pow’rs of hell to vanquish
As the darkness clears away.
4 At His feet the six-winged seraph,
Cherubim with sleepless eye,
Veil their faces to the presence
As with ceaseless voice they cry:
“Alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia, Lord Most High!”
Text: Liturgy of St. James, 5th cent.; tr. Gerard Moultrie, 1829–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 515 “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believers”
1 Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising
And soon is drawing nigh.
Up, pray and watch and wrestle;
At midnight comes the cry.
2 The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go forth as He approaches
With alleluias clear.
The marriage feast is waiting;
The gates wide open stand.
Arise, O heirs of glory;
The Bridegroom is at hand.
3 The saints, who here in patience
Their cross and suff’rings bore,
Shall live and reign forever
When sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb they shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Their diadems of gold.
4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, O Sun so longed for,
O’er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth’s redemption
That sets Your people free!
Text: Laurentius Laurenti, 1660–1722; tr. Sarah B. Findlater, 1823–1907, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
All Saints’ Day (Observed) – November 5, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman,
Steve Broach (captain)
WE REMEMBER THOSE SAINTS WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US SINCE OUR LAST ALL SAINTS’ DAY OBSERVANCE:
Karen Taylor (11-19-22) Carol Kletke (11-29-22)
Dick Seiler (3-15-23) Gloria Rusch (5-21-23)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
A THOT TO PONDER:
“The Law gives way to the Gospel. There is another righteousness ‘apart from law,’ a righteousness freely given by God, not dependent on what we do or fail to do at all. We read that the righteousness of Jesus—so complete and compelling—is imputed to us. Conversely, our sins are imputed to Jesus, who took their punishment and bore the curse we deserve. When we are united to Christ in faith, our sins are covered by the blood Jesus shed on the cross; and when God looks for our good works, he sees the works of Jesus.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
In Your presence
there is fullness of joy.
At Your right hand are pleasures
forevermore.
Psalm 16:1
All Saints’ Day (Observed)
November 5, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 815 “All Praise to Thee, for Thou, O King Divine”
1 All praise to Thee, for Thou, O King divine,
Didst yield the glory that of right was Thine,
That in our darkened hearts Thy grace might shine.
Alleluia!
2 Thou cam’st to us in lowliness of thought;
By Thee the outcast and the poor were sought;
And by Thy death was God’s salvation wrought.
Alleluia!
3 Let this mind be in us which was in Thee,
Who wast a servant that we might be free,
Humbling Thyself to death on Calvary.
Alleluia!
4 Wherefore, by God’s eternal purpose, Thou
Art high exalted o’er all creatures now,
And giv’n the name to which all knees shall bow.
Alleluia!
5 Let ev’ry tongue confess with one accord,
In heav’n and earth, that Jesus Christ is Lord,
And God the Father be by all adored.
Alleluia!
Text: F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Revelation 7:14b; Psalm 31:1, 3, 5
P These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me.
Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, You knit together Your faithful people of all times and places into one holy communion, the mystical body of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant us so to follow Your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living that, together with them, we may come to the unspeakable joys You have prepared for those who love You; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Revelation 7:9–17
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
and serve him day and night in his temple;
and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them,
nor any scorching heat.
17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm (sung by all) Psalm 149
1Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a | new song,*
his praise in the assembly of the | godly!
2Let Israel be glad in his | Maker;*
let the children of Zion rejoice | in their King!
3Let them praise his name with | dancing,*
making melody to him with tambou- | rine and lyre!
4For the Lord takes pleasure in his | people;*
he adorns the humble with sal- | vation.
5Let the godly exult in | glory;*
let them sing for joy | on their beds.
6Let the high praises of God be | in their throats*
and two-edged swords | in their hands,
7to execute vengeance on the | nations*
and punishments on the | peoples,
8to bind their | kings with chains*
and their nobles with fet- | ters of iron,
9to execute on them the judgment | written!*
This is honor for all his godly ones. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle 1 John 3:1–3
1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 5:1–12
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 677 “For All the Saints” sts. 1-3
1 For all the saints who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
2 Thou wast their rock, their fortress, and their might;
Thou, Lord, their captain in the well-fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true light.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
3 Oh, may Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Sermon “Blessings and Banes—Saints and Sinners” Rev. 7:9-17
Blessings and Banes—Saints and Sinners Matthew 5:1-12
We live in a world full of contrasts. Naturally, our language reflects this. Black and white, up and down, east and west, apples and oranges, hot and cold—these are just some of the expressions we use all the time to express differences and contrasts in our lives. It is this same idea of contrast that I find so interesting with the language in our Gospel lesson for this morning. You might be thinking: "Pastor…I don't think you're on the same page here. There are no contrasting statements in these Beatitudes." Let me know what you think after the sermon!
Before we go any farther, we need to start off by first explaining what these Beatitudes are and what they are not. Contrary to popular opinion, these are not rules and guidelines you need to follow in order to attain blessings from God. I say that because so often that's exactly how these are treated. "If I want the kingdom of heaven, I need to become poor in spirit. I need to be persecuted. If I want comfort, I need to mourn. If I want mercy, I need to be merciful." Here's the problem with this mentality: It puts the onus on you to first hold up your end of the bargain and do your part. After you've done your part, then God will bless you. I can't tell you how often I've seen people struggle in their faith because they're working hard to keep these Beatitudes and they're still not attaining blessings in their lives. "I do and I do and do, and I'm still getting hammered. The more I try and do, the more banes—not blessings—do I receive."
Here's something that will probably rattle your cage a bit: These Beatitudes aren't about you; at least, not primarily about you. That may be difficult to swallow for some of you because, let’s face it, everything is always about you. If you aren't happy, then no one is happy. These Beatitudes, first and foremost, are about Jesus. These Beatitudes—these statements of blessedness—are not prescriptions for us, but descriptions of Christ Jesus. Jesus has the perfect faith in His Father. He is pure in heart. He is totally poor in spirit, meaning that He brings nothing to the table except faith and trust in His Father alone. Jesus does mourn for the sinner in their sin. Almighty God Himself is meek and lowly. He doesn't force anyone to believe. He doesn't bully you into being faithful. He doesn't strike you down the moment you mess up. He is patient and merciful and long-suffering. He is the true peacemaker, and He is persecuted and reviled for doing it.
Contrast these Christological realities with your realities. And notice how I worded this. I didn't ask you to take a look around and determine how everyone else is falling short of these Christ-centered descriptions. I want you to take a look in the mirror and contrast yourself with these Christological realities. If we're honest—faithfully, repentantly honest—we know the truth…and it isn't pretty!
Perfect faith, poor in spirit, trusting in God above all things? Not me. I confess. Mourning and grieving over sin—my sin—the sin I commit against God and against my neighbor? Again, notice how I worded this. We're very good at mourning and grieving and warring over the sin somebody else commits. However, when it comes to our own sin, we rarely mourn and grieve, unless we get caught. We'll justify our sin. We'll defend our sin, calling it something other than sin, declaring it to be "okay" in this particular instance, but we rarely mourn and express grief over the fact that we have indeed committed sin; sin that caused Christ Jesus to give up heaven and die on a cross. Yes—that should grieve you! Jesus died because of you and your sin, and yet all too often we're too busy defending and justifying ourselves to let that sink in and take effect and bear abundant faithful fruit.
Meek and lowly, patient and long-suffering, a persecuted peacemaker? Let me tell you what true meekness and lowliness is all about. True meekness and lowliness takes up the cross and journeys on. True meekness and lowliness gets reviled and persecuted and spit at and beaten and cursed because of righteous, justifying faith…and takes it. Meek and lowly stands like a lamb, silent before the shearers. How about you? Meek and lowly…or a resounding gong and clanging cymbal?
And don't be fooled into thinking that you're going to make the Beatitude cut by playing the persecution card. Why are you feeling persecuted? Is it because of matters pertaining to faith and righteousness and justification, or is it because of matters pertaining to self? And here, again, meekness and lowliness comes into play. There are times when we are called to stand and fight. But what are we to stand and fight and defend? The faith! The purity of the doctrine of salvation through faith alone in God's grace alone because of Jesus Christ alone! The purity of "This is My body and blood. This is My baptism. All for the forgiveness of your sin." This is what we are to stand and fight and defend. This is what we vow on confirmation day (page 273 LSB). This is what I vowed on ordination day. We vow that we would rather suffer death than allow false doctrine to be taught and promulgated in our midst.
Sadly, this is where things often take a terrible twist. We become meek and lowly and impotent when it comes to defending orthodox doctrine and practice, but we'll stand and fight and war over such things as light fixtures, bylaws, plants, coffee cups, and the like. We'll get our way, or there will be hell to pay! And then we wonder why we're feeling so persecuted. Perhaps it's not the devil persecuting you in your own self-righteous war. Perhaps its God fighting against the sinful, non-theological things you're so mightily defending. Perhaps that persecuted feeling you are experiencing is the just and loving hand of God, pulling you back from the cliff you're blindly trying to steamroller yourself over.
Here's the reality with these Beatitudes—We can't do them in order to attain God's blessing. Like I said earlier, a good, honest look in the mirror reveals that we have all sinned and failed miserably when it comes to earning the blessings of God. But that's just it! We don't earn the blessings of God! We don't earn blessedness. We can't earn blessedness. Blessedness is not a goal we achieve. It's a condition we're found to be in. We're found to be blessed. Blessedness is a perspective thing. In faith, we are poor and lowly and persecuted and reviled and beat down. Man looks at us in our faith and calls us "cursed." He sees banes, not blessings in our lives. And yet…God looks at us in the midst of our faith; in the midst of all the banes of living in this fallen and sinful world, and sees blessedness. He finds us and declares us to be blessed. And why does He find us in the state of blessedness? Why does He declare us to be blessed? Because of Christ alone! Because we cling to Christ alone!
This is why I love this reading for All Saints Day. The very Lutheran doctrine of simul justus et peccator (at one and the same time a saint and a sinner) comes through loud and clear in this lesson of contrasts. We can look, as we did, at these descriptions of Christological blessedness and recognize the fact that Christ Jesus, and only Christ Jesus, fulfills these descriptions perfectly. And for this we rejoice. We give thanks for these Christ-centered realities because we know the truth that as prescriptions, we'd be doomed. We can't do them. Not even a little bit. We fail miserably in our sin.
And yet…on this day that celebrates and gives thanks to God for all the saints of His one, holy Christian Church, we can look at this same text and rejoice because we know that the saints of God have always and will always cling to Christ alone and therefore be found by Him to be in a state of true, everlasting blessedness and grace. The saints of God who've gone on before us and who make up the membership of the heavenly Church—the Church Triumphant—are there precisely because of this Christ-centered, Beatitudinal reality. They are members of the eternal Church Triumphant, not because they were good people who did all these good and saintly works, but because they were damned sinners who deserved nothing but present and eternal punishment, but who also clung to the grace and mercy of their heavenly Father; grace and mercy which He so lovingly bestowed upon them because Jesus Himself declared, "It is finished." The saints of God cling to these words. These words of justification were the basis and boundary for the lives of those dearly departed saints of God, even as they lived out their sinful lives in this sin-filled world. Did those saints do good works and wonderful things? Sure! But that's not why God called them saints. They didn't trust in those works or merits. Those good works were a result of their justification. The joy of their justification produced these fruits of faith. When it came down to it, they trusted in nothing but their justification in Christ alone, because of Christ alone. That's why they were (and are) saints of God.
And here's the thing that is so often forgotten on All Saints Day: We're saints too! All too often we think of the saints of God only in terms of those who died in the faith and have now gone home to heaven. My fellow redeemed: Look around you! You are surrounded by saints! You are surrounded by souls whom God has found to be in a state of blessedness. Why are they blessed? Because of faith, and faith alone in Christ alone. Now, does that faith produce good works and good fruits? Absolutely! That's only natural. Faith without works is dead. But take notice: The justified faith naturally produces good, sanctified fruits; not the other way around. Good works do not produce blessedness. In fact, as Scripture tells us, the good works we rely upon and present to God apart from the cross of Christ—the fruits that do not flow from the basis and boundary of justification, but rather flow from the depths of our own selfish, sinful natures—are viewed as nothing more than dirty, soiled rags; a dirty diaper.
May God bless you and keep you in the one, true saving faith; the faith that clings to the cross of Christ alone; the faith that is grounded in justification by God's grace alone because of Christ alone. My fellow saints and sinners: May God bless you and keep you continually grounded in your justification so that He may continually find you in the state and condition of saintly blessedness; blessedness that is known only through faith in Christ Jesus. May this Good News of your justification bring you peace that surpasses all human understanding, and may this same peace take root in your heart and bear abundant, faithful fruit in all that you say and do. May your confession of faith correspond to the fruits you bear. May there be no contrast. May you be, not a bane, but a blessing—God's justified and saintly blessing—to all those whom your Lord calls you to serve.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - All Saints’ Day - 1 November 2023 (observed 5 November 2023)
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, faithful God, we commend ourselves, our bodies and souls, and all things into Your keeping. Deliver us in Your righteousness from all that would harm the body or assault the soul. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, send Your Spirit to the ministers of the Church who bring the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection, that they may work through the preaching of this Gospel to gather the lost, kindle faith in those who do not yet believe and sustain us all to the day of Christ’s coming. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gentle Lord, visit the homes of Your people, that they may be places where faith is nurtured and where we learn to live our new lives in holiness and righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessed are You, O God, and blessed are the persecuted, who suffer for Your sake and whose witness calls all to faithfulness. Bring peace to the nations; make our leaders wise, just and honorable; and deliver us from terror, violence and oppression. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, comfort us by Your abiding presence and satisfy all who call on You in need [especially _____________]. Grant them patience in the midst of suffering and, according to Your will, release them from their afflictions. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, be with Your Church and all her members who belong to You by Baptism and faith. At the bidding of the Lamb, our Shepherd, give us ears to hear Your Word and faith to receive Him in His blessed Sacrament. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, grant that we may be brought to everlasting life with the faithful who have gone before us who now rest from their labors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, we give You thanks that You have washed us in the blood of the Lamb, written our names in the Book of Life, and made us a royal priesthood and heirs of an eternal inheritance. Though we are unworthy of Your saving grace, we pray You to hear us in the name of Jesus Christ, in whom, with whom and through whom all honor and glory is Yours, heavenly Father, with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
By faith the saints of old held fast to Your promise of things hoped for though not yet seen, leaving an example and encouragement for us who walk now by faith and not by sight.
Grant that we may faithfully eat and drink this Holy Supper of Your Son’s body and blood and in the union of His mystical body, the Church, be joined in unending praise with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses, Elijah, and all the faithful prophets; the blessed apostles and evangelists, the holy martyrs, and all the saints in glory who fought the good fight of faith before us.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
821 “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus”
1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
2 Alleluia! Not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received Him
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget His promise:
“I am with you evermore”?
3 Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
Here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to You from day to day.
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.
4 Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne.
As within the veil You entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.
5 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
680 “Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise”
1 Thine the amen Thine the praise
Alleluias angels raise
Thine the everlasting head
Thine the breaking of the bread
Thine the glory Thine the story
Thine the harvest then the cup
Thine the vineyard then the cup is lifted up lifted up.
2 Thine the life eternally
Thine the promise let there be
Thine the vision Thine the tree
All the earth on bended knee
Gone the nailing gone the railing
Gone the pleading gone the cry
Gone the sighing gone the dying what was loss lifted high.
3 Thine the truly Thine the yes
Thine the table we the guest
Thine the mercy all from Thee
Thine the glory yet to be
Then the ringing and the singing
Then the end of all the war
Thine the living Thine the loving evermore evermore.
4 Thine the kingdom Thine the prize
Thine the wonder full surprise
Thine the banquet then the praise
Then the justice of Thy ways
Thine the glory Thine the story
Then the welcome to the least
Then the wonder all increasing at Thy feast at Thy feast.
5 Thine the glory in the night
No more dying only light
Thine the river Thine the tree
Then the Lamb eternally
Then the holy holy holy
Celebration jubilee
Thine the splendor Thine the brightness only Thee only Thee.
Text: Herbert F. Brokering, 1926–2009
Text: © 1983 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 677 “For All the Saints” sts. 4-8
4 Oh, blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
Yet all are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
5 And when the fight is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
6 The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors cometh rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blest.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
7 But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day:
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of Glory passes on His way.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
D 8 From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
Singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Text: William W. How, 1823–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Reformation Day (Observed) – October 29, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for TOMORROW, Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
WE FINALLY “FALL BACK” and end Daylight Saving Time at 2 a.m. next Sunday. Enjoy the extra hour!
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
Reformation Day (Observed) – October 29, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN 947, “All Glory Be to God on High”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
FIRST LESSON Revelation 14:6–7
6Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
EPISTLE LESSON Romans 3:19–28
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
GOSPEL LESSON John 8:31–36
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN 656, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
SERMON “The Reformation—It’s Still All About Jesus” various texts
The Reformation: It’s Still About Jesus! - Topical sermon
We gather here today to affirm on this 506th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation that what we do in the Church is still all about Jesus; that is, faithfully preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus Christ and standing for the teachings of God’s Word as they have been confessed in all times and all places wherever the Gospel is purely taught according to a pure understanding of it and where the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered according to Christ’s institution. With Martin Luther, we still say, “Here we stand, we cannot do otherwise. God help us. Amen.”
The Lutheran Reformation then (back in 1517), and today, is not about throwing away the past, but about retaining and preserving the very best of the Church’s rich history and teachings, while filtering out whatever covers and contradicts God’s Word and denies the good news of salvation by grace alone, though faith alone, on account of Christ alone.
The Lutherans never wanted to rebel against the Roman Church. They were, however, held captive by the force of the clear truth of God’s Word. Martin Luther refused to compromise that truth and was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church, precisely because of his defense of the pure Gospel and truths of God’s Word.
Perhaps Christianity has never been explained more simply and eloquently than in the words Martin Luther wrote to explain the Apostles’ Creed. Here is his timeless explanation that is a superb summary of what the theology of the Reformation was all about then and is all about today:
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true. [Luther’s explanation to the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed.]
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. [Luther’s explanation to the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed.]
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true. [Luther’s explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed.]
Our faith, all of it, is most certainly true. May freedom ring! As St. Paul stated, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”
“A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe, Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might, Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected;
“But for us fights the valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is, Of Sabaoth Lord
And there’s none other God; He holds the field forever.”
Yes, it is still all about Jesus!
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen
Prayer of the Church--Reformation Day--31 October 2023 (observed 29 October 2023)
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, sustain Your Church. Deliver her from error and preserve in her the proclamation of Your Gospel, that it would resound to every nation, tribe, people and language and that all may fear and give You glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, bless all ministers of Your Word. Help them rightly to preach Your Law so that all are held accountable to You without excuse and joyfully proclaim Your Gospel, that all would know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, look with compassion on all who are blind to the bondage of their sin. Open their eyes by the words of Jesus, and grant them the true freedom of sonship and a permanent place in Your household. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, make us truly Your disciples. Keep us in Your Word, free us from all errors, and make our homes and families peaceful. Preserve all fathers and encourage them for their godly task, that children would be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, bless all civil authorities, especially our president; Congress; and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Protect them from the temptations that beset their offices, and grant them wisdom and courage to serve with integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, be near to all who cry to You for healing of body and soul [especially _____________]. Grant them release from their afflictions according to Your will. Sustain their hope in the full and final healing that awaits them at the day of Christ’s appearing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, bless all who come to the altar to partake of Christ’s own body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Grant them repentant hearts that seek to amend their lives, and by Your Spirit align them with Your will and purpose. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, we give You thanks for all Your servants who have departed this life in faith. We especially bless You today for the great reformers of Your Church who call us back to the Gospel and to the righteousness we have in Christ alone. Keep us in fellowship with them, and bring us at last to our heavenly home to see our Redeemer face to face; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION and
THE OPTIONAL RITE OF ANOINTING WITH OIL
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after
pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your
seat after being anointed.]
HYMNS DURING DISTRIBUTION:
556 “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN 582, “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to the melody of “A Mighty Fortress”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES
Anointing with Oil Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
Reformation Day (Observed) – October 29, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for TOMORROW, Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
WE FINALLY “FALL BACK” and end Daylight Saving Time at 2 a.m. next Sunday. Enjoy the extra hour!
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
Reformation Day (Observed) – October 29, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN 947, “All Glory Be to God on High”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
FIRST LESSON Revelation 14:6–7
6Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. 7And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
EPISTLE LESSON Romans 3:19–28
19Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
GOSPEL LESSON John 8:31–36
31So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN 656, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
SERMON “The Reformation—It’s Still All About Jesus” various texts
The Reformation: It’s Still About Jesus! - Topical sermon
We gather here today to affirm on this 506th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation that what we do in the Church is still all about Jesus; that is, faithfully preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus Christ and standing for the teachings of God’s Word as they have been confessed in all times and all places wherever the Gospel is purely taught according to a pure understanding of it and where the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered according to Christ’s institution. With Martin Luther, we still say, “Here we stand, we cannot do otherwise. God help us. Amen.”
The Lutheran Reformation then (back in 1517), and today, is not about throwing away the past, but about retaining and preserving the very best of the Church’s rich history and teachings, while filtering out whatever covers and contradicts God’s Word and denies the good news of salvation by grace alone, though faith alone, on account of Christ alone.
The Lutherans never wanted to rebel against the Roman Church. They were, however, held captive by the force of the clear truth of God’s Word. Martin Luther refused to compromise that truth and was excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church, precisely because of his defense of the pure Gospel and truths of God’s Word.
Perhaps Christianity has never been explained more simply and eloquently than in the words Martin Luther wrote to explain the Apostles’ Creed. Here is his timeless explanation that is a superb summary of what the theology of the Reformation was all about then and is all about today:
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true. [Luther’s explanation to the First Article of the Apostles’ Creed.]
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord. Who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true. [Luther’s explanation to the Second Article of the Apostles’ Creed.]
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true. [Luther’s explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed.]
Our faith, all of it, is most certainly true. May freedom ring! As St. Paul stated, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!”
“A mighty fortress is our God, A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from ev’ry need That hath us now o’ertaken.
The old evil foe, Now means deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might, Are his dread arms in fight;
On earth is not his equal.
With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected;
“But for us fights the valiant One, Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is, Of Sabaoth Lord
And there’s none other God; He holds the field forever.”
Yes, it is still all about Jesus!
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen
Prayer of the Church--Reformation Day--31 October 2023 (observed 29 October 2023)
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, sustain Your Church. Deliver her from error and preserve in her the proclamation of Your Gospel, that it would resound to every nation, tribe, people and language and that all may fear and give You glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, bless all ministers of Your Word. Help them rightly to preach Your Law so that all are held accountable to You without excuse and joyfully proclaim Your Gospel, that all would know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, look with compassion on all who are blind to the bondage of their sin. Open their eyes by the words of Jesus, and grant them the true freedom of sonship and a permanent place in Your household. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, make us truly Your disciples. Keep us in Your Word, free us from all errors, and make our homes and families peaceful. Preserve all fathers and encourage them for their godly task, that children would be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, bless all civil authorities, especially our president; Congress; and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Protect them from the temptations that beset their offices, and grant them wisdom and courage to serve with integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, be near to all who cry to You for healing of body and soul [especially _____________]. Grant them release from their afflictions according to Your will. Sustain their hope in the full and final healing that awaits them at the day of Christ’s appearing. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, bless all who come to the altar to partake of Christ’s own body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Grant them repentant hearts that seek to amend their lives, and by Your Spirit align them with Your will and purpose. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Mighty Fortress, Rock of refuge, we give You thanks for all Your servants who have departed this life in faith. We especially bless You today for the great reformers of Your Church who call us back to the Gospel and to the righteousness we have in Christ alone. Keep us in fellowship with them, and bring us at last to our heavenly home to see our Redeemer face to face; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION and
THE OPTIONAL RITE OF ANOINTING WITH OIL
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after
pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your
seat after being anointed.]
HYMNS DURING DISTRIBUTION:
556 “Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice”
657 “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN 582, “God’s Word Is Our Great Heritage”
sung to the melody of “A Mighty Fortress”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES
Anointing with Oil Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 22, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 22, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1 Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
2 Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
3 Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.
4 Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.
D 5 Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 121:5, 1–4, 7–8
P The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 45:1–7
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
5I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 96:1–9
1Oh sing to the Lord a | new song;*
sing to the Lord, | all the earth!
2Sing to the Lord, | bless his name;*
tell of his salvation from | day to day.
3Declare his glory among the | nations,*
his marvelous works among all the | peoples!
4For great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised;*
he is to be feared a- | bove all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are worthless | idols,*
but the Lord made the | heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are be- | fore him;*
strength and beauty are in his sanctu- | ary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the | peoples,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength!
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
bring an offering, and come in- | to his courts!
9Worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness;*
tremble before him, | all the earth!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Things of God” Matthew 22:15-22
The Things of God - Matthew 22:15-22
v. 15 – “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Jesus said, "Render to God what is God's." We must recognize here what belongs to God, so that we can deliver it to Him. Christ pointed to the coin with the image of Caesar to show the Jews that they should render to Caesar the things that bear his image. So also, we should render to God the things that bear God's image.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But the image did not last long. It was soon broken by the first sin, and has remained broken in us as children of Adam and Eve.
You might say that the image of God in you still remains, although it is broken and corrupted. But does God accept an offering that is broken or corrupted? No, that would be a mockery of God. The works produced by the corrupted image are corrupt. Every act that comes from a sinful heart is sinful. The Pharisees and Herodians mentioned in our text didn’t want to own up to that. They thought that they were good enough to attract God’s attention by their own good deeds, when in truth, they were only sinful as well. They even went so far as wanting to trick Jesus and “entangle Him in His words,” even though it would turn out to be the other way around. For which sinner, Pharisee, Herodian, or the likes of us can profess to tell God how things should be?
What would happen if we tried to render to Caesar our taxes and attempted to pay the IRS and state franchise tax board using tiny shreds of dollar bills? If you handed them an envelope with the itty bitty fragments, do you think they would accept it? Of course not. In the same way, God cannot accept the works that proceed from a broken image.
We can see evidence of this broken image in many aspects of our lives. When it comes time to obey God's commandments, the efforts of the broken image in us are weak at best. We shatter the commandments by continually transgressing them every day. It is unavoidable, no matter how hard we try. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and, in truth, in and of ourselves, we are bad trees, worse than any of the gray pines that have had to be removed from our church property. That’s because our “badness” causes us to be separated from God, AND there’s nothing we can do to make things any better. We heard from the prophet Ezekiel a few Sundays back the sad and sorry truth, “the soul that sins, it shall die eternally.”
If we were a stained glass window and we were shattered into a million pieces, then there would be nothing left to do but sweep us up and put us in the garbage heap. With the broken image of God, the logical conclusion is to be swept away by the angels on judgment day and dumped into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, the abyss of hell. That is what we and every other human being deserve, because God's image in us has been broken by sin.
But Christ Jesus has no broken image. Although He received His flesh and blood from the Virgin Mary, yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit without sin. Therefore, He is the only Man with the perfect image of God intact. As it says in Hebrews chapter one, Christ is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. It also says in Colossians chapter one, Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. And as Christ Himself said, "When you see Me, you have seen the Father."
So when Christ lived His life, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father. He fulfilled every commandment as no man has done before, and none have since. Christ, with His perfect image of God intact, was able to do what we could not. He kept the whole Law, down to the last jot and tittle. His entire life was one continual offering of loving obedience to His Father.
When He offered Himself up on the Cross, He rendered to His Father the perfect sacrifice for sin. He gave Himself freely as the innocent Lamb. Because the image of God in Him was perfect, the sacrifice had infinite value. The blood was more precious than silver or gold, or diamonds, or anything. Every shudder and sigh of pain was priceless to make payment for sin.
Therefore, the life and death of Christ are the true rendering to God what belongs to God. Christ gave to His Father what needed to be paid, His holy, sinless life.
But it does not only count for Him. When you were baptized, God placed the image of Christ on you. That changes everything about your life. Now God does not see the broken image that is in you and broken works, but He sees only the perfect image of God that Christ gave you. When He looks at your life, He sees a life of perfect obedience rendered to Him. He sees no sins. He sees only the unbroken image of Christ. For when God looks at us through the shed blood of Jesus, it is as if we had never sinned—“clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone,” made faultless to stand before God’s throne.
Our entire life is now an offering made acceptable in God's sight. God receives everything we do as the proper rendering to Him. That’s why St. Paul could say that whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do it for God’s glory. Paul even went so far, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write to the Roman Christians and to us that we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. When we sacrifice for Him, whether in pain or persecution or in the offering plate, God sees it as immaculately holy works done in His own image. Even though our thoughts and actions are still stained by sin, yet the image of Christ lifts us up as an offering without any blemish or impurity, holy and accept able to God, which is our spiritual worship. We sadly note that the Pharisees and Herodians were not willing to do this. Yes, they marveled when they heard Jesus’ answer to their supposedly tricky question, but they left Him and went away. May our response not mirror theirs. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” May we only walk hand in hand with Jesus. As one poet put it--
Lord, take my hand and lead me Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me From day nto day.
Without Your grace and favor I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way.
Lord, when the shadows lengthen And night has come,
I know that You will strength My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me, O blessed Friend;
So take my hand and lead me Unto the end.
As we continue on our life’s journey under the cross of Christ, may we always remember that the final judgment has already been declared for us. We don’t need to wait for the last Day. We are already judged righteous in Christ, whose image covers us. When we arrive at the pearly gates on that glorious and wonderful Day, we will walk straight in, since we are fully dressed in clothing whiter than snow, richer than the clothing of any earthly king. For we are dressed in the image of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose glorious presence we shall live in joy and peace, forever and ever.
Give to God the things that are God’s. Live as a forgiven child of the King for we were bought with a price, that we might be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as Jesus is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true, for it is the only way that brings us life now, and forever. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)--22 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of our salvation, You deliver Your Son’s work through Your Word in power and in the Holy Spirit. Strengthen the Church’s pastors to proclaim Your truth. Increase the faith of all who hear, that they may respond in love, steadfast in their hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all truth, from the rising of the sun to its setting, You make known Your salvation in Christ. Bless fathers and mothers as they teach their children Your Word and Your ways. Let them know that there is no God besides You and so rejoice in Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You appointed Cyrus as Your instrument to return Your people to Jerusalem. Uphold the authorities of our nation in wisdom and integrity, that we might live in peace with a good conscience. Grant that they would make salutary use of the taxes we render, and lead us to recognize them as Your instruments, honoring them as You command. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. You preserve our life. Have mercy on [_____________ and] all who are afflicted. Keep them from all evil and shade them from all harm. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guard those who travel. Keep their going out and their coming in. Protect them from every trouble, prosper their journey according to Your will and make their homecomings joyful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
True and living God, You have turned us from idols to serve You and live. As we await Your Son’s return in glory, grant that we would faithfully receive Him at this altar with repentance and joy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 781 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”
1 We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
2 May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!
3 Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
4 To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
5 The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.
6 And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Annoucements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · · Shared with Public
Sunday School with Becca and Barb
October 22, 2023
THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Matthew 22:34-40
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
October 22, 2023
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
"The Things of God"
Matthew 22:15-22
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at 9 AM in person or here online!ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 22, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 22, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1 Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
2 Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
3 Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.
4 Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.
D 5 Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 121:5, 1–4, 7–8
P The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 45:1–7
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
5I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 96:1–9
1Oh sing to the Lord a | new song;*
sing to the Lord, | all the earth!
2Sing to the Lord, | bless his name;*
tell of his salvation from | day to day.
3Declare his glory among the | nations,*
his marvelous works among all the | peoples!
4For great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised;*
he is to be feared a- | bove all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are worthless | idols,*
but the Lord made the | heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are be- | fore him;*
strength and beauty are in his sanctu- | ary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the | peoples,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength!
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
bring an offering, and come in- | to his courts!
9Worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness;*
tremble before him, | all the earth!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Things of God” Matthew 22:15-22
The Things of God - Matthew 22:15-22
v. 15 – “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Jesus said, "Render to God what is God's." We must recognize here what belongs to God, so that we can deliver it to Him. Christ pointed to the coin with the image of Caesar to show the Jews that they should render to Caesar the things that bear his image. So also, we should render to God the things that bear God's image.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But the image did not last long. It was soon broken by the first sin, and has remained broken in us as children of Adam and Eve.
You might say that the image of God in you still remains, although it is broken and corrupted. But does God accept an offering that is broken or corrupted? No, that would be a mockery of God. The works produced by the corrupted image are corrupt. Every act that comes from a sinful heart is sinful. The Pharisees and Herodians mentioned in our text didn’t want to own up to that. They thought that they were good enough to attract God’s attention by their own good deeds, when in truth, they were only sinful as well. They even went so far as wanting to trick Jesus and “entangle Him in His words,” even though it would turn out to be the other way around. For which sinner, Pharisee, Herodian, or the likes of us can profess to tell God how things should be?
What would happen if we tried to render to Caesar our taxes and attempted to pay the IRS and state franchise tax board using tiny shreds of dollar bills? If you handed them an envelope with the itty bitty fragments, do you think they would accept it? Of course not. In the same way, God cannot accept the works that proceed from a broken image.
We can see evidence of this broken image in many aspects of our lives. When it comes time to obey God's commandments, the efforts of the broken image in us are weak at best. We shatter the commandments by continually transgressing them every day. It is unavoidable, no matter how hard we try. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and, in truth, in and of ourselves, we are bad trees, worse than any of the gray pines that have had to be removed from our church property. That’s because our “badness” causes us to be separated from God, AND there’s nothing we can do to make things any better. We heard from the prophet Ezekiel a few Sundays back the sad and sorry truth, “the soul that sins, it shall die eternally.”
If we were a stained glass window and we were shattered into a million pieces, then there would be nothing left to do but sweep us up and put us in the garbage heap. With the broken image of God, the logical conclusion is to be swept away by the angels on judgment day and dumped into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, the abyss of hell. That is what we and every other human being deserve, because God's image in us has been broken by sin.
But Christ Jesus has no broken image. Although He received His flesh and blood from the Virgin Mary, yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit without sin. Therefore, He is the only Man with the perfect image of God intact. As it says in Hebrews chapter one, Christ is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. It also says in Colossians chapter one, Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. And as Christ Himself said, "When you see Me, you have seen the Father."
So when Christ lived His life, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father. He fulfilled every commandment as no man has done before, and none have since. Christ, with His perfect image of God intact, was able to do what we could not. He kept the whole Law, down to the last jot and tittle. His entire life was one continual offering of loving obedience to His Father.
When He offered Himself up on the Cross, He rendered to His Father the perfect sacrifice for sin. He gave Himself freely as the innocent Lamb. Because the image of God in Him was perfect, the sacrifice had infinite value. The blood was more precious than silver or gold, or diamonds, or anything. Every shudder and sigh of pain was priceless to make payment for sin.
Therefore, the life and death of Christ are the true rendering to God what belongs to God. Christ gave to His Father what needed to be paid, His holy, sinless life.
But it does not only count for Him. When you were baptized, God placed the image of Christ on you. That changes everything about your life. Now God does not see the broken image that is in you and broken works, but He sees only the perfect image of God that Christ gave you. When He looks at your life, He sees a life of perfect obedience rendered to Him. He sees no sins. He sees only the unbroken image of Christ. For when God looks at us through the shed blood of Jesus, it is as if we had never sinned—“clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone,” made faultless to stand before God’s throne.
Our entire life is now an offering made acceptable in God's sight. God receives everything we do as the proper rendering to Him. That’s why St. Paul could say that whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do it for God’s glory. Paul even went so far, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write to the Roman Christians and to us that we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. When we sacrifice for Him, whether in pain or persecution or in the offering plate, God sees it as immaculately holy works done in His own image. Even though our thoughts and actions are still stained by sin, yet the image of Christ lifts us up as an offering without any blemish or impurity, holy and accept able to God, which is our spiritual worship. We sadly note that the Pharisees and Herodians were not willing to do this. Yes, they marveled when they heard Jesus’ answer to their supposedly tricky question, but they left Him and went away. May our response not mirror theirs. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” May we only walk hand in hand with Jesus. As one poet put it--
Lord, take my hand and lead me Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me From day nto day.
Without Your grace and favor I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way.
Lord, when the shadows lengthen And night has come,
I know that You will strength My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me, O blessed Friend;
So take my hand and lead me Unto the end.
As we continue on our life’s journey under the cross of Christ, may we always remember that the final judgment has already been declared for us. We don’t need to wait for the last Day. We are already judged righteous in Christ, whose image covers us. When we arrive at the pearly gates on that glorious and wonderful Day, we will walk straight in, since we are fully dressed in clothing whiter than snow, richer than the clothing of any earthly king. For we are dressed in the image of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose glorious presence we shall live in joy and peace, forever and ever.
Give to God the things that are God’s. Live as a forgiven child of the King for we were bought with a price, that we might be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as Jesus is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true, for it is the only way that brings us life now, and forever. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)--22 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of our salvation, You deliver Your Son’s work through Your Word in power and in the Holy Spirit. Strengthen the Church’s pastors to proclaim Your truth. Increase the faith of all who hear, that they may respond in love, steadfast in their hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all truth, from the rising of the sun to its setting, You make known Your salvation in Christ. Bless fathers and mothers as they teach their children Your Word and Your ways. Let them know that there is no God besides You and so rejoice in Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You appointed Cyrus as Your instrument to return Your people to Jerusalem. Uphold the authorities of our nation in wisdom and integrity, that we might live in peace with a good conscience. Grant that they would make salutary use of the taxes we render, and lead us to recognize them as Your instruments, honoring them as You command. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. You preserve our life. Have mercy on [_____________ and] all who are afflicted. Keep them from all evil and shade them from all harm. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guard those who travel. Keep their going out and their coming in. Protect them from every trouble, prosper their journey according to Your will and make their homecomings joyful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
True and living God, You have turned us from idols to serve You and live. As we await Your Son’s return in glory, grant that we would faithfully receive Him at this altar with repentance and joy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 781 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”
1 We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
2 May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!
3 Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
4 To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
5 The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.
6 And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Annoucements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · · Shared with Public
Sunday School with Becca and Barb
October 22, 2023
THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Matthew 22:34-40
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
October 22, 2023
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
"The Things of God"
Matthew 22:15-22
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at 9 AM in person or here online!ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 22, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 22, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1 Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
2 Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
3 Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.
4 Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.
D 5 Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 121:5, 1–4, 7–8
P The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 45:1–7
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
5I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 96:1–9
1Oh sing to the Lord a | new song;*
sing to the Lord, | all the earth!
2Sing to the Lord, | bless his name;*
tell of his salvation from | day to day.
3Declare his glory among the | nations,*
his marvelous works among all the | peoples!
4For great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised;*
he is to be feared a- | bove all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are worthless | idols,*
but the Lord made the | heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are be- | fore him;*
strength and beauty are in his sanctu- | ary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the | peoples,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength!
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
bring an offering, and come in- | to his courts!
9Worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness;*
tremble before him, | all the earth!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Things of God” Matthew 22:15-22
The Things of God - Matthew 22:15-22
v. 15 – “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Jesus said, "Render to God what is God's." We must recognize here what belongs to God, so that we can deliver it to Him. Christ pointed to the coin with the image of Caesar to show the Jews that they should render to Caesar the things that bear his image. So also, we should render to God the things that bear God's image.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But the image did not last long. It was soon broken by the first sin, and has remained broken in us as children of Adam and Eve.
You might say that the image of God in you still remains, although it is broken and corrupted. But does God accept an offering that is broken or corrupted? No, that would be a mockery of God. The works produced by the corrupted image are corrupt. Every act that comes from a sinful heart is sinful. The Pharisees and Herodians mentioned in our text didn’t want to own up to that. They thought that they were good enough to attract God’s attention by their own good deeds, when in truth, they were only sinful as well. They even went so far as wanting to trick Jesus and “entangle Him in His words,” even though it would turn out to be the other way around. For which sinner, Pharisee, Herodian, or the likes of us can profess to tell God how things should be?
What would happen if we tried to render to Caesar our taxes and attempted to pay the IRS and state franchise tax board using tiny shreds of dollar bills? If you handed them an envelope with the itty bitty fragments, do you think they would accept it? Of course not. In the same way, God cannot accept the works that proceed from a broken image.
We can see evidence of this broken image in many aspects of our lives. When it comes time to obey God's commandments, the efforts of the broken image in us are weak at best. We shatter the commandments by continually transgressing them every day. It is unavoidable, no matter how hard we try. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and, in truth, in and of ourselves, we are bad trees, worse than any of the gray pines that have had to be removed from our church property. That’s because our “badness” causes us to be separated from God, AND there’s nothing we can do to make things any better. We heard from the prophet Ezekiel a few Sundays back the sad and sorry truth, “the soul that sins, it shall die eternally.”
If we were a stained glass window and we were shattered into a million pieces, then there would be nothing left to do but sweep us up and put us in the garbage heap. With the broken image of God, the logical conclusion is to be swept away by the angels on judgment day and dumped into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, the abyss of hell. That is what we and every other human being deserve, because God's image in us has been broken by sin.
But Christ Jesus has no broken image. Although He received His flesh and blood from the Virgin Mary, yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit without sin. Therefore, He is the only Man with the perfect image of God intact. As it says in Hebrews chapter one, Christ is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. It also says in Colossians chapter one, Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. And as Christ Himself said, "When you see Me, you have seen the Father."
So when Christ lived His life, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father. He fulfilled every commandment as no man has done before, and none have since. Christ, with His perfect image of God intact, was able to do what we could not. He kept the whole Law, down to the last jot and tittle. His entire life was one continual offering of loving obedience to His Father.
When He offered Himself up on the Cross, He rendered to His Father the perfect sacrifice for sin. He gave Himself freely as the innocent Lamb. Because the image of God in Him was perfect, the sacrifice had infinite value. The blood was more precious than silver or gold, or diamonds, or anything. Every shudder and sigh of pain was priceless to make payment for sin.
Therefore, the life and death of Christ are the true rendering to God what belongs to God. Christ gave to His Father what needed to be paid, His holy, sinless life.
But it does not only count for Him. When you were baptized, God placed the image of Christ on you. That changes everything about your life. Now God does not see the broken image that is in you and broken works, but He sees only the perfect image of God that Christ gave you. When He looks at your life, He sees a life of perfect obedience rendered to Him. He sees no sins. He sees only the unbroken image of Christ. For when God looks at us through the shed blood of Jesus, it is as if we had never sinned—“clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone,” made faultless to stand before God’s throne.
Our entire life is now an offering made acceptable in God's sight. God receives everything we do as the proper rendering to Him. That’s why St. Paul could say that whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do it for God’s glory. Paul even went so far, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write to the Roman Christians and to us that we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. When we sacrifice for Him, whether in pain or persecution or in the offering plate, God sees it as immaculately holy works done in His own image. Even though our thoughts and actions are still stained by sin, yet the image of Christ lifts us up as an offering without any blemish or impurity, holy and accept able to God, which is our spiritual worship. We sadly note that the Pharisees and Herodians were not willing to do this. Yes, they marveled when they heard Jesus’ answer to their supposedly tricky question, but they left Him and went away. May our response not mirror theirs. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” May we only walk hand in hand with Jesus. As one poet put it--
Lord, take my hand and lead me Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me From day nto day.
Without Your grace and favor I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way.
Lord, when the shadows lengthen And night has come,
I know that You will strength My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me, O blessed Friend;
So take my hand and lead me Unto the end.
As we continue on our life’s journey under the cross of Christ, may we always remember that the final judgment has already been declared for us. We don’t need to wait for the last Day. We are already judged righteous in Christ, whose image covers us. When we arrive at the pearly gates on that glorious and wonderful Day, we will walk straight in, since we are fully dressed in clothing whiter than snow, richer than the clothing of any earthly king. For we are dressed in the image of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose glorious presence we shall live in joy and peace, forever and ever.
Give to God the things that are God’s. Live as a forgiven child of the King for we were bought with a price, that we might be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as Jesus is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true, for it is the only way that brings us life now, and forever. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)--22 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of our salvation, You deliver Your Son’s work through Your Word in power and in the Holy Spirit. Strengthen the Church’s pastors to proclaim Your truth. Increase the faith of all who hear, that they may respond in love, steadfast in their hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all truth, from the rising of the sun to its setting, You make known Your salvation in Christ. Bless fathers and mothers as they teach their children Your Word and Your ways. Let them know that there is no God besides You and so rejoice in Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You appointed Cyrus as Your instrument to return Your people to Jerusalem. Uphold the authorities of our nation in wisdom and integrity, that we might live in peace with a good conscience. Grant that they would make salutary use of the taxes we render, and lead us to recognize them as Your instruments, honoring them as You command. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. You preserve our life. Have mercy on [_____________ and] all who are afflicted. Keep them from all evil and shade them from all harm. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guard those who travel. Keep their going out and their coming in. Protect them from every trouble, prosper their journey according to Your will and make their homecomings joyful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
True and living God, You have turned us from idols to serve You and live. As we await Your Son’s return in glory, grant that we would faithfully receive Him at this altar with repentance and joy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 781 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”
1 We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
2 May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!
3 Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
4 To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
5 The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.
6 And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Annoucements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishin
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 22, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 22, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1 Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
2 Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
3 Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.
4 Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.
D 5 Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 121:5, 1–4, 7–8
P The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 45:1–7
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
5I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 96:1–9
1Oh sing to the Lord a | new song;*
sing to the Lord, | all the earth!
2Sing to the Lord, | bless his name;*
tell of his salvation from | day to day.
3Declare his glory among the | nations,*
his marvelous works among all the | peoples!
4For great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised;*
he is to be feared a- | bove all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are worthless | idols,*
but the Lord made the | heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are be- | fore him;*
strength and beauty are in his sanctu- | ary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the | peoples,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength!
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
bring an offering, and come in- | to his courts!
9Worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness;*
tremble before him, | all the earth!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Things of God” Matthew 22:15-22
The Things of God - Matthew 22:15-22
v. 15 – “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Jesus said, "Render to God what is God's." We must recognize here what belongs to God, so that we can deliver it to Him. Christ pointed to the coin with the image of Caesar to show the Jews that they should render to Caesar the things that bear his image. So also, we should render to God the things that bear God's image.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But the image did not last long. It was soon broken by the first sin, and has remained broken in us as children of Adam and Eve.
You might say that the image of God in you still remains, although it is broken and corrupted. But does God accept an offering that is broken or corrupted? No, that would be a mockery of God. The works produced by the corrupted image are corrupt. Every act that comes from a sinful heart is sinful. The Pharisees and Herodians mentioned in our text didn’t want to own up to that. They thought that they were good enough to attract God’s attention by their own good deeds, when in truth, they were only sinful as well. They even went so far as wanting to trick Jesus and “entangle Him in His words,” even though it would turn out to be the other way around. For which sinner, Pharisee, Herodian, or the likes of us can profess to tell God how things should be?
What would happen if we tried to render to Caesar our taxes and attempted to pay the IRS and state franchise tax board using tiny shreds of dollar bills? If you handed them an envelope with the itty bitty fragments, do you think they would accept it? Of course not. In the same way, God cannot accept the works that proceed from a broken image.
We can see evidence of this broken image in many aspects of our lives. When it comes time to obey God's commandments, the efforts of the broken image in us are weak at best. We shatter the commandments by continually transgressing them every day. It is unavoidable, no matter how hard we try. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and, in truth, in and of ourselves, we are bad trees, worse than any of the gray pines that have had to be removed from our church property. That’s because our “badness” causes us to be separated from God, AND there’s nothing we can do to make things any better. We heard from the prophet Ezekiel a few Sundays back the sad and sorry truth, “the soul that sins, it shall die eternally.”
If we were a stained glass window and we were shattered into a million pieces, then there would be nothing left to do but sweep us up and put us in the garbage heap. With the broken image of God, the logical conclusion is to be swept away by the angels on judgment day and dumped into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, the abyss of hell. That is what we and every other human being deserve, because God's image in us has been broken by sin.
But Christ Jesus has no broken image. Although He received His flesh and blood from the Virgin Mary, yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit without sin. Therefore, He is the only Man with the perfect image of God intact. As it says in Hebrews chapter one, Christ is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. It also says in Colossians chapter one, Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. And as Christ Himself said, "When you see Me, you have seen the Father."
So when Christ lived His life, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father. He fulfilled every commandment as no man has done before, and none have since. Christ, with His perfect image of God intact, was able to do what we could not. He kept the whole Law, down to the last jot and tittle. His entire life was one continual offering of loving obedience to His Father.
When He offered Himself up on the Cross, He rendered to His Father the perfect sacrifice for sin. He gave Himself freely as the innocent Lamb. Because the image of God in Him was perfect, the sacrifice had infinite value. The blood was more precious than silver or gold, or diamonds, or anything. Every shudder and sigh of pain was priceless to make payment for sin.
Therefore, the life and death of Christ are the true rendering to God what belongs to God. Christ gave to His Father what needed to be paid, His holy, sinless life.
But it does not only count for Him. When you were baptized, God placed the image of Christ on you. That changes everything about your life. Now God does not see the broken image that is in you and broken works, but He sees only the perfect image of God that Christ gave you. When He looks at your life, He sees a life of perfect obedience rendered to Him. He sees no sins. He sees only the unbroken image of Christ. For when God looks at us through the shed blood of Jesus, it is as if we had never sinned—“clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone,” made faultless to stand before God’s throne.
Our entire life is now an offering made acceptable in God's sight. God receives everything we do as the proper rendering to Him. That’s why St. Paul could say that whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do it for God’s glory. Paul even went so far, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write to the Roman Christians and to us that we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. When we sacrifice for Him, whether in pain or persecution or in the offering plate, God sees it as immaculately holy works done in His own image. Even though our thoughts and actions are still stained by sin, yet the image of Christ lifts us up as an offering without any blemish or impurity, holy and accept able to God, which is our spiritual worship. We sadly note that the Pharisees and Herodians were not willing to do this. Yes, they marveled when they heard Jesus’ answer to their supposedly tricky question, but they left Him and went away. May our response not mirror theirs. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” May we only walk hand in hand with Jesus. As one poet put it--
Lord, take my hand and lead me Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me From day nto day.
Without Your grace and favor I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way.
Lord, when the shadows lengthen And night has come,
I know that You will strength My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me, O blessed Friend;
So take my hand and lead me Unto the end.
As we continue on our life’s journey under the cross of Christ, may we always remember that the final judgment has already been declared for us. We don’t need to wait for the last Day. We are already judged righteous in Christ, whose image covers us. When we arrive at the pearly gates on that glorious and wonderful Day, we will walk straight in, since we are fully dressed in clothing whiter than snow, richer than the clothing of any earthly king. For we are dressed in the image of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose glorious presence we shall live in joy and peace, forever and ever.
Give to God the things that are God’s. Live as a forgiven child of the King for we were bought with a price, that we might be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as Jesus is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true, for it is the only way that brings us life now, and forever. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)--22 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of our salvation, You deliver Your Son’s work through Your Word in power and in the Holy Spirit. Strengthen the Church’s pastors to proclaim Your truth. Increase the faith of all who hear, that they may respond in love, steadfast in their hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all truth, from the rising of the sun to its setting, You make known Your salvation in Christ. Bless fathers and mothers as they teach their children Your Word and Your ways. Let them know that there is no God besides You and so rejoice in Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You appointed Cyrus as Your instrument to return Your people to Jerusalem. Uphold the authorities of our nation in wisdom and integrity, that we might live in peace with a good conscience. Grant that they would make salutary use of the taxes we render, and lead us to recognize them as Your instruments, honoring them as You command. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. You preserve our life. Have mercy on [_____________ and] all who are afflicted. Keep them from all evil and shade them from all harm. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guard those who travel. Keep their going out and their coming in. Protect them from every trouble, prosper their journey according to Your will and make their homecomings joyful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
True and living God, You have turned us from idols to serve You and live. As we await Your Son’s return in glory, grant that we would faithfully receive Him at this altar with repentance and joy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 781 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”
1 We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
2 May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!
3 Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
4 To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
5 The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.
6 And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Annoucements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · · Shared with Public
Sunday School with Becca and Barb
October 22, 2023
THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Matthew 22:34-40
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
October 22, 2023
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
"The Things of God"
Matthew 22:15-22
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at 9 AM in person or here online!ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 22, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 22, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1 Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
2 Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
3 Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.
4 Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.
D 5 Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 121:5, 1–4, 7–8
P The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 45:1–7
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
5I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 96:1–9
1Oh sing to the Lord a | new song;*
sing to the Lord, | all the earth!
2Sing to the Lord, | bless his name;*
tell of his salvation from | day to day.
3Declare his glory among the | nations,*
his marvelous works among all the | peoples!
4For great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised;*
he is to be feared a- | bove all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are worthless | idols,*
but the Lord made the | heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are be- | fore him;*
strength and beauty are in his sanctu- | ary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the | peoples,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength!
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
bring an offering, and come in- | to his courts!
9Worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness;*
tremble before him, | all the earth!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Things of God” Matthew 22:15-22
The Things of God - Matthew 22:15-22
v. 15 – “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Jesus said, "Render to God what is God's." We must recognize here what belongs to God, so that we can deliver it to Him. Christ pointed to the coin with the image of Caesar to show the Jews that they should render to Caesar the things that bear his image. So also, we should render to God the things that bear God's image.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But the image did not last long. It was soon broken by the first sin, and has remained broken in us as children of Adam and Eve.
You might say that the image of God in you still remains, although it is broken and corrupted. But does God accept an offering that is broken or corrupted? No, that would be a mockery of God. The works produced by the corrupted image are corrupt. Every act that comes from a sinful heart is sinful. The Pharisees and Herodians mentioned in our text didn’t want to own up to that. They thought that they were good enough to attract God’s attention by their own good deeds, when in truth, they were only sinful as well. They even went so far as wanting to trick Jesus and “entangle Him in His words,” even though it would turn out to be the other way around. For which sinner, Pharisee, Herodian, or the likes of us can profess to tell God how things should be?
What would happen if we tried to render to Caesar our taxes and attempted to pay the IRS and state franchise tax board using tiny shreds of dollar bills? If you handed them an envelope with the itty bitty fragments, do you think they would accept it? Of course not. In the same way, God cannot accept the works that proceed from a broken image.
We can see evidence of this broken image in many aspects of our lives. When it comes time to obey God's commandments, the efforts of the broken image in us are weak at best. We shatter the commandments by continually transgressing them every day. It is unavoidable, no matter how hard we try. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and, in truth, in and of ourselves, we are bad trees, worse than any of the gray pines that have had to be removed from our church property. That’s because our “badness” causes us to be separated from God, AND there’s nothing we can do to make things any better. We heard from the prophet Ezekiel a few Sundays back the sad and sorry truth, “the soul that sins, it shall die eternally.”
If we were a stained glass window and we were shattered into a million pieces, then there would be nothing left to do but sweep us up and put us in the garbage heap. With the broken image of God, the logical conclusion is to be swept away by the angels on judgment day and dumped into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, the abyss of hell. That is what we and every other human being deserve, because God's image in us has been broken by sin.
But Christ Jesus has no broken image. Although He received His flesh and blood from the Virgin Mary, yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit without sin. Therefore, He is the only Man with the perfect image of God intact. As it says in Hebrews chapter one, Christ is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. It also says in Colossians chapter one, Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. And as Christ Himself said, "When you see Me, you have seen the Father."
So when Christ lived His life, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father. He fulfilled every commandment as no man has done before, and none have since. Christ, with His perfect image of God intact, was able to do what we could not. He kept the whole Law, down to the last jot and tittle. His entire life was one continual offering of loving obedience to His Father.
When He offered Himself up on the Cross, He rendered to His Father the perfect sacrifice for sin. He gave Himself freely as the innocent Lamb. Because the image of God in Him was perfect, the sacrifice had infinite value. The blood was more precious than silver or gold, or diamonds, or anything. Every shudder and sigh of pain was priceless to make payment for sin.
Therefore, the life and death of Christ are the true rendering to God what belongs to God. Christ gave to His Father what needed to be paid, His holy, sinless life.
But it does not only count for Him. When you were baptized, God placed the image of Christ on you. That changes everything about your life. Now God does not see the broken image that is in you and broken works, but He sees only the perfect image of God that Christ gave you. When He looks at your life, He sees a life of perfect obedience rendered to Him. He sees no sins. He sees only the unbroken image of Christ. For when God looks at us through the shed blood of Jesus, it is as if we had never sinned—“clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone,” made faultless to stand before God’s throne.
Our entire life is now an offering made acceptable in God's sight. God receives everything we do as the proper rendering to Him. That’s why St. Paul could say that whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do it for God’s glory. Paul even went so far, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write to the Roman Christians and to us that we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. When we sacrifice for Him, whether in pain or persecution or in the offering plate, God sees it as immaculately holy works done in His own image. Even though our thoughts and actions are still stained by sin, yet the image of Christ lifts us up as an offering without any blemish or impurity, holy and accept able to God, which is our spiritual worship. We sadly note that the Pharisees and Herodians were not willing to do this. Yes, they marveled when they heard Jesus’ answer to their supposedly tricky question, but they left Him and went away. May our response not mirror theirs. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” May we only walk hand in hand with Jesus. As one poet put it--
Lord, take my hand and lead me Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me From day nto day.
Without Your grace and favor I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way.
Lord, when the shadows lengthen And night has come,
I know that You will strength My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me, O blessed Friend;
So take my hand and lead me Unto the end.
As we continue on our life’s journey under the cross of Christ, may we always remember that the final judgment has already been declared for us. We don’t need to wait for the last Day. We are already judged righteous in Christ, whose image covers us. When we arrive at the pearly gates on that glorious and wonderful Day, we will walk straight in, since we are fully dressed in clothing whiter than snow, richer than the clothing of any earthly king. For we are dressed in the image of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose glorious presence we shall live in joy and peace, forever and ever.
Give to God the things that are God’s. Live as a forgiven child of the King for we were bought with a price, that we might be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as Jesus is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true, for it is the only way that brings us life now, and forever. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)--22 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of our salvation, You deliver Your Son’s work through Your Word in power and in the Holy Spirit. Strengthen the Church’s pastors to proclaim Your truth. Increase the faith of all who hear, that they may respond in love, steadfast in their hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all truth, from the rising of the sun to its setting, You make known Your salvation in Christ. Bless fathers and mothers as they teach their children Your Word and Your ways. Let them know that there is no God besides You and so rejoice in Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You appointed Cyrus as Your instrument to return Your people to Jerusalem. Uphold the authorities of our nation in wisdom and integrity, that we might live in peace with a good conscience. Grant that they would make salutary use of the taxes we render, and lead us to recognize them as Your instruments, honoring them as You command. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. You preserve our life. Have mercy on [_____________ and] all who are afflicted. Keep them from all evil and shade them from all harm. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guard those who travel. Keep their going out and their coming in. Protect them from every trouble, prosper their journey according to Your will and make their homecomings joyful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
True and living God, You have turned us from idols to serve You and live. As we await Your Son’s return in glory, grant that we would faithfully receive Him at this altar with repentance and joy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 781 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”
1 We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
2 May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!
3 Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
4 To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
5 The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.
6 And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Annoucements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishin
St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · · Shared with Public
Sunday School with Becca and Barb
October 22, 2023
THE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Matthew 22:34-40
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California was live.
Published by Robert Gloria Potts · · Shared with Public
October 22, 2023
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
"The Things of God"
Matthew 22:15-22
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski… See more
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St Paul Lutheran Church LCMS Auburn, California
Published by Barbara Brandenburg Whitley · ·
Join us at 9 AM in person or here online!ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost – October 22, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNKS OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
THERE IS NO GOD, you say? Consider this--
"Is hell-fire a physical or hyperphysical fire? As a rule our old theologians concluded their presentation with the remark: 'It is wiser to be concerned about escaping this eternal fire by true repentance then to engage in an unprofitable argument as to the nature of this fire.' One thing is sure, hell contains no atheists because the damned actually experience God as the righteous Judge. There is no more room in hell for the lie that there is no God” (Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, p. 546, Francis Pieper).
WHEN EXPERIENCING LIFE’S UNCERTAINTIES, PRAY--
Lord God, You have called Your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that Your hand is leading us, Your love supporting us; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
October 22, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1 Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
2 Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
3 Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.
4 Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.
D 5 Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 121:5, 1–4, 7–8
P The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, the protector of all who trust in You, have mercy on us that with You as our ruler and guide we may so pass through things temporal that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 45:1–7
1Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whose right hand I have grasped,
to subdue nations before him
and to loose the belts of kings,
to open doors before him
that gates may not be closed:
2“I will go before you
and level the exalted places,
I will break in pieces the doors of bronze
and cut through the bars of iron,
3I will give you the treasures of darkness
and the hoards in secret places,
that you may know that it is I, the Lord,
the God of Israel, who call you by your name.
4For the sake of my servant Jacob,
and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
I name you, though you do not know me.
5I am the Lord, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
6that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
7I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the Lord, who does all these things.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 96:1–9
1Oh sing to the Lord a | new song;*
sing to the Lord, | all the earth!
2Sing to the Lord, | bless his name;*
tell of his salvation from | day to day.
3Declare his glory among the | nations,*
his marvelous works among all the | peoples!
4For great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised;*
he is to be feared a- | bove all gods.
5For all the gods of the peoples are worthless | idols,*
but the Lord made the | heavens.
6Splendor and majesty are be- | fore him;*
strength and beauty are in his sanctu- | ary.
7Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the | peoples,*
ascribe to the Lord glo- | ry and strength!
8Ascribe to the Lord the glory | due his name;*
bring an offering, and come in- | to his courts!
9Worship the Lord in the splendor of | holiness;*
tremble before him, | all the earth!
Epistle 1 Thessalonians 1:1–10
1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace.
2We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:15–22
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle [Jesus] in his talk. 16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 734 “I Trust, O Lord, Your Holy Name”
1 I trust, O Lord, Your holy name;
O let me not be put to shame
Nor let me be confounded.
My faith, O Lord,
Be in Your Word
Forever firmly grounded.
2 Bow down Your gracious ear to me
And hear my cry, my prayer, my plea;
Make haste for my protection,
For woes and fear
Surround me here.
Help me in my affliction.
3 You are my strength, my shield, my rock,
My fortress that withstands each shock,
My help, my life, my tower,
My battle sword,
Almighty Lord--
Who can resist Your power?
4 With You, O Lord, I cast my lot;
O faithful God, forsake me not,
To You my soul commending.
Lord, be my stay,
And lead the way
Now and when life is ending.
D 5 All honor, praise, and majesty
To Father, Son, and Spirit be,
Our God forever glorious,
In whose rich grace
We run our race
Till we depart victorious.
Text: Adam Reusner, 1496–c. 1575; (sts. 1–4): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 5): tr. Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book, 1907, Pittsburgh, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Things of God” Matthew 22:15-22
The Things of God - Matthew 22:15-22
v. 15 – “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Jesus said, "Render to God what is God's." We must recognize here what belongs to God, so that we can deliver it to Him. Christ pointed to the coin with the image of Caesar to show the Jews that they should render to Caesar the things that bear his image. So also, we should render to God the things that bear God's image.
In the beginning, Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. But the image did not last long. It was soon broken by the first sin, and has remained broken in us as children of Adam and Eve.
You might say that the image of God in you still remains, although it is broken and corrupted. But does God accept an offering that is broken or corrupted? No, that would be a mockery of God. The works produced by the corrupted image are corrupt. Every act that comes from a sinful heart is sinful. The Pharisees and Herodians mentioned in our text didn’t want to own up to that. They thought that they were good enough to attract God’s attention by their own good deeds, when in truth, they were only sinful as well. They even went so far as wanting to trick Jesus and “entangle Him in His words,” even though it would turn out to be the other way around. For which sinner, Pharisee, Herodian, or the likes of us can profess to tell God how things should be?
What would happen if we tried to render to Caesar our taxes and attempted to pay the IRS and state franchise tax board using tiny shreds of dollar bills? If you handed them an envelope with the itty bitty fragments, do you think they would accept it? Of course not. In the same way, God cannot accept the works that proceed from a broken image.
We can see evidence of this broken image in many aspects of our lives. When it comes time to obey God's commandments, the efforts of the broken image in us are weak at best. We shatter the commandments by continually transgressing them every day. It is unavoidable, no matter how hard we try. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit, and, in truth, in and of ourselves, we are bad trees, worse than any of the gray pines that have had to be removed from our church property. That’s because our “badness” causes us to be separated from God, AND there’s nothing we can do to make things any better. We heard from the prophet Ezekiel a few Sundays back the sad and sorry truth, “the soul that sins, it shall die eternally.”
If we were a stained glass window and we were shattered into a million pieces, then there would be nothing left to do but sweep us up and put us in the garbage heap. With the broken image of God, the logical conclusion is to be swept away by the angels on judgment day and dumped into the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, the abyss of hell. That is what we and every other human being deserve, because God's image in us has been broken by sin.
But Christ Jesus has no broken image. Although He received His flesh and blood from the Virgin Mary, yet He was conceived by the Holy Spirit without sin. Therefore, He is the only Man with the perfect image of God intact. As it says in Hebrews chapter one, Christ is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. It also says in Colossians chapter one, Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. And as Christ Himself said, "When you see Me, you have seen the Father."
So when Christ lived His life, He rendered perfect obedience to His Father. He fulfilled every commandment as no man has done before, and none have since. Christ, with His perfect image of God intact, was able to do what we could not. He kept the whole Law, down to the last jot and tittle. His entire life was one continual offering of loving obedience to His Father.
When He offered Himself up on the Cross, He rendered to His Father the perfect sacrifice for sin. He gave Himself freely as the innocent Lamb. Because the image of God in Him was perfect, the sacrifice had infinite value. The blood was more precious than silver or gold, or diamonds, or anything. Every shudder and sigh of pain was priceless to make payment for sin.
Therefore, the life and death of Christ are the true rendering to God what belongs to God. Christ gave to His Father what needed to be paid, His holy, sinless life.
But it does not only count for Him. When you were baptized, God placed the image of Christ on you. That changes everything about your life. Now God does not see the broken image that is in you and broken works, but He sees only the perfect image of God that Christ gave you. When He looks at your life, He sees a life of perfect obedience rendered to Him. He sees no sins. He sees only the unbroken image of Christ. For when God looks at us through the shed blood of Jesus, it is as if we had never sinned—“clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone,” made faultless to stand before God’s throne.
Our entire life is now an offering made acceptable in God's sight. God receives everything we do as the proper rendering to Him. That’s why St. Paul could say that whatever we do, in word or deed, we are to do it for God’s glory. Paul even went so far, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write to the Roman Christians and to us that we are to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. When we sacrifice for Him, whether in pain or persecution or in the offering plate, God sees it as immaculately holy works done in His own image. Even though our thoughts and actions are still stained by sin, yet the image of Christ lifts us up as an offering without any blemish or impurity, holy and accept able to God, which is our spiritual worship. We sadly note that the Pharisees and Herodians were not willing to do this. Yes, they marveled when they heard Jesus’ answer to their supposedly tricky question, but they left Him and went away. May our response not mirror theirs. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” May we only walk hand in hand with Jesus. As one poet put it--
Lord, take my hand and lead me Upon life’s way;
Direct, protect, and feed me From day nto day.
Without Your grace and favor I go astray;
So take my hand, O Savior, and lead the way.
Lord, when the shadows lengthen And night has come,
I know that You will strength My steps toward home.
Then nothing can impede me, O blessed Friend;
So take my hand and lead me Unto the end.
As we continue on our life’s journey under the cross of Christ, may we always remember that the final judgment has already been declared for us. We don’t need to wait for the last Day. We are already judged righteous in Christ, whose image covers us. When we arrive at the pearly gates on that glorious and wonderful Day, we will walk straight in, since we are fully dressed in clothing whiter than snow, richer than the clothing of any earthly king. For we are dressed in the image of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in whose glorious presence we shall live in joy and peace, forever and ever.
Give to God the things that are God’s. Live as a forgiven child of the King for we were bought with a price, that we might be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as Jesus is risen from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true, for it is the only way that brings us life now, and forever. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 24A)--22 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
God of our salvation, You deliver Your Son’s work through Your Word in power and in the Holy Spirit. Strengthen the Church’s pastors to proclaim Your truth. Increase the faith of all who hear, that they may respond in love, steadfast in their hope. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all truth, from the rising of the sun to its setting, You make known Your salvation in Christ. Bless fathers and mothers as they teach their children Your Word and Your ways. Let them know that there is no God besides You and so rejoice in Your faithfulness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God our Father, You appointed Cyrus as Your instrument to return Your people to Jerusalem. Uphold the authorities of our nation in wisdom and integrity, that we might live in peace with a good conscience. Grant that they would make salutary use of the taxes we render, and lead us to recognize them as Your instruments, honoring them as You command. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, our help comes from You, who made heaven and earth. You preserve our life. Have mercy on [_____________ and] all who are afflicted. Keep them from all evil and shade them from all harm. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, guard those who travel. Keep their going out and their coming in. Protect them from every trouble, prosper their journey according to Your will and make their homecomings joyful. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
True and living God, You have turned us from idols to serve You and live. As we await Your Son’s return in glory, grant that we would faithfully receive Him at this altar with repentance and joy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
839 “O Christ, Our True and Only Light”
1 O Christ, our true and only light,
Enlighten those who sit in night;
Let those afar now hear Your voice
And in Your fold with us rejoice.
2 Fill with the radiance of Your grace
The souls now lost in error’s maze;
Enlighten those whose inmost minds
Some dark delusion haunts and blinds.
3 O gently call those gone astray
That they may find the saving way!
Let ev’ry conscience sore oppressed
In You find peace and heav’nly rest.
4 Shine on the darkened and the cold;
Recall the wand’rers to Your fold.
Unite all those who walk apart;
Confirm the weak and doubting heart,
5 That they with us may evermore
Such grace with wond’ring thanks adore
And endless praise to You be giv’n
By all Your Church in earth and heav’n.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 781 “We Give Thee But Thine Own”
1 We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
2 May we Thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive
And gladly, as Thou blessest us,
To Thee our firstfruits give!
3 Oh, hearts are bruised and dead,
And homes are bare and cold,
And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled
Are straying from the fold.
4 To comfort and to bless,
To find a balm for woe,
To tend the lone and fatherless
Is angels’ work below.
5 The captive to release,
To God the lost to bring,
To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christ-like thing.
6 And we believe Thy Word,
Though dim our faith may be:
Whate’er for Thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto Thee.
Text: William W. How, 1823–97
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Annoucements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishin
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 15, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
A WORSHIP COMMITTEE meeting is scheduled for TODAY following Adult Bible Class.
A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting will be held on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here. ALSO at 10 a.m., there will be a WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY on Zoom.
TRUNK OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 15, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 692 “Praise to You and Adoration”
1 Praise to You and adoration,
Blessèd Jesus, Son of God,
Who, to serve Your own creation,
Came to share our flesh and blood.
Guide me that I never may
From Your fold or pastures stray,
But with zeal and joy exceeding
Follow where Your steps are leading.
2 Hold me ever in Your keeping;
Comfort me in pain and strife.
In my laughter and my weeping
Be with me throughout my life.
Give me greater love for You,
And my faith and hope renew
In Your birth, Your life, and passion,
In Your death and resurrection.
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; (st. 1): tr. Kristen Kvamme, 1866–1938, alt.; (st. 2): tr. Christian Worship, 1993
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 146:2, Isaiah 61:10
P I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, You invite us to trust in You for our salvation. Deal with us not in the severity of Your judgment but by the greatness of Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 25:6–9
6On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
9It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The Lord is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for- | ever.
Epistle Philippians 4:4–13
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:1–14
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1Again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ 5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For many are called, but few are chosen.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn: 510 “A Multitude Comes from the East and the West”
1 A multitude comes from the east and the west
To sit at the feast of salvation
With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the blest,
Obeying the Lord’s invitation.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
2 O God, let us hear when our Shepherd shall call
In accents persuasive and tender,
That while there is time we make haste, one and all,
And find Him, our mighty defender.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
3 All trials shall be like a dream that is past,
Forgotten all trouble and mourning.
All questions and doubts have been answered at last,
When rises the light of that morning.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
4 The heavens shall ring with an anthem more grand
Than ever on earth was recorded.
The blest of the Lord shall receive at His hand
The crown to the victors awarded.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
Text: Magnus Brostrup Landstad, 1802–80; tr. Peer O. Strömme, 1856–1921, adapt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Wedding Feast” Matthew 22:1-14
The Wedding Feast – Matthew 22:1-14
Today's Gospel is still part of the conversation that began when the high priests and elders asked Jesus about His authority. It is probably Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus continued to use parables as He taught. This time, the parable is about a royal wedding. The traditions of first century royal weddings are very different from our modern traditions. One of the ways to understand a text like this is to imagine the same customs as they might happen in our time and place. So, imagine a first century Israeli wedding transplanted into the 21st century. And you are there.
One day, a special courier shows up at your home with an invitation from the royal family. The king and queen would like you and your family to attend the wedding of the prince. The courier explains that you and your family will spend ten days as royal guests. The courier waits for your reply and you say, "Yes, of course!" Then you and your spouse get out your appointment books and re-arrange your calendars so that you can attend.
The day arrives and a limousine arrives for you and your family. The chauffeur seems a little nervous. You ask what's wrong and he tells you that some of his friends were killed when they went to pick up some of the other guests. The king sent his guards to arrest the murderers and hold them for trial. Why would people kill a chauffeur when all he wants to do is escort them to a once in a lifetime event? Thankfully, the limo takes you to the airport. A private jet takes you to the royal airport. Another limo takes you to the wedding hall. The wedding hall staff escorts you to a luxury suite for you and your family. Even though it has been an exciting day, you and your family are exhausted. Soon, everyone is off to bed and asleep.
The next morning, after breakfast, a very familiar looking man approaches you. "Good morning," He says, "I hope you had a good breakfast. My name is Giorgio. The king has commissioned me to supervise the wardrobe of his guests." He then motioned to a woman standing next to him, and said, "This is Sarah. If the ladies in your party would follow her, and the gentlemen would follow me, we will introduce you to our staffs who will prepare the clothing you will wear at the celebration." You suddenly realize that Sarah is the same Sarah Burton who designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress, and Giorgio is Giorgio Armani. The king is giving you wedding clothes designed specifically for you by two of the most famous fashion designers in the world.
A few days later, all is ready. Servants arrive in your suite to work on your appearance. It's like a morning at the spa. They work on your hair, give you manicures, pedicures, and so forth. About noon, other servants bring your new wardrobe and help you get dressed. You and your family look like a million bucks. You are ready to go to the wedding.
The wedding is everything that a royal wedding can be. The prince is dashing. His bride is gorgeous. The king and queen are elegant. There are orchestras, choirs, a pipe organ of course, and all the clergy of the land in attendance.
After the wedding, there is a marvelous reception. World class chefs have prepared their best food. The best wine of the royal vineyard is there. The best musicians of the land take their turn in the dance hall. It is all marvelous. As you take in the sights and the sounds around you, you wonder how it was that you and your family were so blessed to be in this place at this time.
Suddenly, there is a disturbance. You hear the king shout, "Guards! Detain this man!" As you move to get a better view, you see a man standing before the king and he is definitely not wearing Armani. Amidst all the elegance of this wedding celebration, the man looks very shabby. Then the king said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' (Matthew 22:12) Although the king had given clothes to everyone and commissioned some of the best fashion designers in the world to design those clothes, this man was wearing casual street clothes. What an insult to the king and his generosity. The king had the man arrested and taken away.
That is how someone might tell the parable if it happened today instead of back in the first century. The big difference is the emphasis on clothing and fashion in the 21st century version. When Jesus first told this parable, he was talking to people who knew that a king always provided special wedding clothes for his guests. When a king held a royal wedding, he not only provided lodging and food for his guests, but he provided special clothes for them as well. Jesus did not have to mention it because everyone who heard him knew that this is how it was done.
So what does this parable have to teach us today? It is very easy for us to look through the pages of the Old Testament and see the many ways that people rejected the prophets. We hear how the people put the prophets in prison, drove them out of their homes, and put them to death, and we rightly condemn such activity. We hear that of the original twelve apostles, only John died of old age. All the others died martyrs' deaths. We wonder at such cruelty and once again, condemn it. It is very easy to point a finger of condemnation at people who lived long ago and far away, but what about you and me. What does Jesus say to us today?
You are gathered in the king's wedding hall right now. The smallest chapel … the largest cathedral … they are places where God comes to be with His people. This is the place of the wedding feast of the lamb that John described in Revelation. Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Revelation 19:6-9)
The man who refused to wear the king's clothes is a warning to you and me today. The king condemned him because he refused the king's clothes. How are we dressed?
Imagine what this man had to do to get into the wedding hall without the right clothes. When he arrived, the servants of the king came to him and offered to clean him up and heal his wounds. They offered him clothing that was just the right style for the feast. They wanted to give him everything he needed to fully enjoy the wedding banquet of the king. The servants offered it all and he refused. He insisted on doing things his way instead of the king's way. He insisted on wearing his clothes instead of the king's clothes. He entered the wedding hall, but rejected the gifts of the king.
God wants to remove the filthy fashion of sin and clothe you in the heavenly style the robes of Christ's righteousness. Hear the words that the Lord gave to Isaiah and that we read earlier in the Introit. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
The righteousness of Christ is a very expensive style. Jesus had to buy this style with His holy, precious blood, and His innocent suffering and death. When Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross, He washed away your sin and covered you with the righteousness of His holy life. The righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only style that is elegant enough for eternal life. It is the only style that you can wear to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sadly, Jesus teaches that there are those who reject the style of heaven. Jesus says that there will always be some in the banquet hall of heaven who insist on wearing their own clothes their clothes of arrogance, narcissism, self-righteousness, adultery, hatred, and so forth. The old sinful nature insists that he is good enough. He has no sin. He does not need the heavenly style of the righteousness of Christ. His style is just fine. "Besides," the old sinful nature will say, "A loving god doesn't really send people to hell."
Jesus tells it differently. The party crasher may have been able to fool the servants, but the servants are not the ultimate judge. We must all stand before almighty God. There is but one verdict for those who trust themselves and refuse the clothing of the righteousness of Christ. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 22:13) Those who reject Christ, reject salvation. Those who in any way depend on their own efforts for even the smallest fraction of their salvation will meet the king and He will order them out of the wedding hall.
“The king said to his servants, 'Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'” (Matthew 22:8-9) It is a different story for these. The Holy Spirit works through His precious gifts to bring them to the wedding hall and wash away all their sins. He covers them with the righteousness of Christ, the righteousness earned on the cross. The day will come when they, like Christ, will rise from the dead and enter the wedding feast of the Lamb. There they will receive the fulfillment of today's Old Testament lesson:
“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:6-8) They will rejoice at the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23A)--15 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly King, Your Son, Jesus Christ, purchased the Church with His precious blood. Preserve her in the pure teaching of Your Word, in the right use of the Sacraments and in the unity of the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You send out Your invitation that all who believe in Your Son should take their seats at His feast. By the proclamation of Your Church, gather many, however evil they may be, to repent and fill Your eternal banquet hall. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, bless all families and the homes in which our people dwell. Grant grace to husbands and wives, that they may fulfill their vocations to one another and to their children. Grant also that, as a family, they may faithfully teach and learn the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, keep the coming of Your Son always at the forefront of heart and mind, that subject for His sake to the fleeting powers of this world, we may live in continual godliness and the peace that passes all understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King for whom we wait, You promise to wipe away the tears from all faces. Bless [_____________ and] all who weep here, that at the last they may be comforted, restored and received into the banquet of heaven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You have prepared a table before us in the midst of those who refuse Your invitation. Keep Your Church unstained by the world, that we may partake of our Lord’s Supper worthily, clothed in His baptismal grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, give us such joy in pursuing what is true, just, pure and worthy of praise that, spurning the temptations of this world, we would suffer no anxiety. Let our trust be placed fully in Christ and let our hope rest in the life of the world to come; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
516 “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying”
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: Public domain
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 830 “Spread the Reign of God the Lord”
1 Spread the reign of God the Lord,
Spoken, written, mighty Word;
Ev’rywhere His creatures call
To His heav’nly banquet hall.
2 Tell how God the Father’s will
Made the world, upholds it still,
How His own dear Son He gave
Us from sin and death to save.
3 Tell of our Redeemer’s grace,
Who, to save our human race
And to pay rebellion’s price,
Gave Himself as sacrifice.
4 Tell of God the Spirit giv’n
Now to guide us on to heav’n,
Strong and holy, just and true,
Working both to will and do.
5 Enter, mighty Word, the field;
Ripe the promise of its yield.
But the reapers, oh, how few
For the work there is to do!
6 Lord of harvest, great and kind,
Rouse to action heart and mind;
Let the gath’ring nations all
See Your light and heed Your call.
Text: Jonathan Friedrich Bahnmaier, 1774–1841; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost – October 15, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
A WORSHIP COMMITTEE meeting is scheduled for TODAY following Adult Bible Class.
A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting will be held on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here. ALSO at 10 a.m., there will be a WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY on Zoom.
TRUNK OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
October 15, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 692 “Praise to You and Adoration”
1 Praise to You and adoration,
Blessèd Jesus, Son of God,
Who, to serve Your own creation,
Came to share our flesh and blood.
Guide me that I never may
From Your fold or pastures stray,
But with zeal and joy exceeding
Follow where Your steps are leading.
2 Hold me ever in Your keeping;
Comfort me in pain and strife.
In my laughter and my weeping
Be with me throughout my life.
Give me greater love for You,
And my faith and hope renew
In Your birth, Your life, and passion,
In Your death and resurrection.
Text: Thomas Hansen Kingo, 1634–1703; (st. 1): tr. Kristen Kvamme, 1866–1938, alt.; (st. 2): tr. Christian Worship, 1993
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 146:2, Isaiah 61:10
P I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, You invite us to trust in You for our salvation. Deal with us not in the severity of Your judgment but by the greatness of Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 25:6–9
6On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
8He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
9It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 23
1The Lord is my | shepherd;*
I | shall not want.
2He makes me lie down in green | pastures.*
He leads me beside still | waters.
3He re- | stores my soul.*
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his | name’s sake.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are | with me;*
your rod and your staff, they | comfort me.
5You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my | enemies;*
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup | overflows.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days | of my life,*
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for- | ever.
Epistle Philippians 4:4–13
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 22:1–14
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-second chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1Again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’ 5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14For many are called, but few are chosen.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn: 510 “A Multitude Comes from the East and the West”
1 A multitude comes from the east and the west
To sit at the feast of salvation
With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the blest,
Obeying the Lord’s invitation.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
2 O God, let us hear when our Shepherd shall call
In accents persuasive and tender,
That while there is time we make haste, one and all,
And find Him, our mighty defender.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
3 All trials shall be like a dream that is past,
Forgotten all trouble and mourning.
All questions and doubts have been answered at last,
When rises the light of that morning.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
4 The heavens shall ring with an anthem more grand
Than ever on earth was recorded.
The blest of the Lord shall receive at His hand
The crown to the victors awarded.
Have mercy upon us, O Jesus!
Text: Magnus Brostrup Landstad, 1802–80; tr. Peer O. Strömme, 1856–1921, adapt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Wedding Feast” Matthew 22:1-14
The Wedding Feast – Matthew 22:1-14
Today's Gospel is still part of the conversation that began when the high priests and elders asked Jesus about His authority. It is probably Tuesday of Holy Week. Jesus continued to use parables as He taught. This time, the parable is about a royal wedding. The traditions of first century royal weddings are very different from our modern traditions. One of the ways to understand a text like this is to imagine the same customs as they might happen in our time and place. So, imagine a first century Israeli wedding transplanted into the 21st century. And you are there.
One day, a special courier shows up at your home with an invitation from the royal family. The king and queen would like you and your family to attend the wedding of the prince. The courier explains that you and your family will spend ten days as royal guests. The courier waits for your reply and you say, "Yes, of course!" Then you and your spouse get out your appointment books and re-arrange your calendars so that you can attend.
The day arrives and a limousine arrives for you and your family. The chauffeur seems a little nervous. You ask what's wrong and he tells you that some of his friends were killed when they went to pick up some of the other guests. The king sent his guards to arrest the murderers and hold them for trial. Why would people kill a chauffeur when all he wants to do is escort them to a once in a lifetime event? Thankfully, the limo takes you to the airport. A private jet takes you to the royal airport. Another limo takes you to the wedding hall. The wedding hall staff escorts you to a luxury suite for you and your family. Even though it has been an exciting day, you and your family are exhausted. Soon, everyone is off to bed and asleep.
The next morning, after breakfast, a very familiar looking man approaches you. "Good morning," He says, "I hope you had a good breakfast. My name is Giorgio. The king has commissioned me to supervise the wardrobe of his guests." He then motioned to a woman standing next to him, and said, "This is Sarah. If the ladies in your party would follow her, and the gentlemen would follow me, we will introduce you to our staffs who will prepare the clothing you will wear at the celebration." You suddenly realize that Sarah is the same Sarah Burton who designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress, and Giorgio is Giorgio Armani. The king is giving you wedding clothes designed specifically for you by two of the most famous fashion designers in the world.
A few days later, all is ready. Servants arrive in your suite to work on your appearance. It's like a morning at the spa. They work on your hair, give you manicures, pedicures, and so forth. About noon, other servants bring your new wardrobe and help you get dressed. You and your family look like a million bucks. You are ready to go to the wedding.
The wedding is everything that a royal wedding can be. The prince is dashing. His bride is gorgeous. The king and queen are elegant. There are orchestras, choirs, a pipe organ of course, and all the clergy of the land in attendance.
After the wedding, there is a marvelous reception. World class chefs have prepared their best food. The best wine of the royal vineyard is there. The best musicians of the land take their turn in the dance hall. It is all marvelous. As you take in the sights and the sounds around you, you wonder how it was that you and your family were so blessed to be in this place at this time.
Suddenly, there is a disturbance. You hear the king shout, "Guards! Detain this man!" As you move to get a better view, you see a man standing before the king and he is definitely not wearing Armani. Amidst all the elegance of this wedding celebration, the man looks very shabby. Then the king said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' (Matthew 22:12) Although the king had given clothes to everyone and commissioned some of the best fashion designers in the world to design those clothes, this man was wearing casual street clothes. What an insult to the king and his generosity. The king had the man arrested and taken away.
That is how someone might tell the parable if it happened today instead of back in the first century. The big difference is the emphasis on clothing and fashion in the 21st century version. When Jesus first told this parable, he was talking to people who knew that a king always provided special wedding clothes for his guests. When a king held a royal wedding, he not only provided lodging and food for his guests, but he provided special clothes for them as well. Jesus did not have to mention it because everyone who heard him knew that this is how it was done.
So what does this parable have to teach us today? It is very easy for us to look through the pages of the Old Testament and see the many ways that people rejected the prophets. We hear how the people put the prophets in prison, drove them out of their homes, and put them to death, and we rightly condemn such activity. We hear that of the original twelve apostles, only John died of old age. All the others died martyrs' deaths. We wonder at such cruelty and once again, condemn it. It is very easy to point a finger of condemnation at people who lived long ago and far away, but what about you and me. What does Jesus say to us today?
You are gathered in the king's wedding hall right now. The smallest chapel … the largest cathedral … they are places where God comes to be with His people. This is the place of the wedding feast of the lamb that John described in Revelation. Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure” for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." (Revelation 19:6-9)
The man who refused to wear the king's clothes is a warning to you and me today. The king condemned him because he refused the king's clothes. How are we dressed?
Imagine what this man had to do to get into the wedding hall without the right clothes. When he arrived, the servants of the king came to him and offered to clean him up and heal his wounds. They offered him clothing that was just the right style for the feast. They wanted to give him everything he needed to fully enjoy the wedding banquet of the king. The servants offered it all and he refused. He insisted on doing things his way instead of the king's way. He insisted on wearing his clothes instead of the king's clothes. He entered the wedding hall, but rejected the gifts of the king.
God wants to remove the filthy fashion of sin and clothe you in the heavenly style the robes of Christ's righteousness. Hear the words that the Lord gave to Isaiah and that we read earlier in the Introit. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)
The righteousness of Christ is a very expensive style. Jesus had to buy this style with His holy, precious blood, and His innocent suffering and death. When Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross, He washed away your sin and covered you with the righteousness of His holy life. The righteousness of Jesus Christ is the only style that is elegant enough for eternal life. It is the only style that you can wear to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sadly, Jesus teaches that there are those who reject the style of heaven. Jesus says that there will always be some in the banquet hall of heaven who insist on wearing their own clothes their clothes of arrogance, narcissism, self-righteousness, adultery, hatred, and so forth. The old sinful nature insists that he is good enough. He has no sin. He does not need the heavenly style of the righteousness of Christ. His style is just fine. "Besides," the old sinful nature will say, "A loving god doesn't really send people to hell."
Jesus tells it differently. The party crasher may have been able to fool the servants, but the servants are not the ultimate judge. We must all stand before almighty God. There is but one verdict for those who trust themselves and refuse the clothing of the righteousness of Christ. Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 22:13) Those who reject Christ, reject salvation. Those who in any way depend on their own efforts for even the smallest fraction of their salvation will meet the king and He will order them out of the wedding hall.
“The king said to his servants, 'Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'” (Matthew 22:8-9) It is a different story for these. The Holy Spirit works through His precious gifts to bring them to the wedding hall and wash away all their sins. He covers them with the righteousness of Christ, the righteousness earned on the cross. The day will come when they, like Christ, will rise from the dead and enter the wedding feast of the Lamb. There they will receive the fulfillment of today's Old Testament lesson:
“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:6-8) They will rejoice at the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 23A)--15 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly King, Your Son, Jesus Christ, purchased the Church with His precious blood. Preserve her in the pure teaching of Your Word, in the right use of the Sacraments and in the unity of the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You send out Your invitation that all who believe in Your Son should take their seats at His feast. By the proclamation of Your Church, gather many, however evil they may be, to repent and fill Your eternal banquet hall. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, bless all families and the homes in which our people dwell. Grant grace to husbands and wives, that they may fulfill their vocations to one another and to their children. Grant also that, as a family, they may faithfully teach and learn the faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, keep the coming of Your Son always at the forefront of heart and mind, that subject for His sake to the fleeting powers of this world, we may live in continual godliness and the peace that passes all understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King for whom we wait, You promise to wipe away the tears from all faces. Bless [_____________ and] all who weep here, that at the last they may be comforted, restored and received into the banquet of heaven. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, You have prepared a table before us in the midst of those who refuse Your invitation. Keep Your Church unstained by the world, that we may partake of our Lord’s Supper worthily, clothed in His baptismal grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly King, give us such joy in pursuing what is true, just, pure and worthy of praise that, spurning the temptations of this world, we would suffer no anxiety. Let our trust be placed fully in Christ and let our hope rest in the life of the world to come; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
516 “Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying”
1 “Wake, awake, for night is flying,”
The watchmen on the heights are crying;
“Awake, Jerusalem, arise!”
Midnight hears the welcome voices
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
“Oh, where are ye, ye virgins wise?
The Bridegroom comes, awake!
Your lamps with gladness take!
Alleluia!
With bridal care
Yourselves prepare
To meet the Bridegroom, who is near.”
2 Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom.
For her Lord comes down all-glorious,
The strong in grace, in truth victorious;
Her star is ris’n, her light is come.
Now come, Thou Blessèd One,
Lord Jesus, God’s own Son,
Hail! Hosanna!
We enter all
The wedding hall
To eat the Supper at Thy call.
3 Now let all the heav’ns adore Thee,
Let saints and angels sing before Thee
With harp and cymbals’ clearest tone.
Of one pearl each shining portal,
Where, joining with the choir immortal,
We gather round Thy radiant throne.
No eye has seen the light,
No ear has heard the might
Of Thy glory;
Therefore will we
Eternally
Sing hymns of praise and joy to Thee!
Text: tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; Philipp Nicolai, 1556–1608
Text: Public domain
626 “Come, Let Us Eat”
1 Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread,
Come, let us eat, for now the feast is spread.
Our Lord’s body let us take together,
Our Lord’s body let us take together.
2 Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured,
Come, let us drink, for now the wine is poured.
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together,
Jesus’ blood poured let us drink together.
3 In His presence now we meet and rest,
In His presence now we meet and rest.
In the presence of our Lord we gather,
In the presence of our Lord we gather.
4 Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word,
Rise, then, to spread abroad God’s mighty Word.
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom,
Jesus risen will bring in the Kingdom.
Text (sts. 1–3): tr. Margaret D. Miller, 1927, alt.; (sts. 1–3): Billema Kwillia, 1925; (st. 4): Gilbert E. Doan, 1930, alt.
Text (sts. 1–3): © Lutheran World Federation; (st. 4): © 1972 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 830 “Spread the Reign of God the Lord”
1 Spread the reign of God the Lord,
Spoken, written, mighty Word;
Ev’rywhere His creatures call
To His heav’nly banquet hall.
2 Tell how God the Father’s will
Made the world, upholds it still,
How His own dear Son He gave
Us from sin and death to save.
3 Tell of our Redeemer’s grace,
Who, to save our human race
And to pay rebellion’s price,
Gave Himself as sacrifice.
4 Tell of God the Spirit giv’n
Now to guide us on to heav’n,
Strong and holy, just and true,
Working both to will and do.
5 Enter, mighty Word, the field;
Ripe the promise of its yield.
But the reapers, oh, how few
For the work there is to do!
6 Lord of harvest, great and kind,
Rouse to action heart and mind;
Let the gath’ring nations all
See Your light and heed Your call.
Text: Jonathan Friedrich Bahnmaier, 1774–1841; tr. composite
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 8, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNK OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
A WORSHIP COMMITTEE meeting is scheduled for next Sunday following Adult Bible Class.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to Him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 8, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 567 “Not What These Hands Have Done”
1 Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
2 Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
3 Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
4 Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.
5 Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
6 I bless the Christ of God,
I rest on love divine,
And with unfalt’ring lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please Stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 118:1, 22–24
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Kyrie
“This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Gracious God, You gave Your Son into the hands of sinful men who killed Him. Forgive us when we reject Your unfailing love, and grant us the fullness of Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 5:1–7
1Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
5And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry!
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 80:7–19
7Restore us, O | God of hosts;*
let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
8You brought a vine out of | Egypt;*
you drove out the nations and | planted it.
9You cleared the | ground for it;*
it took deep root and | filled the land.
10The mountains were covered | with its shade,*
the mighty cedars with its | branches.
11It sent out its branches | to the sea*
and its shoots to the | River.
12Why then have you broken | down its walls,*
so that all who pass along the way | pluck its fruit?
13The boar from the forest rav- | ages it,*
and all that move in the field | feed on it.
14Turn again, O | God of hosts!*
Look down from | heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15the stock that your right hand | planted,*
and for the son whom you made strong | for yourself.
16They have burned it with fire; they have | cut it down;*
may they perish at the rebuke | of your face!
17But let your hand be on the man of your | right hand,*
the son of man whom you have made strong | for yourself!
18Then we shall not turn | back from you;*
give us life, and we will call up- | on your name!
19Restore us, O Lord | God of hosts!*
Let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
Epistle Philippians 3:4b–14
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. 7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 21:33–46
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-first chapter.
33[Jesus said:] “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Grace for All” Matthew 21:33-46
Grace for All – Matthew 21:33-46
Last week, we heard about an encounter between Jesus and the chief priests and the elders. It was Holy Week. On the first day of the week, Jesus rode a donkey from the Mount of Olives to the temple while the Passover pilgrims praised him. Then he chased the merchants and money-changers out of the temple. After that, He healed some people. When Jesus returned to the temple to teach, the chief priests and the elders were waiting to check Him out. When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23) Jesus responded with a question of His own, “The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25) The temple authorities were afraid to answer Jesus’ question and so Jesus declined to answer their question. This is where last week’s reading came to an end.
However, just because last week’s reading came to an end, that does not mean that Jesus stopped talking to the chief priests and the elders. Jesus continued to speak with them and about them. The reading we just heard is just one of the parables that Jesus told while He was in the temple that day.
Keep a few things in the back of your mind as we go through this parable. Many of the events represented in the parable would happen in less than a week. In a few days, Judas will betray Jesus. In less than a week, Jesus will suffer, die on the cross, and rise from the dead. The chief priests and the elders were already having secret talks about how to destroy Jesus. Jesus knew that this was coming when He told this story.
Jesus painted a word picture for His listeners. He said, “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. (Matthew 21:33–34) The setup for this parable is very familiar territory. No doubt many of the Passover Pilgrims who listened to Jesus had seen vineyards just like the one in this parable. His listeners would be very familiar with the idea of renting land for a share of the crops it produced. There may even have been vineyard owners and workers listening to Jesus when He told the parable
Within the context of this parable, the landowner represented God. The vineyard represented Israel. The many details involved in the planting of the vineyard … the fence, the tower, the winepress, and so forth show that God has blessed Israel with all it needs to thrive and grow. The tenants represent the spiritual leadership of the nation. In the current circumstances, that would be chief priests and the elders of the people … the same people who asked about Jesus’ authority. The servants who came to collect the crop would be God’s servants … especially His prophets. The fruit they expected would be repentance and faith.
After Jesus setup the backdrop of the parable, He started making His point. “The tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.” (Matthew 21:35) The tenants turn out to be violent, insane criminals. There is no sense to what they are doing. Only the most stupid arrogance would believe it could get away with such a crime.
This sentence represents the violent history of Israel towards God’s prophets and other servants. The writer to the Hebrews describes the life of the prophet very well. “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Hebrews 11:35–38) Israel’s history toward the prophets was one of unbelieving rebellion, violence, and torture.
Under these circumstances, the landowner had the right to punish these tenants with death, and that is exactly what the ordinary landowner would do. However, the landowner in the parable is not ordinary. “Again, he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.” (Matthew 21:36)
Here Jesus illustrated the incredible mercy and grace of God. Instead of judging Israel and destroying it, God sent more prophets. This teaching is consistent with the words God gave to Ezekiel. “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11) God offered life to Israel. Nevertheless, God’s prophets continued to suffer cruel violence.
At this point the landowner in the parable did something insane. “Finally, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’” (Matthew 21:37) Given the history of these tenants, no earthly landowner would do this. An earthly landowner might send his son at the head of an army with orders to destroy the tenants, but he would never send his son to collect the fruit of the vineyard.
The amazing thing is that Jesus was teaching about Himself at this point in the parable. He Himself is the Son of God. He has come just as the prophets came before Him. The parable is about the person who first told it.
As Jesus continued, the tenants reveal the extent of their insanity. When the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. (Matthew 21:38–39) Who in their right mind would believe that they could become the heirs to an estate by killing the current heir to the estate? To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a legal system in the history of the world that would allow such a thing.
Nevertheless, this parable is eerily accurate in its detail. The tenants threw the son out of the vineyard before they killed him. In a similar manner, Roman soldiers will lead Jesus out of Jerusalem and crucify Him. The parable illustrates the events that will happen to Jesus by the end of the week.
Jesus closed the parable by asking His hearers to judge the tenants in the parable. “When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” (Matthew 21:40–41) The judgment is death. The owner will kill the tenants and replace them with faithful people. There is a hot place in hell for those who violate the precious trust God has placed in their hands and do not repent. This parable is terrifying in its judgment.
The sad thing about this parable is that it is God’s intent to make all people fellow heirs with Christ as the Apostle Paul said: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:16–17) So, within the context of the parable, it was the landowner’s intent to make the tenants heirs with His son. The landowner intended to freely give them the very thing that they tried to take by violence. The insanity of their evil not only caused them to lose this gift, but their lives as well. They could have had it all, but they lost it all instead.
The parable in today’s Gospel is a true tragedy. It ends with a dead son and damned tenants. Jesus was not satisfied with this ending so He followed it with a quote from Psalm 118. Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’” (Matthew 21:42) With these words Jesus made it clear that the fate of those in the parable need not be our fate.
Just as the rejected stone became the corner stone so Jesus Himself did not remain rejected. Although Jesus died in rejection, He did not remain in the grave. He rose from the dead to become the cornerstone upon which the church depends.
Under God’s grace, even the evil tenants need not be damned. It would not surprise me at all if some of those who voted to crucify Jesus later repented. It would not surprise me at all if they heard the preaching of the Apostles and received the gift of faith from the Holy Spirit. It would not surprise me at all if they, through that gift of faith in the one whom they crucified, were now in heaven praising God.
God’s grace is for all. He wants to give it to us freely for the sake of the perfect life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If we insist that God must save us on our terms, then we shall follow the example of the wicked tenants in the parable. When God has His way, we will die in Christ and follow Him. We will not remain in the grave, but will rise from the dead just as Christ rose. We are already Sons of the living God. Jesus has placed His righteousness in our hearts and we will live with him forever. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22A)--8 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, You have planted, nurtured and hedged around Your vineyard, the Church. You sent Your dear Son to give His life for her. Inspire her by Your Holy Spirit to yield much fruit for Your kingdom and grant that many find shelter on her holy hill. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, since Your Son has made us His own by His death, grant that we may share in His sufferings with confidence, and that we may also know the power of His resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, grant all orphans a safe place in which to grow and thrive. Bring into their lives generous couples who will open their hearts to give them permanent homes through adoption. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Shine Your light upon us, O Lord, that we may do what is good and right and live as faithful citizens in our nation. Bless Joseph, our president; _____________, our governor; and all those elected and appointed to make, administer and judge our laws. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Divine Vinedresser, You prune those whom You love. Strengthen our hearts to heed Your Law, that we may never presume to sin nor trust in our own deeds, but look to the rainfall of Your grace for our source of life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You bring forth from this barren earth a holy people to press forward to Your heavenly goal. Direct our zeal toward Your good and gracious purpose, and prosper the work of the hands that labor in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, prepare our hearts to receive the Lord’s body and blood in this Holy Supper. Strengthen us in faith and renew us in love by this Holy Communion. Bring us at last with all the saints to dwell in Your everlasting presence. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You sing the song of Your love over the vineyard of Your Church. Lift her united voice through Your Spirit, that she in turn would freely praise Your lavish grace and proclaim Your salvation beyond her walls; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 161
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
617 “O Lord, We Praise Thee”
1 O Lord, we praise Thee, bless Thee, and adore Thee,
In thanksgiving bow before Thee.
Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish
Our weak souls that they may flourish:
O Lord, have mercy!
May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary,
That our sins and sorrows did carry,
And Thy blood for us plead
In all trial, fear, and need:
O Lord, have mercy!
2 Thy holy body into death was given,
Life to win for us in heaven.
No greater love than this to Thee could bind us;
May this feast thereof remind us!
O Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid;
Peace with God once more is made:
O Lord, have mercy!
3 May God bestow on us His grace and favor
That we follow Christ our Savior
And live together here in love and union
Nor despise this blest Communion!
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us;
Grant that heav’nly-minded He make us;
Give Thy Church, Lord, to see
Days of peace and unity:
O Lord, have mercy!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 14th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
568 “If Your Beloved Son, O God”
1 If Your belovèd Son, O God,
Had not to earth descended
And in our mortal flesh and blood
Had not sin’s power ended,
Then this poor, wretched soul of mine
In hell eternally would pine
Because of my transgression.
2 But now I find sweet peace and rest;
Despair no more reigns o’er me.
No more am I by sin oppressed,
For Christ has borne sin for me.
Upon the cross for me He died
That, reconciled, I might abide
With You, my God, forever.
3 I trust in Him with all my heart;
Now all my sorrow ceases.
His words abiding peace impart;
His blood from guilt releases.
Free grace through Him I now obtain;
He washes me from ev’ry stain,
And pure I stand before Him.
4 All righteousness by works is vain;
The Law brings condemnation.
True righteousness by faith I gain;
Christ’s work is my salvation.
His death, that perfect sacrifice,
Has paid the all-sufficient price;
In Him my hope is anchored.
D 5 My guilt, O Father, You have laid
On Christ, Your Son, my Savior.
Lord Jesus, You my debt have paid
And gained for me God’s favor.
O Holy Spirit, Fount of grace,
The good in me to You I trace;
In faith and hope preserve me.
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (sts. 1–4): Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; (st. 5): Neu-vermehrtes . . . Gesangbuch, 1661, Braunschweig
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 647 “Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s Head”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s head,
You are her one foundation;
In You she trusts, before You bows,
And waits for Your salvation.
Built on this rock secure,
Your Church shall endure
Though all the world decay
And all things pass away.
O hear, O hear us, Jesus!
2 O Lord, let this Your little flock,
Your name alone confessing,
Continue in Your loving care,
True unity possessing.
Your sacraments, O Lord,
And Your saving Word
To us, Lord, pure retain.
Grant that they may remain
Our only strength and comfort.
3 Help us to serve You evermore
With hearts both pure and lowly;
And may Your Word, that light divine,
Shine on in splendor holy
That we repentance show,
In faith ever grow;
The pow’r of sin destroy
And evils that annoy.
O make us faithful Christians.
4 And for Your Gospel let us dare
To sacrifice all treasure;
Teach us to bear Your blessèd cross,
To find in You all pleasure.
O grant us steadfastness
In joy and distress,
Lest we, Lord, You forsake.
Let us by grace partake
Of endless joy and gladness.
Text: Johann Mentzer, 1658–1734; tr. William J. Schaefer, 1891–1976, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 8, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Ted Smith,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
TRUNK OF TREATS FALL FESTIVAL is scheduled for Monday, October 30th from 5 – 7 p.m. It will be held in the upper parking lot and playground. Please speak with Barb Whitley for more information and if you would like to volunteer to help. Wrapped candy and/or money to help purchase Christian books are welcome.
A WORSHIP COMMITTEE meeting is scheduled for next Sunday following Adult Bible Class.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to Him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 8, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 567 “Not What These Hands Have Done”
1 Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
2 Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
3 Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
4 Thy love to me, O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest
And set my spirit free.
5 Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy pow’r alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
6 I bless the Christ of God,
I rest on love divine,
And with unfalt’ring lip and heart
I call this Savior mine.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please Stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 118:1, 22–24
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Kyrie
“This Is the Feast”
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Gracious God, You gave Your Son into the hands of sinful men who killed Him. Forgive us when we reject Your unfailing love, and grant us the fullness of Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 5:1–7
1Let me sing for my beloved
my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
3And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
4What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?
5And now I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge,
and it shall be devoured;
I will break down its wall,
and it shall be trampled down.
6I will make it a waste;
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
and briers and thorns shall grow up;
I will also command the clouds
that they rain no rain upon it.
7For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry!
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 80:7–19
7Restore us, O | God of hosts;*
let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
8You brought a vine out of | Egypt;*
you drove out the nations and | planted it.
9You cleared the | ground for it;*
it took deep root and | filled the land.
10The mountains were covered | with its shade,*
the mighty cedars with its | branches.
11It sent out its branches | to the sea*
and its shoots to the | River.
12Why then have you broken | down its walls,*
so that all who pass along the way | pluck its fruit?
13The boar from the forest rav- | ages it,*
and all that move in the field | feed on it.
14Turn again, O | God of hosts!*
Look down from | heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
15the stock that your right hand | planted,*
and for the son whom you made strong | for yourself.
16They have burned it with fire; they have | cut it down;*
may they perish at the rebuke | of your face!
17But let your hand be on the man of your | right hand,*
the son of man whom you have made strong | for yourself!
18Then we shall not turn | back from you;*
give us life, and we will call up- | on your name!
19Restore us, O Lord | God of hosts!*
Let your face shine, that we | may be saved!
Epistle Philippians 3:4b–14
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. 7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
12Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 21:33–46
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twenty-first chapter.
33[Jesus said:] “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 544 “O Love, How Deep”
1 O love, how deep, how broad, how high,
Beyond all thought and fantasy,
That God, the Son of God, should take
Our mortal form for mortals’ sake!
2 He sent no angel to our race,
Of higher or of lower place,
But wore the robe of human frame,
And to this world Himself He came.
3 For us baptized, for us He bore
His holy fast and hungered sore;
For us temptation sharp He knew;
For us the tempter overthrew.
4 For us He prayed; for us He taught;
For us His daily works He wrought,
By words and signs and actions thus
Still seeking not Himself but us.
5 For us by wickedness betrayed,
For us, in crown of thorns arrayed,
He bore the shameful cross and death;
For us He gave His dying breath.
6 For us He rose from death again;
For us He went on high to reign;
For us He sent His Spirit here
To guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.
D 7 All glory to our Lord and God
For love so deep, so high, so broad;
The Trinity whom we adore
Forever and forevermore.
Text: attr. Thomas à Kempis, 1380–1471; tr. Benjamin Webb, 1819–85, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Grace for All” Matthew 21:33-46
Grace for All – Matthew 21:33-46
Last week, we heard about an encounter between Jesus and the chief priests and the elders. It was Holy Week. On the first day of the week, Jesus rode a donkey from the Mount of Olives to the temple while the Passover pilgrims praised him. Then he chased the merchants and money-changers out of the temple. After that, He healed some people. When Jesus returned to the temple to teach, the chief priests and the elders were waiting to check Him out. When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23) Jesus responded with a question of His own, “The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25) The temple authorities were afraid to answer Jesus’ question and so Jesus declined to answer their question. This is where last week’s reading came to an end.
However, just because last week’s reading came to an end, that does not mean that Jesus stopped talking to the chief priests and the elders. Jesus continued to speak with them and about them. The reading we just heard is just one of the parables that Jesus told while He was in the temple that day.
Keep a few things in the back of your mind as we go through this parable. Many of the events represented in the parable would happen in less than a week. In a few days, Judas will betray Jesus. In less than a week, Jesus will suffer, die on the cross, and rise from the dead. The chief priests and the elders were already having secret talks about how to destroy Jesus. Jesus knew that this was coming when He told this story.
Jesus painted a word picture for His listeners. He said, “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. (Matthew 21:33–34) The setup for this parable is very familiar territory. No doubt many of the Passover Pilgrims who listened to Jesus had seen vineyards just like the one in this parable. His listeners would be very familiar with the idea of renting land for a share of the crops it produced. There may even have been vineyard owners and workers listening to Jesus when He told the parable
Within the context of this parable, the landowner represented God. The vineyard represented Israel. The many details involved in the planting of the vineyard … the fence, the tower, the winepress, and so forth show that God has blessed Israel with all it needs to thrive and grow. The tenants represent the spiritual leadership of the nation. In the current circumstances, that would be chief priests and the elders of the people … the same people who asked about Jesus’ authority. The servants who came to collect the crop would be God’s servants … especially His prophets. The fruit they expected would be repentance and faith.
After Jesus setup the backdrop of the parable, He started making His point. “The tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.” (Matthew 21:35) The tenants turn out to be violent, insane criminals. There is no sense to what they are doing. Only the most stupid arrogance would believe it could get away with such a crime.
This sentence represents the violent history of Israel towards God’s prophets and other servants. The writer to the Hebrews describes the life of the prophet very well. “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Hebrews 11:35–38) Israel’s history toward the prophets was one of unbelieving rebellion, violence, and torture.
Under these circumstances, the landowner had the right to punish these tenants with death, and that is exactly what the ordinary landowner would do. However, the landowner in the parable is not ordinary. “Again, he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.” (Matthew 21:36)
Here Jesus illustrated the incredible mercy and grace of God. Instead of judging Israel and destroying it, God sent more prophets. This teaching is consistent with the words God gave to Ezekiel. “As I live, declares the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11) God offered life to Israel. Nevertheless, God’s prophets continued to suffer cruel violence.
At this point the landowner in the parable did something insane. “Finally, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’” (Matthew 21:37) Given the history of these tenants, no earthly landowner would do this. An earthly landowner might send his son at the head of an army with orders to destroy the tenants, but he would never send his son to collect the fruit of the vineyard.
The amazing thing is that Jesus was teaching about Himself at this point in the parable. He Himself is the Son of God. He has come just as the prophets came before Him. The parable is about the person who first told it.
As Jesus continued, the tenants reveal the extent of their insanity. When the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. (Matthew 21:38–39) Who in their right mind would believe that they could become the heirs to an estate by killing the current heir to the estate? To the best of my knowledge, there has never been a legal system in the history of the world that would allow such a thing.
Nevertheless, this parable is eerily accurate in its detail. The tenants threw the son out of the vineyard before they killed him. In a similar manner, Roman soldiers will lead Jesus out of Jerusalem and crucify Him. The parable illustrates the events that will happen to Jesus by the end of the week.
Jesus closed the parable by asking His hearers to judge the tenants in the parable. “When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” (Matthew 21:40–41) The judgment is death. The owner will kill the tenants and replace them with faithful people. There is a hot place in hell for those who violate the precious trust God has placed in their hands and do not repent. This parable is terrifying in its judgment.
The sad thing about this parable is that it is God’s intent to make all people fellow heirs with Christ as the Apostle Paul said: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:16–17) So, within the context of the parable, it was the landowner’s intent to make the tenants heirs with His son. The landowner intended to freely give them the very thing that they tried to take by violence. The insanity of their evil not only caused them to lose this gift, but their lives as well. They could have had it all, but they lost it all instead.
The parable in today’s Gospel is a true tragedy. It ends with a dead son and damned tenants. Jesus was not satisfied with this ending so He followed it with a quote from Psalm 118. Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’” (Matthew 21:42) With these words Jesus made it clear that the fate of those in the parable need not be our fate.
Just as the rejected stone became the corner stone so Jesus Himself did not remain rejected. Although Jesus died in rejection, He did not remain in the grave. He rose from the dead to become the cornerstone upon which the church depends.
Under God’s grace, even the evil tenants need not be damned. It would not surprise me at all if some of those who voted to crucify Jesus later repented. It would not surprise me at all if they heard the preaching of the Apostles and received the gift of faith from the Holy Spirit. It would not surprise me at all if they, through that gift of faith in the one whom they crucified, were now in heaven praising God.
God’s grace is for all. He wants to give it to us freely for the sake of the perfect life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. If we insist that God must save us on our terms, then we shall follow the example of the wicked tenants in the parable. When God has His way, we will die in Christ and follow Him. We will not remain in the grave, but will rise from the dead just as Christ rose. We are already Sons of the living God. Jesus has placed His righteousness in our hearts and we will live with him forever. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 22A)--8 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, You have planted, nurtured and hedged around Your vineyard, the Church. You sent Your dear Son to give His life for her. Inspire her by Your Holy Spirit to yield much fruit for Your kingdom and grant that many find shelter on her holy hill. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Father, since Your Son has made us His own by His death, grant that we may share in His sufferings with confidence, and that we may also know the power of His resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, grant all orphans a safe place in which to grow and thrive. Bring into their lives generous couples who will open their hearts to give them permanent homes through adoption. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Shine Your light upon us, O Lord, that we may do what is good and right and live as faithful citizens in our nation. Bless Joseph, our president; _____________, our governor; and all those elected and appointed to make, administer and judge our laws. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Divine Vinedresser, You prune those whom You love. Strengthen our hearts to heed Your Law, that we may never presume to sin nor trust in our own deeds, but look to the rainfall of Your grace for our source of life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, You bring forth from this barren earth a holy people to press forward to Your heavenly goal. Direct our zeal toward Your good and gracious purpose, and prosper the work of the hands that labor in Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, prepare our hearts to receive the Lord’s body and blood in this Holy Supper. Strengthen us in faith and renew us in love by this Holy Communion. Bring us at last with all the saints to dwell in Your everlasting presence. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, You sing the song of Your love over the vineyard of Your Church. Lift her united voice through Your Spirit, that she in turn would freely praise Your lavish grace and proclaim Your salvation beyond her walls; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who, having created all things, took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. For our sake He died on the cross and rose from the dead to put an end to death, thus fulfilling Your will and gaining for You a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 161
Prayer of Thanksgiving LSB 161
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
617 “O Lord, We Praise Thee”
1 O Lord, we praise Thee, bless Thee, and adore Thee,
In thanksgiving bow before Thee.
Thou with Thy body and Thy blood didst nourish
Our weak souls that they may flourish:
O Lord, have mercy!
May Thy body, Lord, born of Mary,
That our sins and sorrows did carry,
And Thy blood for us plead
In all trial, fear, and need:
O Lord, have mercy!
2 Thy holy body into death was given,
Life to win for us in heaven.
No greater love than this to Thee could bind us;
May this feast thereof remind us!
O Lord, have mercy!
Lord, Thy kindness did so constrain Thee
That Thy blood should bless and sustain me.
All our debt Thou hast paid;
Peace with God once more is made:
O Lord, have mercy!
3 May God bestow on us His grace and favor
That we follow Christ our Savior
And live together here in love and union
Nor despise this blest Communion!
O Lord, have mercy!
Let not Thy good Spirit forsake us;
Grant that heav’nly-minded He make us;
Give Thy Church, Lord, to see
Days of peace and unity:
O Lord, have mercy!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 14th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
568 “If Your Beloved Son, O God”
1 If Your belovèd Son, O God,
Had not to earth descended
And in our mortal flesh and blood
Had not sin’s power ended,
Then this poor, wretched soul of mine
In hell eternally would pine
Because of my transgression.
2 But now I find sweet peace and rest;
Despair no more reigns o’er me.
No more am I by sin oppressed,
For Christ has borne sin for me.
Upon the cross for me He died
That, reconciled, I might abide
With You, my God, forever.
3 I trust in Him with all my heart;
Now all my sorrow ceases.
His words abiding peace impart;
His blood from guilt releases.
Free grace through Him I now obtain;
He washes me from ev’ry stain,
And pure I stand before Him.
4 All righteousness by works is vain;
The Law brings condemnation.
True righteousness by faith I gain;
Christ’s work is my salvation.
His death, that perfect sacrifice,
Has paid the all-sufficient price;
In Him my hope is anchored.
D 5 My guilt, O Father, You have laid
On Christ, Your Son, my Savior.
Lord Jesus, You my debt have paid
And gained for me God’s favor.
O Holy Spirit, Fount of grace,
The good in me to You I trace;
In faith and hope preserve me.
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (sts. 1–4): Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; (st. 5): Neu-vermehrtes . . . Gesangbuch, 1661, Braunschweig
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 647 “Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s Head”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, the Church’s head,
You are her one foundation;
In You she trusts, before You bows,
And waits for Your salvation.
Built on this rock secure,
Your Church shall endure
Though all the world decay
And all things pass away.
O hear, O hear us, Jesus!
2 O Lord, let this Your little flock,
Your name alone confessing,
Continue in Your loving care,
True unity possessing.
Your sacraments, O Lord,
And Your saving Word
To us, Lord, pure retain.
Grant that they may remain
Our only strength and comfort.
3 Help us to serve You evermore
With hearts both pure and lowly;
And may Your Word, that light divine,
Shine on in splendor holy
That we repentance show,
In faith ever grow;
The pow’r of sin destroy
And evils that annoy.
O make us faithful Christians.
4 And for Your Gospel let us dare
To sacrifice all treasure;
Teach us to bear Your blessèd cross,
To find in You all pleasure.
O grant us steadfastness
In joy and distress,
Lest we, Lord, You forsake.
Let us by grace partake
Of endless joy and gladness.
Text: Johann Mentzer, 1658–1734; tr. William J. Schaefer, 1891–1976, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 1, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
+ + + + +
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER? "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" - Penn Jillette, Atheist
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 1, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 909 “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation”
1 Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ, our head and cornerstone,
Chosen of the Lord and precious,
Binding all the Church in one;
Holy Zion’s help forever
And our confidence alone.
2 To this temple, where we call You,
Come, O Lord of hosts, and stay;
Come with all Your loving-kindness,
Hear Your people as they pray;
And Your fullest benediction
Shed within these walls today.
3 Grant, we pray, to all Your faithful
All the gifts they ask to gain;
What they gain from You, forever
With the blessèd to retain;
And hereafter in Your glory
Evermore with You to reign.
D 4 Praise and honor to the Father,
Praise and honor to the Son,
Praise and honor to the Spirit,
Ever three and ever one:
One in might and one in glory
While unending ages run!
Text: Latin, c. 8th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 18:1–4, 25–32
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 18.
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. . . .
25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Philippians 2:1–4, 14–18
L A reading from Philippians, chapter 2.
1If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. . . .
14Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Matthew 21:23–27
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 21.
23When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 345 “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”
1 Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
All you children of the day!”
2 Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3 See, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiv’n;
4 So, when next He comes in glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
And with words of love draw near.
D 5 Honor, glory, might, dominion
To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
While eternal ages run!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “By What Authority?” Matthew 21:23-27
By What Authority? – Matthew 21:23-27
The problem with dividing the Bible up into readings for Sunday mornings is that, from time-to-time, the reading for a given Sunday picks up in the middle of things. In this morning’s Gospel, we heard that the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to [Jesus] as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23) What things are the chief priests and the elders of the people concerned about? What has Jesus been doing that has them so concerned? Some context would be helpful.
The conversation recorded in today’s Gospel happened during Holy Week. On the first day of this week, Jesus rode toward Jerusalem on a donkey to the praises of the Passover pilgrims. And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:10–11) Then, Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. (Matthew 21:12) And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. (Matthew 21:14) After all that excitement on the first day of the week, the chief priests and the elders wanted a word with Jesus. So when Jesus returned to the temple and began to teach, they were waiting for Him.
Now we need to be careful what we say about these men at this point in the reading. After all, they are the chief priests and the elders … the men who were responsible for the day to day activity in the temple. It was their calling to make sure that things were done decently and in order. They were responsible for making sure that the activity on the temple grounds conformed to the Law of Moses. So, we cannot fault them for wanting to make sure that Jesus had the authority to do what He did. They were fulfilling their calling when they came up to [Jesus] as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23) We can question their motives for asking Jesus about His authority, but, from an outward viewpoint, they are doing what the temple authorities are supposed to do.
Jesus responded to their question with a question of His own. “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:24–25) This was not an evasion. It was a traditional response. Many rabbis responded to questions with questions. In fact, Jesus did something quite clever. The answer to both questions is the same. John pointed to Jesus, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) If John’s authority is from heaven, then Jesus’ authority is also from heaven.
Jesus’ question exposed the true nature of these men. They discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” (Matthew 21:25–26) This discussion exposed the hearts of these men. They are not interested in the truth. They don’t care what the right answer is. Their main concern is their image in the eyes of the crowd. Instead of following the laws of Moses and honoring the truth, these temple authorities honor their own agenda. Their God is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but their own agenda is their God.
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” (Matthew 21:27) In their stubborn unbelief, they refuse to admit that either John or Jesus received their authority from heaven. At the same time, their cowardice prevents them from confessing their unbelief before the crowds. They concluded that the appearance of the ignorant fool was better than admitting the truth.
When the chief priests and the elders refused to answer Jesus’ question, they gave up their right to an answer from Jesus. Even if Jesus gave them the correct answer, they would refuse to accept it. [Jesus] said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:27)
The question that Jesus asked exposed the inner thoughts of the chief priests and the elders. It is still a good question to ask today. “The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25) This question is valid for much more than the Baptism of John. What about Jesus? Is He from heaven or merely human? What about the Bible? Is it from heaven or from man? What about Baptism … the Lord’s Supper … Absolution? We can ask this question about these things and more? What thoughts do these questions expose in you and me?
I have heard interviews with people who became members of the Lutheran church as teenagers or adults. Many of them said that there were several parts of the liturgy that made them uncomfortable at first.
One of those parts was the Absolution that came near the beginning of the service. By what authority does the pastor say, “I forgive you all your sins?” It would make sense if the pastor said, “I forgive the sins that you have committed against me.” But how can the pastor forgive all sin?
Then there is that bit in the second part of the service. The pastor gave a piece of generic looking unleavened bread to some of the members and said, “The Body of Christ … given for you.” Then he gave them a sip of some common table wine and said, “The Blood of Christ … shed for you.” By what authority does the pastor say that? It doesn’t look like body and blood. What is that all about?
In both cases, the answer is simple to say. I teach the answer in Catechism class. How do we know that these things are from heaven? Because Jesus promised!
Shortly before He ascended into heaven Jesus came and said to [the disciples], “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20) These words teach us that Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. These words instruct the church to baptize and teach. These words promise the eternal, real presence of the Christ, and since the Christ is now both God and man, this is the eternal, real presence of both the divine and human nature of our Lord.
When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the evening of His resurrection, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23) With these words, our Lord gave the authority to forgive sins to His church. He also gave the authority to withhold forgiveness from those who refuse to repent. Then He instituted the office of the holy ministry to publicly execute this promise on behalf of the church.
The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and St. Paul write: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also he took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” Our Lord has given us His promise that whenever we celebrate this sacrament according to His command, He will somehow place His body in the bread, and His blood in the wine.
In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9, RSV) With these words, Jesus gives us the authority to pray. And He even gives us the authority to call God our Father.
We have complete certainty in these and all the other gifts that we have because Jesus promised, and Jesus keeps His promises. We know that Jesus keeps His promises because He kept the greatest promise. He said, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18–19) Jesus kept this promise and earned the forgiveness of sins for the entire world. He also demonstrated that not even the combined power of sin, death, and the devil can stop Him from keeping His promises.
Christ on the cross is the authority that stands behind every gift that Jesus has given to His church. Every word of Holy Scripture is reliable and certain. The forgiveness He speaks is authoritative; the sins he forgives are forgiven! The Sacraments he gives to his Church truly deliver forgiveness, life, and salvation. When the ministers faithfully preach God’s Word, the hearers hear Christ.
Christ is the ultimate authority. He is the kingdom of heaven incarnate. The authority of His promise guarantees eternal life to all who believe. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost--1 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Merciful Lord, You founded Your Church upon the proclamation of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Purify the tongues of Your servants, that the tongues of the wicked may be silenced. Turn them from their evil ways, that their sins may be washed away. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, encourage us by Your Holy Spirit, that we may not lose heart. Make us to be of one mind and will, that we may serve You with gladness, doing the works of Your kingdom here and throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, sustain all fathers, mothers and children; husbands and wives; friends and neighbors; laborers and employers; and teachers and students. Enable us all to serve our neighbors in godly vocations, delighting in the Lord’s lovingkindness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, all the might of man is nothing before You, yet You have appointed earthly realms and rulers to punish evil and honor good. Give us faithful leaders who will serve honorably and well. Bless also those who serve in the armed forces to defend us and protect our liberty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, grant the encouragement of Christ and the comfort of His love to those who suffer [especially _____________]. In every affliction, prove Yourself a ready and worthy Savior, especially to those who believe. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, the name of Jesus stands above all names. Before it we bow our knees and confess Him as Lord and God. Inspire in us true devotion and worship as we approach His altar to receive our humble Savior in these humble means of bread and wine for our salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, in You there is no shadow due to change. Enkindle Your divine light in us, that we may stand united as Christ’s own body, holding fast to the word of life and shining brightly in the midst of this world’s darkness; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
696 “O God, My Faithful God”
1 O God, my faithful God,
True fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing:
Give me a healthy frame,
And may I have within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unstained by sin.
2 Grant me the strength to do
With ready heart and willing
Whatever You command,
My calling here fulfilling;
That I do what I should
While trusting You to bless
The outcome for my good,
For You must give success.
3 Keep me from saying words
That later need recalling;
Guard me lest idle speech
May from my lips be falling;
But when within my place
I must and ought to speak,
Then to my words give grace
Lest I offend the weak.
4 Lord, let me win my foes
With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends
For counsel and correction.
Help me, as You have taught,
To love both great and small
And by Your Spirit’s might
To live in peace with all.
5 Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
By grace receive my soul
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting place
Within a Christian grave;
And let it sleep in peace.
6 And on that final day
When all the dead are waking,
Stretch out Your mighty hand,
My deathly slumber breaking.
Then let me hear Your voice,
Redeem this earthly frame,
And bid me to rejoice
With those who love Your name.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
637 “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured;
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim and Himself the priest.
2 He who His saints in this world rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields;
With heav’nly bread He makes the hungry whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.
3 Come forward then with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the pledges of salvation here.
O Lord, our hearts with grateful thanks endow
As in this feast of love You bless us now.
Text: Latin, 7th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, You exalted Your Son to the place of all honor and authority. Enlighten our minds by Your Holy Spirit that, confessing Jesus as Lord, we may be led into all truth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 857 “Lord, Help Us Walk Your Servant Way”
1 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
2 You came to earth, O Christ, as Lord,
But pow’r You laid aside.
You lived Your years in servanthood;
In lowliness You died.
3 No golden scepter but a towel
You place within the hands
Of those who seek to follow You
And live by Your commands.
4 You bid us bend our human pride
Nor count ourselves above
The lowest place, the meanest task
That waits the gift of love.
5 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost – October 1, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Oroville Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
A mountain climber is caught in an avalanche. An eight-foot jump over a crevasse will save his life. Taking a mighty run, he soars seven and a half feet. Almost! A doctor performs surgery on a young man with a cancerous tumor. He succeeds in removing 99.5 percent of it. Almost! A hotel is on fire. A woman jumps 400 feet and misses the net below by only 4 feet. Almost! A fast jetliner climbs to clear a 12,000-foot mountain. By the time it comes to the mountain it has already reached the altitude of 11,950 feet. Almost! But almost doesn't count.
May we urge people not to put off their day of grace. Simply agreeing with us or just thinking about it isn't going to do any good whatever. Coming close does no good, but repenting of sin and believing in Jesus as Savior does. We need to share the entire verse. In Mark 16:16 Jesus promises, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." And then add, "Please, believe Jesus. He is God. He is truthful. And He loves you." This is very important: for more information carefully read Romans 3.
+ + + + +
HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER? "How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?" - Penn Jillette, Atheist
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
October 1, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 909 “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation”
1 Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ, our head and cornerstone,
Chosen of the Lord and precious,
Binding all the Church in one;
Holy Zion’s help forever
And our confidence alone.
2 To this temple, where we call You,
Come, O Lord of hosts, and stay;
Come with all Your loving-kindness,
Hear Your people as they pray;
And Your fullest benediction
Shed within these walls today.
3 Grant, we pray, to all Your faithful
All the gifts they ask to gain;
What they gain from You, forever
With the blessèd to retain;
And hereafter in Your glory
Evermore with You to reign.
D 4 Praise and honor to the Father,
Praise and honor to the Son,
Praise and honor to the Spirit,
Ever three and ever one:
One in might and one in glory
While unending ages run!
Text: Latin, c. 8th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Ezekiel 18:1–4, 25–32
L A reading from Ezekiel, chapter 18.
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel. 4Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. . . .
25“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? 26When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. 27Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. 28Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 29Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just?
30“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, declares the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. 31Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Philippians 2:1–4, 14–18
L A reading from Philippians, chapter 2.
1If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. . . .
14Do all things without grumbling or questioning, 15that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Matthew 21:23–27
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 21.
23When [Jesus] entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 345 “Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding”
1 Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
All you children of the day!”
2 Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3 See, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiv’n;
4 So, when next He comes in glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
And with words of love draw near.
D 5 Honor, glory, might, dominion
To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
While eternal ages run!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “By What Authority?” Matthew 21:23-27
By What Authority? – Matthew 21:23-27
The problem with dividing the Bible up into readings for Sunday mornings is that, from time-to-time, the reading for a given Sunday picks up in the middle of things. In this morning’s Gospel, we heard that the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to [Jesus] as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23) What things are the chief priests and the elders of the people concerned about? What has Jesus been doing that has them so concerned? Some context would be helpful.
The conversation recorded in today’s Gospel happened during Holy Week. On the first day of this week, Jesus rode toward Jerusalem on a donkey to the praises of the Passover pilgrims. And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.” (Matthew 21:10–11) Then, Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. (Matthew 21:12) And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. (Matthew 21:14) After all that excitement on the first day of the week, the chief priests and the elders wanted a word with Jesus. So when Jesus returned to the temple and began to teach, they were waiting for Him.
Now we need to be careful what we say about these men at this point in the reading. After all, they are the chief priests and the elders … the men who were responsible for the day to day activity in the temple. It was their calling to make sure that things were done decently and in order. They were responsible for making sure that the activity on the temple grounds conformed to the Law of Moses. So, we cannot fault them for wanting to make sure that Jesus had the authority to do what He did. They were fulfilling their calling when they came up to [Jesus] as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23) We can question their motives for asking Jesus about His authority, but, from an outward viewpoint, they are doing what the temple authorities are supposed to do.
Jesus responded to their question with a question of His own. “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:24–25) This was not an evasion. It was a traditional response. Many rabbis responded to questions with questions. In fact, Jesus did something quite clever. The answer to both questions is the same. John pointed to Jesus, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29) If John’s authority is from heaven, then Jesus’ authority is also from heaven.
Jesus’ question exposed the true nature of these men. They discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” (Matthew 21:25–26) This discussion exposed the hearts of these men. They are not interested in the truth. They don’t care what the right answer is. Their main concern is their image in the eyes of the crowd. Instead of following the laws of Moses and honoring the truth, these temple authorities honor their own agenda. Their God is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but their own agenda is their God.
So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” (Matthew 21:27) In their stubborn unbelief, they refuse to admit that either John or Jesus received their authority from heaven. At the same time, their cowardice prevents them from confessing their unbelief before the crowds. They concluded that the appearance of the ignorant fool was better than admitting the truth.
When the chief priests and the elders refused to answer Jesus’ question, they gave up their right to an answer from Jesus. Even if Jesus gave them the correct answer, they would refuse to accept it. [Jesus] said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Matthew 21:27)
The question that Jesus asked exposed the inner thoughts of the chief priests and the elders. It is still a good question to ask today. “The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25) This question is valid for much more than the Baptism of John. What about Jesus? Is He from heaven or merely human? What about the Bible? Is it from heaven or from man? What about Baptism … the Lord’s Supper … Absolution? We can ask this question about these things and more? What thoughts do these questions expose in you and me?
I have heard interviews with people who became members of the Lutheran church as teenagers or adults. Many of them said that there were several parts of the liturgy that made them uncomfortable at first.
One of those parts was the Absolution that came near the beginning of the service. By what authority does the pastor say, “I forgive you all your sins?” It would make sense if the pastor said, “I forgive the sins that you have committed against me.” But how can the pastor forgive all sin?
Then there is that bit in the second part of the service. The pastor gave a piece of generic looking unleavened bread to some of the members and said, “The Body of Christ … given for you.” Then he gave them a sip of some common table wine and said, “The Blood of Christ … shed for you.” By what authority does the pastor say that? It doesn’t look like body and blood. What is that all about?
In both cases, the answer is simple to say. I teach the answer in Catechism class. How do we know that these things are from heaven? Because Jesus promised!
Shortly before He ascended into heaven Jesus came and said to [the disciples], “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20) These words teach us that Jesus has all authority in heaven and earth. These words instruct the church to baptize and teach. These words promise the eternal, real presence of the Christ, and since the Christ is now both God and man, this is the eternal, real presence of both the divine and human nature of our Lord.
When Jesus appeared to the disciples on the evening of His resurrection, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23) With these words, our Lord gave the authority to forgive sins to His church. He also gave the authority to withhold forgiveness from those who refuse to repent. Then He instituted the office of the holy ministry to publicly execute this promise on behalf of the church.
The holy Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and St. Paul write: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.” In the same way also he took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” Our Lord has given us His promise that whenever we celebrate this sacrament according to His command, He will somehow place His body in the bread, and His blood in the wine.
In the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, “Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” (Matthew 6:9, RSV) With these words, Jesus gives us the authority to pray. And He even gives us the authority to call God our Father.
We have complete certainty in these and all the other gifts that we have because Jesus promised, and Jesus keeps His promises. We know that Jesus keeps His promises because He kept the greatest promise. He said, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18–19) Jesus kept this promise and earned the forgiveness of sins for the entire world. He also demonstrated that not even the combined power of sin, death, and the devil can stop Him from keeping His promises.
Christ on the cross is the authority that stands behind every gift that Jesus has given to His church. Every word of Holy Scripture is reliable and certain. The forgiveness He speaks is authoritative; the sins he forgives are forgiven! The Sacraments he gives to his Church truly deliver forgiveness, life, and salvation. When the ministers faithfully preach God’s Word, the hearers hear Christ.
Christ is the ultimate authority. He is the kingdom of heaven incarnate. The authority of His promise guarantees eternal life to all who believe. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost--1 October 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Merciful Lord, You founded Your Church upon the proclamation of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Purify the tongues of Your servants, that the tongues of the wicked may be silenced. Turn them from their evil ways, that their sins may be washed away. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, encourage us by Your Holy Spirit, that we may not lose heart. Make us to be of one mind and will, that we may serve You with gladness, doing the works of Your kingdom here and throughout the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, sustain all fathers, mothers and children; husbands and wives; friends and neighbors; laborers and employers; and teachers and students. Enable us all to serve our neighbors in godly vocations, delighting in the Lord’s lovingkindness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, all the might of man is nothing before You, yet You have appointed earthly realms and rulers to punish evil and honor good. Give us faithful leaders who will serve honorably and well. Bless also those who serve in the armed forces to defend us and protect our liberty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, grant the encouragement of Christ and the comfort of His love to those who suffer [especially _____________]. In every affliction, prove Yourself a ready and worthy Savior, especially to those who believe. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, the name of Jesus stands above all names. Before it we bow our knees and confess Him as Lord and God. Inspire in us true devotion and worship as we approach His altar to receive our humble Savior in these humble means of bread and wine for our salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, in You there is no shadow due to change. Enkindle Your divine light in us, that we may stand united as Christ’s own body, holding fast to the word of life and shining brightly in the midst of this world’s darkness; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
696 “O God, My Faithful God”
1 O God, my faithful God,
True fountain ever flowing,
Without whom nothing is,
All perfect gifts bestowing:
Give me a healthy frame,
And may I have within
A conscience free from blame,
A soul unstained by sin.
2 Grant me the strength to do
With ready heart and willing
Whatever You command,
My calling here fulfilling;
That I do what I should
While trusting You to bless
The outcome for my good,
For You must give success.
3 Keep me from saying words
That later need recalling;
Guard me lest idle speech
May from my lips be falling;
But when within my place
I must and ought to speak,
Then to my words give grace
Lest I offend the weak.
4 Lord, let me win my foes
With kindly words and actions,
And let me find good friends
For counsel and correction.
Help me, as You have taught,
To love both great and small
And by Your Spirit’s might
To live in peace with all.
5 Let me depart this life
Confiding in my Savior;
By grace receive my soul
That it may live forever;
And let my body have
A quiet resting place
Within a Christian grave;
And let it sleep in peace.
6 And on that final day
When all the dead are waking,
Stretch out Your mighty hand,
My deathly slumber breaking.
Then let me hear Your voice,
Redeem this earthly frame,
And bid me to rejoice
With those who love Your name.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
637 “Draw Near and Take the Body of the Lord”
1 Draw near and take the body of the Lord,
And drink the holy blood for you outpoured;
Offered was He for greatest and for least,
Himself the victim and Himself the priest.
2 He who His saints in this world rules and shields,
To all believers life eternal yields;
With heav’nly bread He makes the hungry whole,
Gives living waters to the thirsting soul.
3 Come forward then with faithful hearts sincere,
And take the pledges of salvation here.
O Lord, our hearts with grateful thanks endow
As in this feast of love You bless us now.
Text: Latin, 7th cent.; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, You exalted Your Son to the place of all honor and authority. Enlighten our minds by Your Holy Spirit that, confessing Jesus as Lord, we may be led into all truth; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 857 “Lord, Help Us Walk Your Servant Way”
1 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
2 You came to earth, O Christ, as Lord,
But pow’r You laid aside.
You lived Your years in servanthood;
In lowliness You died.
3 No golden scepter but a towel
You place within the hands
Of those who seek to follow You
And live by Your commands.
4 You bid us bend our human pride
Nor count ourselves above
The lowest place, the meanest task
That waits the gift of love.
5 Lord, help us walk Your servant way
Wherever love may lead
And, bending low, forgetting self,
Each serve the other’s need.
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 24, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Howard
Holman, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
A QUOTE TO PONDER:
Some scholars today suggest that Jesus didn’t plan to go to the cross. They picture Jesus as a revolutionary with a dream, a vision of peace and brotherhood, who got cut down in His prime by His enemies. For these scholars, the cross is the end of the story. The Gospel is a tragedy, not a romance. God sees things differently. From God’s perspective, the cross stands at the very center of His story about saving people from their sin. Without the cross there could be no forgiveness for anyone. Everyone would face an eternity of God’s righteous anger. God’s justice requires payment for sin, and the payment the Law requires is a person’s life. The cross has always been God’s plan for saving people.--taken from a Concordia Publishing House LifeLight Study on the Gospel of John.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Corvette or a Civic, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 24, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 555 “Salvation unto Us Has Come” sts. 1-5
1 Salvation unto us has come
By God’s free grace and favor;
Good works cannot avert our doom,
They help and save us never.
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
Who did for all the world atone;
He is our one Redeemer.
2 What God did in His Law demand
And none to Him could render
Caused wrath and woe on ev’ry hand
For man, the vile offender.
Our flesh has not those pure desires
The spirit of the Law requires,
And lost is our condition.
3 It was a false, misleading dream
That God His Law had given
That sinners could themselves redeem
And by their works gain heaven.
The Law is but a mirror bright
To bring the inbred sin to light
That lurks within our nature.
4 From sin our flesh could not abstain,
Sin held its sway unceasing;
The task was useless and in vain,
Our guilt was e’er increasing.
None can remove sin’s poisoned dart
Or purify our guileful heart--
So deep is our corruption.
5 Yet as the Law must be fulfilled
Or we must die despairing,
Christ came and has God’s anger stilled,
Our human nature sharing.
He has for us the Law obeyed
And thus the Father’s vengeance stayed
Which over us impended.
Text: Paul Speratus, 1484–1551; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 116:12–13, 15–17
P I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. What shall I render to the LORD for all his bene- fits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Lord God, heavenly Father, since we cannot stand before You relying on anything we have done, help us trust in Your abiding grace and live according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 55:6–9
6“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung] Psalm 27:1–9
1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom | shall I fear?*
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I | be afraid?
2When evildoers assail me
to eat | up my flesh,*
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stum- | ble and fall.
3Though an army encamp against me,
my heart | shall not fear;*
though war arise against me,
yet I will be | confident.
4One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek | after:*
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his | temple.
5For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of | trouble;*
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high up- | on a rock.
6And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with | shouts of joy;*
I will sing and make melody | to the LORD.
7Hear, O LORD, when I | cry aloud;*
be gracious to me and | answer me!
8You have said, | “Seek my face.”*
My heart says to you,
“Your face, LORD, | do I seek.”
9Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in | anger,*
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my sal- | vation!
Epistle Philippians 1:12–14, 19–30
12I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. . . .
19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 20:1–16
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twentieth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first last.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 826 “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying”
1 Hark, the voice of Jesus crying,
“Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting--
Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calleth;
Rich reward He offers thee.
Who will answer, gladly saying,
“Here am I, send me, send me”?
2 If you cannot speak like angels,
If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
You can say He died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked
With the judgment’s dread alarms,
You can lead the little children
To the Savior’s waiting arms.
3 If you cannot be a watchman,
Standing high on Zion’s wall,
Pointing out the path to heaven,
Off’ring life and peace to all,
With your prayers and with your bounties
You can do what God commands;
You can be like faithful Aaron,
Holding up the prophet’s hands.
4 Let none hear you idly saying,
“There is nothing I can do,”
While the multitudes are dying
And the Master calls for you.
Take the task He gives you gladly,
Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calleth,
“Here am I, send me, send me!”
Text (sts. 1–2, 4): Daniel March, 1816–1909, alt.; (st. 3): unknown, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Fair Is Fair” Matthew 20:1-16
Fair Is Fair – Matthew 20:1-16
The Gospel you recently heard is part of a longer teaching. Jesus has basically been teaching that everyone who enters the kingdom of God does so by a miracle of God. He has recently taught that the chances of a rich person entering heaven are not even as good as the chances of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. When we understand that the culture of the day believed that rich people were especially favored by God, then we understand that Jesus was saying that no one has a chance. He then went on to say, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) With these words we learn that our entry into the kingdom of God is a miracle.
Then Jesus went on to say something else that is contrary to our understanding. He said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30) Jesus then illustrated this with the parable we heard in today’s Gospel.
Jesus used the story of a man who needed laborers, a common situation in most cultures. At the time Jesus told this story, there was usually a market at the city gates. Workers who wished to labor for a wage gathered at the market and offered their services. A man who needed workers in his vineyard went to the marketplace and hired people to work in his vineyard. Apparently, the work was urgent and needed many laborers. The owner of the vineyard visited the marketplace several times during the day to hire more laborers. It is likely that most of those who listened to Jesus had been laborers in the marketplace at one time or another. At first, there is nothing unusual about the story.
The first sign that the vineyard owner might not be normal comes near the end of the day. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ (Matthew 20:6–7) It was very unusual to hire someone at this late hour. By the time the workers traveled to the vineyard and got their instructions and training from the foreman, the day will be over. Those hired at the eleventh hour might not have time to do any work at all. This is the first sign that the vineyard owner is not normal.
The eccentricity of the owner really stood out, though, when he instructed the foreman to pay the workers at the end of the day. And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. (Matthew 20:8–9) The ones who barely had time to get to the field and get their instructions got a denarius … a full day’s pay. They didn’t do much of anything, but they received pay as though they had been there from sunup.
Everyone got a surprise in their pay envelope. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. (Matthew 20:10) In a way, this should not have been a surprise. After all, a denarius is the standard pay for a day. However, those who barely came out to the field and had a look around got a denarius. The first hires began to anticipate getting more, but they didn’t.
Jesus then repeated the saying, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:16) Jesus taught that there will be surprises on the last day. When we meet those who gather around the throne of God in eternity, some will cause us to say, “You’re the last person I expected to see here!”
No doubt there were some there who expected to be first in line for eternity. “We are children of Abraham.” they might say, “Our ancestors were slaves in Egypt and followed Moses to the Promised Land. We not only follow the Laws of Moses, but we also follow the tradition of the elders.” Jesus was telling these people that there are Gentile who will see the Kingdom of Heaven before they do.
Chaplain Henry Gerecke, a farm boy from Missouri, who grew up to be a LCMS pastor, found himself stationed at a prison at Nuremberg. His congregation consisted of Nazi officers who were on trial for crimes against humanity. Eventually, eleven members of Hitler’s inner circle confessed their faith in Jesus as savior. Eight of them received instruction and were able to take the Lord’s Supper from Gerecke’s hand.
Eventually, ten members of his prison flock were sentenced to death. The first to face the gallows was Hitler’s foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop. An American officer asked for his last words. Ribbentrop responded: “I place all my confidence in the Lamb who made atonement for my sins. May God have mercy on my soul.” Then he turned to Gerecke and said, “I’ll see you again.” Moments later, the trap door opened beneath his feet and he breathed his last. Other members of the flock died in like manner. Jesus said, “The last will be first, and the first last.”
Chaplain Henry Gerecke received a lot of mail. Some of the mail gave thanks to Almighty God for enabling the Gospel to reach into the hearts of Nazi war criminals. Other letters condemned Gerecke. They said that he should have been hanged with the war criminals for doing what he did.
The people who condemned Gereke didn’t know it, but they were also condemning themselves. If Jesus did not die for all sins, how do you know that He died for your sins? When they condemn Nazi war criminals to hell in spite of Jesus, they are saying that there is a minimum amount of goodness that each of us must have before Jesus’ forgiveness can be for us. They are saying that Nazi war criminals don’t make the cut. Well if they don’t make the cut, how can you know if you made the cut? If Jesus didn’t die for them, then how do you know that He died for you?
In the rite of baptism, we remind people that the Word of God teaches that we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation. But the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)
In His parable, Jesus illustrated that people enter the kingdom at all times of life. Some receive baptism as infants. They enter the kingdom at the dawn of their lives. Others enter at the third hour as older children … the sixth hour as young adults … the ninth hour as they approach retirement … at the eleventh hour near death. All receive the same pay … eternal life with Christ. All are saved by grace through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The parable illustrates that people enter the kingdom in all stations of life. From the world’s point of view, some are pretty good people who never strayed from the path. Some are juvenile delinquents who straighten out when they enter adulthood. Others are career criminals who come to faith on their deathbed. Some are rich. Some are poor. Some are famous. Some are infamous. All recognize that they are sinners in need of a savior. All of them recognize that Jesus Christ is that savior who died for them on the cross and rose to give them eternal life.
There is one thing that this parable does not teach. Some think this parable teaches that they can wait to become a Christian. They see that God works faith in some people on their deathbed, and they think that they can wait. They will say something like, “You know, I can have all the fun I want right now and become a Christian later.” That is not what this parable teaches.
Such a person sees the life of the Christian as a burden. They do not understand that Jesus carried our burden to the cross almost two thousand years ago. They do not understand the Christian life is a gift from the Holy Spirit. They do not understand that the Christian has more reason for enjoyment than any other human being. They just don’t know what they are missing.
Then there is also the possibility that the invitation will never come again. No one really knows when the sun will set on his life. Accidents happen and they happen quickly. Sometimes death is the result of a long illness and we know the time is soon. Other times death comes in the form of a drunk driver or a mechanical failure and death gives us no warning at all. Don’t resist the Holy Spirit because you think you have plenty of time. As the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
God continues to search the marketplace of this world looking for workers for His vineyard. The Holy Spirit may find workers in the marketplace early in the morning when, as infants, He works faith in us through the Word combined with the water of Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit may find us in the market and give us faith at the exhalation of the last breath before sundown. He may find us sometime in between. No matter when we receive this faith, we know that all the guilt of every sin is gone – taken away by the Son’s sacrifice on the cross. We know that, by His resurrection and ascension, our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared a place for us. Whether our faith is old or young, we all receive the gift of life everlasting. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20A)--24 September
2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their
needs.
O Lord, grant that we would rejoice in the light of Christ and His salvation, and that sinners
would find refuge in His mercy and comfort in His forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our
prayer.
Heavenly Father, embolden our congregation and all sister churches throughout the world to
confess the truth steadfastly and to witness boldly to our only Savior, Jesus Christ. Lord, in
Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, we give You humble thanks for instituting the estate of holy marriage and for
the blessing of family. Grant that these gifts would be cherished and honored in our society and
especially within the household of faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Lord, bless this nation and all people in their rightful callings. Grant that we may
serve our neighbors in love, and that all authorities would exercise their callings with humility
and wisdom on behalf of the defenseless. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving God, we thank You for the gift of health. Hear our prayers on behalf of the sick, the
aged, the infirm, the mourning or the dying [especially _____________]. Grant them healing in
accord with Your will and grace to sustain them in their need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our
prayer.
Remember, O Lord, those who will receive Your true body and blood from this altar. Prepare us
to receive them worthily in repentance and faith for the forgiveness of our sins and the healing
of our bodies. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the witness of the faithful who lived and died in Christ.
Grant that at the last we, too, may be joined with them in the marriage supper of the Lamb in
His kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, grant that, in Christ, we may seek You while You may be found and call upon
You while You are near, forsaking all wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts. Lord, in Your
mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Ame
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
716 “I Walk in Danger All the Way”
1 I walk in danger all the way.
The thought shall never leave me
That Satan, who has marked his prey,
Is plotting to deceive me.
This foe with hidden snares
May seize me unawares
If I should fail to watch and pray.
I walk in danger all the way.
2 I pass through trials all the way,
With sin and ills contending;
In patience I must bear each day
The cross of God’s own sending.
When in adversity
I know not where to flee,
When storms of woe my soul dismay,
I pass through trials all the way.
3 And death pursues me all the way,
Nowhere I rest securely;
He comes by night, he comes by day,
He takes his prey most surely.
A failing breath, and I
In death’s strong grasp may lie
To face eternity today
As death pursues me all the way.
4 I walk with angels all the way,
They shield me and befriend me;
All Satan’s pow’r is held at bay
When heav’nly hosts attend me;
They are my sure defense,
All fear and sorrow, hence!
Unharmed by foes, do what they may,
I walk with angels all the way.
5 I walk with Jesus all the way,
His guidance never fails me;
Within His wounds I find a stay
When Satan’s pow’r assails me;
And by His footsteps led,
My path I safely tread.
No evil leads my soul astray;
I walk with Jesus all the way.
6 My walk is heav’nward all the way;
Await, my soul, the morrow,
When God’s good healing shall allay
All suff’ring, sin, and sorrow.
Then, worldly pomp, begone!
To heav’n I now press on.
For all the world I would not stay;
My walk is heav’nward all the way.
Text: Hans Adolf Brorson, 1694–1764; tr. Ditlef G. Ristad, 1863–1938, alt.
Text: Public domain
782 “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
1 Gracious God, You send great blessings
New each morning all our days.
For Your mercies never ending,
For Your love we offer praise. Refrain
ref Lord, we pray that we, Your people
Who Your gifts unnumbered claim,
Through the sharing of Your blessings
May bring glory to Your name.
2 By Your Word You formed creation
Filled with creatures large and small;
As we tend that endless treasure
May our care encircle all. Refrain
3 In His earthly life, our Savior
Knew the care of faithful friends;
May our deeds of dedication
Offer love that never ends. Refrain
D 4 Heav’nly Father, may our caring
Bear the imprint of Your grace;
With the Son and Holy Spirit,
Praise be Yours in ev’ry place! Refrain
Text: Gregory J. Wismar, 1946
Text: © 2004 Gregory J. Wismar. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 555 “Salvation unto Us Has Come” sts. 6-10
6 Since Christ has full atonement made
And brought to us salvation,
Each Christian therefore may be glad
And build on this foundation.
Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Your death is now my life indeed,
For You have paid my ransom.
7 Let me not doubt, but truly see
Your Word cannot be broken;
Your call rings out, “Come unto Me!”
No falsehood have You spoken.
Baptized into Your precious name,
My faith cannot be put to shame,
And I shall never perish.
8 The Law reveals the guilt of sin
And makes us conscience-stricken;
But then the Gospel enters in
The sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live;
The Law no peace can ever give,
No comfort and no blessing.
9 Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone
And rests in Him unceasing;
And by its fruits true faith is known,
With love and hope increasing.
For faith alone can justify;
Works serve our neighbor and supply
The proof that faith is living.
D 10 All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise
To Father, Son, and Spirit,
The God who saved us by His grace;
All glory to His merit.
O triune God in heav’n above,
You have revealed Your saving love;
Your blessèd name we hallow.
Text: Paul Speratus, 1484–1551; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 24, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Howard
Holman, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
A QUOTE TO PONDER:
Some scholars today suggest that Jesus didn’t plan to go to the cross. They picture Jesus as a revolutionary with a dream, a vision of peace and brotherhood, who got cut down in His prime by His enemies. For these scholars, the cross is the end of the story. The Gospel is a tragedy, not a romance. God sees things differently. From God’s perspective, the cross stands at the very center of His story about saving people from their sin. Without the cross there could be no forgiveness for anyone. Everyone would face an eternity of God’s righteous anger. God’s justice requires payment for sin, and the payment the Law requires is a person’s life. The cross has always been God’s plan for saving people.--taken from a Concordia Publishing House LifeLight Study on the Gospel of John.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Corvette or a Civic, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 24, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 555 “Salvation unto Us Has Come” sts. 1-5
1 Salvation unto us has come
By God’s free grace and favor;
Good works cannot avert our doom,
They help and save us never.
Faith looks to Jesus Christ alone,
Who did for all the world atone;
He is our one Redeemer.
2 What God did in His Law demand
And none to Him could render
Caused wrath and woe on ev’ry hand
For man, the vile offender.
Our flesh has not those pure desires
The spirit of the Law requires,
And lost is our condition.
3 It was a false, misleading dream
That God His Law had given
That sinners could themselves redeem
And by their works gain heaven.
The Law is but a mirror bright
To bring the inbred sin to light
That lurks within our nature.
4 From sin our flesh could not abstain,
Sin held its sway unceasing;
The task was useless and in vain,
Our guilt was e’er increasing.
None can remove sin’s poisoned dart
Or purify our guileful heart--
So deep is our corruption.
5 Yet as the Law must be fulfilled
Or we must die despairing,
Christ came and has God’s anger stilled,
Our human nature sharing.
He has for us the Law obeyed
And thus the Father’s vengeance stayed
Which over us impended.
Text: Paul Speratus, 1484–1551; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 116:12–13, 15–17
P I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. What shall I render to the LORD for all his bene- fits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant. You have loosed my bonds.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Lord God, heavenly Father, since we cannot stand before You relying on anything we have done, help us trust in Your abiding grace and live according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 55:6–9
6“Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung] Psalm 27:1–9
1The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom | shall I fear?*
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I | be afraid?
2When evildoers assail me
to eat | up my flesh,*
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stum- | ble and fall.
3Though an army encamp against me,
my heart | shall not fear;*
though war arise against me,
yet I will be | confident.
4One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek | after:*
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his | temple.
5For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of | trouble;*
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high up- | on a rock.
6And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with | shouts of joy;*
I will sing and make melody | to the LORD.
7Hear, O LORD, when I | cry aloud;*
be gracious to me and | answer me!
8You have said, | “Seek my face.”*
My heart says to you,
“Your face, LORD, | do I seek.”
9Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in | anger,*
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my sal- | vation!
Epistle Philippians 1:12–14, 19–30
12I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. . . .
19for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 20:1–16
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the twentieth chapter.
1[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first last.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 826 “Hark, the Voice of Jesus Crying”
1 Hark, the voice of Jesus crying,
“Who will go and work today?
Fields are white and harvests waiting--
Who will bear the sheaves away?”
Loud and long the Master calleth;
Rich reward He offers thee.
Who will answer, gladly saying,
“Here am I, send me, send me”?
2 If you cannot speak like angels,
If you cannot preach like Paul,
You can tell the love of Jesus,
You can say He died for all.
If you cannot rouse the wicked
With the judgment’s dread alarms,
You can lead the little children
To the Savior’s waiting arms.
3 If you cannot be a watchman,
Standing high on Zion’s wall,
Pointing out the path to heaven,
Off’ring life and peace to all,
With your prayers and with your bounties
You can do what God commands;
You can be like faithful Aaron,
Holding up the prophet’s hands.
4 Let none hear you idly saying,
“There is nothing I can do,”
While the multitudes are dying
And the Master calls for you.
Take the task He gives you gladly,
Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calleth,
“Here am I, send me, send me!”
Text (sts. 1–2, 4): Daniel March, 1816–1909, alt.; (st. 3): unknown, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Fair Is Fair” Matthew 20:1-16
Fair Is Fair – Matthew 20:1-16
The Gospel you recently heard is part of a longer teaching. Jesus has basically been teaching that everyone who enters the kingdom of God does so by a miracle of God. He has recently taught that the chances of a rich person entering heaven are not even as good as the chances of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. When we understand that the culture of the day believed that rich people were especially favored by God, then we understand that Jesus was saying that no one has a chance. He then went on to say, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) With these words we learn that our entry into the kingdom of God is a miracle.
Then Jesus went on to say something else that is contrary to our understanding. He said, “Many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Matthew 19:30) Jesus then illustrated this with the parable we heard in today’s Gospel.
Jesus used the story of a man who needed laborers, a common situation in most cultures. At the time Jesus told this story, there was usually a market at the city gates. Workers who wished to labor for a wage gathered at the market and offered their services. A man who needed workers in his vineyard went to the marketplace and hired people to work in his vineyard. Apparently, the work was urgent and needed many laborers. The owner of the vineyard visited the marketplace several times during the day to hire more laborers. It is likely that most of those who listened to Jesus had been laborers in the marketplace at one time or another. At first, there is nothing unusual about the story.
The first sign that the vineyard owner might not be normal comes near the end of the day. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ (Matthew 20:6–7) It was very unusual to hire someone at this late hour. By the time the workers traveled to the vineyard and got their instructions and training from the foreman, the day will be over. Those hired at the eleventh hour might not have time to do any work at all. This is the first sign that the vineyard owner is not normal.
The eccentricity of the owner really stood out, though, when he instructed the foreman to pay the workers at the end of the day. And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. (Matthew 20:8–9) The ones who barely had time to get to the field and get their instructions got a denarius … a full day’s pay. They didn’t do much of anything, but they received pay as though they had been there from sunup.
Everyone got a surprise in their pay envelope. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. (Matthew 20:10) In a way, this should not have been a surprise. After all, a denarius is the standard pay for a day. However, those who barely came out to the field and had a look around got a denarius. The first hires began to anticipate getting more, but they didn’t.
Jesus then repeated the saying, “So the last will be first, and the first last.” (Matthew 20:16) Jesus taught that there will be surprises on the last day. When we meet those who gather around the throne of God in eternity, some will cause us to say, “You’re the last person I expected to see here!”
No doubt there were some there who expected to be first in line for eternity. “We are children of Abraham.” they might say, “Our ancestors were slaves in Egypt and followed Moses to the Promised Land. We not only follow the Laws of Moses, but we also follow the tradition of the elders.” Jesus was telling these people that there are Gentile who will see the Kingdom of Heaven before they do.
Chaplain Henry Gerecke, a farm boy from Missouri, who grew up to be a LCMS pastor, found himself stationed at a prison at Nuremberg. His congregation consisted of Nazi officers who were on trial for crimes against humanity. Eventually, eleven members of Hitler’s inner circle confessed their faith in Jesus as savior. Eight of them received instruction and were able to take the Lord’s Supper from Gerecke’s hand.
Eventually, ten members of his prison flock were sentenced to death. The first to face the gallows was Hitler’s foreign minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop. An American officer asked for his last words. Ribbentrop responded: “I place all my confidence in the Lamb who made atonement for my sins. May God have mercy on my soul.” Then he turned to Gerecke and said, “I’ll see you again.” Moments later, the trap door opened beneath his feet and he breathed his last. Other members of the flock died in like manner. Jesus said, “The last will be first, and the first last.”
Chaplain Henry Gerecke received a lot of mail. Some of the mail gave thanks to Almighty God for enabling the Gospel to reach into the hearts of Nazi war criminals. Other letters condemned Gerecke. They said that he should have been hanged with the war criminals for doing what he did.
The people who condemned Gereke didn’t know it, but they were also condemning themselves. If Jesus did not die for all sins, how do you know that He died for your sins? When they condemn Nazi war criminals to hell in spite of Jesus, they are saying that there is a minimum amount of goodness that each of us must have before Jesus’ forgiveness can be for us. They are saying that Nazi war criminals don’t make the cut. Well if they don’t make the cut, how can you know if you made the cut? If Jesus didn’t die for them, then how do you know that He died for you?
In the rite of baptism, we remind people that the Word of God teaches that we are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation. But the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)
In His parable, Jesus illustrated that people enter the kingdom at all times of life. Some receive baptism as infants. They enter the kingdom at the dawn of their lives. Others enter at the third hour as older children … the sixth hour as young adults … the ninth hour as they approach retirement … at the eleventh hour near death. All receive the same pay … eternal life with Christ. All are saved by grace through faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The parable illustrates that people enter the kingdom in all stations of life. From the world’s point of view, some are pretty good people who never strayed from the path. Some are juvenile delinquents who straighten out when they enter adulthood. Others are career criminals who come to faith on their deathbed. Some are rich. Some are poor. Some are famous. Some are infamous. All recognize that they are sinners in need of a savior. All of them recognize that Jesus Christ is that savior who died for them on the cross and rose to give them eternal life.
There is one thing that this parable does not teach. Some think this parable teaches that they can wait to become a Christian. They see that God works faith in some people on their deathbed, and they think that they can wait. They will say something like, “You know, I can have all the fun I want right now and become a Christian later.” That is not what this parable teaches.
Such a person sees the life of the Christian as a burden. They do not understand that Jesus carried our burden to the cross almost two thousand years ago. They do not understand the Christian life is a gift from the Holy Spirit. They do not understand that the Christian has more reason for enjoyment than any other human being. They just don’t know what they are missing.
Then there is also the possibility that the invitation will never come again. No one really knows when the sun will set on his life. Accidents happen and they happen quickly. Sometimes death is the result of a long illness and we know the time is soon. Other times death comes in the form of a drunk driver or a mechanical failure and death gives us no warning at all. Don’t resist the Holy Spirit because you think you have plenty of time. As the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
God continues to search the marketplace of this world looking for workers for His vineyard. The Holy Spirit may find workers in the marketplace early in the morning when, as infants, He works faith in us through the Word combined with the water of Holy Baptism. The Holy Spirit may find us in the market and give us faith at the exhalation of the last breath before sundown. He may find us sometime in between. No matter when we receive this faith, we know that all the guilt of every sin is gone – taken away by the Son’s sacrifice on the cross. We know that, by His resurrection and ascension, our Lord Jesus Christ has prepared a place for us. Whether our faith is old or young, we all receive the gift of life everlasting. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 20A)--24 September
2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their
needs.
O Lord, grant that we would rejoice in the light of Christ and His salvation, and that sinners
would find refuge in His mercy and comfort in His forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our
prayer.
Heavenly Father, embolden our congregation and all sister churches throughout the world to
confess the truth steadfastly and to witness boldly to our only Savior, Jesus Christ. Lord, in
Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, we give You humble thanks for instituting the estate of holy marriage and for
the blessing of family. Grant that these gifts would be cherished and honored in our society and
especially within the household of faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Lord, bless this nation and all people in their rightful callings. Grant that we may
serve our neighbors in love, and that all authorities would exercise their callings with humility
and wisdom on behalf of the defenseless. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Loving God, we thank You for the gift of health. Hear our prayers on behalf of the sick, the
aged, the infirm, the mourning or the dying [especially _____________]. Grant them healing in
accord with Your will and grace to sustain them in their need. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our
prayer.
Remember, O Lord, those who will receive Your true body and blood from this altar. Prepare us
to receive them worthily in repentance and faith for the forgiveness of our sins and the healing
of our bodies. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the witness of the faithful who lived and died in Christ.
Grant that at the last we, too, may be joined with them in the marriage supper of the Lamb in
His kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, grant that, in Christ, we may seek You while You may be found and call upon
You while You are near, forsaking all wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts. Lord, in Your
mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Ame
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
716 “I Walk in Danger All the Way”
1 I walk in danger all the way.
The thought shall never leave me
That Satan, who has marked his prey,
Is plotting to deceive me.
This foe with hidden snares
May seize me unawares
If I should fail to watch and pray.
I walk in danger all the way.
2 I pass through trials all the way,
With sin and ills contending;
In patience I must bear each day
The cross of God’s own sending.
When in adversity
I know not where to flee,
When storms of woe my soul dismay,
I pass through trials all the way.
3 And death pursues me all the way,
Nowhere I rest securely;
He comes by night, he comes by day,
He takes his prey most surely.
A failing breath, and I
In death’s strong grasp may lie
To face eternity today
As death pursues me all the way.
4 I walk with angels all the way,
They shield me and befriend me;
All Satan’s pow’r is held at bay
When heav’nly hosts attend me;
They are my sure defense,
All fear and sorrow, hence!
Unharmed by foes, do what they may,
I walk with angels all the way.
5 I walk with Jesus all the way,
His guidance never fails me;
Within His wounds I find a stay
When Satan’s pow’r assails me;
And by His footsteps led,
My path I safely tread.
No evil leads my soul astray;
I walk with Jesus all the way.
6 My walk is heav’nward all the way;
Await, my soul, the morrow,
When God’s good healing shall allay
All suff’ring, sin, and sorrow.
Then, worldly pomp, begone!
To heav’n I now press on.
For all the world I would not stay;
My walk is heav’nward all the way.
Text: Hans Adolf Brorson, 1694–1764; tr. Ditlef G. Ristad, 1863–1938, alt.
Text: Public domain
782 “Gracious God, You Send Great Blessings”
1 Gracious God, You send great blessings
New each morning all our days.
For Your mercies never ending,
For Your love we offer praise. Refrain
ref Lord, we pray that we, Your people
Who Your gifts unnumbered claim,
Through the sharing of Your blessings
May bring glory to Your name.
2 By Your Word You formed creation
Filled with creatures large and small;
As we tend that endless treasure
May our care encircle all. Refrain
3 In His earthly life, our Savior
Knew the care of faithful friends;
May our deeds of dedication
Offer love that never ends. Refrain
D 4 Heav’nly Father, may our caring
Bear the imprint of Your grace;
With the Son and Holy Spirit,
Praise be Yours in ev’ry place! Refrain
Text: Gregory J. Wismar, 1946
Text: © 2004 Gregory J. Wismar. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 555 “Salvation unto Us Has Come” sts. 6-10
6 Since Christ has full atonement made
And brought to us salvation,
Each Christian therefore may be glad
And build on this foundation.
Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Your death is now my life indeed,
For You have paid my ransom.
7 Let me not doubt, but truly see
Your Word cannot be broken;
Your call rings out, “Come unto Me!”
No falsehood have You spoken.
Baptized into Your precious name,
My faith cannot be put to shame,
And I shall never perish.
8 The Law reveals the guilt of sin
And makes us conscience-stricken;
But then the Gospel enters in
The sinful soul to quicken.
Come to the cross, trust Christ, and live;
The Law no peace can ever give,
No comfort and no blessing.
9 Faith clings to Jesus’ cross alone
And rests in Him unceasing;
And by its fruits true faith is known,
With love and hope increasing.
For faith alone can justify;
Works serve our neighbor and supply
The proof that faith is living.
D 10 All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise
To Father, Son, and Spirit,
The God who saved us by His grace;
All glory to His merit.
O triune God in heav’n above,
You have revealed Your saving love;
Your blessèd name we hallow.
Text: Paul Speratus, 1484–1551; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 17, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Karen Broach
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pat Tavare
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Howard
Holman, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as a Voters’ Meeting and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A VOTERS’ ASSEMBLY MEETING today after refreshments are served. Questions? Please speak with Lynn Tallman, our congregational president.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here.
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—from the pen of Martin Luther.
DANGER INSIDE! Could it be that we should put a sign over the doors of our churches: Danger Inside!? Then the worship folder might have a heading that says, “This is a warning. In this service you may actually encounter the holy God who has awesome power, and an intense interest in a relationship with you. You may be totally changed here. You may have to leave your worries and anxieties here.” (Then what will occupy your time?) You may be emboldened to live a courageous, victorious life, fearful of nothing, able for anything.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 17, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn:606 “I Lay My Sins on Jesus”(sung to different melody)
1 I lay my sins on Jesus,
The spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all and frees us
From the accursèd load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus
To wash my crimson stains
Clean in His blood most precious
Till not a spot remains.
2 I lay my wants on Jesus;
All fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases;
My soul He does redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus,
My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases;
He all my sorrows shares.
3 I rest my soul on Jesus,
This weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces;
I on His breast recline.
I love the name of Jesus,
Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes
His name abroad is poured.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 143:9, 1–2
P Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord! I have fled to you for refuge! Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness! Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous be- fore you.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, hear the devout prayers of Your Church, especially in times of persecution, and grant that what we ask in faith we may obtain; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Genesis 50:15–21
15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died, 17‘Say to Joseph, Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 103:1–13
1Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and all that is within me,
bless his | holy name!
2Bless the Lord, | O my soul,*
and forget not all his | benefits,
3who forgives all your in- | iquity,*
who heals all your dis- | eases,
4who redeems your life | from the pit,*
who crowns you with steadfast love and | mercy,
5who satisfies | you with good*
so that your youth is renewed like the | eagle’s.
6The Lord works | righteousness*
and justice for all who | are oppressed.
7He made known his ways to | Moses,*
his acts to the people of | Israel.
8The Lord is merciful and | gracious,*
slow to anger and abounding in | steadfast love.
9He will not | always chide,*
nor will he keep his anger for- | ever.
10He does not deal with us according | to our sins,*
nor repay us according to our in- | iquities.
11For as high as the heavens are a- | bove the earth,*
so great is his steadfast love toward those who | fear him;
12as far as the east is | from the west,*
so far does he remove our transgres- | sions from us.
Epistle Romans 14:1–12
1As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
12So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 18:21–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eighteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
21Peter came up and said to [Jesus], “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
23“Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 611 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”
1 Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
2 Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
3 Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
4 Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
He sustains the hidden life
Safe with Him from earthly strife.
5 O my Savior, help afford
By Your Spirit and Your Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
Text: William McComb, 1793–1873, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Importance of Forgiveness” Matthew 18:21-25
The Importance of Forgiveness – Matthew 18:21-35
Last week, we heard Jesus teach that the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven is the helpless one. Jesus made it clear that the forgiveness of sin is the foundation of the relationship we have with God and the relationships we have with each other … especially the relationship we have with the helpless one who is the greatest in the Kingdom. Forgiveness is how God loves us and how we love each other.
Peter responded to Jesus’ teaching with a question about the forgiveness of sins. Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Matthew 18:21) Peter is asking, “How often will my brother sin against me before I no longer love him … before I decide that he is no longer my brother?
Many commentators suggest that the rabbis of the time taught that three times was enough. So, Peter was being generous when he raised the number to seven. Peter had been listening to Jesus. If forgiveness was that important, Peter was willing to raise the level from three to seven.
But even seven was not enough. Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:22) Jesus then told a parable to demonstrate what He meant by seventy times seven. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.” (Matthew 18:23–24)
It is important to know how much ten thousand talents is. One talent is a unit of weight that is somewhere between 80 and 100 pounds. At the current exchange rate, ten thousand talents of silver would be worth somewhere between $230 and $290 million. Ten thousand talents of gold would be worth between $17 and $22 billion. Either way, this is an incredible debt. This is way beyond the ability of this servant to repay in several lifetimes. This is an important point. There is no way that this servant could ever pay off this debt.
Since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. (Matthew 18:25) Within the context of this parable, Jesus is teaching us about our standing before God. Our sin has burdened us with a debt that is several orders of magnitude beyond our ability to repay. We deserve to be sold into eternal punishment. We are beyond all hope. We are lost forever.
Nevertheless, when this servant appeared before the king, he tried to convince the king that he could pull it off. The servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ (Matthew 18:26) With these words, Jesus teaches us that our sinful condition is so bad that we don’t even know how bad it is. Despite the reality of our situation, we believe that we can work it off … we can pay back the debt we owe. We are in denial.
Now here is where the parable leaves all earthly kingdoms behind. Out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. (Matthew 18:27) The king took on the debt of the servant. No earthly king would do this. Only our father in Heaven has the resources and the generosity to do this kind of thing. Only our Father in Heaven would send His only-begotten Son to take up our human flesh to pay the debt we owed. Only the Son of God would allow mortal men to beat Him and nail Him to a tree to pay that debt. It is here that Jesus illustrates the perfect loving-kindness that He has for you. You are forgiven.
After Jesus spoke of the incredible forgiveness of the king, He told of the response of the servant. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii … (Matthew 18:28) A denarius is about a day’s pay. Since they worked about twelve hours a day back then, let’s round that up to a hundred dollars. A hundred denarii would be about $10,000. This is not a small amount, but it is workable. It would be reasonable to expect someone to work off this loan over time. This debt is miniscule in comparison to a debt of ten thousand talents.
But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ (Matthew 18:28) The response of the servant indicates that he does not really believe the generosity of the king. Seizing and choking demonstrate a desperate attitude. He is behaving as though he still needs the money to pay back the king. The king’s generosity is not real to him even though neither he nor his family are in prison.
His fellow servant used almost the same words that he used before the king. His fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ (Matthew 18:29) The big difference is that his fellow servant is asking for time to do something possible. Whereas, in his plea before the king, he himself was asking for time to do something that he could never do.
His fellow servant’s words and actions should have taken his memory back to his time before the king. They should have reminded him of the mercy of the king, but they did not. He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. (Matthew 18:30) Here the unforgiving heart of the servant is a symptom that he does not believe the forgiveness of the king.
When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. (Matthew 18:31) These servants illustrate the grief that the church has when there is conflict in its midst. When there is conflict, the church turns to our Lord in prayer. We remember that the Lord still rules in His church and knows how to deal with our difficulties.
“Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt.” (Matthew 18:32–34) The king clearly expected the servant to share the king’s mercy with his fellow servants. Not only has the servant soiled the reputation of his king, but he has also demonstrated that he did not really accept the mercy that the king extended to him when the debt was forgiven.
Jesus concluded His teaching with the meaning of the parable. “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35) Each of us owes God a sin debt that we cannot even comprehend. Nevertheless, for the sake of the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God forgives that monstrous debt. The sins that our fellow man commit against us pale in comparison to that monstrous debt. The forgiveness of sins that we have from God should overflow in us so that we will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
Jesus’ parable makes it clear. Just as there is no end to the forgiveness God has for us, there is to be no end to the forgiveness we have for others. We forgive others indefinitely just as God in Christ forgives us.
There are a few points that we should consider as we meditate on this parable.
To begin with, the life of forgiveness that Jesus illustrates in the parable is impossible unless we first recognize that the mercy in the parable began with the king. That is, we forgive others as a result of the forgiveness, life, and salvation that we have in Jesus Christ. God must first forgive us. Then, and only then, can we forgive others. The life of forgiveness, like all the good works that God works in us, are the result of our salvation. It is NOT the cause of our salvation.
Secondly, our old, sinful nature may fight us on this. Our emotions may not be able to keep up with our faith. Even though the Holy Spirit has worked through our faith to forgive, we may still feel sad, frustrated, betrayed, and so forth. This struggle is not a reason to doubt. Instead, we take comfort in Paul’s words, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18) We shall receive full healing when our Lord takes us into eternity to live with Him.
Thirdly, circumstances sometimes revive the memory of a sin. As fallible human beings, we cannot forgive as God forgives. With God, forgiveness is complete, generous, eternal. Although our memories may embarrass us with the memories of our sins, we can be confident that God has no such problem. Once He forgives a sin, it is forgiven forever. On the other hand, we should not be surprised when we need to forgive the sins of others more than once. The fact that I need to forgive a sin more than once does not mean that I refuse to forgive. It simply means that in my weakness, I need to forgive again.
Finally, we have a resource that the servant in the story did not have. God is not just our king, but Jesus has told us to call Him our Father. As our Father in Heaven, we can come to Him at any time and confess our reluctance to forgive. We can ask Him to forgive us and renew our desire to forgive others as we do in the Lord’s Prayer. Thankfully the source of our forgiveness … the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Christ Jesus Christ is a never-ending flow of forgiveness, life, and salvation. In Him, we receive the grace and mercy of God forever and ever. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 19A)--17 September 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, in Your mercy You have forgiven our insurmountable debt of sin, ransoming us with the death of Your Son. Free us from our grudges and unforgiving nature, lest through our lack of mercy we exclude ourselves from Your forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, as You kept Joseph from evil and brought good from his suffering in Egypt, deliver us by Your grace so that we may learn patience in trials. Teach us to be slow to judge, quick to forgive, and steadfast in love for You and one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We praise You, O Lord, for retaining among us Your Holy Word and Sacraments. Continue to raise up faithful stewards of Your mysteries, that repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ’s name would be proclaimed in our midst and throughout the world. Prepare Your baptized children to be faithful confessors of the hope that is in them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Caring Father, visit the homes of Your people. Keep them from all harm and danger, and grant that we would dwell together in peace under the protection of Your holy angels. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of power and might, sustain the nations of the earth and lead them in the way of justice and truth. Defend life and liberty, and give us honest and faithful rulers, that our nation may strive toward what is honorable, true and just. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, according to Your will grant healing to the sick and infirm [especially _____________]. Grant them patience to endure their time of suffering, and crown their days with Your mercy. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful God, though we come to Your table as servants who owe a debt we cannot pay, Your Son has forgiven it in its entirety. As we receive His very body and blood for our forgiveness, let us be grateful and go out to serve others with the same spirit of forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, heavenly Father, for the sake of Christ Jesus, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
609 “Jesus Sinners Doth Receive”
1 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Oh, may all this saying ponder
Who in sin’s delusions live
And from God and heaven wander!
Here is hope for all who grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
2 We deserve but grief and shame,
Yet His words, rich grace revealing,
Pardon, peace, and life proclaim;
Here our ills have perfect healing.
Firmly in these words believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
3 Sheep that from the fold did stray
No true shepherd e’er forsaketh;
Weary souls that lost their way
Christ, the Shepherd, gently taketh
In His arms that they may live:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
4 I, a sinner, come to Thee
With a penitent confession.
Savior, mercy show to me;
Grant for all my sins remission.
Let these words my soul relieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
5 Oh, how blest it is to know:
Were as scarlet my transgression,
It shall be as white as snow
By Thy blood and bitter passion;
For these words I now believe:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
6 Now my conscience is at peace;
From the Law I stand acquitted.
Christ hath purchased my release
And my ev’ry sin remitted.
Naught remains my soul to grieve:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
7 Jesus sinners doth receive;
Also I have been forgiven;
And when I this earth must leave,
I shall find an open heaven.
Dying, still to Him I cleave:
Jesus sinners doth receive.
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756
Text: Public domain
610 “Lord Jesus, Think on Me”
1 Lord Jesus, think on me
And purge away my sin;
From worldly passions set me free
And make me pure within.
2 Lord Jesus, think on me,
By anxious thoughts oppressed;
Let me Your loving servant be
And taste Your promised rest.
3 Lord Jesus, think on me
Amid the battle’s strife;
In all my pain and misery,
O be my health and life!
4 Lord Jesus, think on me
Nor let me go astray;
Through darkness and perplexity
Point out Your chosen way.
5 Lord Jesus, think on me
That, when this life is past,
I may the_eternal brightness see
And share Your joy at last.
Text: Synesius of Cyrene, c. 365–c. 414; tr. Allen W. Chatfield, 1808–96, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 818 “In Thee Is Gladness”
1 In Thee is gladness
Amid all sadness,
Jesus, sunshine of my heart.
By Thee are given
The gifts of heaven,
Thou the true Redeemer art.
Our souls Thou wakest,
Our bonds Thou breakest;
Who trusts Thee surely
Has built securely;
He stands forever: Alleluia!
Our hearts are pining
To see Thy shining,
Dying or living
To Thee are cleaving;
Naught can us sever: Alleluia!
2 Since He is ours,
We fear no powers,
Not of earth nor sin nor death.
He sees and blesses
In worst distresses;
He can change them with a breath.
Wherefore the story
Tell of His glory
With hearts and voices;
All heav’n rejoices
In Him forever: Alleluia!
We shout for gladness,
Triumph o’er sadness,
Love Him and praise Him
And still shall raise Him
Glad hymns forever: Alleluia!
Text: Johann Lindemann, 1549–1631; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 10, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Note: We will not be celebrating Holy Communion today due to pastor being away. Lord willing, we look forward to celebrating The Lord’s Supper on September 17th. We thank the elders for filling in today.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski (absent today)
Elders Gil McMillan and Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation (No communion today)
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Howard
Holman, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THE CHURCH COUNCIL will meet on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
A VOTERS’ MEETING is scheduled for next Sunday at 10:30 a.m.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
“The Christian faith is a unity and may not be subdivided into favored and disapproved doctrines. Luther calls the Christian teaching the punctum mathematicum, “the mathematical point.” This means that it is incapable of subdivision. Doctrine may not be subjected to more and less, better and worse, or tugging and pulling. That is love’s business, our business. We have no right to take the chain saw of our wisdom to the inviolate whole of God’s Word and chop out what we dislike. It would bring the death of the patient. God’s teaching is not ours to control. God controls it (John 3:8). We only teach it.” The Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, LCMS pastor in Texas and our church body’s southwest regional vice-president.THE ORDER OF SUMMER SERVICE
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 10, 2023
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 904, “Blessed Jesus, at Your Word”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
L: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
L: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy on us
and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake
forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name
He gives power to become the children of God and has
promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved. Grant this Lord, unto us all.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel.[cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Ezekiel 33:7-9
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS L: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
L: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
L: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Romans 13:1-10
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 18:1-20
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.] ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 605, “Father Welcomes”
SERMON “Who Is the Greatest” Matthew 18:1-20
Who Is the Greatest? - Matthew 18:1-20
This morning’s Gospel begins with a question from the disciples “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1) Jesus used this question as a starting point for describing the greatest in the kingdom of heaven, how the church should deal with the greatest in the kingdom, and the magnitude of the forgiveness of sins that is set aside for the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Last week’s Gospel described that point in time when Jesus began to show his disciples that “He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Matthew 16:21) “Shortly after that time, Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.” (Matthew 17:1–2) We covered that reading on the Sunday of the Transfiguration at the end of the Epiphany season. A few verses before today’s Gospel begins, we have another Passion prediction. As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 17:22–23)
So, Jesus has recently given some of the disciples a glimpse of His glory, and, at least twice, He has told them about His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. You would think that the disciples would be interested in the topic that Jesus placed before them … His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. You would think they would have questions about that. That is what you would think, but that is not what they asked. At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1) Some of them had seen Jesus shining brighter than the sun and talking with Moses and Elijah. All of them had heard Jesus talk about His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. And this is the question that comes to their minds?
Jesus never skipped a beat. He knew a good teaching opportunity when it happened. Calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:2–4) Jesus took the opportunity of their question to teach them that greatness in the kingdom of heaven is totally different than in the kingdoms of this world.
Right away a lot of people are saying something like, “Ah, the innocence of youth. That is what Jesus is teaching. He is pointing to a child because the child is so innocent.” I’ve got to admit that when they are all decked out in their Sunday best, they can look pretty innocent, but ask any parent who has raised a couple of kids. You must teach children to tell the truth because they are natural liars. You must teach children to share because they are selfish by nature. Have you ever seen infants with murder in their eyes? Children may look innocent, but they are not. As King David wrote, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5)
So why did Jesus use a child as an example of the greatest? What is so special about them? What can they do for the kingdom? What can they do for Jesus? The answer of course is nothing.
That’s just the point, isn’t it? Children have no capacity for entering the kingdom of God and not much for serving in it. Children are helpless. We think of Jesus with the children, but those children never came on their own. “Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them.” (Luke 18:15) Notice that someone brought the infants. They didn’t come of their own power or volition. In today’s Gospel, Jesus put him in the midst of them. Did the children even know what was going on in these situations? Probably not.
Which, again, is just the point, isn’t it? For when it comes to the Kingdom and a right relationship with God, there is no room for human initiative, effort, self-seeking, self-promotion, self-justification, self-advocacy … none at all! In fact, that all gets in the way, forms obstacles to grace, and misses the point entirely of how God wants to save us, God’s way of saving us … by doing it all for us Himself in Jesus!
So Jesus taught His disciples that the one who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven is the one who needs the most help. The one who is totally helpless is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. This is the opposite of this world where the one who gives the most help is the greatest.
So the one who is the most helpless comes under God’s protection. “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!” (Matthew 18:6–7) “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.” (Matthew 18:10–14)
Even the verses that deal with church discipline are about the helpless … the helpless one who has strayed. Even here, Jesus teaches, “If [your brother] listens to you, you have gained your brother.” (Matthew 18:15)
So the helpless are the greatest. They are the perfect candidates for grace.
At another time, Jesus said, “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26–28) God himself became helpless, humble, lowly. The one who needs no one’s help became not only a little child, but also a suffering, dying grown-up. He humbled himself even to death on the cross to secure God’s grace for these little ones.
This sinful world seeks greatness through power. Jesus Himself said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. (Matthew 20:25) That is the way of the world … get power and use it to control others. The one who uses power and control the most effectively is the greatest.
On the other hand, Jesus points to a helpless child as the standard of greatness in the kingdom of heaven. The one who is the most helpless, the weakest, the humblest, the lowliest, the most dependent on God, and the most reliant on Jesus … this is the greatest.
There are the times when the difficult life of bearing the cross beats down. The flaming darts of the evil one are especially fierce. Those who suffer these attacks are the little ones who are the greatest. Jesus said, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” (Matthew 18:5) In this way, the Holy Spirit works through the church to bear one another’s burdens.
Then there is the way that all of us need and depend on God. At the time that God the Holy Spirit works faith in us, He must take us back to infancy. We are all helpless to save ourselves. Therefore, we are all like helpless children who need rescuing. That is what the Holy Spirit does when He gives us the faith that relies on Jesus alone.
When we were at our most helpless, when we were dead in trespasses and sin, the Lord treated us as the greatest in the kingdom. He took on our weakness and died that we might live. He rose that we might have eternal life with Him forever. It is He who takes the most helpless and makes them the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Amen
OFFERING PRAYER [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church--Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 18A)--10 September 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Blessed Lord, You have promised that where two or three are gathered in Your name, You are in the midst of them. Hear the prayers of Your people, and grant our supplications. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, You have sent us pastors as watchmen. Let them be ever faithful in calling sinners to repentance and joyfully announcing Your forgiveness to those who heed their warning. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, because You have made us our brother’s keeper, fill us with care for the members of our earthly families and for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Forgive our sins and strengthen us to live so that we owe no one anything except to love each other. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Righteous God, You give leaders to every nation and people. Grant us good and wise public servants to bear the sword righteously, defending the innocent and punishing wrongdoers. Guard those who protect us, especially our armed forces, police and firefighters. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, look with compassion upon those who are struggling with illness, grief, loneliness or any malady [especially _____________]. Reassure them of Your love, which is like that of the shepherd who seeks and saves the one lost sheep. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant that we would receive Christ’s body and blood with childlike faith. Let us humbly trust that Your forgiveness is poured out for us in this Sacrament. May it strengthen us in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, because You desire that none of Your little ones should perish and because sin is constantly crouching at our door, we beg You to call us back to Yourself when we are tempted to stray. Deliver us from temptation, and keep us in the faith. Make us humble like little children, seeing how Your Son humbled Himself for us and for our salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
HYMN No. 711, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”
LORD’S PRAYERALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
L: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 876, “O Blessed, Holy Trinity”
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 3, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Howard
Holman, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this real bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you get to tell it.
Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night,
In this world of darkness, we must shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine!
Jesus bids us shine as we work for Him,
Bringing those that wander, from the path of sin,
He will ever help us, if we shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 3, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 869 “With the Lord Begin Your Task”
1 With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For His aid and counsel ask;
Jesus will perfect it.
Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise,
And when day is ended,
In His name then close your eyes;
Be to Him commended.
2 Let each day begin with prayer,
Praise, and adoration.
On the Lord cast ev’ry care;
He is your salvation.
Morning, evening, and at night
Jesus will be near you,
Save you from the tempter’s might,
With His presence cheer you.
3 With your Savior at your side,
Foes need not alarm you;
In His promises confide,
And no ill can harm you.
All your trust and hope repose
In the mighty Master,
Who in wisdom truly knows
How to stem disaster.
4 If your task be thus begun
With the Savior’s blessing,
Safely then your course will run,
Toward the promise pressing.
Good will follow ev’rywhere
While you here must wander;
You at last the joy will share
In the mansions yonder.
5 Thus, Lord Jesus, ev’ry task
Be to You commended;
May Your will be done, I ask,
Until life is ended.
Jesus, in Your name begun
Be the day’s endeavor;
Grant that it may well be done
To Your praise forever.
Text: Morgen- und Abend-segen, 1734, Waldenburg; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890–1950, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 15:15–21
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 15.
15O Lord, you know;
remember me and visit me,
and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance take me not away;
know that for your sake I bear reproach.
16Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
17I did not sit in the company of revelers,
nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,
for you had filled me with indignation.
18Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail?
19Therefore thus says the Lord:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.
20And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
declares the Lord.
21I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Romans 12:9–21
L A reading from Romans, chapter 12.
9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Matthew 16:21–28
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 16.
21From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? 27For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 531 “Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus”
1 Hail, Thou once despisèd Jesus!
Hail, Thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us;
Thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, Thou universal Savior,
Bearer of our sin and shame!
By Thy merit we find favor:
Life is given through Thy name.
2 Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,
All our sins on Thee were laid;
By almighty love anointed,
Thou hast full atonement made.
All Thy people are forgiven
Through the virtue of Thy blood;
Opened is the gate of heaven,
Reconciled are we with God.
3 Jesus, hail! Enthroned in glory,
There forever to abide;
All the heav’nly hosts adore Thee,
Seated at Thy Father’s side.
There for sinners Thou art pleading;
There Thou dost our place prepare,
Ever for us interceding
Till in glory we appear.
4 Worship, honor, pow’r, and blessing
Thou art worthy to receive;
Highest praises, without ceasing,
Right it is for us to give.
Help, ye bright angelic spirits,
All your noblest anthems raise;
Help to sing our Savior’s merits,
Help to chant Immanuel’s praise!
Text (sts. 1, 3–4): Hymns Addressed to the Holy, Holy, Holy, Triune God, 1757, London, alt.; (sts. 2–4): A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, 1760, London, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Crossbearing” Matthew 16:21-28
Crossbearing – Matthew 16:21-28
Some years ago I heard the story of a Russian man who was born to atheist parents, grew up in an atheist town and attended an atheist school. He had never in his life heard the truth of Jesus Christ. But somewhere along the path of his life he saw a picture of a man who had died on a cross. He never forgot that picture and often wondered why he was strangely drawn to that picture. He wanted to understand it. At first he thought the man must have been a very bad criminal. Then he thought that he might have been a very persecuted man. Eventually he met a Christian who also knew about this picture. Anxiously the Russian man asked the Christian to explain it to him. He did, and finally the Russian man knew why he had such a strange attraction to that picture. The picture, of course, was of Jesus’ crucifixion. The explanation was this man’s ticket to salvation.
Jesus is the Christ - What Does This Mean?
Last Sunday our Gospel lesson came from the verses right before today’s lesson where Peter boldly confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But Peter didn’t fully understand what that meant. Jesus went on to explain that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, die, and rise again. Peter, like so many people before and after him, could not conceive of the Son of God suffering like that. The Son, he thought, should be crushing His enemies, not being crushed by them. But Jesus was only fulfilling the plan that God had in mind from the foundation of the world. In the very first promise of the Messiah, God told Satan, “You will crush His heel, but He will crush your head” (Genesis 3.15). Jesus would suffer and die at the hands of God’s enemies. But in the end He would rise from the dead, and His victory would mean forgiveness and salvation for those who trust in God.
If we would all be honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that this makes no sense at all. We can understand Peter’s confusion. When has anyone conquered by being killed? What army has ever won a war by being destroyed in battle? It doesn’t make sense if we only have in mind the “things of men” as Jesus says. But so typical of Jesus... There’s much more to this.
Let me try to explain it this way. There was a farmer who was having trouble with snakes squeezing into the cracks and crevices of his chicken coup and devouring eggs. No matter how much he tried to seal up every crack, the snakes somehow managed to slither in. One day he decided to trick the snakes by placing a fake, porcelain egg among the other eggs. The hungry snakes would devour the fake eggs but be unable to digest them. With the big, hard lump in their bodies they were also unable to slither out through the cracks they had entered. They were caught and destroyed.
What Peter was struggling to understand and what Jesus was gradually unfolding before his eyes in His earthly ministry was that He was not just another ordinary man. He wasn’t even just an extra-ordinary man. He wasn’t a man who came to use the ways of men to destroy evil. He was the perfect, pure, righteous, truthful Son of God. Satan had the power to crush anything of this world and of men. But he couldn’t crush Jesus. In fact, by trying, he was crushed. This is why we, like the Russian man, are not only drawn to this picture of a dead man on a cross, but more importantly to the meaning of it. In death, the death of the cross, Jesus defeated the cause of death and ended its reign over this earth.
Take Up Your Cross - What Does This Mean?
Now, Jesus says something just as shocking about the cross. He says that those who follow Him must take up their cross as well. Please remember that in Jesus’ day the cross represented the worst punishment for evil that anyone could think of. Today He might have said, “Take up your electric chair or lethal injection.” This was serious. As He defeated sin and Satan through death, so must we. What are our crosses?
The first cross, and the most difficult of all, is the cross of repentance. Only the Holy Spirit can bring about that change in our hearts that causes us to quit making excuses and to quit blaming others or even God for our failure to live according to God’s commands. It is also the Holy Spirit that draws us to Jesus and to see how this dead man on the cross is the perfect, Holy One of God, who was swallowed by Satan and who destroyed Satan. Only in this greatest act of love of all time are our sins forgiven and in fact destroyed. The prophet Micah foretold this when he spoke of Jesus saying, “He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7.19). I love the word Micah uses for “subdue.” You may have heard this Hebrew word before. It is the word “kabash.” Jesus, in his perfect and faithful life and in His innocent suffering and death, put the kabash on sin. With this ultimate kabash, you are now able to take on this cross and pray every day as Martin Luther did at the beginning of every day that the Lord would “keep me this day from all sin and evil.” And then praying at the end of the day, “I pray that You would forgive me of all my sins where I have done wrong.”
The second cross is that which the world puts upon us for being Christians. In chapter ten of Matthew Jesus said, “You will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (10.22). This time of the year I see it as I am trying to form up confirmation classes to help young people grow in their faith. The world doesn’t care about faith. So the world gladly schedules soccer games and other athletic events on Sunday mornings. I also see it in the young people who are torn between what they’ve learned from Jesus and what they see in the world around them. Don’t make fun of people just because they’re a little different. Show respect to people who have the responsibility take care of you. Don’t slouch around on the job but actually get something done. Save sex for marriage. Don’t destroy your body for the empty pleasures that chemicals can give you, and so on.
The third cross is that which Satan and all the powers of darkness put upon us. Cancer is not necessarily a cross. Sickness is unfortunately part of the curse that God has put on this world for turning away from Him in sin. Everyone suffers physically sooner or later whether they are Christians or not. But here, Jesus is specifically speaking to those who suffering because they follow Him. However, Satan’s cross comes from the fear, the doubt, the spiritual confusion that these physical troubles trigger in our lives. Satan’s cross is the one labeled “Why God?” He is the tempter, the deceiver, the one who confuses everything. This was Jeremiah’s cross as we heard in the first lesson this morning. Jeremiah was trying to serve God, but everything was going wrong. Jeremiah even comes to the point of saying, “You (God) have filled me with indignation” (Jer. 15.17). We will be talking about this today in our Adult Bible class as we discuss the problem of anger with God.
Here is your challenge today: Look at all the problems you face. You may pray that they go away, and I’m sure some of them will. But just as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not My will, but Yours be done,” so be prepared for the fact that not all of them will go away. Now, looking to Jesus, who bore the cross for you, take up your cross and follow Christ. Good will come of it.
Conclusion
Let’s summarize this message by focusing again on Jesus’ words “the things of men” and the “the things of God.” We cannot fight evil with the things of men. Humans are by nature sinful and weak. Our powers may seem great, but they are no match for ultimate evil. The things of God are truth, righteousness, love, and good works. These are the things that defeat evil. This is what Christ has given us in His crossbearing, and this is what empowers us for our crossbearing lives.
Andy had the unfortunate fate of being born to a very immature and ignorant father. His father routinely mocked him for his lack of athletic ability and for his difficulties in relating to girls. Andy was tempted to hate his father, and for a time he did. He even had daydreams about killing his father. But something was holding him back. Andy was a Christian, and his family regularly attended church. For Andy this sometimes made everything worse. His father was a blatant hypocrite. Andy, however, took up his pastor’s recommendation that he actually read one of the Gospels to learn about Jesus for himself. As he read through the Gospel of Matthew, he came to this passage that we’ve read today, and he realized what his cross was. It was his father. From that moment on he stopped hating him and began to pray for him. Andy didn’t allow Satan’s venom that was working so effectively in his father to infect him. He grew up to be an outstanding young man, advancing far beyond his father’s achievements in every way. Andy didn’t flaunt his success in front of his father. He didn’t stop talking to him, visiting, or praying for him. He just felt sorry for him. I wish I could tell you that his father finally came to repentance, but I can’t. I don’t know. God does. This isn’t a fairy tale, this is real life. But I can tell you that Andy’s life did not go unnoticed. He had a brother and a sister who also struggled with the pain inflicted by their father. Through Andy’s crossbearing life they also learned to be crossbearers themselves, and Satan’s attempts to drag them into the pit of hatred did not work.
Looking to Jesus, who bore the cross for you, take up your cross and follow Christ. Good will come of it—and that is God’s promise!
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17A)--3 September 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty Avenger, teach Your faithful ones to trust so fully in Your fatherly care that they seek not vengeance but mercy. Stoke our zeal to bless those who curse us, and so heap holy coals upon their heads. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You have made us feast on Your Word to the delight of our hearts. Keep us from the worldly company of revelers who despise Your Word, and inspire the pastors of Your Church to brazenly proclaim what is precious: the Gospel of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, open wide the hearts of Christians to one another, especially within the home and between neighbors. Let love be genuine, speech truthful and patience constant. Let us commend ourselves in everything as those known by God’s love and, therefore, unashamed to serve one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve our nation, its leaders and those who serve for the good of our people and for their protection. Grant peace in our time, O Lord, for You alone fight for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Great Physician, heal and restore. [We especially remember _____________.] Give them Your holy care and strength to bear their crosses, that they may endure to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, lead us to repentance and faith, that we might not think more highly of ourselves than is right, but that we would set our hearts and minds on the things of God. Prepare us to receive the blessed gifts of our Lord’s table, by which You preserve us holy and blameless in Christ until He comes again. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Rise up, O Lord, and avenge those who are persecuted for the name of Your Son, Jesus. In communion with all Your saints, grant us endurance to bear our crosses as Christ bore His for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
688 “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake
1 “Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake,
“All in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake,
Obey My call and guiding.
O bear the cross, whate’er betide,
Take My example for your guide.
2 “I am the light, I light the way,
A godly life displaying;
I bid you walk as in the day;
I keep your feet from straying.
I am the way, and well I show
How you must sojourn here below.
3 “My heart abounds in lowliness,
My soul with love is glowing;
And gracious words My lips express,
With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,
To God I yield, on Him I call.
4 “I teach you how to shun and flee
What harms your soul’s salvation,
Your heart from ev’ry guile to free,
From sin and its temptation.
I am the refuge of the soul
And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”
5 Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,
And take the cross appointed
And, firmly clinging to His Word,
In suff’ring be undaunted.
For those who bear the battle’s strain
The crown of heav’nly life obtain.
Text: tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813–96; (sts. 1–3, 5): Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; (st. 4): Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695
Text: Public domain
753 “All for Christ I Have Forsaken”
1 All for Christ I have forsaken
And have taken up my cross;
Worldly joy, its fame and fortune,
Now I count as worthless dross.
2 Who is sweeter than Christ Jesus?
No good thing in Him I lack!
Hand to plow, at peace I follow
Where He leads me . . . why look back?
3 Gone the past, unknown the future--
Grace supplies my daily breath;
Strong in Christ through death’s dark valley,
Firm and faithful unto death.
4 When God takes me home to heaven,
Should this be the day I die,
God will keep my spouse and children
As the apple of His eye.
5 Though the road ahead be thorny,
Though dark clouds all light obscure,
Though my cross-shaped path grows steeper,
With the Lord, I am secure.
Text: Calvin Chao, 1906–96; tr. Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Almighty God, Your Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption. Grant us courage to take up our cross daily and follow Him wherever He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 661 “The Son of God Goes Forth to War”
1 The Son of God goes forth to war
A kingly crown to gain.
His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below--
He follows in His train.
2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his master in the sky
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for those who did the wrong--
Who follows in his train?
3 A glorious band, the chosen few,
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints—their hope they knew
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their necks their death to feel--
Who follows in their train?
4 A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
Through peril, toil, and pain.
O God, to us may grace be giv’n
To follow in their train!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 3, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Allan Bliss, Randy Peeters, Howard
Holman, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this real bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you get to tell it.
Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light,
Like a little candle burning in the night,
In this world of darkness, we must shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine!
Jesus bids us shine as we work for Him,
Bringing those that wander, from the path of sin,
He will ever help us, if we shine,
You in your small corner, and I in mine.
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 3, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 869 “With the Lord Begin Your Task”
1 With the Lord begin your task;
Jesus will direct it.
For His aid and counsel ask;
Jesus will perfect it.
Ev’ry morn with Jesus rise,
And when day is ended,
In His name then close your eyes;
Be to Him commended.
2 Let each day begin with prayer,
Praise, and adoration.
On the Lord cast ev’ry care;
He is your salvation.
Morning, evening, and at night
Jesus will be near you,
Save you from the tempter’s might,
With His presence cheer you.
3 With your Savior at your side,
Foes need not alarm you;
In His promises confide,
And no ill can harm you.
All your trust and hope repose
In the mighty Master,
Who in wisdom truly knows
How to stem disaster.
4 If your task be thus begun
With the Savior’s blessing,
Safely then your course will run,
Toward the promise pressing.
Good will follow ev’rywhere
While you here must wander;
You at last the joy will share
In the mansions yonder.
5 Thus, Lord Jesus, ev’ry task
Be to You commended;
May Your will be done, I ask,
Until life is ended.
Jesus, in Your name begun
Be the day’s endeavor;
Grant that it may well be done
To Your praise forever.
Text: Morgen- und Abend-segen, 1734, Waldenburg; tr. W. Gustave Polack, 1890–1950, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 15:15–21
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 15.
15O Lord, you know;
remember me and visit me,
and take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance take me not away;
know that for your sake I bear reproach.
16Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
17I did not sit in the company of revelers,
nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,
for you had filled me with indignation.
18Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Will you be to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail?
19Therefore thus says the Lord:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them.
20And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
declares the Lord.
21I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Romans 12:9–21
L A reading from Romans, chapter 12.
9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. 17Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Matthew 16:21–28
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 16.
21From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
24Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? 27For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory [spoken]
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Hymn of the Day: 531 “Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus”
1 Hail, Thou once despisèd Jesus!
Hail, Thou Galilean King!
Thou didst suffer to release us;
Thou didst free salvation bring.
Hail, Thou universal Savior,
Bearer of our sin and shame!
By Thy merit we find favor:
Life is given through Thy name.
2 Paschal Lamb, by God appointed,
All our sins on Thee were laid;
By almighty love anointed,
Thou hast full atonement made.
All Thy people are forgiven
Through the virtue of Thy blood;
Opened is the gate of heaven,
Reconciled are we with God.
3 Jesus, hail! Enthroned in glory,
There forever to abide;
All the heav’nly hosts adore Thee,
Seated at Thy Father’s side.
There for sinners Thou art pleading;
There Thou dost our place prepare,
Ever for us interceding
Till in glory we appear.
4 Worship, honor, pow’r, and blessing
Thou art worthy to receive;
Highest praises, without ceasing,
Right it is for us to give.
Help, ye bright angelic spirits,
All your noblest anthems raise;
Help to sing our Savior’s merits,
Help to chant Immanuel’s praise!
Text (sts. 1, 3–4): Hymns Addressed to the Holy, Holy, Holy, Triune God, 1757, London, alt.; (sts. 2–4): A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, 1760, London, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Crossbearing” Matthew 16:21-28
Crossbearing – Matthew 16:21-28
Some years ago I heard the story of a Russian man who was born to atheist parents, grew up in an atheist town and attended an atheist school. He had never in his life heard the truth of Jesus Christ. But somewhere along the path of his life he saw a picture of a man who had died on a cross. He never forgot that picture and often wondered why he was strangely drawn to that picture. He wanted to understand it. At first he thought the man must have been a very bad criminal. Then he thought that he might have been a very persecuted man. Eventually he met a Christian who also knew about this picture. Anxiously the Russian man asked the Christian to explain it to him. He did, and finally the Russian man knew why he had such a strange attraction to that picture. The picture, of course, was of Jesus’ crucifixion. The explanation was this man’s ticket to salvation.
Jesus is the Christ - What Does This Mean?
Last Sunday our Gospel lesson came from the verses right before today’s lesson where Peter boldly confessed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. But Peter didn’t fully understand what that meant. Jesus went on to explain that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, die, and rise again. Peter, like so many people before and after him, could not conceive of the Son of God suffering like that. The Son, he thought, should be crushing His enemies, not being crushed by them. But Jesus was only fulfilling the plan that God had in mind from the foundation of the world. In the very first promise of the Messiah, God told Satan, “You will crush His heel, but He will crush your head” (Genesis 3.15). Jesus would suffer and die at the hands of God’s enemies. But in the end He would rise from the dead, and His victory would mean forgiveness and salvation for those who trust in God.
If we would all be honest with ourselves, we would have to admit that this makes no sense at all. We can understand Peter’s confusion. When has anyone conquered by being killed? What army has ever won a war by being destroyed in battle? It doesn’t make sense if we only have in mind the “things of men” as Jesus says. But so typical of Jesus... There’s much more to this.
Let me try to explain it this way. There was a farmer who was having trouble with snakes squeezing into the cracks and crevices of his chicken coup and devouring eggs. No matter how much he tried to seal up every crack, the snakes somehow managed to slither in. One day he decided to trick the snakes by placing a fake, porcelain egg among the other eggs. The hungry snakes would devour the fake eggs but be unable to digest them. With the big, hard lump in their bodies they were also unable to slither out through the cracks they had entered. They were caught and destroyed.
What Peter was struggling to understand and what Jesus was gradually unfolding before his eyes in His earthly ministry was that He was not just another ordinary man. He wasn’t even just an extra-ordinary man. He wasn’t a man who came to use the ways of men to destroy evil. He was the perfect, pure, righteous, truthful Son of God. Satan had the power to crush anything of this world and of men. But he couldn’t crush Jesus. In fact, by trying, he was crushed. This is why we, like the Russian man, are not only drawn to this picture of a dead man on a cross, but more importantly to the meaning of it. In death, the death of the cross, Jesus defeated the cause of death and ended its reign over this earth.
Take Up Your Cross - What Does This Mean?
Now, Jesus says something just as shocking about the cross. He says that those who follow Him must take up their cross as well. Please remember that in Jesus’ day the cross represented the worst punishment for evil that anyone could think of. Today He might have said, “Take up your electric chair or lethal injection.” This was serious. As He defeated sin and Satan through death, so must we. What are our crosses?
The first cross, and the most difficult of all, is the cross of repentance. Only the Holy Spirit can bring about that change in our hearts that causes us to quit making excuses and to quit blaming others or even God for our failure to live according to God’s commands. It is also the Holy Spirit that draws us to Jesus and to see how this dead man on the cross is the perfect, Holy One of God, who was swallowed by Satan and who destroyed Satan. Only in this greatest act of love of all time are our sins forgiven and in fact destroyed. The prophet Micah foretold this when he spoke of Jesus saying, “He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7.19). I love the word Micah uses for “subdue.” You may have heard this Hebrew word before. It is the word “kabash.” Jesus, in his perfect and faithful life and in His innocent suffering and death, put the kabash on sin. With this ultimate kabash, you are now able to take on this cross and pray every day as Martin Luther did at the beginning of every day that the Lord would “keep me this day from all sin and evil.” And then praying at the end of the day, “I pray that You would forgive me of all my sins where I have done wrong.”
The second cross is that which the world puts upon us for being Christians. In chapter ten of Matthew Jesus said, “You will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved” (10.22). This time of the year I see it as I am trying to form up confirmation classes to help young people grow in their faith. The world doesn’t care about faith. So the world gladly schedules soccer games and other athletic events on Sunday mornings. I also see it in the young people who are torn between what they’ve learned from Jesus and what they see in the world around them. Don’t make fun of people just because they’re a little different. Show respect to people who have the responsibility take care of you. Don’t slouch around on the job but actually get something done. Save sex for marriage. Don’t destroy your body for the empty pleasures that chemicals can give you, and so on.
The third cross is that which Satan and all the powers of darkness put upon us. Cancer is not necessarily a cross. Sickness is unfortunately part of the curse that God has put on this world for turning away from Him in sin. Everyone suffers physically sooner or later whether they are Christians or not. But here, Jesus is specifically speaking to those who suffering because they follow Him. However, Satan’s cross comes from the fear, the doubt, the spiritual confusion that these physical troubles trigger in our lives. Satan’s cross is the one labeled “Why God?” He is the tempter, the deceiver, the one who confuses everything. This was Jeremiah’s cross as we heard in the first lesson this morning. Jeremiah was trying to serve God, but everything was going wrong. Jeremiah even comes to the point of saying, “You (God) have filled me with indignation” (Jer. 15.17). We will be talking about this today in our Adult Bible class as we discuss the problem of anger with God.
Here is your challenge today: Look at all the problems you face. You may pray that they go away, and I’m sure some of them will. But just as Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Not My will, but Yours be done,” so be prepared for the fact that not all of them will go away. Now, looking to Jesus, who bore the cross for you, take up your cross and follow Christ. Good will come of it.
Conclusion
Let’s summarize this message by focusing again on Jesus’ words “the things of men” and the “the things of God.” We cannot fight evil with the things of men. Humans are by nature sinful and weak. Our powers may seem great, but they are no match for ultimate evil. The things of God are truth, righteousness, love, and good works. These are the things that defeat evil. This is what Christ has given us in His crossbearing, and this is what empowers us for our crossbearing lives.
Andy had the unfortunate fate of being born to a very immature and ignorant father. His father routinely mocked him for his lack of athletic ability and for his difficulties in relating to girls. Andy was tempted to hate his father, and for a time he did. He even had daydreams about killing his father. But something was holding him back. Andy was a Christian, and his family regularly attended church. For Andy this sometimes made everything worse. His father was a blatant hypocrite. Andy, however, took up his pastor’s recommendation that he actually read one of the Gospels to learn about Jesus for himself. As he read through the Gospel of Matthew, he came to this passage that we’ve read today, and he realized what his cross was. It was his father. From that moment on he stopped hating him and began to pray for him. Andy didn’t allow Satan’s venom that was working so effectively in his father to infect him. He grew up to be an outstanding young man, advancing far beyond his father’s achievements in every way. Andy didn’t flaunt his success in front of his father. He didn’t stop talking to him, visiting, or praying for him. He just felt sorry for him. I wish I could tell you that his father finally came to repentance, but I can’t. I don’t know. God does. This isn’t a fairy tale, this is real life. But I can tell you that Andy’s life did not go unnoticed. He had a brother and a sister who also struggled with the pain inflicted by their father. Through Andy’s crossbearing life they also learned to be crossbearers themselves, and Satan’s attempts to drag them into the pit of hatred did not work.
Looking to Jesus, who bore the cross for you, take up your cross and follow Christ. Good will come of it—and that is God’s promise!
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 17A)--3 September 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty Avenger, teach Your faithful ones to trust so fully in Your fatherly care that they seek not vengeance but mercy. Stoke our zeal to bless those who curse us, and so heap holy coals upon their heads. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You have made us feast on Your Word to the delight of our hearts. Keep us from the worldly company of revelers who despise Your Word, and inspire the pastors of Your Church to brazenly proclaim what is precious: the Gospel of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, open wide the hearts of Christians to one another, especially within the home and between neighbors. Let love be genuine, speech truthful and patience constant. Let us commend ourselves in everything as those known by God’s love and, therefore, unashamed to serve one another. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve our nation, its leaders and those who serve for the good of our people and for their protection. Grant peace in our time, O Lord, for You alone fight for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Great Physician, heal and restore. [We especially remember _____________.] Give them Your holy care and strength to bear their crosses, that they may endure to see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, lead us to repentance and faith, that we might not think more highly of ourselves than is right, but that we would set our hearts and minds on the things of God. Prepare us to receive the blessed gifts of our Lord’s table, by which You preserve us holy and blameless in Christ until He comes again. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Rise up, O Lord, and avenge those who are persecuted for the name of Your Son, Jesus. In communion with all Your saints, grant us endurance to bear our crosses as Christ bore His for us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
688 “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake
1 “Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake,
“All in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake,
Obey My call and guiding.
O bear the cross, whate’er betide,
Take My example for your guide.
2 “I am the light, I light the way,
A godly life displaying;
I bid you walk as in the day;
I keep your feet from straying.
I am the way, and well I show
How you must sojourn here below.
3 “My heart abounds in lowliness,
My soul with love is glowing;
And gracious words My lips express,
With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,
To God I yield, on Him I call.
4 “I teach you how to shun and flee
What harms your soul’s salvation,
Your heart from ev’ry guile to free,
From sin and its temptation.
I am the refuge of the soul
And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”
5 Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,
And take the cross appointed
And, firmly clinging to His Word,
In suff’ring be undaunted.
For those who bear the battle’s strain
The crown of heav’nly life obtain.
Text: tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813–96; (sts. 1–3, 5): Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; (st. 4): Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695
Text: Public domain
753 “All for Christ I Have Forsaken”
1 All for Christ I have forsaken
And have taken up my cross;
Worldly joy, its fame and fortune,
Now I count as worthless dross.
2 Who is sweeter than Christ Jesus?
No good thing in Him I lack!
Hand to plow, at peace I follow
Where He leads me . . . why look back?
3 Gone the past, unknown the future--
Grace supplies my daily breath;
Strong in Christ through death’s dark valley,
Firm and faithful unto death.
4 When God takes me home to heaven,
Should this be the day I die,
God will keep my spouse and children
As the apple of His eye.
5 Though the road ahead be thorny,
Though dark clouds all light obscure,
Though my cross-shaped path grows steeper,
With the Lord, I am secure.
Text: Calvin Chao, 1906–96; tr. Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
L Almighty God, Your Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption. Grant us courage to take up our cross daily and follow Him wherever He leads; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 661 “The Son of God Goes Forth to War”
1 The Son of God goes forth to war
A kingly crown to gain.
His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below--
He follows in His train.
2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his master in the sky
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for those who did the wrong--
Who follows in his train?
3 A glorious band, the chosen few,
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints—their hope they knew
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their necks their death to feel--
Who follows in their train?
4 A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
Through peril, toil, and pain.
O God, to us may grace be giv’n
To follow in their train!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 27, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Doak Whitley
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Lynn Tallman, Wayne Helley, Steve
Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
Lynn and Coleen Tallman wish to thank everyone at St. Paul for their prayers, condolences and cards given over the last few months. Blessings to all of you—Lynn and Coleen.
On listening...
"When God wants to speak and deal with us, he does not avail himself as an angel but as parents, or the pastor, or a neighbor."--Martin Luther
Last week, 14 people attended Adult Bible Class. Pray that even more will attend today. We meet in the Fellowship Room following the fellowship time, starting between 10:15 and 10:30. Refreshments will be served. Hebrews 10:25 states, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Our Adult Bible Class is the perfect way to do this. Pastor Poganski promises to make you feel at home and that you will grow and grow and grow and you'll enjoy doing it.
In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song, This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm; What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, When strivings cease, My Comforter, My All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 27, 2023
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 802, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 51:1-6
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Romans 11:33-12:8
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 16:13-20
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.] ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 912, “Christ Is Our Cornerstone”
SERMON “Who Is Jesus Christ?” Matthew 16:13-20
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
Matthew 16:13-20
There suddenly turns up a Man in Palestine who goes about talking as if He were God; He said He always existed; that He is the one principally offended when man sins; that He is able to forgive man his sins; and that He will judge the world on the Last Day. Now for a man that is merely a man to have said those sort of things would not make Him a mere moral teacher—He would either be a lunatic or the devil of hell. Now you must make a choice: Either this man was and is the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, or you can fall at His feet and call Him, “My Lord, and My God.” Perhaps you recognize these shocking words as coming from the pen of one of the great Christian writers of the 20th century—C.S. Lewis.
Who do you say that Jesus Christ is? It is the most important question we can be asked in this life for the answer determines the quality of the life that you live, the priorities of life, the ethical standards you pursue, and your life’s purpose and eternal destiny.
When Jesus asked His disciples at Caesarea Philippi “Who do you say that I am,” it was a question about His Person, because on His Person rested the entire redemption of the world, and their part in sharing that good news. They had to be convinced about His Person, for immediately after that answer was given, Jesus began to show His disciples how He had to go up to Jerusalem and suffer and die and on the third day rise again.
We consider our theme then, “Who is Jesus Christ?” by giving a five-part answer to that question.
I.
First of all, “Who is Jesus Christ?” is answered by Peter who acts as the spokesman for the disciples. He stated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” When Peter made this great confession, there were other’s in his day who thought that Jesus was a devil. Some called Him illegitimate because they could not accept His Virgin Birth. Others called Him a drunkard because He followed the social custom of having a glass of wine on occasion. Still others referred to Him as a glutton because He ate with tax collectors and other various and sundry “sinners.” Such people had a view of Jesus which “mocked” Him.
Others had what has been termed a “mystical” view of Jesus, meaning that they believed that there was something “secretive” about His existence (e.g. who He was, where He came from, etc.) In Luke 9: 7-9 we read that when King Herod heard about the things that Jesus was doing, “he was perplexed, because some were saying that John (the Baptist) had been raised from the dead. Herod said, ‘I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?’” So when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is,” they shared with Him the mystical view about Jesus.
-Some say “John the Baptist” –John preached repentance and so did Jesus
-Some say “Elijah” –Elijah had zeal for God and a heart for the poor and so did Jesus.
Elijah raised a dead boy to life—Jesus did as well.
-Still others say “Jeremiah” --Jeremiah had a heart for people, He sorrowed over their
sorrows—so did Jesus.
-Others say “One of the prophets” --either reincarnated as they believed, or raised from
the dead.
While these were complimentary remarks because John, Elijah, Jeremiah, and the other prophets were “great,” simply affording Jesus a high place in their thinking was not good enough because it was untrue.
In our own time, people also mock Jesus or think of Him as merely a great prophet among so many others that have lived in the course of human history. They view Jesus as being in the company of Mohammed, Buddha, Zoroaster, Mary Baker Eddy, Joseph Smith, and Confucius, just to name a few, and see all these religious leaders as being “one” in their religious tenets and goals, AND approving of each other. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The disciples were in the presence of Jesus for three years. They matched the words, actions, and claims of Jesus to the predictions of the prophets of the Old Testament. And Peter concluded: Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” “Christ” means anointed One, the Greek expression for the Hebrew term, Messiah. Both Christ and Messiah mean “the One anointed by the Holy Spirit to be the world’s prophet, priest and king.” As such He is the eternal Son of God incarnate—in the flesh. In the text, Jesus uses the Old Testament term from Daniel 7, “Son of Man,” where Daniel in a night vision saw the clouds of heaven “and there stood One like a Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
When Jesus applied the term, “Son of Man,” to Himself, He lifted Himself above ordinary men--
-Ordinary men have a human nature only. Jesus Christ had a divine nature in a human nature.
-Ordinary men have a human nature that is sinful from the moment of conception, but Jesus
had a sinless human nature by conception of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.
Now if Peter had spoken incorrectly, surely Jesus would have corrected him and said, “I’m not the Son of the Living God as you say I Am,” but He accepted it as the true statement of His Person.
Not that many centuries later, the group of Christians we refer to as the Early church fathers searched the Holy Scriptures, and packed their findings about Jesus Christ in creedal statements (statements of what they believed, taught and confessed)--
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father
Before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,
Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.
We continue to confess those words as they appear in the Nicene Creed. And as our namesake, Dr.
Martin Luther penned, we confess--
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity,
And also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed Me…….
II.
Secondly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” Jesus is the world’s One and Only Savior. He had to suffer, die, and rise again for our sins and the sins of all people so that full payment could be made for them. “For the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” “He came to serve, not to be served, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” He came to walk in the shoes of sinners. He identified with our plight. He Himself was sinless but He took our sins upon Himself and bore them on the tree of the cross that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law going back to Adam and Eve, our first parents, when they disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He became “sin for us” that we might receive the righteousness of God—that we might be clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone and be faultless to stand before God’s throne. For we are redeemed, restored, forgiven, through Jesus’ precious blood. His shed blood makes us heirs of our home with Him in heaven. We praise our pardoning God!
So, lay your sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, He bears them all and frees you from the
accursed load. Bring your guilt to Jesus to wash your crimson stains. Be white in His blood most precious, till not a spot of sin remains.
III.
Thirdly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” He is the author and finisher of our faith. Given what Jesus says to Peter after he made the confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” it may have been that Peter made that statement in a boastful way, thinking that Jesus would compliment him for being so “wise.” Jesus said, “Blessed are you,” (and he reminded Peter of his human or natural origin)—Blessed are you, son of Jonah (flesh born of flesh, meaning he couldn’t confess Christ by his own powers)—“This was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven.” The Father in heaven didn’t use some ecclesiastical sky-writing to give Peter this knowledge, but through the working of the Holy Spirit, he could state, “Jesus, you are the Son of the Living God.”
All through life, we need to be knowing about Jesus, “growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ,” for if we are to trust Him with the fate of our souls, if we are to love Him and devote our lives to His service and trust Him in the hour of death, it behooves us to know Him, and know Him well as our Personal Savior. As one hymnwriter puts it: Lord, I believe your precious blood, which at the mercy seat of God, Pleads for the captives’ liberty, was also shed in love for me. When from the dust of death I rise, to claim my mansion in the skies, this then shall be my only plea: Christ Jesus lived and died for me.
IV.
Fourthly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” He is the Rock of my eternal security. Peter made his confession and Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Upon first hearing this sentence, one might conclude that Jesus has gone a little nutty, having to tell Peter who he is. Such is not the case. What is going on here is that there is a play on words between Peter’s name and the word “rock.” In the greek language in which these words were first written, Peter’s name is PETROS, meaning “a rock or rolling stone.” The word used for rock is PETRA, meaning “a rock cliff.” The word PETROS is in the masculine gender. The word PETRA is feminine. What does this mean? It means that the church is not built on Peter, he is not the first pope. The church is built however, on what Peter confessed—“You are the Christ.” Luther said, “All Christians
are Peters because they make the confession here made by Peter which confession is the Rock on which Peter and all Peters are built.” I Corinthians 3:11 states: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
As one hymnwriter has put it: “Christ, thou art the sure foundation, Thou the head and cornerstone, chosen of the Lord most precious, binding all the church in one.”
We can be thankful that the church is not built on a human’s person and faith. In fact, when the Lord announced the necessity of His going to Jerusalem just after the words of our sermon text in verses 21 and following, Peter stated, “Never, Lord.” Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Out of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’” We, of course, also know about Peter’s shameful denial of Jesus in the courtyard of the High Priest.
Christ alone, in whom Peter found victory over sin, death, and hell, could say: “ I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Hades is the hereafter where God is not and the place of the devil, his evil angels and all who are lost due to their rejection of Jesus as their Savior. Thanks be to God that the church on earth has union with God the three-in-one. It is only because of that that “the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
V.
Fifthly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” He is the dear name to confess. Our text ends by stating that Jesus “warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” That didn’t mean that they were never to do so. But for the moment, when the hatred of others was running so high, there might have been an attempt to stone Jesus to death on the spot. But His plan had to be carried out. His timetable would happen—the cross on Calvary, His resurrection, His disciples sharing that blessed Good News with others as they were given the power to do so by the Holy Spirit. And to this day, the church speaks for Jesus. Jesus stated to Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This is Jewish legal language. To “bind” something meant to declare it forbidden. To “loose” something meant to declare it allowed. Peter and every Christian have a serious responsibility by God’s law to show that sin binds man with guilt and an eternal death penalty, BUT that by faith in Christ, the sinner is loosed from the death penalty and guilt; and when we as God’s redeemed, restored, forgiven children tell others, “This is the way it is: the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ,” it is as if God Himself in heaven did the telling. If a sinner believes, guilt is loosed. If they don’t believe, they are still in bondage. This teaching of Holy Scripture known as “The Office of the Keys”, the declaring of forgiveness in Christ, which unlocks the doors of heaven, is the possession of every Christian, in every congregation, the world over, for as Peter writes in his first epistle: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
May your heart always give the right answer to the question, “Who is Jesus Christ” and may your life give evidence of living that correct answer before others, always knowing that His mercy and pardon is for you and all the people you will ever meet in this life.
Christ is our cornerstone, On Him alone we build;
With His true saints alone The courts of heaven are filled.
On His great love Our hopes we place Of present grace And joys above.
May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
VOTUM
Offering
+Soli Deo Gloria+
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16A) - 27 August 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, from You and through You and to You are all things. You have built Your Church on the confession of the Gospel and have promised that the gates of hell will not overcome it. To Your Church throughout the world grant the faith and courage to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God Almighty, You transform Your Church by the Holy Spirit so that she does not conform to the world. Draw forth from Your people their proclamation of thanksgiving, that they may tell of all Your wondrous deeds. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant that the Office of the Keys may be honored among us, in order that we may confess our sin and be absolved in the name of Christ. As You have so graciously forgiven us, grant that we may extend this grace by forgiving others. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, care for all families, children, single adults and youth, that they might steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal. Grant an increase in wisdom and grace to all who teach and learn. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, grant that all nations and leaders might act for peace; promote godliness; and protect all who live under violence, oppression, injustice and fear, that all people might extol You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, care for all victims of disaster, for those stricken by illness or infirmity, for the aged and infirm, for the grieving and for those near death. [Especially show Your steadfast love to _____________.] Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, lead us to repentance and faith, that we may not think more highly of ourselves than is right, but that we would set our hearts and minds on the things of God. Prepare us to receive the blessed gifts of our Lord’s table, that this food may keep us holy and blameless in Christ now and when He comes again. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
From You and through You and to You are all things! To You, O Father, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, be glory now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYERALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION
Hymns-- no. 645, “Built on the Rock”
no. 575, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 662, “Onward, Christian Soldiers”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION HOUR AT 10:30 A.M.
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 27, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Doak Whitley
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Lynn Tallman, Wayne Helley, Steve
Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
Lynn and Coleen Tallman wish to thank everyone at St. Paul for their prayers, condolences and cards given over the last few months. Blessings to all of you—Lynn and Coleen.
On listening...
"When God wants to speak and deal with us, he does not avail himself as an angel but as parents, or the pastor, or a neighbor."--Martin Luther
Last week, 14 people attended Adult Bible Class. Pray that even more will attend today. We meet in the Fellowship Room following the fellowship time, starting between 10:15 and 10:30. Refreshments will be served. Hebrews 10:25 states, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Our Adult Bible Class is the perfect way to do this. Pastor Poganski promises to make you feel at home and that you will grow and grow and grow and you'll enjoy doing it.
In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song, This Cornerstone, this solid ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm; What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, When strivings cease, My Comforter, My All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand.
THE ORDER OF HOLY COMMUNION
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 27, 2023
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 802, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
P: Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you
and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and
ordained servant of the Word I therefore forgive you all your
sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel. [cont.]
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love.
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 51:1-6
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS P: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
P: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
P: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Romans 11:33-12:8
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 16:13-20
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.] ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 912, “Christ Is Our Cornerstone”
SERMON “Who Is Jesus Christ?” Matthew 16:13-20
WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?
Matthew 16:13-20
There suddenly turns up a Man in Palestine who goes about talking as if He were God; He said He always existed; that He is the one principally offended when man sins; that He is able to forgive man his sins; and that He will judge the world on the Last Day. Now for a man that is merely a man to have said those sort of things would not make Him a mere moral teacher—He would either be a lunatic or the devil of hell. Now you must make a choice: Either this man was and is the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, or you can fall at His feet and call Him, “My Lord, and My God.” Perhaps you recognize these shocking words as coming from the pen of one of the great Christian writers of the 20th century—C.S. Lewis.
Who do you say that Jesus Christ is? It is the most important question we can be asked in this life for the answer determines the quality of the life that you live, the priorities of life, the ethical standards you pursue, and your life’s purpose and eternal destiny.
When Jesus asked His disciples at Caesarea Philippi “Who do you say that I am,” it was a question about His Person, because on His Person rested the entire redemption of the world, and their part in sharing that good news. They had to be convinced about His Person, for immediately after that answer was given, Jesus began to show His disciples how He had to go up to Jerusalem and suffer and die and on the third day rise again.
We consider our theme then, “Who is Jesus Christ?” by giving a five-part answer to that question.
I.
First of all, “Who is Jesus Christ?” is answered by Peter who acts as the spokesman for the disciples. He stated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” When Peter made this great confession, there were other’s in his day who thought that Jesus was a devil. Some called Him illegitimate because they could not accept His Virgin Birth. Others called Him a drunkard because He followed the social custom of having a glass of wine on occasion. Still others referred to Him as a glutton because He ate with tax collectors and other various and sundry “sinners.” Such people had a view of Jesus which “mocked” Him.
Others had what has been termed a “mystical” view of Jesus, meaning that they believed that there was something “secretive” about His existence (e.g. who He was, where He came from, etc.) In Luke 9: 7-9 we read that when King Herod heard about the things that Jesus was doing, “he was perplexed, because some were saying that John (the Baptist) had been raised from the dead. Herod said, ‘I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?’” So when Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is,” they shared with Him the mystical view about Jesus.
-Some say “John the Baptist” –John preached repentance and so did Jesus
-Some say “Elijah” –Elijah had zeal for God and a heart for the poor and so did Jesus.
Elijah raised a dead boy to life—Jesus did as well.
-Still others say “Jeremiah” --Jeremiah had a heart for people, He sorrowed over their
sorrows—so did Jesus.
-Others say “One of the prophets” --either reincarnated as they believed, or raised from
the dead.
While these were complimentary remarks because John, Elijah, Jeremiah, and the other prophets were “great,” simply affording Jesus a high place in their thinking was not good enough because it was untrue.
In our own time, people also mock Jesus or think of Him as merely a great prophet among so many others that have lived in the course of human history. They view Jesus as being in the company of Mohammed, Buddha, Zoroaster, Mary Baker Eddy, Joseph Smith, and Confucius, just to name a few, and see all these religious leaders as being “one” in their religious tenets and goals, AND approving of each other. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The disciples were in the presence of Jesus for three years. They matched the words, actions, and claims of Jesus to the predictions of the prophets of the Old Testament. And Peter concluded: Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” “Christ” means anointed One, the Greek expression for the Hebrew term, Messiah. Both Christ and Messiah mean “the One anointed by the Holy Spirit to be the world’s prophet, priest and king.” As such He is the eternal Son of God incarnate—in the flesh. In the text, Jesus uses the Old Testament term from Daniel 7, “Son of Man,” where Daniel in a night vision saw the clouds of heaven “and there stood One like a Son of Man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
When Jesus applied the term, “Son of Man,” to Himself, He lifted Himself above ordinary men--
-Ordinary men have a human nature only. Jesus Christ had a divine nature in a human nature.
-Ordinary men have a human nature that is sinful from the moment of conception, but Jesus
had a sinless human nature by conception of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.
Now if Peter had spoken incorrectly, surely Jesus would have corrected him and said, “I’m not the Son of the Living God as you say I Am,” but He accepted it as the true statement of His Person.
Not that many centuries later, the group of Christians we refer to as the Early church fathers searched the Holy Scriptures, and packed their findings about Jesus Christ in creedal statements (statements of what they believed, taught and confessed)--
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father
Before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God,
Begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father.
We continue to confess those words as they appear in the Nicene Creed. And as our namesake, Dr.
Martin Luther penned, we confess--
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity,
And also true man, born of the virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed Me…….
II.
Secondly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” Jesus is the world’s One and Only Savior. He had to suffer, die, and rise again for our sins and the sins of all people so that full payment could be made for them. “For the saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” “He came to serve, not to be served, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” He came to walk in the shoes of sinners. He identified with our plight. He Himself was sinless but He took our sins upon Himself and bore them on the tree of the cross that we might be redeemed from the curse of the law going back to Adam and Eve, our first parents, when they disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He became “sin for us” that we might receive the righteousness of God—that we might be clothed in Christ’s righteousness alone and be faultless to stand before God’s throne. For we are redeemed, restored, forgiven, through Jesus’ precious blood. His shed blood makes us heirs of our home with Him in heaven. We praise our pardoning God!
So, lay your sins on Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God, He bears them all and frees you from the
accursed load. Bring your guilt to Jesus to wash your crimson stains. Be white in His blood most precious, till not a spot of sin remains.
III.
Thirdly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” He is the author and finisher of our faith. Given what Jesus says to Peter after he made the confession, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” it may have been that Peter made that statement in a boastful way, thinking that Jesus would compliment him for being so “wise.” Jesus said, “Blessed are you,” (and he reminded Peter of his human or natural origin)—Blessed are you, son of Jonah (flesh born of flesh, meaning he couldn’t confess Christ by his own powers)—“This was not revealed to you by man but by my Father in heaven.” The Father in heaven didn’t use some ecclesiastical sky-writing to give Peter this knowledge, but through the working of the Holy Spirit, he could state, “Jesus, you are the Son of the Living God.”
All through life, we need to be knowing about Jesus, “growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ,” for if we are to trust Him with the fate of our souls, if we are to love Him and devote our lives to His service and trust Him in the hour of death, it behooves us to know Him, and know Him well as our Personal Savior. As one hymnwriter puts it: Lord, I believe your precious blood, which at the mercy seat of God, Pleads for the captives’ liberty, was also shed in love for me. When from the dust of death I rise, to claim my mansion in the skies, this then shall be my only plea: Christ Jesus lived and died for me.
IV.
Fourthly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” He is the Rock of my eternal security. Peter made his confession and Jesus said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Upon first hearing this sentence, one might conclude that Jesus has gone a little nutty, having to tell Peter who he is. Such is not the case. What is going on here is that there is a play on words between Peter’s name and the word “rock.” In the greek language in which these words were first written, Peter’s name is PETROS, meaning “a rock or rolling stone.” The word used for rock is PETRA, meaning “a rock cliff.” The word PETROS is in the masculine gender. The word PETRA is feminine. What does this mean? It means that the church is not built on Peter, he is not the first pope. The church is built however, on what Peter confessed—“You are the Christ.” Luther said, “All Christians
are Peters because they make the confession here made by Peter which confession is the Rock on which Peter and all Peters are built.” I Corinthians 3:11 states: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
As one hymnwriter has put it: “Christ, thou art the sure foundation, Thou the head and cornerstone, chosen of the Lord most precious, binding all the church in one.”
We can be thankful that the church is not built on a human’s person and faith. In fact, when the Lord announced the necessity of His going to Jerusalem just after the words of our sermon text in verses 21 and following, Peter stated, “Never, Lord.” Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Out of my sight, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’” We, of course, also know about Peter’s shameful denial of Jesus in the courtyard of the High Priest.
Christ alone, in whom Peter found victory over sin, death, and hell, could say: “ I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” Hades is the hereafter where God is not and the place of the devil, his evil angels and all who are lost due to their rejection of Jesus as their Savior. Thanks be to God that the church on earth has union with God the three-in-one. It is only because of that that “the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
V.
Fifthly, “Who is Jesus Christ?” He is the dear name to confess. Our text ends by stating that Jesus “warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.” That didn’t mean that they were never to do so. But for the moment, when the hatred of others was running so high, there might have been an attempt to stone Jesus to death on the spot. But His plan had to be carried out. His timetable would happen—the cross on Calvary, His resurrection, His disciples sharing that blessed Good News with others as they were given the power to do so by the Holy Spirit. And to this day, the church speaks for Jesus. Jesus stated to Peter: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This is Jewish legal language. To “bind” something meant to declare it forbidden. To “loose” something meant to declare it allowed. Peter and every Christian have a serious responsibility by God’s law to show that sin binds man with guilt and an eternal death penalty, BUT that by faith in Christ, the sinner is loosed from the death penalty and guilt; and when we as God’s redeemed, restored, forgiven children tell others, “This is the way it is: the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ,” it is as if God Himself in heaven did the telling. If a sinner believes, guilt is loosed. If they don’t believe, they are still in bondage. This teaching of Holy Scripture known as “The Office of the Keys”, the declaring of forgiveness in Christ, which unlocks the doors of heaven, is the possession of every Christian, in every congregation, the world over, for as Peter writes in his first epistle: “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
May your heart always give the right answer to the question, “Who is Jesus Christ” and may your life give evidence of living that correct answer before others, always knowing that His mercy and pardon is for you and all the people you will ever meet in this life.
Christ is our cornerstone, On Him alone we build;
With His true saints alone The courts of heaven are filled.
On His great love Our hopes we place Of present grace And joys above.
May God grant it for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
VOTUM
Offering
+Soli Deo Gloria+
OFFERING [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 16A) - 27 August 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, from You and through You and to You are all things. You have built Your Church on the confession of the Gospel and have promised that the gates of hell will not overcome it. To Your Church throughout the world grant the faith and courage to confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God Almighty, You transform Your Church by the Holy Spirit so that she does not conform to the world. Draw forth from Your people their proclamation of thanksgiving, that they may tell of all Your wondrous deeds. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant that the Office of the Keys may be honored among us, in order that we may confess our sin and be absolved in the name of Christ. As You have so graciously forgiven us, grant that we may extend this grace by forgiving others. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, care for all families, children, single adults and youth, that they might steadfastly walk in the way that leads to life eternal. Grant an increase in wisdom and grace to all who teach and learn. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, grant that all nations and leaders might act for peace; promote godliness; and protect all who live under violence, oppression, injustice and fear, that all people might extol You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, care for all victims of disaster, for those stricken by illness or infirmity, for the aged and infirm, for the grieving and for those near death. [Especially show Your steadfast love to _____________.] Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, lead us to repentance and faith, that we may not think more highly of ourselves than is right, but that we would set our hearts and minds on the things of God. Prepare us to receive the blessed gifts of our Lord’s table, that this food may keep us holy and blameless in Christ now and when He comes again. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
From You and through You and to You are all things! To You, O Father, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, be glory now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
COMMUNION LITURGY [We prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.]
P: The Lord be with you.
C: AND ALSO WITH YOU.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: WE LIFT THEM TO THE LORD.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: IT IS RIGHT TO GIVE HIM THANKS AND PRAISE.
P: Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C: FOR HIS MERCY ENDURES FOREVER.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION [Jesus established/instituted this special meal.]
LORD’S PRAYERALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
COMMUNION DISTRIBUTION
Hymns-- no. 645, “Built on the Rock”
no. 575, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”
POST-COMMUNION HYMN “O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee”[tune: Old Hundreth]
O Jesus, blessed Lord, to Thee
My heartfelt thanks forever be,
Who hast so lovingly bestowed
On me Thy body and Thy blood.
Break forth, my soul, for joy and say:
What wealth is come to me this day!
My Savior dwells within my heart:
How blessed am I! How good Thou Art!
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
P: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 662, “Onward, Christian Soldiers”
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION HOUR AT 10:30 A.M.
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 20, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Lynn Tallman, Wayne Helley, Steve
Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
IT IS TIME
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.”
Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 20, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 902 “Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, be present now;
Our hearts in true devotion bow.
Your Spirit send with light divine,
And let Your truth within us shine.
2 Unseal our lips to sing Your praise
In endless hymns through all our days.
Increase our faith and light our minds;
And set us free from doubt that blinds.
3 Then shall we join the hosts that cry,
“O holy, holy Lord Most High!”
And in the light of that blest place
We then shall see You face to face.
D 4 All glory to the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise throughout eternity!
Text: Lutherisch Hand-Büchlein, 1648, Altenburg; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 28:8, 1–2, 6–7
P The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
Blessèd be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting Father, You give Your children many blessings even though we are undeserving. In every trial and temptation grant us steadfast confidence in Your loving-kindness and mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 56:1, 6–8
1Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my deliverance be revealed. . . .
6“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant--
7these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8The Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 67
1May God be gracious to us and | bless us*
and make his face to shine up- | on us,
2that your way may be | known on earth,*
your saving power among all | nations.
3Let the peoples praise you, | O God;*
let all the peoples | praise you!
4Let the nations be glad and | sing for joy,*
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations up- | on earth.
5Let the peoples praise you, | O God;*
let all the peoples | praise you!
6The earth has yielded its | increase;*
God, our God, shall | bless us.
7God shall | bless us;*
let all the ends of the earth | fear him!
Epistle Romans 11:1–2a, 13–15, 28–32
1I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. . . .
13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? . . .
28As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 15:21–28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
21Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day:571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
1 God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
2 Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.
3 God would not have the sinner die;
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.
4 Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins which you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.
5 If you are sick, if death is near,
This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves your soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.
D 6 Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
Text: Heiliges Lippen- und Hertzens-Opffer, c. 1778, Stettin; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “An Eventful Vacation” Matthew 15:21-28
An Eventful Vacation! - Matthew 15:21-28
The disciples needed a break now more than ever. Two weeks ago, we noted that the disciples had just learned that Herod executed John the Baptist. This was a source of great grief for Jesus and the disciples. They had also been working very hard. Jesus took them to the wilderness on the other side of the Sea of Galilee for a little R&R. However, the crowds figured out where they were going and were waiting for them when they got there. Jesus spent all day ministering to those crowds and then He fed them in the event known as the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Then, last week, we learned that right after the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus put the disciples back in the boat and told them to go back to the other side while He dismissed the crowds. The disciples ended up spending the entire night crossing the sea because of a brutal head wind. It was almost dawn when Jesus came walking to them on the water and they finally made it to the other side. The verses after that tell us that some early risers recognized Jesus and woke up the neighborhood and the crowds gathered as soon as they landed. Then the Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem and Jesus had to have a debate with them. Basically, it has been almost two days without sleep and a night full of hard labor since Jesus first decided that the disciples needed a break. If they needed a break then, they really need a break now.
The portion of the Gospel that we heard today informs us that Jesus finally took the disciples completely out of Jewish territory. “Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.” (Matthew 15:21) Tyre and Sidon are two cities on the Mediterranean coast in the territory of Phoenicia. This means that Jesus has taken the disciples about a day’s journey into the Gentile territory north of Galilee. Perhaps there, in Gentile territory, completely outside the borders of Galilee, they can finally get some rest and deal with the death of John the Baptist.
Well, not so much. Behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22) What would you think if you were one of the disciples under those circumstances? I’d be thinking, “Oh no! Not again!” At first, it seems as if even Jesus is thinking that way. For the Gospel said He did not answer her a word. (Matthew 15:23) It almost seems as if Jesus is hoping that if He ignores her, she will go away.
Notice that the text does not say that she cried. It says that she was crying. This means that she continually repeated her prayer, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” Over and over again, she repeated this prayer. She was getting on the disciples’ nerves. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” (Matthew 15:23) It is as if the disciples were saying, “Look Jesus, we’ve seen this kind of woman before. She is not going to give us any peace until you answer her one way or the other. Just drive out the demon. She will go away, and we can get some peace.”
Jesus knew something about this woman that the neither the disciples nor even the woman knew. He knew that somewhere along the line, someone had told this woman who He was. The Holy Spirit used this information to create faith in this woman. She referred to Jesus as the Son of David. This meant that she believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus saw a great and beautiful faith in this woman. Jesus wanted the woman, the disciples, and you to know how strong this faith was. Since only God can look at the heart, Jesus set up a few tests to demonstrate the strength of the faith in this woman.
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) Although Jesus was speaking to the disciples, I am certain that the woman heard what He said. Take a moment to put yourself in the woman’s shoes. Jesus has just said, “I was sent to the Jews. You are a Gentile. Too bad for you!” Be honest! Would you be angry? Would you be crushed? How would you respond?
But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” (Matthew 15:25) This woman ran in front of Jesus and fell before Him so that He almost tripped over her. Then she kept right on praying, “Lord, help me.” The faith that the Holy Spirit has given this woman will not be denied.
But Jesus knew there was even more to this woman’s faith. This time He spoke directly to the woman and he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26) I’ll tell you right now that calling a woman a dog was no more of a complement back then than it is today. Again, how would you respond if Jesus called you a dog? Be honest.
She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27) This woman took Jesus at His word. “Yes, Lord, if you say that I am a dog, then I must be a dog. But ya’know, even the dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall. If you give me a crumb, it will be enough.” She knew that even a crumb from Jesus would be enough to drive out the demon.
I’m pretty sure that didn’t have fist pumps in the first century, but if Jesus were around to day, He would go, “YES!” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:28)
It is interesting that a few verses before today’s Gospel, Jesus was debating with Pharisees and scribes … some of the best educated people in the area. Jesus simply tore their case apart. Now here is this Gentile woman … probably uneducated, and she won her debate with Jesus. The Holy Spirit had given this woman faith to move mountains. Jesus put up some serious blockades and this woman’s faith knocked them aside as though they were soap bubbles on a light breeze. Now this woman could praise God for the wonderful faith He had given to her. She knew it. The disciples knew it. The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to record this account so that you would know it too.
Why is it so important for you to know about this woman’s faith? Remember that Matthew’s Gospel was originally written for Jewish converts to the faith. There was a great controversy in the early church. Many people believed that you had to convert to Judaism before you could become a Christian. The Gospel according to Matthew regularly puts that idea to rest. Matthew regularly recorded the faith of Gentiles throughout His Gospel account … the magi, Roman Centurions, the woman in today’s reading, and other Gentiles show that salvation is for all people in all places and times.
A Canaanite woman is about as Gentile as you can get. The Canaanites were on the list of people that the Israelites had to drive out of Canaan as the Lord said through His servant Moses, “You shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded.” (Deuteronomy 20:17) If a Canaanite woman can have the faith that causes Jesus to say, “O woman, great is your faith!” then that faith is for you too. The Holy Spirit can work saving faith in anyone. Here “there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:11)
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “It is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:8) With these words, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the true Israel is not based on genetics, but faith in the promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation that we have in Jesus Christ. This woman has demonstrated that the Holy Spirit has given her a great faith. Jesus acknowledged her faith and in so doing proclaimed that, although she was a Gentile genetically, by grace she is a child of Abraham – one of the lost sheep of Israel.
Jesus loved this woman deeply. He loved her enough to suffer the offense of living among sinners and interacting with them even though He never sinned. He loved her enough to suffer an unjust trial and cruel physical torture. He loved her enough to lift up her sins and carry them to the cross. With His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death He earned a place for her at the table with the rest of the children of God. She now waits with Jesus for the Last Day. On that day Jesus will raise her body from the grave just as Jesus Himself rose from the dead. On that day, she will join the true and eternal Israel at the wedding feast of the Lamb. She does not deserve this, but she has it because Christ earned it for her.
Like the Canaanite woman, we do not deserve to be at the table of the Lamb. Nevertheless, the Lamb offers His table to us. Not only did Jesus sacrifice Himself to earn eternal life for this woman, but He also did that for you. When the Holy Spirit plants faith in you, He makes you a part of the true, eternal Israel … the Holy Christian Church. He cleanses you with the blood of Jesus and covers you with righteousness. You deserve none of it, but it is all yours because the Holy Lord, Jesus Christ earned it for you. You also have a place at the table with the rest of God’s children. It is all yours by grace through faith in the crucified and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15A) - 20 August 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, bless this congregation and church. Grant that it may be a house of prayer and we a people of prayer. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant that the Church may steadfastly proclaim Your irrevocable gifts and calling, that the disobedient may receive mercy and that those who hear would become grafted onto Jesus Christ, the true vine. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, bless all honest work and occupations, and grant that we may use well the fruits of our labors. Give us generosity for those in need. Bless the tithes and offerings that accompany our sacrifice of praise. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant that the government and those who protect us might keep justice and do righteousness for Your name’s sake and according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, care for those who cry to You, whether beset with grief, sorrow, pain or trouble [especially _____________]. Be pleased for Christ’s sake to answer them according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, bless all who are about to receive Christ’s body and blood from this altar. Grant that these crumbs from Your table may strengthen us in faith and love, united with You and our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
832 “Jesus Shall Reign”
1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does its successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2 To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With ev’ry morning sacrifice.
3 People and realms of ev’ry tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.
4 Blessings abound where’er He reigns:
The pris’ners leap, unloose their chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all who suffer want are blest.
5 Let ev’ry creature rise and bring
Honors peculiar to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 936 “Sing Praise to the God of Israel”
1 Sing praise to the God of Israel!
Sing praise for His visitation!
Redeeming His people from their sin,
Accomplishing their salvation,
Upraising a mighty horn within
The house of His servant David!
2 God spoke by the prophets long ago,
His promise on oath recalling--
To Abraham made in former years:
Of vanquishing foes appalling,
That those He delivered from their fears
Might gladly and truly serve Him.
3 You, child, will go on before the Lord
As prophet, His way preparing;
To speak on behalf of God Most High,
His counsel of truth declaring:
Rich mercy and grace for all whereby
Iniquity is forgiven.
4 O bright, rising Sun, now shine on us
In need of illumination;
Come scatter the shades of sin and death
And shatter their domination.
Be guiding our footsteps on the path
Of peace, in Your presence dawning!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1992 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 20, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Allan Bliss
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Lynn Tallman, Wayne Helley, Steve
Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
Be open to conversations - Aaron Earls
Half of Americans (51%), including 60% of the religiously unaffiliated, say they’re curious as to why some people are so devoted to their faith, according to a recent Lifeway Research study. Two in 3 Americans (66%) say they’re at least open to having a conversation about faith with a friend. And 51% are even open to those conversations with a stranger. Even with a growing number of Americans no longer believing in God’s existence, most are still willing to have a conversation about faith and religion.
IT IS TIME
Most of our congregations were structured to get people to come to our churches. But the Bible is clear that our mandate is to go to them. “Go into all the world…..” (Matthew 28:19). It is time to share Jesus with others instead of simply expecting them to come to us. It is simple but radical for most churches. And yet, Jesus calls us His ambassadors to be doing just that (2 Corinthians 5:20). “Jesus bids us shine with a clear, pure light, like a little candle burning in the night; in this world of darkness we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.”
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.”
Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
August 20, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 902 “Lord Jesus Christ, Be Present Now”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, be present now;
Our hearts in true devotion bow.
Your Spirit send with light divine,
And let Your truth within us shine.
2 Unseal our lips to sing Your praise
In endless hymns through all our days.
Increase our faith and light our minds;
And set us free from doubt that blinds.
3 Then shall we join the hosts that cry,
“O holy, holy Lord Most High!”
And in the light of that blest place
We then shall see You face to face.
D 4 All glory to the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise throughout eternity!
Text: Lutherisch Hand-Büchlein, 1648, Altenburg; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 28:8, 1–2, 6–7
P The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me,
lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit. Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
Blessèd be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting Father, You give Your children many blessings even though we are undeserving. In every trial and temptation grant us steadfast confidence in Your loving-kindness and mercy; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 56:1, 6–8
1Thus says the Lord:
“Keep justice, and do righteousness,
for soon my salvation will come,
and my deliverance be revealed. . . .
6“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to be his servants,
everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,
and holds fast my covenant--
7these I will bring to my holy mountain,
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house shall be called a house of prayer
for all peoples.”
8The Lord God,
who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,
“I will gather yet others to him
besides those already gathered.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 67
1May God be gracious to us and | bless us*
and make his face to shine up- | on us,
2that your way may be | known on earth,*
your saving power among all | nations.
3Let the peoples praise you, | O God;*
let all the peoples | praise you!
4Let the nations be glad and | sing for joy,*
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations up- | on earth.
5Let the peoples praise you, | O God;*
let all the peoples | praise you!
6The earth has yielded its | increase;*
God, our God, shall | bless us.
7God shall | bless us;*
let all the ends of the earth | fear him!
Epistle Romans 11:1–2a, 13–15, 28–32
1I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. . . .
13Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? . . .
28As regards the gospel, they are enemies of God for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. 29For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, 31so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. 32For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 15:21–28
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the fifteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
21Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day:571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
1 God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
2 Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.
3 God would not have the sinner die;
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.
4 Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins which you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.
5 If you are sick, if death is near,
This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves your soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.
D 6 Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
Text: Heiliges Lippen- und Hertzens-Opffer, c. 1778, Stettin; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “An Eventful Vacation” Matthew 15:21-28
An Eventful Vacation! - Matthew 15:21-28
The disciples needed a break now more than ever. Two weeks ago, we noted that the disciples had just learned that Herod executed John the Baptist. This was a source of great grief for Jesus and the disciples. They had also been working very hard. Jesus took them to the wilderness on the other side of the Sea of Galilee for a little R&R. However, the crowds figured out where they were going and were waiting for them when they got there. Jesus spent all day ministering to those crowds and then He fed them in the event known as the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Then, last week, we learned that right after the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus put the disciples back in the boat and told them to go back to the other side while He dismissed the crowds. The disciples ended up spending the entire night crossing the sea because of a brutal head wind. It was almost dawn when Jesus came walking to them on the water and they finally made it to the other side. The verses after that tell us that some early risers recognized Jesus and woke up the neighborhood and the crowds gathered as soon as they landed. Then the Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem and Jesus had to have a debate with them. Basically, it has been almost two days without sleep and a night full of hard labor since Jesus first decided that the disciples needed a break. If they needed a break then, they really need a break now.
The portion of the Gospel that we heard today informs us that Jesus finally took the disciples completely out of Jewish territory. “Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.” (Matthew 15:21) Tyre and Sidon are two cities on the Mediterranean coast in the territory of Phoenicia. This means that Jesus has taken the disciples about a day’s journey into the Gentile territory north of Galilee. Perhaps there, in Gentile territory, completely outside the borders of Galilee, they can finally get some rest and deal with the death of John the Baptist.
Well, not so much. Behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” (Matthew 15:22) What would you think if you were one of the disciples under those circumstances? I’d be thinking, “Oh no! Not again!” At first, it seems as if even Jesus is thinking that way. For the Gospel said He did not answer her a word. (Matthew 15:23) It almost seems as if Jesus is hoping that if He ignores her, she will go away.
Notice that the text does not say that she cried. It says that she was crying. This means that she continually repeated her prayer, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” Over and over again, she repeated this prayer. She was getting on the disciples’ nerves. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” (Matthew 15:23) It is as if the disciples were saying, “Look Jesus, we’ve seen this kind of woman before. She is not going to give us any peace until you answer her one way or the other. Just drive out the demon. She will go away, and we can get some peace.”
Jesus knew something about this woman that the neither the disciples nor even the woman knew. He knew that somewhere along the line, someone had told this woman who He was. The Holy Spirit used this information to create faith in this woman. She referred to Jesus as the Son of David. This meant that she believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus saw a great and beautiful faith in this woman. Jesus wanted the woman, the disciples, and you to know how strong this faith was. Since only God can look at the heart, Jesus set up a few tests to demonstrate the strength of the faith in this woman.
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) Although Jesus was speaking to the disciples, I am certain that the woman heard what He said. Take a moment to put yourself in the woman’s shoes. Jesus has just said, “I was sent to the Jews. You are a Gentile. Too bad for you!” Be honest! Would you be angry? Would you be crushed? How would you respond?
But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” (Matthew 15:25) This woman ran in front of Jesus and fell before Him so that He almost tripped over her. Then she kept right on praying, “Lord, help me.” The faith that the Holy Spirit has given this woman will not be denied.
But Jesus knew there was even more to this woman’s faith. This time He spoke directly to the woman and he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (Matthew 15:26) I’ll tell you right now that calling a woman a dog was no more of a complement back then than it is today. Again, how would you respond if Jesus called you a dog? Be honest.
She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” (Matthew 15:27) This woman took Jesus at His word. “Yes, Lord, if you say that I am a dog, then I must be a dog. But ya’know, even the dogs get to eat the crumbs that fall. If you give me a crumb, it will be enough.” She knew that even a crumb from Jesus would be enough to drive out the demon.
I’m pretty sure that didn’t have fist pumps in the first century, but if Jesus were around to day, He would go, “YES!” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. (Matthew 15:28)
It is interesting that a few verses before today’s Gospel, Jesus was debating with Pharisees and scribes … some of the best educated people in the area. Jesus simply tore their case apart. Now here is this Gentile woman … probably uneducated, and she won her debate with Jesus. The Holy Spirit had given this woman faith to move mountains. Jesus put up some serious blockades and this woman’s faith knocked them aside as though they were soap bubbles on a light breeze. Now this woman could praise God for the wonderful faith He had given to her. She knew it. The disciples knew it. The Holy Spirit inspired Matthew to record this account so that you would know it too.
Why is it so important for you to know about this woman’s faith? Remember that Matthew’s Gospel was originally written for Jewish converts to the faith. There was a great controversy in the early church. Many people believed that you had to convert to Judaism before you could become a Christian. The Gospel according to Matthew regularly puts that idea to rest. Matthew regularly recorded the faith of Gentiles throughout His Gospel account … the magi, Roman Centurions, the woman in today’s reading, and other Gentiles show that salvation is for all people in all places and times.
A Canaanite woman is about as Gentile as you can get. The Canaanites were on the list of people that the Israelites had to drive out of Canaan as the Lord said through His servant Moses, “You shall devote them to complete destruction, the Hittites and the Amorites, the Canaanites and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites, as the LORD your God has commanded.” (Deuteronomy 20:17) If a Canaanite woman can have the faith that causes Jesus to say, “O woman, great is your faith!” then that faith is for you too. The Holy Spirit can work saving faith in anyone. Here “there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:11)
The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write, “It is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Romans 9:8) With these words, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the true Israel is not based on genetics, but faith in the promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation that we have in Jesus Christ. This woman has demonstrated that the Holy Spirit has given her a great faith. Jesus acknowledged her faith and in so doing proclaimed that, although she was a Gentile genetically, by grace she is a child of Abraham – one of the lost sheep of Israel.
Jesus loved this woman deeply. He loved her enough to suffer the offense of living among sinners and interacting with them even though He never sinned. He loved her enough to suffer an unjust trial and cruel physical torture. He loved her enough to lift up her sins and carry them to the cross. With His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death He earned a place for her at the table with the rest of the children of God. She now waits with Jesus for the Last Day. On that day Jesus will raise her body from the grave just as Jesus Himself rose from the dead. On that day, she will join the true and eternal Israel at the wedding feast of the Lamb. She does not deserve this, but she has it because Christ earned it for her.
Like the Canaanite woman, we do not deserve to be at the table of the Lamb. Nevertheless, the Lamb offers His table to us. Not only did Jesus sacrifice Himself to earn eternal life for this woman, but He also did that for you. When the Holy Spirit plants faith in you, He makes you a part of the true, eternal Israel … the Holy Christian Church. He cleanses you with the blood of Jesus and covers you with righteousness. You deserve none of it, but it is all yours because the Holy Lord, Jesus Christ earned it for you. You also have a place at the table with the rest of God’s children. It is all yours by grace through faith in the crucified and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 15A) - 20 August 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, bless this congregation and church. Grant that it may be a house of prayer and we a people of prayer. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant that the Church may steadfastly proclaim Your irrevocable gifts and calling, that the disobedient may receive mercy and that those who hear would become grafted onto Jesus Christ, the true vine. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, bless all honest work and occupations, and grant that we may use well the fruits of our labors. Give us generosity for those in need. Bless the tithes and offerings that accompany our sacrifice of praise. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, grant that the government and those who protect us might keep justice and do righteousness for Your name’s sake and according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, care for those who cry to You, whether beset with grief, sorrow, pain or trouble [especially _____________]. Be pleased for Christ’s sake to answer them according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, bless all who are about to receive Christ’s body and blood from this altar. Grant that these crumbs from Your table may strengthen us in faith and love, united with You and our neighbors. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 210
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
832 “Jesus Shall Reign”
1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
Does its successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2 To Him shall endless prayer be made,
And endless praises crown His head;
His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With ev’ry morning sacrifice.
3 People and realms of ev’ry tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song;
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.
4 Blessings abound where’er He reigns:
The pris’ners leap, unloose their chains,
The weary find eternal rest,
And all who suffer want are blest.
5 Let ev’ry creature rise and bring
Honors peculiar to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud amen.
Text: Isaac Watts, 1674–1748, alt.
Text: Public domain
770 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
1 What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit;
Oh, what needless pain we bear--
All because we do not carry
Ev’rything to God in prayer!
2 Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev’ry weakness--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3 Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
Text: Joseph M. Scriven, 1819–86
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 936 “Sing Praise to the God of Israel”
1 Sing praise to the God of Israel!
Sing praise for His visitation!
Redeeming His people from their sin,
Accomplishing their salvation,
Upraising a mighty horn within
The house of His servant David!
2 God spoke by the prophets long ago,
His promise on oath recalling--
To Abraham made in former years:
Of vanquishing foes appalling,
That those He delivered from their fears
Might gladly and truly serve Him.
3 You, child, will go on before the Lord
As prophet, His way preparing;
To speak on behalf of God Most High,
His counsel of truth declaring:
Rich mercy and grace for all whereby
Iniquity is forgiven.
4 O bright, rising Sun, now shine on us
In need of illumination;
Come scatter the shades of sin and death
And shatter their domination.
Be guiding our footsteps on the path
Of peace, in Your presence dawning!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1992 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
AUGUST 13, 2023
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 6, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Lynn Tallman, Wayne Helley, Steve
Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE is scheduled for Cheriese Vega, daughter of Coleen and Lynn Tallman, this Saturday, August 12th at 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheon. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society would be appreciated.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Trust in the Lord;
don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 6, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 895 “Now Thank We All Our God”
1 Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms
Has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.
2 Oh, may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessèd peace to cheer us
And keep us in His grace
And guide us when perplexed
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next!
D 3 All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns
With them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God,
Whom earth and heav’n adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.
Text: Martin Rinckart, 1586–1649; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C [spoken] make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 55:1–5
L A reading from Isaiah, chapter 55.
1“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Romans 9:1–5
L A reading from Romans, chapter 9.
1I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Gospel Reading Matthew 14:13–21
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 14.
13Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John], he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn: 774 “Feed Thy Children, God Most Holy”
1 Feed Thy children, God most holy;
Comfort sinners poor and lowly.
O Thou Bread of Life from heaven,
Bless the food Thou here hast given!
As these gifts the body nourish,
May our souls in graces flourish
Till with saints in heav’nly splendor
At Thy feast due thanks we render.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Time to Eat!” Matthew 14:13-21
Time to Eat! - Matthew 14:13-21
The disciples needed a break. The verses that precede today’s Gospel tell us about the death of John the Baptist. The preceding verses also tell us that Jesus and His disciples had been insanely busy for quite some time. They were all tired. It made sense to get away in the wilderness on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They needed to grieve for John and they needed to take a breather from their heavy work load. Now-a-days, we might say they needed to get away and recharge their batteries.
The crowds had other ideas. As they watched Jesus and His disciples pull away from the shore it didn’t take them long to figure out their destination. They did a quick march around the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus arrived at the other shore, the crowds were already starting to arrive. They wanted more teaching from Jesus. Matthew described the situation as Jesus stepped out of the boat in this way: “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” (Matthew 14:14) As Jesus came ashore, we see the kingdom of Heaven at work as God reigns through Jesus to heal the sick … to reverse the corruption that sin brought into this world.
As Jesus filled the spiritual emptiness of the crowd, the day wore on. Soon, the disciples began to think about the physical emptiness of the crowd. They came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” (Matthew 14:15) This request indicates that the disciples didn’t expect Jesus Himself to do anything for the crowds.
Of course, Jesus knew there was no need to send the people away and He said so: “They need not go away; …” (Matthew 14:16) But then Jesus said, “… you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16) What did Jesus mean when He said, “… you give them something to eat?” The disciples responded as though Jesus expected them to feed the crowds from their own resources. They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” (Matthew 14:17) They did not yet understand that when Jesus asks for the impossible, He has a plan to show that nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)
Jesus instructed the people to arrange themselves in an orderly fashion. The text tells us there were 5,000 men plus women and children. The people would naturally arrange themselves in families. Then, as though they were all part of His family, God the Son gave thanks to God the Father. He then gave the food to His disciples. His disciples gave the food to the fathers. The fathers gave the food to their families. All ate and all were satisfied. Jesus had instructed His disciples to feed the people and then He provided the food so that the people could eat their fill.
The events in today’s Gospel give us another example of Jesus caring for His people, but they are more than that. As we study the events of this miracle, we also see the model of how God serves His people. This model of God’s service to us is everywhere in our lives. It is so pervasive that we don’t even notice unless someone calls our attention to it.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus worked through His disciples to fill thousands of empty stomachs. Today, He feeds us through farmers, wholesalers, grocers, and the people who transport our food from place to place. Jesus healed the people in the crowd. Today, Jesus gives the gift of healing to people who go to school and become doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and so forth. When we look for God at work in our lives, we find people in their vocations serving us as they bring God’s gifts into our lives.
Luther puts it even more strongly: “Vocations are ‘masks of God.’ On the surface, we see an ordinary human face … our mother, the doctor, the teacher, the waitress, our pastor … but, beneath the appearances, God is ministering to us through them.” God is hidden in human vocations.
In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Martin Luther asked the question, “What is meant by daily bread?” He answered with these words: “Everything that belongs to the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.” Jesus regularly works through people to bring us the things we need. All the people who bring God’s daily bread to us are God’s answer to this petition.
Just as Jesus delivers daily bread through people, He also delivers His salvation through people.
Jesus earned our salvation by bearing the punishment of our sin when He hung on the cross. As He hung on the cross, He took away our sin and gave us His righteousness. He has promised to give us eternal life with Him and His resurrection from the dead is the sign that He keeps all His promises. The only problem is that He hung on that cross and rose from the dead outside of Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago. How does He get His forgiveness and the promise of eternal life from first century Jerusalem to twenty-first century Auburn?
Jesus gave His eternal gifts to His servants, the Apostles. The Apostles gave the gifts to us in their writings … the book that we know as the Bible. The church has passed this down from generation to generation. People have died so that we can have the writings of the prophets and apostles and it is through those writings that Jesus Christ passes His gifts on to us … the gifts that He earned for us on the cross … the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
When fathers teach their children to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” they are taking the very forgiveness that Jesus earned for them on the cross and giving it to their children. When pastors pour water on us according to Christ’s command, they are giving Jesus Himself along with the water. When pastors bless the bread and wine according to Christ’s command, they are giving us the very body and blood of Jesus Himself along with those elements. God reigns through these simple actions and because God reigns, His kingdom is here. As Jesus Himself often preached, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
When the disciples reminded Jesus that the people had been with them for a long time and might be hungry, Jesus said, “… you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16) Jesus asked the disciples to do something that they could not do. Nevertheless, “nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) Jesus performed the miracle that they needed to fulfill His instructions. Then, as they fulfilled His instructions by distributing the food, He gave them the privilege of participating in the miracle. As we hear the account of this miracle, we not only hear one more proof that Jesus is indeed true God, but we also hear about the model of God serving His people.
I recall one pastor serving a rural congregation once saying, “the next time you are stuck in traffic behind a slow-moving piece of farm equipment, remember that that is God at work making sure that you are getting the food you need to sustain your life. In fact, there are farmers right now raising the wheat that will be ground into flour that will be used to make those bland little wafers that the pastor blesses … those bland little wafers that transport the risen Christ into your mouth. God has a habit of working through the ordinary in order to give us His extraordinary gifts.” Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13A) - 6 August 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father, Your steadfast love is gracious and overflowing. Teach Your people to look to You in every need; to be thankful for everything that You give them; and to know that no danger, trouble or hardship can ever separate them from Your love in Christ Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we give You thanks that You have blessed us beyond what we deserve and given to us Your Church. Bless all pastors and church workers in their service to us in Your name, and bless those now considering and preparing for church work. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, Your Son miraculously fed the 5,000 and satisfied them. We thank You for all You provide to support our bodies and lives. Make us content with what You give, that we may not covet or turn elsewhere for what comes from Your hand alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we are richly and daily surrounded with Your love and care. Give us eyes to see Your mercies new every morning, and grant us grateful hearts, that what we have received we may generously share with the needy and Your Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, daily You bless us with abundance and freedom. Bless those who defend us from our enemies, who serve us in government and who protect us in our communities. Be with our president, Congress, our governor, and our judges and magistrates, that they may discern the right path and lead us with honor and integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, visit us in Your compassion. Deliver the sick from their infirmity, the troubled from their afflictions, the grieving from their sorrow and the dying from their fear [especially _____________]. May all who cry to You receive grace according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, Your steadfast love and mercy are forever, but our faith is daily tested and tempted. Give us strength and endurance, that we may not despair but have confidence in Your sufficient grace within Your Word and Sacraments. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, let us seek You while You may be found, call upon You in the day of salvation and be prepared by Your mercy for the day of judgment; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
618 “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table”
1 I come, O Savior, to Thy table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole: Refrain
ref Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!
2 Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee. Refrain
3 Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never,
For Thou my faithful shepherd art: Refrain
4 Weary am I and heavy laden;
With sin my soul is sore oppressed;
Receive me graciously and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest. Refrain
5 What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith’s bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace. Refrain
Text: Friedrich Christian Heyder, 1677–1754; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 919 “Abide, O Dearest Jesus”
1 Abide, O dearest Jesus,
Among us with Your grace
That Satan may not harm us
Nor we to sin give place.
2 Abide, O dear Redeemer,
Among us with Your Word,
And thus now and hereafter
True peace and joy afford.
3 Abide with heav’nly brightness
Among us, precious Light;
Your truth direct and keep us
From error’s gloomy night.
4 Abide with richest blessings
Among us, bounteous Lord;
Let us in grace and wisdom
Grow daily through Your Word.
5 Abide with Your protection
Among us, Lord, our strength,
Lest world and Satan fell us
And overcome at length.
6 Abide, O faithful Savior,
Among us with Your love;
Grant steadfastness and help us
To reach our home above.
Text: Josua Stegmann, 1588–1632; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 6, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Lynn Tallman, Wayne Helley, Steve
Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE is scheduled for Cheriese Vega, daughter of Coleen and Lynn Tallman, this Saturday, August 12th at 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheon. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society would be appreciated.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Trust in the Lord;
don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
August 6, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 895 “Now Thank We All Our God”
1 Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms
Has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.
2 Oh, may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessèd peace to cheer us
And keep us in His grace
And guide us when perplexed
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next!
D 3 All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns
With them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God,
Whom earth and heav’n adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.
Text: Martin Rinckart, 1586–1649; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C [spoken] make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 55:1–5
L A reading from Isaiah, chapter 55.
1“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Epistle Reading Romans 9:1–5
L A reading from Romans, chapter 9.
1I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Gospel Reading Matthew 14:13–21
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 14.
13Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John], he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” 18And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 21And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory LSB 221
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn: 774 “Feed Thy Children, God Most Holy”
1 Feed Thy children, God most holy;
Comfort sinners poor and lowly.
O Thou Bread of Life from heaven,
Bless the food Thou here hast given!
As these gifts the body nourish,
May our souls in graces flourish
Till with saints in heav’nly splendor
At Thy feast due thanks we render.
Text: Johann Heermann, 1585–1647; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Time to Eat!” Matthew 14:13-21
Time to Eat! - Matthew 14:13-21
The disciples needed a break. The verses that precede today’s Gospel tell us about the death of John the Baptist. The preceding verses also tell us that Jesus and His disciples had been insanely busy for quite some time. They were all tired. It made sense to get away in the wilderness on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. They needed to grieve for John and they needed to take a breather from their heavy work load. Now-a-days, we might say they needed to get away and recharge their batteries.
The crowds had other ideas. As they watched Jesus and His disciples pull away from the shore it didn’t take them long to figure out their destination. They did a quick march around the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. When Jesus arrived at the other shore, the crowds were already starting to arrive. They wanted more teaching from Jesus. Matthew described the situation as Jesus stepped out of the boat in this way: “When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” (Matthew 14:14) As Jesus came ashore, we see the kingdom of Heaven at work as God reigns through Jesus to heal the sick … to reverse the corruption that sin brought into this world.
As Jesus filled the spiritual emptiness of the crowd, the day wore on. Soon, the disciples began to think about the physical emptiness of the crowd. They came to Jesus and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” (Matthew 14:15) This request indicates that the disciples didn’t expect Jesus Himself to do anything for the crowds.
Of course, Jesus knew there was no need to send the people away and He said so: “They need not go away; …” (Matthew 14:16) But then Jesus said, “… you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16) What did Jesus mean when He said, “… you give them something to eat?” The disciples responded as though Jesus expected them to feed the crowds from their own resources. They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” (Matthew 14:17) They did not yet understand that when Jesus asks for the impossible, He has a plan to show that nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)
Jesus instructed the people to arrange themselves in an orderly fashion. The text tells us there were 5,000 men plus women and children. The people would naturally arrange themselves in families. Then, as though they were all part of His family, God the Son gave thanks to God the Father. He then gave the food to His disciples. His disciples gave the food to the fathers. The fathers gave the food to their families. All ate and all were satisfied. Jesus had instructed His disciples to feed the people and then He provided the food so that the people could eat their fill.
The events in today’s Gospel give us another example of Jesus caring for His people, but they are more than that. As we study the events of this miracle, we also see the model of how God serves His people. This model of God’s service to us is everywhere in our lives. It is so pervasive that we don’t even notice unless someone calls our attention to it.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus worked through His disciples to fill thousands of empty stomachs. Today, He feeds us through farmers, wholesalers, grocers, and the people who transport our food from place to place. Jesus healed the people in the crowd. Today, Jesus gives the gift of healing to people who go to school and become doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and so forth. When we look for God at work in our lives, we find people in their vocations serving us as they bring God’s gifts into our lives.
Luther puts it even more strongly: “Vocations are ‘masks of God.’ On the surface, we see an ordinary human face … our mother, the doctor, the teacher, the waitress, our pastor … but, beneath the appearances, God is ministering to us through them.” God is hidden in human vocations.
In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Martin Luther asked the question, “What is meant by daily bread?” He answered with these words: “Everything that belongs to the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.” Jesus regularly works through people to bring us the things we need. All the people who bring God’s daily bread to us are God’s answer to this petition.
Just as Jesus delivers daily bread through people, He also delivers His salvation through people.
Jesus earned our salvation by bearing the punishment of our sin when He hung on the cross. As He hung on the cross, He took away our sin and gave us His righteousness. He has promised to give us eternal life with Him and His resurrection from the dead is the sign that He keeps all His promises. The only problem is that He hung on that cross and rose from the dead outside of Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago. How does He get His forgiveness and the promise of eternal life from first century Jerusalem to twenty-first century Auburn?
Jesus gave His eternal gifts to His servants, the Apostles. The Apostles gave the gifts to us in their writings … the book that we know as the Bible. The church has passed this down from generation to generation. People have died so that we can have the writings of the prophets and apostles and it is through those writings that Jesus Christ passes His gifts on to us … the gifts that He earned for us on the cross … the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
When fathers teach their children to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us,” they are taking the very forgiveness that Jesus earned for them on the cross and giving it to their children. When pastors pour water on us according to Christ’s command, they are giving Jesus Himself along with the water. When pastors bless the bread and wine according to Christ’s command, they are giving us the very body and blood of Jesus Himself along with those elements. God reigns through these simple actions and because God reigns, His kingdom is here. As Jesus Himself often preached, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
When the disciples reminded Jesus that the people had been with them for a long time and might be hungry, Jesus said, “… you give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:16) Jesus asked the disciples to do something that they could not do. Nevertheless, “nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) Jesus performed the miracle that they needed to fulfill His instructions. Then, as they fulfilled His instructions by distributing the food, He gave them the privilege of participating in the miracle. As we hear the account of this miracle, we not only hear one more proof that Jesus is indeed true God, but we also hear about the model of God serving His people.
I recall one pastor serving a rural congregation once saying, “the next time you are stuck in traffic behind a slow-moving piece of farm equipment, remember that that is God at work making sure that you are getting the food you need to sustain your life. In fact, there are farmers right now raising the wheat that will be ground into flour that will be used to make those bland little wafers that the pastor blesses … those bland little wafers that transport the risen Christ into your mouth. God has a habit of working through the ordinary in order to give us His extraordinary gifts.” Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Tenth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 13A) - 6 August 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father, Your steadfast love is gracious and overflowing. Teach Your people to look to You in every need; to be thankful for everything that You give them; and to know that no danger, trouble or hardship can ever separate them from Your love in Christ Jesus. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we give You thanks that You have blessed us beyond what we deserve and given to us Your Church. Bless all pastors and church workers in their service to us in Your name, and bless those now considering and preparing for church work. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, Your Son miraculously fed the 5,000 and satisfied them. We thank You for all You provide to support our bodies and lives. Make us content with what You give, that we may not covet or turn elsewhere for what comes from Your hand alone. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, we are richly and daily surrounded with Your love and care. Give us eyes to see Your mercies new every morning, and grant us grateful hearts, that what we have received we may generously share with the needy and Your Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, daily You bless us with abundance and freedom. Bless those who defend us from our enemies, who serve us in government and who protect us in our communities. Be with our president, Congress, our governor, and our judges and magistrates, that they may discern the right path and lead us with honor and integrity. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, visit us in Your compassion. Deliver the sick from their infirmity, the troubled from their afflictions, the grieving from their sorrow and the dying from their fear [especially _____________]. May all who cry to You receive grace according to Your will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, Your steadfast love and mercy are forever, but our faith is daily tested and tempted. Give us strength and endurance, that we may not despair but have confidence in Your sufficient grace within Your Word and Sacraments. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, let us seek You while You may be found, call upon You in the day of salvation and be prepared by Your mercy for the day of judgment; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”
ref You satisfy the hungry heart
With gift of finest wheat.
Come give to us, O saving Lord,
The bread of life to eat.
1 As when the shepherd calls his sheep,
They know and heed his voice;
So when You call Your fam’ly, Lord,
We follow and rejoice. Refrain
2 With joyful lips we sing to You
Our praise and gratitude
That You should count us worthy, Lord,
To share this heav’nly food. Refrain
3 Is not the cup we bless and share
The blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare
Our oneness in the Lord? Refrain
4 The myst’ry of Your presence, Lord,
No mortal tongue can tell:
Whom all the world cannot contain
Comes in our hearts to dwell. Refrain
5 You give Yourself to us, O Lord;
Then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in Your name
In truth and charity. Refrain
Text: Omer E. Westendorf, 1916–97
Text: © 1977 Archdiocese of Philadelphia, admin. International Liturgy Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
618 “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table”
1 I come, O Savior, to Thy table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole: Refrain
ref Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!
2 Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee. Refrain
3 Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never,
For Thou my faithful shepherd art: Refrain
4 Weary am I and heavy laden;
With sin my soul is sore oppressed;
Receive me graciously and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest. Refrain
5 What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith’s bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace. Refrain
Text: Friedrich Christian Heyder, 1677–1754; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 919 “Abide, O Dearest Jesus”
1 Abide, O dearest Jesus,
Among us with Your grace
That Satan may not harm us
Nor we to sin give place.
2 Abide, O dear Redeemer,
Among us with Your Word,
And thus now and hereafter
True peace and joy afford.
3 Abide with heav’nly brightness
Among us, precious Light;
Your truth direct and keep us
From error’s gloomy night.
4 Abide with richest blessings
Among us, bounteous Lord;
Let us in grace and wisdom
Grow daily through Your Word.
5 Abide with Your protection
Among us, Lord, our strength,
Lest world and Satan fell us
And overcome at length.
6 Abide, O faithful Savior,
Among us with Your love;
Grant steadfastness and help us
To reach our home above.
Text: Josua Stegmann, 1588–1632; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 30, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Ted Smith
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE is scheduled for Cheriese Tallman on Saturday, August 12th at 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheon.
The Time Is Now
Eternity will not be long enough to thank Jesus for dying on the cross to save me. Eternity will not be long enough to thank a friend who introduced me to Jesus. But in eternity I will not be able to introduce anyone to Jesus - the time to do that is now. It is not a year from now. It is now! But with whom shall I do it?
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 30, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 475, “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
FIRST LESSON Deuteronomy 7:6-9
6“You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.”
EPISTLE LESSON Romans 8:28-39
28We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Stand
GOSPEL Matthew 13:44-52
44[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 654, “Your Kingdom, O God….”
SERMON “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…..” Matthew 13:44-52
The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like….. – Matthew 13:44-52
This morning, we heard Jesus tell four more parables. The challenge of these parables is that a couple of these parables do not have an obvious explanation. In fact, when Jesus finished the first three, He asked, “Have you understood all these things?” and They said to him, “Yes.” (Matthew 13:51) So it is entirely possible that Jesus never gave an interpretation of these parables. Now that would be all well and good if the meaning was as obvious to us as it was to the disciples. The problem is that the meanings of the first two parables that we heard today are not nearly as clear as we would like them to be.
The two parables are both very short, and the themes are similar: a man discovers something of great value and then sacrifices everything that he has in order to obtain the item of great value. In the first parable, the item of great value is a treasure. In the second, it is a precious pearl. Despite the simplicity of the two parables, faithful theologians have come up with two possible interpretations.
One interpretation is that the Kingdom of Heaven is the item of great value … the treasure … or the pearl. In this case, the parable teaches that we should be like the man or the merchant and give up everything to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven.
The other interpretation is that the Kingdom of Heaven is the main actor in the parable … the man or the merchant. In this case, both the treasure and the pearl represent the Holy Christian Church. The idea is that the Kingdom of Heaven suffered all in the person of Jesus Christ in order to redeem you … His treasure, His pearl of great price.
The fact that good, solid, faithful theologians can in all honesty come up with two valid, reasonable interpretations of these parables does illustrate one point. Unless the Bible itself gives the explanation to a parable, we should not base any teachings on parables. We can use parables to illustrate teachings that are clearly expressed in other parts of the Bible, but we should not rely on parables alone as a source for doctrine.
But what should we do with the parables that we heard from Jesus this morning? Although I do not have the intellectual horsepower of the great doctors of the church, I am going to give you something to think about when you hear these parables.
Jesus began the first of these parables and said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.” (Matthew 13:44) This sounds like the Kingdom of Heaven is the treasure hidden in the field. In that case, Jesus is indeed illustrating that the Kingdom of Heaven is precious. In fact, it is so precious that Jesus went on to say, “Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44) This implies that there is no price that is too much to pay for the treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now this would be great if it weren’t for one important detail. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1–3) Because our sin has corrupted our human nature, we do not recognize the value of the Kingdom of Heaven. We are certainly not inclined to surrender everything in order to obtain it. And even if we wanted to obtain it, we are not able to pay the price required by so great a treasure. So, we are beyond hope.
But now we hear the second parable from the mouth of Jesus. This time, Jesus began and said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.” (Matthew 13:45) In this parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is the merchant who searches for fine pearls. With this parable, Jesus portrays the Kingdom of Heaven as the one who does the searching. The Kingdom of Heaven is the Reign of God who searches for excellent pearls. But what are these excellent pearls for whom the Kingdom of Heaven searches? At another time, Jesus Himself said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) In other words, you are the excellent pearl. In this second parable, Jesus is the merchant who sold all that he had … even his body to death on a cross … in order to obtain you … His precious Pearl.
So, although I do not have the intellectual horsepower of the great doctors of the church, I want you to consider the words of Jesus that we heard this morning. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” (Matthew 13:44) In this parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is a precious treasure … beyond anything that we could pay. Nevertheless, in the second parable, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.” (Matthew 13:45) In the second parable, the Kingdom of Heaven searches for you. You are the precious pearl for which Jesus Christ gave His all.
So, what difference does it make that you are the precious pearl of the Kingdom of Heaven? Well, that becomes apparent in the next parable.
The Parable of the Net makes it very clear what will happen to all people on Judgment Day. Jesus compared the people of this world to the contents of a net full of fish. Just as a net gathers up all things from the water so Judgment Day will gather up all things. Just as fishermen sort the contents of the net into trash and good fish, so God will send His angels to separate the evil from the righteous. The righteous are those who have the righteousness of Christ through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. They are God’s valuable treasure – His precious pearl. The evil are those who refuse the Holy Spirit’s gift and rely on their own righteousness for salvation. They may be valuable and precious in their own sight, but that means nothing in God’s eyes.
The Bible tells us that we are sinful creatures. The psalmist says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5) From this we learn that we are sinners the instant we come into existence at conception. The prophet Isaiah says, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) From this verse we learn that nothing we do in our lives can change our sinful status. The Apostle Paul tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) From this we learn that no one can escape from this sinful condition.
From today’s parables, we learn that God still considers us precious in spite of our sinful condition. We learn that God will spare nothing to ransom us from this sinful condition. Instead, He will liquidate all His holdings in order to purchase and redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Peter to write, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18–19) From this we learn that the holdings Christ liquidated were paid in the currency of His holy innocent blood … a shedding of blood into death.
We know that Christ’s payment was sufficient. He did not remain in the grave, but rose on the third day. His resurrection assures us who believe that we are indeed God’s treasure … His precious pearl. His resurrection assures us that we will also rise from the dead. It assures us that we as God’s precious people will enjoy heaven with Him forever. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
[This will be shared after the offerings are presented at the altar.]
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
644, “The Church’s One Foundation”
620, “Jesus Comes Today with Healing”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 923, “Almighty Father, Bless the Word”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 30, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Ted Smith
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE is scheduled for Cheriese Tallman on Saturday, August 12th at 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheon.
The Time Is Now
Eternity will not be long enough to thank Jesus for dying on the cross to save me. Eternity will not be long enough to thank a friend who introduced me to Jesus. But in eternity I will not be able to introduce anyone to Jesus - the time to do that is now. It is not a year from now. It is now! But with whom shall I do it?
- Family Members - spouse, parents, grandparents, etc.
- Neighbors - next door, the elderly, new families
- From Work - any and all you are in contact with
- Through Sports and Hobbies - People you are in contact with
- Friends - your and your spouse's friends, parents of your child's friends, etc.
- Casual Associates - your doctor, dentist, realtor, insurance, professional groups, sales reps who call on you, babysitters
- Those In Need - who are undergoing stress of some kind
- A Fellow Patient - in your hospital room.
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 30, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 475, “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
FIRST LESSON Deuteronomy 7:6-9
6“You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations.”
EPISTLE LESSON Romans 8:28-39
28We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Stand
GOSPEL Matthew 13:44-52
44[Jesus said:] “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
45“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
47“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51“Have you understood all these things?” They said to him, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 654, “Your Kingdom, O God….”
SERMON “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like…..” Matthew 13:44-52
The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like….. – Matthew 13:44-52
This morning, we heard Jesus tell four more parables. The challenge of these parables is that a couple of these parables do not have an obvious explanation. In fact, when Jesus finished the first three, He asked, “Have you understood all these things?” and They said to him, “Yes.” (Matthew 13:51) So it is entirely possible that Jesus never gave an interpretation of these parables. Now that would be all well and good if the meaning was as obvious to us as it was to the disciples. The problem is that the meanings of the first two parables that we heard today are not nearly as clear as we would like them to be.
The two parables are both very short, and the themes are similar: a man discovers something of great value and then sacrifices everything that he has in order to obtain the item of great value. In the first parable, the item of great value is a treasure. In the second, it is a precious pearl. Despite the simplicity of the two parables, faithful theologians have come up with two possible interpretations.
One interpretation is that the Kingdom of Heaven is the item of great value … the treasure … or the pearl. In this case, the parable teaches that we should be like the man or the merchant and give up everything to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven.
The other interpretation is that the Kingdom of Heaven is the main actor in the parable … the man or the merchant. In this case, both the treasure and the pearl represent the Holy Christian Church. The idea is that the Kingdom of Heaven suffered all in the person of Jesus Christ in order to redeem you … His treasure, His pearl of great price.
The fact that good, solid, faithful theologians can in all honesty come up with two valid, reasonable interpretations of these parables does illustrate one point. Unless the Bible itself gives the explanation to a parable, we should not base any teachings on parables. We can use parables to illustrate teachings that are clearly expressed in other parts of the Bible, but we should not rely on parables alone as a source for doctrine.
But what should we do with the parables that we heard from Jesus this morning? Although I do not have the intellectual horsepower of the great doctors of the church, I am going to give you something to think about when you hear these parables.
Jesus began the first of these parables and said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.” (Matthew 13:44) This sounds like the Kingdom of Heaven is the treasure hidden in the field. In that case, Jesus is indeed illustrating that the Kingdom of Heaven is precious. In fact, it is so precious that Jesus went on to say, “Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44) This implies that there is no price that is too much to pay for the treasure of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Now this would be great if it weren’t for one important detail. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1–3) Because our sin has corrupted our human nature, we do not recognize the value of the Kingdom of Heaven. We are certainly not inclined to surrender everything in order to obtain it. And even if we wanted to obtain it, we are not able to pay the price required by so great a treasure. So, we are beyond hope.
But now we hear the second parable from the mouth of Jesus. This time, Jesus began and said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.” (Matthew 13:45) In this parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is the merchant who searches for fine pearls. With this parable, Jesus portrays the Kingdom of Heaven as the one who does the searching. The Kingdom of Heaven is the Reign of God who searches for excellent pearls. But what are these excellent pearls for whom the Kingdom of Heaven searches? At another time, Jesus Himself said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) In other words, you are the excellent pearl. In this second parable, Jesus is the merchant who sold all that he had … even his body to death on a cross … in order to obtain you … His precious Pearl.
So, although I do not have the intellectual horsepower of the great doctors of the church, I want you to consider the words of Jesus that we heard this morning. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.” (Matthew 13:44) In this parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is a precious treasure … beyond anything that we could pay. Nevertheless, in the second parable, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls.” (Matthew 13:45) In the second parable, the Kingdom of Heaven searches for you. You are the precious pearl for which Jesus Christ gave His all.
So, what difference does it make that you are the precious pearl of the Kingdom of Heaven? Well, that becomes apparent in the next parable.
The Parable of the Net makes it very clear what will happen to all people on Judgment Day. Jesus compared the people of this world to the contents of a net full of fish. Just as a net gathers up all things from the water so Judgment Day will gather up all things. Just as fishermen sort the contents of the net into trash and good fish, so God will send His angels to separate the evil from the righteous. The righteous are those who have the righteousness of Christ through the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. They are God’s valuable treasure – His precious pearl. The evil are those who refuse the Holy Spirit’s gift and rely on their own righteousness for salvation. They may be valuable and precious in their own sight, but that means nothing in God’s eyes.
The Bible tells us that we are sinful creatures. The psalmist says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5) From this we learn that we are sinners the instant we come into existence at conception. The prophet Isaiah says, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) From this verse we learn that nothing we do in our lives can change our sinful status. The Apostle Paul tells us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) From this we learn that no one can escape from this sinful condition.
From today’s parables, we learn that God still considers us precious in spite of our sinful condition. We learn that God will spare nothing to ransom us from this sinful condition. Instead, He will liquidate all His holdings in order to purchase and redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Peter to write, “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18–19) From this we learn that the holdings Christ liquidated were paid in the currency of His holy innocent blood … a shedding of blood into death.
We know that Christ’s payment was sufficient. He did not remain in the grave, but rose on the third day. His resurrection assures us who believe that we are indeed God’s treasure … His precious pearl. His resurrection assures us that we will also rise from the dead. It assures us that we as God’s precious people will enjoy heaven with Him forever. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
[This will be shared after the offerings are presented at the altar.]
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 8]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
644, “The Church’s One Foundation”
620, “Jesus Comes Today with Healing”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 923, “Almighty Father, Bless the Word”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 23, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Note: We will not be celebrating Holy Communion today due to pastor being away. Lord willing, we look forward to celebrating The Lord’s Supper on July 30th. We thank the elders for filling in today.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski (absent today)
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation (No communion today)
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Ted Smith
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE is scheduled for Cheriese Tallman on Saturday, Aug. 12th at 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheon.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
“The Christian faith is a unity and may not be subdivided into favored and disapproved doctrines. Luther calls the Christian teaching the punctum mathematicum, “the mathematical point.” This means that it is incapable of subdivision. Doctrine may not be subjected to more and less, better and worse, or tugging and pulling. That is love’s business, our business. We have no right to take the chain saw of our wisdom to the inviolate whole of God’s Word and chop out what we dislike. It would bring the death of the patient. God’s teaching is not ours to control. God controls it (John 3:8). We only teach it.” The Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, LCMS pastor in Texas and our church body’s southwest regional vice-president.
THE ORDER OF SUMMER SERVICE
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 23, 2023
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 892, “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
L: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
L: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy on us
and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake
forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name
He gives power to become the children of God and has
promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved. Grant this Lord, unto us all.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel.
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love. [cont.]
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 44:6-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS L: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
L: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
L: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Romans 8:18-27
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.] ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 761, “Rock of Ages”
SERMON “The Harvest” Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
The Harvest - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Have you ever wasted any time? Perhaps it was a few hours, or even a day. Can you imagine wasting a thousand years? Can you imagine letting a thousand years go by with almost nothing worthy of note happening? We usually think of the Middle Ages that way. And there is a reason why there was no progress for ten centuries. Consider the most famous story to come down from the Dark Ages:
Only the clergy could read at that time, and so one day a group of monks were gathered in the monastery library. Somehow the subject of a horse’s teeth came up, and one monk wondered out loud how many teeth a horse has. They ransacked their memories and their library all night for the answer, bringing up what Aristotle said, or the church fathers, or the great Roman orators, but they got nowhere. Well into the wee hours one brilliant fellow, the youngest in the group, said, “There’s a horse in the yard. Why don’t we just go and count his teeth?” The older monks looked at each other in shocked silence. Without a word, one of them opened the door and two others threw him out into the snow.
The Dark Ages were so dark because the educated people of that time thought all useful knowledge could be found only in books. But you know, that story isn’t so far out of date. When I tried to find out what Christ meant by the Parable of the Weeds, I found scholars today doing the same kind of thing. You can read this Parable in Matthew 13:24-30 and its explanation in verses 36-43. In trying to figure out what those weeds are, various scholars ransacked the 65 volumes of the Jewish Talmud which is the body of work which represents Jewish civil and religious law, and they quote more than two dozen separate works of literature in the Greek and Latin languages. Other scholars have led expeditions to the Holy Land, examining every sort of weed that looks like wheat when it is young. Most agree that the weeds of the parable are a particular kind of grass called the bearded darnel, which causes nausea, vomiting, and even death when eaten by people and animals. An amazing thing is that this is poisonous grass, the only known grass to be poisonous. To discover why, other scholars have taken it into the lab for microscopic and chemical analysis, and learned men have explained that the seeds of this plant carry a fungus that is harmful to man.
What was just said about the bearded darnel is true, but was this to be the point of Jesus’ parable? Did He mean for us to ransack our libraries, take journeys to Palestine, and go into the laboratory? Or did He mean for us to go into our own gardens or that of a friend’s that we know and look at the weeds?
There are two kinds of weeds—the kinds that definitely appear to be weeds and those that look like other bearing vines or plants. This parable concerns itself with the apparent look-a-likes. It is not about the open and obvious sinners, adulterers, murderers, blasphemers of God, and idolaters. The parable concerns itself with the weeds that look like good plants. You cannot tell them from the truly good plants or wheat just by outward appearance. All will be brought to light at the harvest, when Jesus comes again. But for the meantime, there is an intermingling of the two and we are told why—“because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.”
A “counterfeit” could be someone who would be termed a hypocrite, a “don’t do as I do but as I say” type of person or they could be someone who is a faithful church-goer, living a decent upstanding life, but is wrong about who Jesus Christ is. They may only see Jesus as a way-shower or as one to imitate so that they too, by their own good deeds, may obtain eternal life. Or they may be of the mindset that everything about Christianity has to sound reasonable to them. So, they have already labeled as absurd the idea that infants should be baptized; they have deemed it ludicrous that Christ could be present in, with, and under the bread and wine of the Sacrament with His body and blood; so why should any other portion of Scripture be viewed as closed to re-interpretation when one’s own ability to reason it out is what is important. Such a mindset however can lead one to question if they even need a Savior and if that Savior is Jesus. Dr. Franz Pieper, one of our church body’s presidents in the early 20th century, and also long-time professor at our seminary in St. Louis stated in one of his books that it is only by a felicitous, appropriate inconsistency that reformed Christian churches who don’t baptize infants and only acknowledge Christ in the Sacrament symbolically haven’t also denied that Jesus Christ is the Savior. We have noted sadly that some mainline churches in our day are becoming what they believe to be more universal in
their beliefs and are espousing there are other ways to God than through Jesus Christ.
So, in lieu of the coming harvest, how are we to live? For one thing, we aren’t to smugly say that we are better than those who have written off certain Biblical truths or don’t know Jesus at all. Rather, we should daily hunger and thirst for righteousness from Him who gave His life on Calvary so there might be the good seed of the gospel which gives new life through His atoning death and resurrection. We are to be salt and light for a world which is perishing without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior. We need to remember our calling as His servants—that Jesus still sows the good seed wherever the gospel is proclaimed.
II.
And we always need to remind ourselves that “this earth is not our home, we are just a’passin through” as is everybody else. The Harvest is coming: “At that time I will tell the harvesters, ‘first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Jesus went on to explain, “The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This will really happen. The images of fire and the furnace are to remind us that there is a place of existence apart from God, where there is no forgiveness, just the pain of remorse and regret burning away eternally. “I should have known better, please forgive me,” won’t work there.
People of God in Christ Jesus, our present calling is to spread the Gospel while there is still time. We leave the results to God. All He asks of us is that we be His ambassadors and share the Good News that Jesus lived, died and rose again for all people.”
III.
One final footnote—the harvest has occurred and the separation is complete and Jesus explains, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Heaven!!!!! Just think of it! John Newton penned in his most famous hymn, “Amazing Grace:” When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.
On this side of heaven, we are cumbered with many weaknesses—“The good I should do, I don’t always get done, the evil I hate I sometimes do; oh what a wretched person I am.” Sometimes we even wonder if we are really Christians. But we struggle on in faith. As Newton also penned, Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come,’ twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
On this side of heaven, we may suffer reproaches and be put down by worldly people. Our faith and moral stance may be scoffed at, because the world makes the ethics of contextualism look so modern and right, making God’s moral absolutes to appear to be so out-of-date and behind the times. In heaven, the battle is over, and we shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father.
So, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood, From thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure; Cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r.
Not the labors of my hands, Can fulfill thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling.
Naked, come to thee for dress; Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown, See thee on thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory full and complete through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. [Votum]
OFFERING PRAYER [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11A) - 23 July 2023
Redeemer and Lord of hosts, the future is in Your hands. Remove all fear from us, and keep us mindful that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of heaven and earth, we give thanks that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died to redeem the world and restore creation. Until new life supplants the groanings of this age, lead us to steward Your creation well, not in waste but in wise and diligent use with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, pour out the blessing of Your Holy Spirit on the delegates who will assemble in convention this week. Give wisdom to those who propose, deliberate and decide for the work and welfare of our Synod. Guard all who speak and all who listen. Give us courage to do with integrity what we promise. Bless our plans and actions, and grant success. Only let our manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks for all who serve as instruments of Your compassion, those who care for the elderly at home, and those who work in retirement and nursing facilities. Grant that we also may serve as Your hands, feet and voices to give comfort and company to the lonely. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Be patient with those who do not repent or believe. Send Your Holy Spirit to bring them into saving faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Guide the leaders of all nations, that they would work for peace and justice in the face of conflict and discord. By, or despite, their efforts, protect the weak and defenseless. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We commend to You all who endure the bondage of decay through infirmity and weakness [especially _____________]. Deliver them according to Your will, and strengthen and preserve their faith, that they may rejoice that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve us in hope for what we do not see. Grant that we would receive Your Holy Supper with hearts free from pride, presumption or any other sin that would profane His precious body and blood. May we rejoice in His bodily presence for our forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have called us according to Your purpose. You cause all things to work together for our good. Keep us safe until that day when You gather us with the saints into Your kingdom, which has no end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
HYMN NO. 794, “The Lord, My God, Be Praised”
LORD’S PRAYERALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
L: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 921, “On What Has Now Been Sown”
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 23, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Note: We will not be celebrating Holy Communion today due to pastor being away. Lord willing, we look forward to celebrating The Lord’s Supper on July 30th. We thank the elders for filling in today.
WHAT DOES THE GREATEST COMMAND HINGE UPON?
Love. What will be the defining characteristic of followers of Jesus? Love. What will never pass away, even after faith and hope are gone? Love. Love is the mark of the disciple. Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Not our Bible knowledge. Not our fasting. Not our stance on public issues. Those things are important indeed, but according to Jesus, the defining mark of Christian discipleship is love. It makes sense, then, that Christians should not only be marked by love, but that Christians should be growing in love.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski (absent today)
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Pat Tavare
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation (No communion today)
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Ted Smith
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE is scheduled for Cheriese Tallman on Saturday, Aug. 12th at 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheon.
CHECK IT OUT!—On the inside front cover of the hymnal, there are seven prayers that may be prayed while in God’s House. There are more prayers on pages 305-318 under seven different categories: 1) The Church and Her Mission; 2) At Worship; 3) Baptismal Life; 4) Civil Realm; 5) Home and Family; 6) In Times of Need; and 7) In Times of Joy.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT--
“The Christian faith is a unity and may not be subdivided into favored and disapproved doctrines. Luther calls the Christian teaching the punctum mathematicum, “the mathematical point.” This means that it is incapable of subdivision. Doctrine may not be subjected to more and less, better and worse, or tugging and pulling. That is love’s business, our business. We have no right to take the chain saw of our wisdom to the inviolate whole of God’s Word and chop out what we dislike. It would bring the death of the patient. God’s teaching is not ours to control. God controls it (John 3:8). We only teach it.” The Rev. Dr. Scott Murray, LCMS pastor in Texas and our church body’s southwest regional vice-president.
THE ORDER OF SUMMER SERVICE
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 23, 2023
PRE-SERVICE MUSIC AND THE RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN no. 892, “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”
INVOCATION [We acknowledge that we are in God’s presence.]
L: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CONFESSION & ABSOLUTION [We have sinned, but God forgives us.]
ALL: MOST MERCIFUL GOD, WE CONFESS THAT WE ARE BY NATURE
SINFUL AND UNCLEAN. WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU AND
OUR NEIGHBORS IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. WE
DESERVE YOUR PRESENT AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. FOR
JESUS’ SAKE, HAVE MERCY ON US—FORGIVE US, RENEW US,
AND LEAD US, SO THAT WE MAY DELIGHT IN YOUR WILL AND
WALK IN YOUR WAYS TO THE GLORY OF YOUR HOLY NAME.
AMEN.
L: Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy on us
and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake
forgives us all our sins. To those who believe on His name
He gives power to become the children of God and has
promised them His Holy Spirit. He that believes and is
baptized shall be saved. Grant this Lord, unto us all.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
HYMN OF PRAISE “Oh, Come and Sing Unto the Lord”
Oh, come and sing unto the Lord, Salvation’s Rock we praise.
With thanks we come before Him now, With singing all our days.
The Lord is great above all gods, And Yahweh is our King.
The deeps He holds inside His hands, The peaks their tribute bring.
The sea is His, He made its waves; His hands the land congealed.
Oh, come bow down before the Lord, In worship let us kneel.
He is our God and we His flock, We live under His love. [cont.]
To Father, Son, and Spirit blest, All praise we lift above.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON Isaiah 44:6-8
see back of bulletin or Bible under pew seat
A VERSE FROM THE PSALMS L: Your Word, O LORD, is eternal;
C: IT STANDS FIRM IN THE HEAVENS.
L: Your faithfulness continues through all generations;
C: YOU ESTABLISHED THE EARTH, AND IT ENDURES.
L: Your Word is a lamp to my feet
C: AND A LIGHT FOR MY PATH.
SECOND LESSON Romans 8:18-27
GOSPEL LESSON Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
THE APOSTLES’ CREED [We state what we believe in a short statement.] ALL: I BELIEVE IN GOD, THE FATHER ALMIGHTY,
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH.
AND IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD,
WHO WAS CONCEIVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY,
SUFFERED UNDER PONTIUS PILATE,
WAS CRUCIFIED, DIED, AND WAS BURIED.
HE DESCENDED INTO HELL.
THE THIRD DAY HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD.
HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN,
AND SITS AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, THE FATHER
ALMIGHTY.
FROM THENCE HE WILL COME TO JUDGE THE LIVING AND
THE DEAD.
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE HOLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS,
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY, AND THE LIFE (+)
EVERLASTING. AMEN.
SERMON HYMN no. 761, “Rock of Ages”
SERMON “The Harvest” Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
The Harvest - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Have you ever wasted any time? Perhaps it was a few hours, or even a day. Can you imagine wasting a thousand years? Can you imagine letting a thousand years go by with almost nothing worthy of note happening? We usually think of the Middle Ages that way. And there is a reason why there was no progress for ten centuries. Consider the most famous story to come down from the Dark Ages:
Only the clergy could read at that time, and so one day a group of monks were gathered in the monastery library. Somehow the subject of a horse’s teeth came up, and one monk wondered out loud how many teeth a horse has. They ransacked their memories and their library all night for the answer, bringing up what Aristotle said, or the church fathers, or the great Roman orators, but they got nowhere. Well into the wee hours one brilliant fellow, the youngest in the group, said, “There’s a horse in the yard. Why don’t we just go and count his teeth?” The older monks looked at each other in shocked silence. Without a word, one of them opened the door and two others threw him out into the snow.
The Dark Ages were so dark because the educated people of that time thought all useful knowledge could be found only in books. But you know, that story isn’t so far out of date. When I tried to find out what Christ meant by the Parable of the Weeds, I found scholars today doing the same kind of thing. You can read this Parable in Matthew 13:24-30 and its explanation in verses 36-43. In trying to figure out what those weeds are, various scholars ransacked the 65 volumes of the Jewish Talmud which is the body of work which represents Jewish civil and religious law, and they quote more than two dozen separate works of literature in the Greek and Latin languages. Other scholars have led expeditions to the Holy Land, examining every sort of weed that looks like wheat when it is young. Most agree that the weeds of the parable are a particular kind of grass called the bearded darnel, which causes nausea, vomiting, and even death when eaten by people and animals. An amazing thing is that this is poisonous grass, the only known grass to be poisonous. To discover why, other scholars have taken it into the lab for microscopic and chemical analysis, and learned men have explained that the seeds of this plant carry a fungus that is harmful to man.
What was just said about the bearded darnel is true, but was this to be the point of Jesus’ parable? Did He mean for us to ransack our libraries, take journeys to Palestine, and go into the laboratory? Or did He mean for us to go into our own gardens or that of a friend’s that we know and look at the weeds?
There are two kinds of weeds—the kinds that definitely appear to be weeds and those that look like other bearing vines or plants. This parable concerns itself with the apparent look-a-likes. It is not about the open and obvious sinners, adulterers, murderers, blasphemers of God, and idolaters. The parable concerns itself with the weeds that look like good plants. You cannot tell them from the truly good plants or wheat just by outward appearance. All will be brought to light at the harvest, when Jesus comes again. But for the meantime, there is an intermingling of the two and we are told why—“because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them.”
A “counterfeit” could be someone who would be termed a hypocrite, a “don’t do as I do but as I say” type of person or they could be someone who is a faithful church-goer, living a decent upstanding life, but is wrong about who Jesus Christ is. They may only see Jesus as a way-shower or as one to imitate so that they too, by their own good deeds, may obtain eternal life. Or they may be of the mindset that everything about Christianity has to sound reasonable to them. So, they have already labeled as absurd the idea that infants should be baptized; they have deemed it ludicrous that Christ could be present in, with, and under the bread and wine of the Sacrament with His body and blood; so why should any other portion of Scripture be viewed as closed to re-interpretation when one’s own ability to reason it out is what is important. Such a mindset however can lead one to question if they even need a Savior and if that Savior is Jesus. Dr. Franz Pieper, one of our church body’s presidents in the early 20th century, and also long-time professor at our seminary in St. Louis stated in one of his books that it is only by a felicitous, appropriate inconsistency that reformed Christian churches who don’t baptize infants and only acknowledge Christ in the Sacrament symbolically haven’t also denied that Jesus Christ is the Savior. We have noted sadly that some mainline churches in our day are becoming what they believe to be more universal in
their beliefs and are espousing there are other ways to God than through Jesus Christ.
So, in lieu of the coming harvest, how are we to live? For one thing, we aren’t to smugly say that we are better than those who have written off certain Biblical truths or don’t know Jesus at all. Rather, we should daily hunger and thirst for righteousness from Him who gave His life on Calvary so there might be the good seed of the gospel which gives new life through His atoning death and resurrection. We are to be salt and light for a world which is perishing without a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior. We need to remember our calling as His servants—that Jesus still sows the good seed wherever the gospel is proclaimed.
II.
And we always need to remind ourselves that “this earth is not our home, we are just a’passin through” as is everybody else. The Harvest is coming: “At that time I will tell the harvesters, ‘first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’” Jesus went on to explain, “The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This will really happen. The images of fire and the furnace are to remind us that there is a place of existence apart from God, where there is no forgiveness, just the pain of remorse and regret burning away eternally. “I should have known better, please forgive me,” won’t work there.
People of God in Christ Jesus, our present calling is to spread the Gospel while there is still time. We leave the results to God. All He asks of us is that we be His ambassadors and share the Good News that Jesus lived, died and rose again for all people.”
III.
One final footnote—the harvest has occurred and the separation is complete and Jesus explains, “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Heaven!!!!! Just think of it! John Newton penned in his most famous hymn, “Amazing Grace:” When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we first begun.
On this side of heaven, we are cumbered with many weaknesses—“The good I should do, I don’t always get done, the evil I hate I sometimes do; oh what a wretched person I am.” Sometimes we even wonder if we are really Christians. But we struggle on in faith. As Newton also penned, Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come,’ twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
On this side of heaven, we may suffer reproaches and be put down by worldly people. Our faith and moral stance may be scoffed at, because the world makes the ethics of contextualism look so modern and right, making God’s moral absolutes to appear to be so out-of-date and behind the times. In heaven, the battle is over, and we shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father.
So, Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood, From thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure; Cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r.
Not the labors of my hands, Can fulfill thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling.
Naked, come to thee for dress; Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, When mine eyelids close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown, See thee on thy judgement throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.
Thanks be to God who gives us the victory full and complete through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. [Votum]
OFFERING PRAYER [One way to thank God is with a monetary gift.]
PRAYERS [We pray for all people according to their needs.]
Prayer of the Church - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 11A) - 23 July 2023
Redeemer and Lord of hosts, the future is in Your hands. Remove all fear from us, and keep us mindful that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of heaven and earth, we give thanks that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died to redeem the world and restore creation. Until new life supplants the groanings of this age, lead us to steward Your creation well, not in waste but in wise and diligent use with thanksgiving. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, pour out the blessing of Your Holy Spirit on the delegates who will assemble in convention this week. Give wisdom to those who propose, deliberate and decide for the work and welfare of our Synod. Guard all who speak and all who listen. Give us courage to do with integrity what we promise. Bless our plans and actions, and grant success. Only let our manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks for all who serve as instruments of Your compassion, those who care for the elderly at home, and those who work in retirement and nursing facilities. Grant that we also may serve as Your hands, feet and voices to give comfort and company to the lonely. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, You are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. Be patient with those who do not repent or believe. Send Your Holy Spirit to bring them into saving faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Guide the leaders of all nations, that they would work for peace and justice in the face of conflict and discord. By, or despite, their efforts, protect the weak and defenseless. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We commend to You all who endure the bondage of decay through infirmity and weakness [especially _____________]. Deliver them according to Your will, and strengthen and preserve their faith, that they may rejoice that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Preserve us in hope for what we do not see. Grant that we would receive Your Holy Supper with hearts free from pride, presumption or any other sin that would profane His precious body and blood. May we rejoice in His bodily presence for our forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have called us according to Your purpose. You cause all things to work together for our good. Keep us safe until that day when You gather us with the saints into Your kingdom, which has no end; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
HYMN NO. 794, “The Lord, My God, Be Praised”
LORD’S PRAYERALL: OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,
HALLOWED BE THY NAME,
THY KINGDOM COME,
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD;
AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE
WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US;
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION,
BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE
GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN.
BENEDICTION [We receive God’s blessing as we go our homeward way.]
L: The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face to shine on you and be gracious to
you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
C: AMEN. (spoken)
CLOSING HYMN no. 921, “On What Has Now Been Sown”
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS SERVED IN THE FELLOWSHIP ROOM
ADULT BIBLE CLASS AND CHILDREN’S STUDY
+ And God’s people said: AMEN! +
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 16, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Ted Smith
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. here at the church.
THERE IS ALSO A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday on Zoom
beginning at 10 a.m. Questions? Speak with Barb Whitley. Thanks.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE is scheduled for Cheriese Tallman on Saturday, August 12th at 11 a.m., followed by a light luncheon.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song, This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand!
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
July 16, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 584 “Faith and Truth and Life Bestowing”
1 Faith and truth and life bestowing,
Open now the Scriptures, Lord,
Seed to life eternal sowing,
Scattered on the wind abroad.
Let not hearts, Your Word receiving,
Like a barren field be found,
Choked with thorns and unbelieving,
Shallow earth or stony ground.
2 May the Spirit’s pow’r unceasing
Bring to life the hidden grain,
Daily in our hearts increasing,
Bearing fruit that shall remain.
So in Scripture, song, and story,
Savior, may Your voice be heard.
Till our eyes behold Your glory
Give us ears to hear Your Word.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1997 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 103:15–19
P The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Isaiah 55:10–13
10“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
12“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung] Psalm 65:9–13
9You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of | water;*
you provide their grain,
for so you have pre- | pared it.
10You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its | ridges,*
softening it with showers,
and bless- | ing its growth.
11You crown the year with your | bounty;*
your wagon tracks overflow with a- | bundance.
12The pastures of the wilderness | overflow,*
the hills gird them- | selves with joy,
13the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck them- | selves with grain,*
they shout and sing together | for joy.
Epistle Romans 8:12–17
12So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the thirteenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9He who has ears, let him hear. . . .
18“Hear then the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Nicene Creed
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life T of the world to come. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 577 “Almighty God, Your Word Is Cast”
1 Almighty God, Your Word is cast
Like seed into the ground;
Now let the dew of heav’n descend
And righteous fruits abound.
2 Let not the sly satanic foe
This holy seed remove,
But give it root in ev’ry heart
To bring forth fruits of love.
3 Let not the world’s deceitful cares
The rising plant destroy,
But let it yield a hundredfold
The fruits of peace and joy.
4 So when the precious seed is sown,
Life-giving grace bestow
That all whose souls the truth receive
Its saving pow’r may know.
Text: John Cawood, 1775–1852, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Bearing Good Fruit” Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Bearing Good Fruit – Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Crop farmers have some amazing technology that is now available on farm equipment. In essence, a lot of the machinery can drive itself. Harvesting equipment can monitor the yield as it works its way through a field. In turn, other equipment can use that yield data to meter out fertilizer and other chemicals in precise amounts in order to produce the best yield in the next crop.
The whole point of this technology is for the farmer to do what all businesses want to do … get the best return on their investment. You want to invest in seed, equipment, fertilizers, and other chemicals so that you get the most cost-effective yield. On the other hand, you don’t want to waste any of your investment.
First century farmers in Israel didn’t have all the technology that we have today, but they still wanted to get the most they could from their investment. They would make sure that all the seed they sowed fell on good soil. They would avoid throwing seed on hard packed roads, rocky ground, or thorns. They wanted all the seed to produce a good crop.
This morning, we heard Jesus tell a parable about a different kind of sower. The people who heard Jesus tell the parable would say that the sower was very careless. Some seeds fell along the path, other seeds fell on rocky ground, and still other seeds fell among thorns. (Matthew 13:4–7) This sower is sowing the seed everywhere.
Later, Jesus took the disciples aside and explained the parable. The seed is hearing the Word of God. The careless sower indicates God’s generosity and His mercy. The proclamation of the Word of God is for all people in all places and times. “[God our Savior] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) The careless sower could be anyone who shares the Word of God. It could be an apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, the head of a household, or even just one friend sharing God’s Word with another. In each case Jesus has promised that the Holy Spirit will be at work when the sower shares the Word of God. The teaching of the parable is that those who proclaim God’s Word are generous with it. They throw the Word of God everywhere.
Different people, though, respond differently when they hear the Word of God. That is the main illustration of the parable. Jesus broke the response into four different categories … the well-travelled path, the rocky ground, the thorny ground, and the good earth.
Jesus began with those who simply reject the Word. He said, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.” (Matthew 13:19) Although God wants to save everyone, there are those who reject the Word and resist the Holy Spirit. They remain in unbelief and under God’s judgment by their own fault. Eventually, God allows the devil to take the Word away from them. They have hardened their heart against the work of the Holy Spirit by simply refusing to believe.
The hardened soil of the path reminds us that there is a real battle going on for the lives of men, women, and children. Satan makes it his business to take the Word of the Kingdom away from us. This was his strategy at the beginning. We are told that the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1) The evil one’s first words to Eve replaced God’s Word with doubt. Already, the evil one was coming and snatching away the Word that was sown in Eve’s heart. The hardened soil and the birds represent the devil snatching the Word and taking it away from us.
Then there is the rocky soil. At first the effect of the Word on the rocky soil seems hopeful, but then tragedy strikes. Jesus said, “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matthew 13:20–21) Here the seed produces results for a while. This type of person receives the word with joy. He joins a local congregation. He may even become quite active. Then something comes along to test the faith and he falls away.
The rocky soil really bothers me. Over the half century since I was confirmed, I have seen the church in North America and Europe promote the rocky soil. Very often the reason that many church-goers do not have deep roots in the Word is that the leaders of the church do not provide opportunities that grow those roots. Many, many congregations have grown by focusing on marketing … fun and entertainment. Now don’t get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with fun and entertainment in their proper place. However, too many congregations have focused so hard on fun and entertainment that they forgot to proclaim the truth of the Word of God. At first, they grew like gangbusters, but then came a challenge and they fell apart. It is just as Jesus said. “[They endure] for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately [they fall] away.” The church in North America and Europe has a lot of repenting to do. I pray that they get back to proclaiming the Word so that their members can once again have roots that go deep into the Word of God.
The third scenario illustrates a similar tragedy. Jesus said, “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22) Once again, the seed sprouts. Once again, this type of person joins a local congregation. The problem here is that the cares of this world are more important than the Word of the kingdom. A late party on Saturday night or even late-night television is more important than being rested up enough to receive God’s Divine Service. County fairs, Athletic contests, and other extra-curricular activities are more important than Bible class or family devotions. Basically, there are so many things to do in this world that God’s Word becomes an afterthought instead of a priority. The thorns represent the world enticing us away from the salvation proclaimed in the Word of the Kingdom.
The last type of soil illustrates the fruit that God’s Word can bear. Jesus said, “As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” (Matthew 13:23) This time, the roots of God’s Word run deep. It thrives and produces a harvest. In fact, the numbers that Jesus used are miraculous yields for that time and place.
Notice though, that even the good soil is dead until God’s Word takes root in it. The power comes from God and He uses His Word to distribute that power. God works in us as we read or hear the Word. He brings us into His family as that very same Word combines with the water of Holy Baptism to join us to Christ in His crucifixion. He sustains and strengthens our faith with the Word combined with bread and wine as He offers Himself to us in His body and blood. These are the Means of Grace whereby God works the power of His Word in us.
Jesus makes it very clear in this parable that it is the deep roots of the seed that produce the fruit. Then He tells us that the seed is the Word of the Kingdom and the roots are the understanding of that Word. Therefore, when Jesus talks about the depth of the roots, He is talking about the depth of our understanding of the Word of the Kingdom. He is also talking about the effect that the Holy Spirit has as He works through that Word.
When the roots of the Word of the Kingdom run deep in us, we see that all of Scripture points us to the salvation we have in Jesus Christ. The Word of the Kingdom reveals the Holy Life of the Savior – a life that He lived in our place because we cannot keep the law of God. The Word of the Kingdom reveals the Holy Death of the Savior – a death that satisfies God’s holy and righteous justice against our sin. The Word of the Kingdom reveals the Resurrection of the Savior – a resurrection that assures us that the Holy life and innocent death of the Savior were accepted as payment in full for all our sins.
The devil, the world, and our own sinful nature want to drive us away from our savior. Their first step in alienating us from God is the same now as it was in Eden: “Did God actually say?” They constantly strive to prevent the growth of the roots of the Word. They constantly make the case against regular church attendance and regular Bible study. When we think it is not important to be theologians of the Word of the Kingdom, we are playing right into the devil’s hand. That is exactly what he wants … humans who are weak because the Word of the Kingdom has not put deep roots into their hearts.
Jesus encourages us with the words, “He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:9) Hearing is how the Holy Spirit gives understanding to us … how He causes the Word of the Kingdom to grow deep into our hearts. Hearing is how the Holy Spirit reveals the salvation of Jesus Christ to us. It is as we heard in the Old Testament reading: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10–11) May the Word of the Kingdom dwell and grow deep in your hearts. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 10A) - 16 July 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Father of mercy, our sins have merited thorns and briars and yield only trouble and strife. Forgive our transgressions and discipline us against temptation, that we may rejoice in Your name and the promise of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You send forth Your Word as abundantly as rains upon the earth. Grant that we would never take Your generosity for granted, but would seek the help and refreshment of Your Word in every circumstance. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, continue to sow Your Word through the fields of the earth. Bless pastors and missionaries as they proclaim Your truth. Prepare the hearts of all who hear to believe and yield abundant fruit. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, bless parents with faithfulness as they plant Your Word into their children, that they may grow steadfast among the cares and troubles of this world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Creator of heaven and earth, by Your Word You send forth rain and snow to make the world bring forth and sprout. Give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. Provide us seasonable weather and bountiful harvest, that we may enjoy daily bread and praise Your name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, look with mercy upon those who suffer from illness of body or mind. [Be especially with _____________.] Give them healing. Comfort them with Your presence. Grant them patience to endure suffering, and assure them at all times that they are Your dear children and that the glory of Christ awaits them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all grace, You have made us Your holy children and freed us from bondage to the flesh. Sustain us in repentance and faith, that we may receive Christ’s body and blood for life and salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Spirit calls us by the Gospel to the new life of faith. We praise You and acknowledge You as our Lord. Deliver us from the devil’s temptations, that we may live under You and serve You in righteousness, innocence and blessedness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the same Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
639 “Wide Open Stand the Gates”
1 Wide open stand the gates adorned with pearl,
While round God’s golden throne
The choirs of saints in endless circles curl,
And joyous praise the Son!
They watch Him now descending
To visit waiting earth.
The Lord of Life unending
Brings dying hope new birth!
2 He speaks the Word the bread and wine to bless:
“This is My flesh and blood!”
He bids us eat and drink with thankfulness
This gift of holy food.
All human thought must falter--
Our God stoops low to heal,
Now present on the altar,
For us both host and meal!
3 The cherubim, their faces veiled from light,
While saints in wonder kneel,
Sing praise to Him whose face with glory bright
No earthly masks conceal.
This sacrament God gives us
Binds us in unity,
Joins earth with heav’n beyond us,
Time with eternity!
Text: J. K. Wilhelm Loehe, 1808–72; tr. Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 2002 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
633 “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”
1 At the Lamb’s high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who has washed us in the tide
Flowing from His piercèd side.
Alleluia!
2 Praise we Him, whose love divine
Gives His sacred blood for wine,
Gives His body for the feast--
Christ the victim, Christ the priest.
Alleluia!
3 Where the paschal blood is poured,
Death’s dread angel sheathes the sword;
Israel’s hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that drowns the foe.
Alleluia!
4 Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,
Paschal victim, paschal bread;
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.
Alleluia!
5 Mighty Victim from the sky,
Hell’s fierce pow’rs beneath You lie;
You have conquered in the fight,
You have brought us life and light.
Alleluia!
6 Now no more can death appall,
Now no more the grave enthrall;
You have opened paradise,
And Your saints in You shall rise.
Alleluia!
7 Easter triumph, Easter joy!
This alone can sin destroy;
From sin’s pow’r, Lord, set us free,
Newborn souls in You to be.
Alleluia!
D 8 Father, who the crown shall give,
Savior, by whose death we live,
Spirit, guide through all our days:
Three in One, Your name we praise.
Alleluia!
Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr. Robert Campbell, 1814–68, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 652 “Father, We Thank Thee”
1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus, Thy Son, to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give us food for all our days,
Giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
Thine is the pow’r, be Thine the praise.
2 Watch o’er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in this broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
Text: Didache, 2nd cent.; tr. F. Bland Tucker, 1895–1984
Text: © The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – July 9, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Ted Smith
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. at church.
WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35)
ON PRAYER--
“When you pray, do not be afraid that God won’t hear you because you don’t get the form of the prayer just right. Don’t avoid prayer because your sins trouble you. Remember that God hears our prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you. Jesus opens the door to the throne room of our Heavenly Father, by His perfect life and His sacrifice on Calvary. Baptized into His name, you receive credit for His good works and freedom from your sins. Pray boldly with your Lord. Pray for others before asking for yourself. Finally, and always, as the hymnwriter suggests, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’” [from Lifelight Bible Study on John’s Gospel, p. 21]
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 9, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Hymn of the Day: 966 “Before You, Lord, We Bow”
1 Before You, Lord, we bow,
Our God who reigns above
And rules the world below,
Boundless in pow’r and love.
Our thanks we bring
In joy and praise,
Our hearts we raise
To You, our King!
2 The nation You have blest
May well Your love declare,
From foes and fears at rest,
Protected by Your care.
For this bright day,
For this fair land--
Gifts of Your hand--
Our thanks we pay.
3 May ev’ry mountain height,
Each vale and forest green,
Shine in Your Word’s pure light,
And its rich fruits be seen!
May ev’ry tongue
Be tuned to praise
And join to raise
A grateful song.
4 Earth, hear your Maker’s voice;
Your great Redeemer own;
Believe, obey, rejoice,
And worship Him alone.
Cast down your pride,
Your sin deplore,
And bow before
The Crucified.
5 And when in pow’r He comes,
Oh, may our native land
From all its rending tombs
Send forth a glorious band,
A countless throng,
With joy to sing
To heav’n’s high King
Salvation’s song!
Text: Francis Scott Key, 1779–1843, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 91:1-2, 9–10
P He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast [sung] LSB 155
C This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are His.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Gracious God, our heavenly Father, Your mercy attends us all our days. Be our strength and support amid the wearisome changes of this world, and at life’s end grant us Your promised rest and the full joys of Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Zechariah 9:9–12
9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung] Psalm 145:1–8
1I will extol you, my | God and King,*
and bless your name forever and | ever.
2Every day I will | bless you*
and praise your name forever and | ever.
3Great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised,*
and his greatness is un- | searchable.
4One generation shall commend your works to an- | other,*
and shall declare your | mighty acts.
5On the glorious splendor of your | majesty,*
and on your wondrous works, I will | meditate.
6They shall speak of the might of your | awesome deeds,*
and I will declare your | greatness.
7They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant | goodness*
and shall sing aloud of your | righteousness.
8The Lord is gracious and | merciful,*
slow to anger and abounding in | steadfast love.
Epistle Romans 7:14–25a
14We know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 11:25–30
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eleventh chapter.
25At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 699 “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”
1 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
So weary, worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.
2 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
3 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light.
Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
Till trav’ling days are done.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “‘Come to Me,’ Says Jesus” Matthew 11:25-30
“Come to Me,” Says Jesus – Matthew 11:25-30
One of the things that we talk about in catechism class is how the triune God makes Himself known. We talk about the way that God makes Himself known in the world around us, within our thoughts, and by His revelation in the Bible. The Apostle Paul also speaks of these three ways of knowing about God.
The Apostle Paul has this to say about what human beings can learn about God from the world around us: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19–20) In other words, the complexity and size of the universe points to a design, and a design points to a designer.
What can we learn about the designer when we look at creation? We can look at the motion of the objects in the sky. We can examine the complex language of the DNA that we find within the cells that make up our bodies. We can look at all the things that must be just right in order for life to thrive on this planet. We can look at these and thousands of other facts. As we contemplate these things, we must conclude that the intelligence behind all this is way, way, way, bigger than we are. The attention to detail and the massive scale of the universe are staggering. The beauty and grandeur of creation are inspiring.
At the same time, creation is very dangerous. Natural disasters come in all shapes and sizes: earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, diseases, predators that want to eat us, and so forth. If we rely only on what we see in the world around us, then we must wonder why did this intelligent designer make such a wonderful, beautiful world that is also so deadly?
Then there is the evidence for God that lies within us. When God created Adam and Eve, they knew everything that they needed to know about Him. But Adam and Eve corrupted that knowledge when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Never the less, even the leftover broken pieces of that knowledge are still with us. Again, the Apostle Paul said, “When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.” (Romans 2:14–15) These words teach us that the law is still there in what we call the conscience. The existence of this law within us points to a law giver.
The human being with a conscience observes the danger in the world and must come to one conclusion. The intelligent being who designed and created all this must be angry with me. Why else would the creator make something that is so wonderful and deadly at the same time? Even though the original knowledge that Adam and Eve had at creation is now corrupt, there is still enough to trigger guilt. This combination of a beautiful, but dangerous creation and a guilty conscience is at the heart of the religions that spring from mankind’s imagination. Somehow, mankind must keep the gods satisfied so that they will bless us and not bring disaster upon us.
The works that mankind must do to keep the gods happy can be very brutal. When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, they abused themselves to get Baal’s attention. “They cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.” (1 Kings 18:28) Others even sacrificed their own children. “They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.” (Psalm 106:37–38) The point is that when you must earn your own way into the favor of the gods, it is a very heavy and onerous burden. False religions demand a heavy price.
Physical sacrifice is not the only example of sacrifice given to false religions. Some religions require their members to make copies of all their tax forms and give them to the church. The church then compares the giving record of the member to the income reported to the IRS and will kick the member out if they do not give a certain percentage of that income. Some false religions do not allow their followers to celebrate birthdays or Christmas or any other holiday. Some religions do not allow blood transfusions. The list goes on and on.
What do all these acts of sacrifice and torture tell us about humanity? It tells us that it is natural for humanity to believe that there is something or someone out there that is way bigger than we are, AND that someone or something is very powerful and very angry. We need to do something to satisfy that someone or something so that he, she, or it is not angry with us, but is favorably disposed toward us instead. This is the hard labor of all false religions.
The nasty truth about this hard labor is that it is never good enough. No matter how hard you work, things still go wrong. Tragedies still happen. The crops still fail. Plagues still strike. People get sick. People get injured. People die. Nothing is ever good enough. Nevertheless, the followers of false religions redouble their efforts when tragedy strikes. They try harder. Their labors are never over. Either that, or they just give up in despair and hopelessness.
There is, however, a third way that we can know about God. The Apostle Paul describes this way with these words, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) This way is the best because it is God Himself teaching us what we need to know about Him. The other two ways depend on us … what we observe in the universe, and what we feel within. Since God transcends this universe, those two ways are never enough. But when God Himself teaches us about Him, it is everything we need.
When we hear to the words of God, we hear something completely different than what we learn on our own. Jesus declared, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30) This is unlike any other religion in the world. Here is a religion where God tells us to lay down our burden of self-justification. Here is God telling us to rest. Here is Jesus telling us that He will take the heavy burden. He will take the hard labor. He will take our hard yoke and make it easy. He will take our heavy burden and make it light.
The reason that Jesus can say this is that He is the Son of God who entered history in order to save us from our own sin. While we can do nothing to please God, everything that Jesus does is pleasing to God. While we cannot endure the punishment that will satisfies God’s justice, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross totally satisfied God’s justice for you. Jesus is the one who takes our hard yoke on Himself and gives us the easy yoke of forgiveness in its place. He is the one who took up our heavy burden of sin and replaced it with the light burden of His righteousness. He has taken the labor and burden of false belief and replaced it with the rest of true faith.
Jesus has done all the work that makes us right with God. The blessings of that work become available to us when the Holy Spirit works faith in us. The Holy Spirit establishes the faith that receives the gifts of God – forgiveness, life, salvation. At the same time, the Holy Spirit creates a new being in us – a holy child of God. We now have the easy yoke of Christ’s forgiveness and the light burden of His righteousness.
The forces of evil hate Christ’s easy yoke and light burden. They will try to entrap and enslave us to a life that struggles to earn God’s favor. Our old sinful nature is still around. Christ has earned our forgiveness and the Holy Spirit applies that forgiveness to us through His gift of faith. The Holy Spirit has made us holy, but our old sinful nature constantly trys to turn us back to the broad road that leads to spiritual destruction. We become battle fields and the temptation is for us to try to do the fighting.
Nevertheless, Jesus continuously invites us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) He says, “I am your champion. I have already won the war. The holy, sinless life that Jesus led … His innocent suffering and death … His resurrection and the ascension … all these, Jesus did for you. Through His holy life and sinless death, He won forgiveness for you. With that forgiveness come life and salvation. He has taken all our sin … all our guilt to the cross, including those sins we commit even after we are a child of God.
As God’s children, we mourn the fact that we daily sin much. At the same time, we rejoice in the free, abundant and overwhelming forgiveness that we have in Jesus Christ.
The life of the Christian is a battle, but we have the champion who has defeated all our foes, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9A) - 9 July 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You ensure that the birds are fed and the lilies clothed in splendor. Deliver us from worry with the consolation that You know what we need, and that, for Jesus’ sake, we are of much more value than they. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Kindle in us, Holy Father, the gifts of Your Spirit, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, fill our homes with Your Word and grace. Be the companion of those who are alone. Strengthen husbands and wives. Bless parents as they catechize their children. Let them all find refuge in You and so preserve them from every plague and evil. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Ruler of the nations, until You at last cut off the war horse and the chariot forever, give our nation’s leaders wisdom and integrity to preserve peace, promote what is good, and defend against violence and wickedness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of mercy, You set free those imprisoned on account of their sin to bear their sentence as a joyful custody of hope. Remember the incarcerated. Preserve them from greater evil, and foster in them repentance and trust in Your grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be with all who are weary and heavy-laden with the tribulations of this life. Give comfort to [_____________ and] all who suffer illness. Console them with the knowledge that Your yoke is easy and Your burden light, and that in You they will find rest for their souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of Israel, You release Your people from the waterless pit by the blood of Your covenant. Bless all who receive Christ’s body and blood with penitent hearts, trusting in Your promises and a common confession of faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, for all the saints who, by Your grace, sought Your kingdom and righteousness above all other treasures. We pray that You would preserve us also in repentance and Christ’s righteousness until we stand before You in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini LSB 163
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 163
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
684 “Come unto Me, Ye Weary”
1 “Come unto Me, ye weary,
And I will give you rest.”
O blessèd voice of Jesus,
Which comes to hearts oppressed!
It tells of benediction,
Of pardon, grace, and peace,
Of joy that hath no ending,
Of love that cannot cease.
2 “Come unto Me, ye wand’rers,
And I will give you light.”
O loving voice of Jesus,
Which comes to cheer the night!
Our hearts were filled with sadness,
And we had lost our way;
But Thou hast brought us gladness
And songs at break of day.
3 “Come unto Me, ye fainting,
And I will give you life.”
O cheering voice of Jesus,
Which comes to aid our strife!
The foe is stern and eager,
The fight is fierce and long;
But Thou hast made us mighty
And stronger than the strong.
4 “And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out.”
O patient love of Jesus,
Which drives away our doubt,
Which, though we be unworthy
Of love so great and free,
Invites us very sinners
To come, dear Lord, to Thee!
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
606 “I Lay My Sins on Jesus”
1 I lay my sins on Jesus,
The spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all and frees us
From the accursèd load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus
To wash my crimson stains
Clean in His blood most precious
Till not a spot remains.
2 I lay my wants on Jesus;
All fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases;
My soul He does redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus,
My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases;
He all my sorrows shares.
3 I rest my soul on Jesus,
This weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces;
I on His breast recline.
I love the name of Jesus,
Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes
His name abroad is poured.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 854 “Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I Go”
Sung to a different melody
1 Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go,
My daily labor to pursue,
Thee, only Thee, resolved to know
In all I think or speak or do.
2 The task Thy wisdom has assigned,
O let me cheerfully fulfill;
In all my works Thy presence find,
And prove Thy good and perfect will.
3 Thee may I set at my right hand,
Whose eyes my inmost substance see,
And labor on at Thy command,
And offer all my works to Thee.
4 Give me to bear Thine easy yoke,
And ev’ry moment watch and pray,
And still to things eternal look,
And hasten to Thy glorious day.
5 For Thee delightfully employ
Whate’er Thy bounteous grace has giv’n,
And run my course with even joy,
And closely walk with Thee to heav’n.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – July 9, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
The LORD your God is in your midst.
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley,
Orville Harshbarger (honorary), Ted Smith
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m. at church.
WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35)
ON PRAYER--
“When you pray, do not be afraid that God won’t hear you because you don’t get the form of the prayer just right. Don’t avoid prayer because your sins trouble you. Remember that God hears our prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you. Jesus opens the door to the throne room of our Heavenly Father, by His perfect life and His sacrifice on Calvary. Baptized into His name, you receive credit for His good works and freedom from your sins. Pray boldly with your Lord. Pray for others before asking for yourself. Finally, and always, as the hymnwriter suggests, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’” [from Lifelight Bible Study on John’s Gospel, p. 21]
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 9, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Hymn of the Day: 966 “Before You, Lord, We Bow”
1 Before You, Lord, we bow,
Our God who reigns above
And rules the world below,
Boundless in pow’r and love.
Our thanks we bring
In joy and praise,
Our hearts we raise
To You, our King!
2 The nation You have blest
May well Your love declare,
From foes and fears at rest,
Protected by Your care.
For this bright day,
For this fair land--
Gifts of Your hand--
Our thanks we pay.
3 May ev’ry mountain height,
Each vale and forest green,
Shine in Your Word’s pure light,
And its rich fruits be seen!
May ev’ry tongue
Be tuned to praise
And join to raise
A grateful song.
4 Earth, hear your Maker’s voice;
Your great Redeemer own;
Believe, obey, rejoice,
And worship Him alone.
Cast down your pride,
Your sin deplore,
And bow before
The Crucified.
5 And when in pow’r He comes,
Oh, may our native land
From all its rending tombs
Send forth a glorious band,
A countless throng,
With joy to sing
To heav’n’s high King
Salvation’s song!
Text: Francis Scott Key, 1779–1843, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 91:1-2, 9–10
P He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast [sung] LSB 155
C This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength, and honor, blessing, and glory are His.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Sing with all the people of God, and join in the hymn of all creation:
Blessing, honor, glory, and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
For the Lamb who was slain has begun His reign. Alleluia.
This is the feast of victory for our God.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Gracious God, our heavenly Father, Your mercy attends us all our days. Be our strength and support amid the wearisome changes of this world, and at life’s end grant us Your promised rest and the full joys of Your salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Zechariah 9:9–12
9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
behold, your king is coming to you;
righteous and having salvation is he,
humble and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall speak peace to the nations;
his rule shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
11As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
12Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung] Psalm 145:1–8
1I will extol you, my | God and King,*
and bless your name forever and | ever.
2Every day I will | bless you*
and praise your name forever and | ever.
3Great is the Lord, and greatly | to be praised,*
and his greatness is un- | searchable.
4One generation shall commend your works to an- | other,*
and shall declare your | mighty acts.
5On the glorious splendor of your | majesty,*
and on your wondrous works, I will | meditate.
6They shall speak of the might of your | awesome deeds,*
and I will declare your | greatness.
7They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant | goodness*
and shall sing aloud of your | righteousness.
8The Lord is gracious and | merciful,*
slow to anger and abounding in | steadfast love.
Epistle Romans 7:14–25a
14We know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 11:25–30
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the eleventh chapter.
25At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 699 “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say”
1 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
So weary, worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting place,
And He has made me glad.
2 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
3 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light.
Look unto Me; thy morn shall rise
And all thy day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
Till trav’ling days are done.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “‘Come to Me,’ Says Jesus” Matthew 11:25-30
“Come to Me,” Says Jesus – Matthew 11:25-30
One of the things that we talk about in catechism class is how the triune God makes Himself known. We talk about the way that God makes Himself known in the world around us, within our thoughts, and by His revelation in the Bible. The Apostle Paul also speaks of these three ways of knowing about God.
The Apostle Paul has this to say about what human beings can learn about God from the world around us: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:19–20) In other words, the complexity and size of the universe points to a design, and a design points to a designer.
What can we learn about the designer when we look at creation? We can look at the motion of the objects in the sky. We can examine the complex language of the DNA that we find within the cells that make up our bodies. We can look at all the things that must be just right in order for life to thrive on this planet. We can look at these and thousands of other facts. As we contemplate these things, we must conclude that the intelligence behind all this is way, way, way, bigger than we are. The attention to detail and the massive scale of the universe are staggering. The beauty and grandeur of creation are inspiring.
At the same time, creation is very dangerous. Natural disasters come in all shapes and sizes: earthquakes, volcanoes, tidal waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, diseases, predators that want to eat us, and so forth. If we rely only on what we see in the world around us, then we must wonder why did this intelligent designer make such a wonderful, beautiful world that is also so deadly?
Then there is the evidence for God that lies within us. When God created Adam and Eve, they knew everything that they needed to know about Him. But Adam and Eve corrupted that knowledge when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Never the less, even the leftover broken pieces of that knowledge are still with us. Again, the Apostle Paul said, “When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.” (Romans 2:14–15) These words teach us that the law is still there in what we call the conscience. The existence of this law within us points to a law giver.
The human being with a conscience observes the danger in the world and must come to one conclusion. The intelligent being who designed and created all this must be angry with me. Why else would the creator make something that is so wonderful and deadly at the same time? Even though the original knowledge that Adam and Eve had at creation is now corrupt, there is still enough to trigger guilt. This combination of a beautiful, but dangerous creation and a guilty conscience is at the heart of the religions that spring from mankind’s imagination. Somehow, mankind must keep the gods satisfied so that they will bless us and not bring disaster upon us.
The works that mankind must do to keep the gods happy can be very brutal. When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal, they abused themselves to get Baal’s attention. “They cried aloud and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until the blood gushed out upon them.” (1 Kings 18:28) Others even sacrificed their own children. “They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons; they poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood.” (Psalm 106:37–38) The point is that when you must earn your own way into the favor of the gods, it is a very heavy and onerous burden. False religions demand a heavy price.
Physical sacrifice is not the only example of sacrifice given to false religions. Some religions require their members to make copies of all their tax forms and give them to the church. The church then compares the giving record of the member to the income reported to the IRS and will kick the member out if they do not give a certain percentage of that income. Some false religions do not allow their followers to celebrate birthdays or Christmas or any other holiday. Some religions do not allow blood transfusions. The list goes on and on.
What do all these acts of sacrifice and torture tell us about humanity? It tells us that it is natural for humanity to believe that there is something or someone out there that is way bigger than we are, AND that someone or something is very powerful and very angry. We need to do something to satisfy that someone or something so that he, she, or it is not angry with us, but is favorably disposed toward us instead. This is the hard labor of all false religions.
The nasty truth about this hard labor is that it is never good enough. No matter how hard you work, things still go wrong. Tragedies still happen. The crops still fail. Plagues still strike. People get sick. People get injured. People die. Nothing is ever good enough. Nevertheless, the followers of false religions redouble their efforts when tragedy strikes. They try harder. Their labors are never over. Either that, or they just give up in despair and hopelessness.
There is, however, a third way that we can know about God. The Apostle Paul describes this way with these words, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) This way is the best because it is God Himself teaching us what we need to know about Him. The other two ways depend on us … what we observe in the universe, and what we feel within. Since God transcends this universe, those two ways are never enough. But when God Himself teaches us about Him, it is everything we need.
When we hear to the words of God, we hear something completely different than what we learn on our own. Jesus declared, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30) This is unlike any other religion in the world. Here is a religion where God tells us to lay down our burden of self-justification. Here is God telling us to rest. Here is Jesus telling us that He will take the heavy burden. He will take the hard labor. He will take our hard yoke and make it easy. He will take our heavy burden and make it light.
The reason that Jesus can say this is that He is the Son of God who entered history in order to save us from our own sin. While we can do nothing to please God, everything that Jesus does is pleasing to God. While we cannot endure the punishment that will satisfies God’s justice, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross totally satisfied God’s justice for you. Jesus is the one who takes our hard yoke on Himself and gives us the easy yoke of forgiveness in its place. He is the one who took up our heavy burden of sin and replaced it with the light burden of His righteousness. He has taken the labor and burden of false belief and replaced it with the rest of true faith.
Jesus has done all the work that makes us right with God. The blessings of that work become available to us when the Holy Spirit works faith in us. The Holy Spirit establishes the faith that receives the gifts of God – forgiveness, life, salvation. At the same time, the Holy Spirit creates a new being in us – a holy child of God. We now have the easy yoke of Christ’s forgiveness and the light burden of His righteousness.
The forces of evil hate Christ’s easy yoke and light burden. They will try to entrap and enslave us to a life that struggles to earn God’s favor. Our old sinful nature is still around. Christ has earned our forgiveness and the Holy Spirit applies that forgiveness to us through His gift of faith. The Holy Spirit has made us holy, but our old sinful nature constantly trys to turn us back to the broad road that leads to spiritual destruction. We become battle fields and the temptation is for us to try to do the fighting.
Nevertheless, Jesus continuously invites us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) He says, “I am your champion. I have already won the war. The holy, sinless life that Jesus led … His innocent suffering and death … His resurrection and the ascension … all these, Jesus did for you. Through His holy life and sinless death, He won forgiveness for you. With that forgiveness come life and salvation. He has taken all our sin … all our guilt to the cross, including those sins we commit even after we are a child of God.
As God’s children, we mourn the fact that we daily sin much. At the same time, we rejoice in the free, abundant and overwhelming forgiveness that we have in Jesus Christ.
The life of the Christian is a battle, but we have the champion who has defeated all our foes, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9A) - 9 July 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You ensure that the birds are fed and the lilies clothed in splendor. Deliver us from worry with the consolation that You know what we need, and that, for Jesus’ sake, we are of much more value than they. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Kindle in us, Holy Father, the gifts of Your Spirit, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, fill our homes with Your Word and grace. Be the companion of those who are alone. Strengthen husbands and wives. Bless parents as they catechize their children. Let them all find refuge in You and so preserve them from every plague and evil. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Ruler of the nations, until You at last cut off the war horse and the chariot forever, give our nation’s leaders wisdom and integrity to preserve peace, promote what is good, and defend against violence and wickedness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of mercy, You set free those imprisoned on account of their sin to bear their sentence as a joyful custody of hope. Remember the incarcerated. Preserve them from greater evil, and foster in them repentance and trust in Your grace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, be with all who are weary and heavy-laden with the tribulations of this life. Give comfort to [_____________ and] all who suffer illness. Console them with the knowledge that Your yoke is easy and Your burden light, and that in You they will find rest for their souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God of Israel, You release Your people from the waterless pit by the blood of Your covenant. Bless all who receive Christ’s body and blood with penitent hearts, trusting in Your promises and a common confession of faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give thanks to You, O Lord, for all the saints who, by Your grace, sought Your kingdom and righteousness above all other treasures. We pray that You would preserve us also in repentance and Christ’s righteousness until we stand before You in glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini LSB 163
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei LSB 163
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
684 “Come unto Me, Ye Weary”
1 “Come unto Me, ye weary,
And I will give you rest.”
O blessèd voice of Jesus,
Which comes to hearts oppressed!
It tells of benediction,
Of pardon, grace, and peace,
Of joy that hath no ending,
Of love that cannot cease.
2 “Come unto Me, ye wand’rers,
And I will give you light.”
O loving voice of Jesus,
Which comes to cheer the night!
Our hearts were filled with sadness,
And we had lost our way;
But Thou hast brought us gladness
And songs at break of day.
3 “Come unto Me, ye fainting,
And I will give you life.”
O cheering voice of Jesus,
Which comes to aid our strife!
The foe is stern and eager,
The fight is fierce and long;
But Thou hast made us mighty
And stronger than the strong.
4 “And whosoever cometh,
I will not cast him out.”
O patient love of Jesus,
Which drives away our doubt,
Which, though we be unworthy
Of love so great and free,
Invites us very sinners
To come, dear Lord, to Thee!
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
606 “I Lay My Sins on Jesus”
1 I lay my sins on Jesus,
The spotless Lamb of God;
He bears them all and frees us
From the accursèd load.
I bring my guilt to Jesus
To wash my crimson stains
Clean in His blood most precious
Till not a spot remains.
2 I lay my wants on Jesus;
All fullness dwells in Him;
He heals all my diseases;
My soul He does redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus,
My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases;
He all my sorrows shares.
3 I rest my soul on Jesus,
This weary soul of mine;
His right hand me embraces;
I on His breast recline.
I love the name of Jesus,
Immanuel, Christ, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes
His name abroad is poured.
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
Stand
Post-Communion Canticle: “Thank the Lord”
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 854 “Forth in Thy Name, O Lord, I Go”
Sung to a different melody
1 Forth in Thy name, O Lord, I go,
My daily labor to pursue,
Thee, only Thee, resolved to know
In all I think or speak or do.
2 The task Thy wisdom has assigned,
O let me cheerfully fulfill;
In all my works Thy presence find,
And prove Thy good and perfect will.
3 Thee may I set at my right hand,
Whose eyes my inmost substance see,
And labor on at Thy command,
And offer all my works to Thee.
4 Give me to bear Thine easy yoke,
And ev’ry moment watch and pray,
And still to things eternal look,
And hasten to Thy glorious day.
5 For Thee delightfully employ
Whate’er Thy bounteous grace has giv’n,
And run my course with even joy,
And closely walk with Thee to heav’n.
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Orville
Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m.
Looking Back on Life –Martin Luther
A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps. Prov. 16:9
No one sees the hand of God working in his life more clearly than when he reflects back on the years of his life. Augustine said that if a person had a choice of either dying or reliving his life over again, he would certainly choose death because of all the danger and evil he so narrowly escaped. In one sense, this statement is certainly true.
Looking back, a person can see how much he has accomplished and suffered without trying or thinking about it, even against his wishes and will. He gave such little thought to what he was doing before it occurred or when it was happening. Now, after everything has been carried out, he is amazed and says, "Why did these things happen to me when I never thought about them or thought something completely different would happen. So Proverbs 16:9 is true, "A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps," even against his plan and will. So we must agree that our own cleverness and foresight don't guide our life and actions. Instead, God's wonderful power, wisdom, and goodness guide us. Only when we look back do we fully recognize how often God was with us when we neither saw his hand nor felt his presence at the time it was happening. Accordingly, Peter said, "He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
Even if there were no books or sermons to tell us about God, simply looking back on our own lives would prove that he tenderly carries us in his arms. When we look back on how God had led and brought us through so much evil, adversity, and danger, we can clearly see the ever-present goodness of God, which is far above our thoughts, mind, and perceptions.
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
July 2, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 28:5–9
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 28.
5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Romans 7:1–13
L A reading from Romans, chapter 7.
1Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
4Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.
7What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Matthew 10:34–42
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 10.
34[Jesus said:] “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 685 “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus”
1 Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Through a world that would deceive us
And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in His footsteps treading,
Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide;
I shall follow where You guide.
2 Let us suffer here with Jesus
And with patience bear our cross.
Joy will follow all our sadness;
Where He is, there is no loss.
Though today we sow no laughter,
We shall reap celestial joy;
All discomforts that annoy
Shall give way to mirth hereafter.
Jesus, here I share Your woe;
Help me there Your joy to know.
3 Let us gladly die with Jesus.
Since by death He conquered death,
He will free us from destruction,
Give to us immortal breath.
Let us mortify all passion
That would lead us into sin;
And the grave that shuts us in
Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here with You I die,
There to live with You on high.
4 Let us also live with Jesus.
He has risen from the dead
That to life we may awaken.
Jesus, You are now our head.
We are Your own living members;
Where You live, there we shall be
In Your presence constantly,
Living there with You forever.
Jesus, let me faithful be,
Life eternal grant to me.
Text: Sigismund von Birken, 1626–81; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Honor of Our Lord’s Sword” Matthew 10:34-42
"The Honor of our Lord's Sword" – Matthew 10:34-42
This is not a sit back and relax message. This "difficult-to- hear" teaching of Jesus reflects something we know but often prefer not to think about. Jesus divides people. When we hear the truth about Him in the Gospel, we are either for Him or against Him. The Bible makes it clear that we cannot pick and choose certain doctrines concerning Jesus. He did not come to offer us a new set of laws or a new philosophy of life from which we can select parts that we accept and reject others. He confronts us with Himself as God in the flesh. We must by God's grace either believe or reject that claim of His, and if we believe it, the line is forever drawn in our lives over against everyone who doesn't believe in Him as God, Lord, Savior, completely and totally.
You see, when we are confronted by the reality of the Word made flesh, life's basic issues are at stake. Saved by His grace, once dead in our sins but now alive in Christ, we are forever changed. The unconditional sacrificial love of Jesus compels us in return to obey His command to take up our cross and follow Him. He reminds us that we must die to live, lose ourselves to find ourselves in Him. He divides rote religion from right relationship, the secular from the sacred, the temporal from the eternal, this world from the next, the saved from the unsaved, the lost from the found, darkness from light. He is Himself the divide between heaven and hell. Though He is the Prince of Peace, by the very nature of who He is, our Lord Jesus also brings with Him a Spiritual Sword which divides people, even those in our own households.
A sword is a weapon of honor. A cruise missile is very effective, but it does not have the honor to it that a sword does. With a cruise missile, you push a button over here, and hundreds of miles away over there, you blow up whatever you have targeted. You don't see your victims, you don't hear or feel their pain, and you really don't experience what you've done at all. You don't even know if you've accomplished your mission until you see the video of it later.
A sword, however, is different. There is honor to a sword because you stand toe-to-toe with your opponent. He is looking into your eyes as you look into his. You sense his fear as you yourself are afraid because you are both so vulnerable. You hear and feel the clash of the steel as he defends himself and then attacks and you in turn must defend yourself. And if you win and you strike a wound, you experience the pain of your victim, and you hurt with him and for him because you are right there with him.
When it comes to living as loved ones of Jesus Christ, commissioned by Him to go and make disciples of all nations, most Christians seem to prefer the cruise missile approach. Send some money over there, way over there for missions to foreign nations and let us know in a newsletter how it all turns out later. Very effective and necessary to win the world for Christ, but it is not the only way we are called to share the Gospel … and it's not just the pastor's job. "Pastor, I'll pray for you while you spread God's Word of salvation. The district and Synod will send missionaries overseas and even into growing neighborhoods around our area. I think it's great that you have been trained to defend the truth of God's Word. I'll give the offerings, you spread the Good News." That's cruise missile evangelism. You don't feel it, hear it, or experience it at all; it's very safe and easy when you send someone else to fight the good fight of faith. Yet Jesus clearly states the difficult truth that sometimes a Christian’s enemies will be members of his own household.
What does He mean by that? Jesus gets very personal here. He is saying that the love of God for you, and your love of your family, compels you under certain conditions to draw your sword and do spiritual battle within your own family. (Man against his father, daughter against her mother). From our Lord's perspective there can be no real true Godly peace within a family until all are His people, saved by grace through faith in Him alone. Though Jesus is the Prince of Peace, He knows that if you are truly following Him according to your new nature given to you in your baptism, then you will sometimes have to pay the price of conflict even with those you love the most, and that's not easy.
Most of us seek peace at all costs in our home and relationships. We have had to compromise many things to live together in peace. Some of us, therefore, have remained safe yet sorry for years that family members and old friends remain lost and headed to an eternity without God … because we don't want to upset whatever delicate relationships we live within. Jesus teaches against that attitude in the Gospel today. Better that there be conflict so that at least some would be saved. We cannot live in peace with Satan or sin or even indifference. We must not just sing, "Lift High the Cross" in the safety of our sanctuaries, but we must lift that wonderful cross high in the dangerous, real world of a thousand different opinions on that subject – in our businesses, schools, and social gatherings; and yes, especially in our homes.
Jesus forces the question upon us – who do we love the most? And how do we love the best? Jesus is reminding His disciples that you really can't love anyone else in the right way until you love Him first and most. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life for everyone, and if you truly love your family and friends, you will take the risk to direct them to Him because no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, no matter what that may cost.
The cost often involves pain. You stand toe-to-toe with people who are known to you and who know you, warts and all. You see fear in their eyes as you yourself are afraid because you are both so vulnerable. If there is rejection or a challenge to the authority of God's Word, you hear and feel the clash of the Sword of the Spirit as you and the one you are seeking to love into God's Kingdom both advance and defend. And even if you win the battle and the Good News of salvation in Christ is received, you may first have to experience the pain of your loved one slain by God’s Law, dying to self, revived by Christ.
We lose our life to find it. We take up our cross and follow Him. We die to sin and rise with Christ to newness of life. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." We draw the Sword of Jesus because He loved us and gave Himself up for us. It is the only honorable thing to do. Because He so first loved us, we simply so must love others to Him, instead of just hoping and wishing that something will happen somehow, someway, to move that person we know needs the Gospel to Jesus Christ. We draw the sword. We draw the Sword of Jesus in honor of His Gospel even though it may forever change our relationship with the one we care enough about to risk it. It is sin to keep the Sword Jesus speaks of in its sheath because we seek peace at all costs, even if that cost is our loved one's eternal destiny. God forgive us our lack of honor in this most important mission. God sends people into our own family, our schools, our businesses, standing there right in front of us. We draw the sword.
And you see, the pain is worth it. It's like major surgery, like an operation in the hospital. Surgeons have to first cut and open and pull apart before they can take out whatever is sick and fix whatever needs to be fixed. They have to cause some pain to heal.
The Bible says the same thing about the Sword of God's Word in Hebrews 4:12-13: "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
God loves us enough to open us up and pull us apart with His Word that reveals the truth about ourselves. This may cause us some pain when we see how far we are from what God calls us to be. But then once everything is open and laid bare before Him, He takes our sin out from us, removes that guilt and sin that has made us so sick, He takes that fatal disease called sin upon Himself and then He repairs our heart and soul with His blood transfusion of love, and grace, and mercy, forgiveness, and the promise of everlasting life in His name. He then sews us back up again with the Gospel. Jesus, the Great Physician, has died to heal us of all our sins, no matter how awful or helpless we may feel that we are. Jesus has won the ultimate battle over sin and death on the cross on our behalf, and now the victory of the resurrection is ours forever.
A sword is a weapon of honor. The Sword of Jesus is the most honorable of any sword there has ever been. Jesus paid the price of His life to be your Savior. He now calls on all of us to give our lives as His disciples in the real world in real ways to those He sends our way. It's not always easy to take up the cross, to lose yourself to find yourself, to draw the Sword of God's Word, but it certainly brings honor to Christ as He divides sin and death from another precious soul through your prayers, words, and acts of compassion for the lost in your own backyard. And the most amazing thing of all about this Sword of Jesus is that in the midst of all of the battles that we face in life, this Sword brings with it daily blessings, and of all things, a peace that passes all human understanding. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8A) - 2 July 2023
O most merciful God, Lord of heaven and earth, rule and govern Your Church and all her pastors and ministers that she may be preserved in the pure doctrine of Your saving Word and defended against all adversaries, that thereby faith may be strengthened and love increased in us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son was rejected on earth, even by His friends and relatives. Give consolation to all Christians who feel the sword of division brought about by the confession of Christ’s truth, especially those who cannot find agreement within their own families on the Word of God, from which life itself comes. Assure them that their stand for Your truth is necessary, and guard them from seeking a false or easier peace. Turn us in every earthly disappointment toward the promise of Your eternal and undivided Church Triumphant. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, bring earthly peace, not a sword, to our homes by Your grace. Foster a common love and knowledge of Your Word among husbands and wives, parents and children, and guide their love for one another by Your love for them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, watch over all who make, judge and administer the laws of our nation, and preserve us from sinful contempt of good order and godly laws. Give to our authorities integrity and honor, and bless all inhabitants with charity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, according to Your promise You returned exiles from captivity to Jerusalem. Remember those who are displaced from their homes by violence, war or persecution. Provide them with shelter and bodily needs, and foster in them the hope of an eternal home in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of heaven and earth, strengthen Your people to hold fast to Your Word in times of trouble [especially _____________]. Preserve them from false messages of peace that do not remove sin. Sustain their faith in Christ, in His peace and in His life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we have died to the law through the body of Christ and now belong to Him who was raised from the dead. Prepare all who commune this day with penitent hearts and a true confession of faith to receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us in Christ, that we may bear much fruit. Receive our inadequate thanks for Your kindness, especially toward all who have died in the faith and now rest from their labors. Preserve us in the way of the Holy Spirit until we stand with them in glory; for You live and reign with the same Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
716 “I Walk in Danger All the Way”
1 I walk in danger all the way.
The thought shall never leave me
That Satan, who has marked his prey,
Is plotting to deceive me.
This foe with hidden snares
May seize me unawares
If I should fail to watch and pray.
I walk in danger all the way.
2 I pass through trials all the way,
With sin and ills contending;
In patience I must bear each day
The cross of God’s own sending.
When in adversity
I know not where to flee,
When storms of woe my soul dismay,
I pass through trials all the way.
3 And death pursues me all the way,
Nowhere I rest securely;
He comes by night, he comes by day,
He takes his prey most surely.
A failing breath, and I
In death’s strong grasp may lie
To face eternity today
As death pursues me all the way.
4 I walk with angels all the way,
They shield me and befriend me;
All Satan’s pow’r is held at bay
When heav’nly hosts attend me;
They are my sure defense,
All fear and sorrow, hence!
Unharmed by foes, do what they may,
I walk with angels all the way.
5 I walk with Jesus all the way,
His guidance never fails me;
Within His wounds I find a stay
When Satan’s pow’r assails me;
And by His footsteps led,
My path I safely tread.
No evil leads my soul astray;
I walk with Jesus all the way.
6 My walk is heav’nward all the way;
Await, my soul, the morrow,
When God’s good healing shall allay
All suff’ring, sin, and sorrow.
Then, worldly pomp, begone!
To heav’n I now press on.
For all the world I would not stay;
My walk is heav’nward all the way.
Text: Hans Adolf Brorson, 1694–1764; tr. Ditlef G. Ristad, 1863–1938, alt.
Text: Public domain
655 “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word”
1 Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son
And bring to naught all He has done.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow’r make known,
For You are Lord of lords alone;
Defend Your holy Church that we
May sing Your praise eternally.
3 O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C [spoken] And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, by the working of Your Holy Spirit, grant that we may gladly hear Your Word proclaimed among us and follow its directing; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 661 “The Son of God Goes Forth to War”
1 The Son of God goes forth to war
A kingly crown to gain.
His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below--
He follows in His train.
2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his master in the sky
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for those who did the wrong--
Who follows in his train?
3 A glorious band, the chosen few,
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints—their hope they knew
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their necks their death to feel--
Who follows in their train?
4 A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
Through peril, toil, and pain.
O God, to us may grace be giv’n
To follow in their train!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – July 2, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Kathy McCarthy
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Doak Whitley, Orville
Harshbarger (honorary)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m.
Looking Back on Life –Martin Luther
A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps. Prov. 16:9
No one sees the hand of God working in his life more clearly than when he reflects back on the years of his life. Augustine said that if a person had a choice of either dying or reliving his life over again, he would certainly choose death because of all the danger and evil he so narrowly escaped. In one sense, this statement is certainly true.
Looking back, a person can see how much he has accomplished and suffered without trying or thinking about it, even against his wishes and will. He gave such little thought to what he was doing before it occurred or when it was happening. Now, after everything has been carried out, he is amazed and says, "Why did these things happen to me when I never thought about them or thought something completely different would happen. So Proverbs 16:9 is true, "A person may plan his own journey, but the Lord directs his steps," even against his plan and will. So we must agree that our own cleverness and foresight don't guide our life and actions. Instead, God's wonderful power, wisdom, and goodness guide us. Only when we look back do we fully recognize how often God was with us when we neither saw his hand nor felt his presence at the time it was happening. Accordingly, Peter said, "He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
Even if there were no books or sermons to tell us about God, simply looking back on our own lives would prove that he tenderly carries us in his arms. When we look back on how God had led and brought us through so much evil, adversity, and danger, we can clearly see the ever-present goodness of God, which is far above our thoughts, mind, and perceptions.
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
July 2, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 906 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”
1 O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
This day the high and lowly,
Through ages joined to bless,
Sing, “Holy, holy, holy,”
The triune God confess.
2 This day at earth’s creation
The light first had its birth;
This day for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
This day our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus this day most glorious
A threefold light was giv’n.
3 This day, God’s people meeting,
His Holy Scripture hear;
His living presence greeting,
Through bread and wine made near.
We journey on, believing,
Renewed with heav’nly might,
From grace more grace receiving,
On this blest day of light.
D 4 That light our hope sustaining,
We walk the pilgrim way,
At length our rest attaining,
Our endless Sabbath day.
We sing to Thee our praises,
O Father, Spirit, Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.
Text (sts. 1–2): Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–85, alt.; (st. 3): Charles P. Price, 1920–99; (st. 4): The Hymnal 1982
Text (sts. 1–2): Public domain
Text (st. 3): © 1982 Charles P. Price; (st. 4): © 1985 The Church Pension Fund. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
L O Lord, open my lips,
C and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C make haste to help me, O Lord.
C Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Jeremiah 28:5–9
L A reading from Jeremiah, chapter 28.
5Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Romans 7:1–13
L A reading from Romans, chapter 7.
1Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
4Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit.
7What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
13Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Matthew 10:34–42
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 10.
34[Jesus said:] “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. 41The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 685 “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus”
1 Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Through a world that would deceive us
And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in His footsteps treading,
Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide;
I shall follow where You guide.
2 Let us suffer here with Jesus
And with patience bear our cross.
Joy will follow all our sadness;
Where He is, there is no loss.
Though today we sow no laughter,
We shall reap celestial joy;
All discomforts that annoy
Shall give way to mirth hereafter.
Jesus, here I share Your woe;
Help me there Your joy to know.
3 Let us gladly die with Jesus.
Since by death He conquered death,
He will free us from destruction,
Give to us immortal breath.
Let us mortify all passion
That would lead us into sin;
And the grave that shuts us in
Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here with You I die,
There to live with You on high.
4 Let us also live with Jesus.
He has risen from the dead
That to life we may awaken.
Jesus, You are now our head.
We are Your own living members;
Where You live, there we shall be
In Your presence constantly,
Living there with You forever.
Jesus, let me faithful be,
Life eternal grant to me.
Text: Sigismund von Birken, 1626–81; tr. Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978, alt.
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “The Honor of Our Lord’s Sword” Matthew 10:34-42
"The Honor of our Lord's Sword" – Matthew 10:34-42
This is not a sit back and relax message. This "difficult-to- hear" teaching of Jesus reflects something we know but often prefer not to think about. Jesus divides people. When we hear the truth about Him in the Gospel, we are either for Him or against Him. The Bible makes it clear that we cannot pick and choose certain doctrines concerning Jesus. He did not come to offer us a new set of laws or a new philosophy of life from which we can select parts that we accept and reject others. He confronts us with Himself as God in the flesh. We must by God's grace either believe or reject that claim of His, and if we believe it, the line is forever drawn in our lives over against everyone who doesn't believe in Him as God, Lord, Savior, completely and totally.
You see, when we are confronted by the reality of the Word made flesh, life's basic issues are at stake. Saved by His grace, once dead in our sins but now alive in Christ, we are forever changed. The unconditional sacrificial love of Jesus compels us in return to obey His command to take up our cross and follow Him. He reminds us that we must die to live, lose ourselves to find ourselves in Him. He divides rote religion from right relationship, the secular from the sacred, the temporal from the eternal, this world from the next, the saved from the unsaved, the lost from the found, darkness from light. He is Himself the divide between heaven and hell. Though He is the Prince of Peace, by the very nature of who He is, our Lord Jesus also brings with Him a Spiritual Sword which divides people, even those in our own households.
A sword is a weapon of honor. A cruise missile is very effective, but it does not have the honor to it that a sword does. With a cruise missile, you push a button over here, and hundreds of miles away over there, you blow up whatever you have targeted. You don't see your victims, you don't hear or feel their pain, and you really don't experience what you've done at all. You don't even know if you've accomplished your mission until you see the video of it later.
A sword, however, is different. There is honor to a sword because you stand toe-to-toe with your opponent. He is looking into your eyes as you look into his. You sense his fear as you yourself are afraid because you are both so vulnerable. You hear and feel the clash of the steel as he defends himself and then attacks and you in turn must defend yourself. And if you win and you strike a wound, you experience the pain of your victim, and you hurt with him and for him because you are right there with him.
When it comes to living as loved ones of Jesus Christ, commissioned by Him to go and make disciples of all nations, most Christians seem to prefer the cruise missile approach. Send some money over there, way over there for missions to foreign nations and let us know in a newsletter how it all turns out later. Very effective and necessary to win the world for Christ, but it is not the only way we are called to share the Gospel … and it's not just the pastor's job. "Pastor, I'll pray for you while you spread God's Word of salvation. The district and Synod will send missionaries overseas and even into growing neighborhoods around our area. I think it's great that you have been trained to defend the truth of God's Word. I'll give the offerings, you spread the Good News." That's cruise missile evangelism. You don't feel it, hear it, or experience it at all; it's very safe and easy when you send someone else to fight the good fight of faith. Yet Jesus clearly states the difficult truth that sometimes a Christian’s enemies will be members of his own household.
What does He mean by that? Jesus gets very personal here. He is saying that the love of God for you, and your love of your family, compels you under certain conditions to draw your sword and do spiritual battle within your own family. (Man against his father, daughter against her mother). From our Lord's perspective there can be no real true Godly peace within a family until all are His people, saved by grace through faith in Him alone. Though Jesus is the Prince of Peace, He knows that if you are truly following Him according to your new nature given to you in your baptism, then you will sometimes have to pay the price of conflict even with those you love the most, and that's not easy.
Most of us seek peace at all costs in our home and relationships. We have had to compromise many things to live together in peace. Some of us, therefore, have remained safe yet sorry for years that family members and old friends remain lost and headed to an eternity without God … because we don't want to upset whatever delicate relationships we live within. Jesus teaches against that attitude in the Gospel today. Better that there be conflict so that at least some would be saved. We cannot live in peace with Satan or sin or even indifference. We must not just sing, "Lift High the Cross" in the safety of our sanctuaries, but we must lift that wonderful cross high in the dangerous, real world of a thousand different opinions on that subject – in our businesses, schools, and social gatherings; and yes, especially in our homes.
Jesus forces the question upon us – who do we love the most? And how do we love the best? Jesus is reminding His disciples that you really can't love anyone else in the right way until you love Him first and most. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life for everyone, and if you truly love your family and friends, you will take the risk to direct them to Him because no one comes to the Father but through Jesus, no matter what that may cost.
The cost often involves pain. You stand toe-to-toe with people who are known to you and who know you, warts and all. You see fear in their eyes as you yourself are afraid because you are both so vulnerable. If there is rejection or a challenge to the authority of God's Word, you hear and feel the clash of the Sword of the Spirit as you and the one you are seeking to love into God's Kingdom both advance and defend. And even if you win the battle and the Good News of salvation in Christ is received, you may first have to experience the pain of your loved one slain by God’s Law, dying to self, revived by Christ.
We lose our life to find it. We take up our cross and follow Him. We die to sin and rise with Christ to newness of life. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." We draw the Sword of Jesus because He loved us and gave Himself up for us. It is the only honorable thing to do. Because He so first loved us, we simply so must love others to Him, instead of just hoping and wishing that something will happen somehow, someway, to move that person we know needs the Gospel to Jesus Christ. We draw the sword. We draw the Sword of Jesus in honor of His Gospel even though it may forever change our relationship with the one we care enough about to risk it. It is sin to keep the Sword Jesus speaks of in its sheath because we seek peace at all costs, even if that cost is our loved one's eternal destiny. God forgive us our lack of honor in this most important mission. God sends people into our own family, our schools, our businesses, standing there right in front of us. We draw the sword.
And you see, the pain is worth it. It's like major surgery, like an operation in the hospital. Surgeons have to first cut and open and pull apart before they can take out whatever is sick and fix whatever needs to be fixed. They have to cause some pain to heal.
The Bible says the same thing about the Sword of God's Word in Hebrews 4:12-13: "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."
God loves us enough to open us up and pull us apart with His Word that reveals the truth about ourselves. This may cause us some pain when we see how far we are from what God calls us to be. But then once everything is open and laid bare before Him, He takes our sin out from us, removes that guilt and sin that has made us so sick, He takes that fatal disease called sin upon Himself and then He repairs our heart and soul with His blood transfusion of love, and grace, and mercy, forgiveness, and the promise of everlasting life in His name. He then sews us back up again with the Gospel. Jesus, the Great Physician, has died to heal us of all our sins, no matter how awful or helpless we may feel that we are. Jesus has won the ultimate battle over sin and death on the cross on our behalf, and now the victory of the resurrection is ours forever.
A sword is a weapon of honor. The Sword of Jesus is the most honorable of any sword there has ever been. Jesus paid the price of His life to be your Savior. He now calls on all of us to give our lives as His disciples in the real world in real ways to those He sends our way. It's not always easy to take up the cross, to lose yourself to find yourself, to draw the Sword of God's Word, but it certainly brings honor to Christ as He divides sin and death from another precious soul through your prayers, words, and acts of compassion for the lost in your own backyard. And the most amazing thing of all about this Sword of Jesus is that in the midst of all of the battles that we face in life, this Sword brings with it daily blessings, and of all things, a peace that passes all human understanding. Amen.
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 8A) - 2 July 2023
O most merciful God, Lord of heaven and earth, rule and govern Your Church and all her pastors and ministers that she may be preserved in the pure doctrine of Your saving Word and defended against all adversaries, that thereby faith may be strengthened and love increased in us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Your Son was rejected on earth, even by His friends and relatives. Give consolation to all Christians who feel the sword of division brought about by the confession of Christ’s truth, especially those who cannot find agreement within their own families on the Word of God, from which life itself comes. Assure them that their stand for Your truth is necessary, and guard them from seeking a false or easier peace. Turn us in every earthly disappointment toward the promise of Your eternal and undivided Church Triumphant. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, bring earthly peace, not a sword, to our homes by Your grace. Foster a common love and knowledge of Your Word among husbands and wives, parents and children, and guide their love for one another by Your love for them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, watch over all who make, judge and administer the laws of our nation, and preserve us from sinful contempt of good order and godly laws. Give to our authorities integrity and honor, and bless all inhabitants with charity and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious Father, according to Your promise You returned exiles from captivity to Jerusalem. Remember those who are displaced from their homes by violence, war or persecution. Provide them with shelter and bodily needs, and foster in them the hope of an eternal home in Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of heaven and earth, strengthen Your people to hold fast to Your Word in times of trouble [especially _____________]. Preserve them from false messages of peace that do not remove sin. Sustain their faith in Christ, in His peace and in His life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we have died to the law through the body of Christ and now belong to Him who was raised from the dead. Prepare all who commune this day with penitent hearts and a true confession of faith to receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us in Christ, that we may bear much fruit. Receive our inadequate thanks for Your kindness, especially toward all who have died in the faith and now rest from their labors. Preserve us in the way of the Holy Spirit until we stand with them in glory; for You live and reign with the same Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
716 “I Walk in Danger All the Way”
1 I walk in danger all the way.
The thought shall never leave me
That Satan, who has marked his prey,
Is plotting to deceive me.
This foe with hidden snares
May seize me unawares
If I should fail to watch and pray.
I walk in danger all the way.
2 I pass through trials all the way,
With sin and ills contending;
In patience I must bear each day
The cross of God’s own sending.
When in adversity
I know not where to flee,
When storms of woe my soul dismay,
I pass through trials all the way.
3 And death pursues me all the way,
Nowhere I rest securely;
He comes by night, he comes by day,
He takes his prey most surely.
A failing breath, and I
In death’s strong grasp may lie
To face eternity today
As death pursues me all the way.
4 I walk with angels all the way,
They shield me and befriend me;
All Satan’s pow’r is held at bay
When heav’nly hosts attend me;
They are my sure defense,
All fear and sorrow, hence!
Unharmed by foes, do what they may,
I walk with angels all the way.
5 I walk with Jesus all the way,
His guidance never fails me;
Within His wounds I find a stay
When Satan’s pow’r assails me;
And by His footsteps led,
My path I safely tread.
No evil leads my soul astray;
I walk with Jesus all the way.
6 My walk is heav’nward all the way;
Await, my soul, the morrow,
When God’s good healing shall allay
All suff’ring, sin, and sorrow.
Then, worldly pomp, begone!
To heav’n I now press on.
For all the world I would not stay;
My walk is heav’nward all the way.
Text: Hans Adolf Brorson, 1694–1764; tr. Ditlef G. Ristad, 1863–1938, alt.
Text: Public domain
655 “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word”
1 Lord, keep us steadfast in Your Word;
Curb those who by deceit or sword
Would wrest the kingdom from Your Son
And bring to naught all He has done.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, Your pow’r make known,
For You are Lord of lords alone;
Defend Your holy Church that we
May sing Your praise eternally.
3 O Comforter of priceless worth,
Send peace and unity on earth;
Support us in our final strife
And lead us out of death to life.
Text: Martin Luther, 1483–1546; tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C [spoken] And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty God, by the working of Your Holy Spirit, grant that we may gladly hear Your Word proclaimed among us and follow its directing; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 661 “The Son of God Goes Forth to War”
1 The Son of God goes forth to war
A kingly crown to gain.
His blood-red banner streams afar;
Who follows in His train?
Who best can drink His cup of woe,
Triumphant over pain,
Who patient bears his cross below--
He follows in His train.
2 The martyr first, whose eagle eye
Could pierce beyond the grave,
Who saw his master in the sky
And called on Him to save.
Like Him, with pardon on His tongue
In midst of mortal pain,
He prayed for those who did the wrong--
Who follows in his train?
3 A glorious band, the chosen few,
On whom the Spirit came,
Twelve valiant saints—their hope they knew
And mocked the cross and flame.
They met the tyrant’s brandished steel,
The lion’s gory mane;
They bowed their necks their death to feel--
Who follows in their train?
4 A noble army, men and boys,
The matron and the maid,
Around the Savior’s throne rejoice,
In robes of light arrayed.
They climbed the steep ascent of heav’n
Through peril, toil, and pain.
O God, to us may grace be giv’n
To follow in their train!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 25, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m.
We thank everyone who was able to help make our VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL a very special time for students and adults alike. Here are some of the things we learned:
1) We learned how God led Noah out of the flood.
2) We learned how God led Moses and the people of Israel by giving
them the Ten Commandments.
3) We learned how Jesus called 12 apostles to carry out His work.
4) We learned how Jesus healed the ten lepers and led them back to
health.
5) We learned how Jesus visited His apostles after His resurrection
and invited them back to serve Him (after abandoning Him at the
time of His arrest and crucifixion) by providing a miraculous catch
of fish, and then sending/commissioning them to share the Good
News of salvation with everyone they meet.
We also learned that it not easy to always follow Jesus. Sometimes, we might be afraid to go where Jesus is leading. We might have to move to a different school, city, or even a different country. BUT Jesus always leads the way. No matter where you go, Jesus is already there. He’s with you on every journey and through every challenge. We can follow Jesus without fear because we know that He loves us. AND we can follow Jesus because we know He will return and lead us to a wonderful place called paradise/heaven that is full of the amazing riches of God! Yes, “thru ev’ry day, o’er all the way,” Jesus leads the way!
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 25, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 545 “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
Living rain from heav’n descending;
Touch our hearts and bring to birth
Faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere You;
Word made flesh, we long to hear You.
2 Word eternal, throned on high,
Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav’n to die,
Crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring,
Speak to us, Your love outpouring.
3 Word that caused blind eyes to see,
Speak and heal our mortal blindness;
Deaf we are: our healer be;
Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken,
Heal the world, by sin now broken.
4 Word that speaks God’s tender love,
One with God beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above,
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us;
Word of life, with one bread feed us.
Text: James Quinn, 1919–2010
Text: © 1969 OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 56:3–4, 10–11, 13
P For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, because Your abiding presence always goes with us, keep us aware of Your daily mercies that we may live secure and content in Your eternal love; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 20:7–13
7O Lord, you have deceived me,
and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
everyone mocks me.
8For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.
9If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
10For I hear many whispering.
Terror is on every side!
“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
say all my close friends,
watching for my fall.
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we can overcome him
and take our revenge on him.”
11But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
12O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous,
who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
13Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 91:1–10
1He who dwells in the shelter of the | Most High*
will abide in the shadow of the Al- | mighty.
2I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my | fortress,*
my God, in | whom I trust.”
3For he will deliver you from the snare of the | fowler*
and from the deadly | pestilence.
4He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find | refuge;*
his faithfulness is a shield and | buckler.
5You will not fear the terror | of the night,*
nor the arrow that | flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in | darkness,*
nor the destruction that wastes at | noonday.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your | right hand,*
but it will not come | near you.
8You will only look | with your eyes*
and see the recompense of the | wicked.
9Because you have made the Lord your | dwelling place—*
the Most High, who is my | refuge--
10no evil shall be allowed to be- | fall you,*
no plague come | near your tent.
Epistle Romans 6:12–23
12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
15What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 10:5a, 21–33
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the tenth chapter.
5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, . . .
21“Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
26“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 659 “Lord of Our Life”
1 Lord of our life and God of our salvation,
Star of our night and hope of ev’ry nation:
Hear and receive Your Church’s supplication,
Lord God Almighty.
2 See round Your ark the hungry billows curling;
See how Your foes their banners are unfurling
And with great spite their fiery darts are hurling,
O Lord, preserve us.
3 Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us;
Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us;
And in the day when hell itself assails us,
Grant us Your peace, Lord:
4 Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging,
Peace in Your Church, our troubled souls assuaging,
Peace when the world its endless war is waging,
Peace in Your heaven.
Text: Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern, 1594–1648; tr. Philip Pusey, 1799–1855, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Have No Fear” Matthew 10:5a, 21-33
Have No Fear! - Matthew 10:5a, 21-33
In the verses preceding today’s Gospel, Jesus has divided the twelve into teams of two each. Jesus then sent the twelve out, [Matthew 10:5–6] instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Jesus wants the disciples to get some experience proclaiming the Gospel. He has given them signs so that people will know that they are from God. He has given them a specific message to proclaim. They are almost ready. Jesus has just one more thing to teach them before they leave. He wants them to know about the response they will receive after they proclaim the message.
The response Jesus tells the disciples to expect SEEMS totally wrong. It doesn’t seem to make sense. Jesus warned the disciples with words like, “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” This doesn’t seem right.
To help you understand why this seems so wrong, let’s take a few moments to imagine other scenarios of extreme need. Imagine a hurricane with a path of destruction that is miles wide. A team shows up with trucks carrying food, shelter, water, clothing, and so forth. The victims of the storm would have nothing but thanks for these kind people. News media would broadcast from the site of the destruction and praise the work of these rescuers. That is what we would expect.
Or here is a real historical example. Up until the middle of the twentieth century many of the diseases that we now take in stride meant death or loss of limb. Ear infections would leave people deaf. Pneumonia was fatal. Surgeons would often operate successfully only to have patients die of infection. Then Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. Two other men, Ernst Boris Chain and Howard Walter Florey read about Fleming’s work and developed ways to mass produce penicillin and make it available to the world at a relatively low price. In 1945, these three men shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Once again, we see that the world honored them for their achievement.
I am sure that most of you know other examples of serious problems that were solved by dedicated teams of people. You can also relate how people responded in gratitude to these solutions. You expect people to be grateful when they have a problem and someone solves it.
Now consider the problem that Jesus solves. The order of Baptism in Lutheran Service Book says:
“We are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation.”
Did you hear the problem in those words? Lost forever means an eternity of suffering in hell. This is the most serious problem of humanity.
Jesus is the solution to the problem of eternal punishment. He is the savior of all mankind. He is the Son of God who took humanity into Himself so that He could take our place and earn salvation for us. He lived a perfect life and then suffered the eternal punishment we deserved as He hung on a cross for us. In this way, He paid the dreadful price of sin so that we could have salvation for free … not just cheap, but free. Then He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Now He offers His salvation to all people by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
When you hear this, you realize that Jesus makes us aware of our greatest problem and He provides the greatest solution for free. You would think that the entire world would honor Him above all others. That is what you would think, but the reality is just the opposite.
This hatred does not make sense to us Christians. After all, we are telling people that Christ has already purchased their salvation with His death on the cross. We are telling them that He gives this salvation to them for free … that’s F – R – E – E free! We are telling them that the Christ has purchased a gift that is worth more than the wealth of all nations and He is giving it away for free. Nevertheless, the proclamation of this gift makes people angry. This just doesn’t make sense.
If Jesus had not given us the words of today’s Gospel, sharing the Good News of salvation would be a very confusing activity. It would be easy to think that we were doing something wrong when people did not eagerly desire to receive this gift when we told them about it. It would be easy to think that we were doing something wrong when people actually fought against us and tried to destroy us when all we want to do is tell them about a gift that is more valuable than all the riches contained in the world. You would think that people would fill this building and line up around the block and down the street in order to get this gift, but they don’t. They persecute it instead. Why!
Well, there is something fundamentally different about the proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ. There is a spiritual war going on all around us. While we are proclaiming the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, sin, death, and the devil are fighting a war of lies against that proclamation. They are doing everything within their power to make truth look like a lie and to make lies look like the truth. Although sin, death, and the devil want to enslave us, they present themselves as a way to freedom. Although true freedom is in Christ Jesus, the forces of evil proclaim Christ as restrictive and domineering. The forces of sin, death, and the devil are the ultimate con artists. They pose as friends, but are really deadly enemies.
Today’s Gospel is a great comfort for persecuted Christians around the world. It tells us that the opposition of the world is no surprise to God. God is not up in heaven going, “O My! The world is persecuting My people. Whatever will I do?” No! God knows all about our situation. He understands that the world makes it hard to be a Christian. He understands that His faithful confessors will undergo hard times. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: [1 Corinthians 1:23] “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” Today’s Gospel is one of many places that tell us to expect opposition from the world. Today’s Gospel tells us that we are not doing something wrong when the world or even our own family hates us for making a faithful confession of Jesus Christ.
Even with the knowledge that God understands, though, it is still hard to stand firm in the face of criticism. The temptation is always there for us to compromise God’s teachings in order to get along with the world. If the world gets offended because the Bible says that all are sinners, we might be tempted to water down the message of sin – perhaps even skip it altogether. If the world is offended by the gruesome nature of the cross, we may want to push the cruel torture and the pain of the cross into the background. It is easy to talk about God’s love and forget about His justice. It is easy to talk about Jesus as our buddy and forget about the day when He will come as the judge. We often want to water down the message of God’s Word just a little bit so that the world around us would not give us such a hard time.
Jesus warns that this attitude is very dangerous. He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” The worst thing that this world can do to us is end our physical life. But this world is not all that there is. There is a judge who has the authority and power to send both soul and body to the eternal punishment of hell. It is His teachings that we are watering down when we compromise our confession in order to fare better in this world. It is His name we are blaspheming when we give way, even a little bit, to the doctrines of this world.
So, have you stood firm in the faith even in the face of the world’s persecution? Neither have I. I must confess that in spite of my desire to remain faithful to the teachings of God’s Word, I regularly compromise my profession of faith. Once again the Law convicts with a standard of perfection that is so high that no mere human could ever keep it. Once again, the Law shows our sin to us and shows us our need for a savior.
That is the reason that the Gospel is so sweet to those who believe. The Gospel proclaims that Jesus is the only one who never compromised God’s Word. He is the only one who remained faithful to His calling. He remained faithful to His calling even when His calling led to the cross. He is the one who paid for our sins – even our sins of watered down doctrine – with his death on the cross. He faced not only the persecution of this world, but He also faced the combined guilt of all the sin of this world. Even then He remained faithful. With the victory He won with His death on the cross, He has purchased the forgiveness of sins for all people.
Jesus warned the disciples to remain faithful. Even so, the disciples all abandoned Jesus. At one point Peter even denied that He knew Jesus. In spite of their weak confession, Jesus took them all back.
The history of the early church tells us of the faithful Apostles. Of the eleven apostles who remained faithful to Jesus, only John the Evangelist died of natural causes. The other ten Apostles died as martyrs to their faith in Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they persevered to the end.
In spite of our many shortcomings – in spite of our fear – in spite of our desire to get along with the world at the expense of Christ’s teachings, the Holy Spirit will continue to keep us in the faith. Just as the Apostles endured to the end by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will one day bring us to a blessed end here on this earth – only to take us to a blessed eternity there in heaven. There we shall wait with all the other believers in Christ until the Last Day when Jesus will return and raise all the dead, and all who believe in Him will live forever with Jesus on a new earth where there is no sin, no sorrow, and no persecution. For we shall live in that place forever with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7A) - 25 June 2023
God of all strength, You have brought us from death to life. Do not let sin reign in our mortal bodies and make us obey its passions. Turn our hearts continually to Christ, that we would present our bodies as instruments of righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, Your Son warned that Your people would face opposition from the world. Give courage and fortitude to Your pastors and people, that they would boldly sing Your praises, gladly endure suffering for the name of Jesus, and continue by Your grace to the end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, the curse of sin brings division within families. Grant unity of faith within the households of this congregation. Give wisdom and peace where there is anger and strife. Bless parents with faithfulness to teach their children Your ways. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all creation, You appoint authorities to keep order for the good of Your people. Bless the authorities in our land with wisdom to seek the common good. Deliver them from temptations to promote evil and oppose Your will. Give them penitent hearts, that they might be confident of Your grace for them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You bestow life and salvation by Your Holy Word. Though the world treats it with derision, strengthen us to hold fast to Your Word and declare Your praises. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, look with favor upon those who are persecuted for the name of Jesus. Be their dread warrior against the evil one. Strengthen them to endure and make known Your mercy through the witness of their suffering. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, keep our feet from falling, and preserve us from fear. Make us confident that, since You have delivered our souls from death, You will deliver us to walk before You in the light of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, grant that all who partake of the Holy Communion today would present themselves as those brought out of death into life, repenting of their transgressions and gratefully receiving Your Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be merciful to us, O Lord, and hear our prayers. Grant to us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, that we may be led into all truth and be steadfast in the confession of Christ; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
537 “Beautiful Savior”
1 Beautiful Savior,
King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee,
Truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
2 Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorr’wing spirit sing.
3 Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
4 Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!
Text: Münsterisch Gesangbuch, 1677, Münster; tr. Joseph A. Seiss, 1823–1904
Text: Public domain
725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1 Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 535 “How Wide the Love of Christ”
1 How wide the love of Christ!
It knows not class or race
But holds our one humanity
Within its broad embrace.
2 How long the love of Christ!
Its patience will not cease
Until this broken world is bound
In everlasting peace.
3 How high the love of Christ!
Beyond all thought it soars,
And yet upon our passing lives
Unmeasured mercy pours.
4 How deep the love of Christ,
Descending to a cross!
He bears within His wounded hands
All human pain and loss.
5 All praise to You, O Christ,
For love whose depth and height,
Whose length and breadth fill time and space
With endless life and light!
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Study and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 25, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE IS A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY Thursday at 9 a.m.
We thank everyone who was able to help make our VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL a very special time for students and adults alike. Here are some of the things we learned:
1) We learned how God led Noah out of the flood.
2) We learned how God led Moses and the people of Israel by giving
them the Ten Commandments.
3) We learned how Jesus called 12 apostles to carry out His work.
4) We learned how Jesus healed the ten lepers and led them back to
health.
5) We learned how Jesus visited His apostles after His resurrection
and invited them back to serve Him (after abandoning Him at the
time of His arrest and crucifixion) by providing a miraculous catch
of fish, and then sending/commissioning them to share the Good
News of salvation with everyone they meet.
We also learned that it not easy to always follow Jesus. Sometimes, we might be afraid to go where Jesus is leading. We might have to move to a different school, city, or even a different country. BUT Jesus always leads the way. No matter where you go, Jesus is already there. He’s with you on every journey and through every challenge. We can follow Jesus without fear because we know that He loves us. AND we can follow Jesus because we know He will return and lead us to a wonderful place called paradise/heaven that is full of the amazing riches of God! Yes, “thru ev’ry day, o’er all the way,” Jesus leads the way!
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
June 25, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 545 “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”
1 Word of God, come down on earth,
Living rain from heav’n descending;
Touch our hearts and bring to birth
Faith and hope and love unending.
Word almighty, we revere You;
Word made flesh, we long to hear You.
2 Word eternal, throned on high,
Word that brought to life creation,
Word that came from heav’n to die,
Crucified for our salvation,
Saving Word, the world restoring,
Speak to us, Your love outpouring.
3 Word that caused blind eyes to see,
Speak and heal our mortal blindness;
Deaf we are: our healer be;
Loose our tongues to tell Your kindness.
Be our Word in pity spoken,
Heal the world, by sin now broken.
4 Word that speaks God’s tender love,
One with God beyond all telling,
Word that sends us from above,
God the Spirit, with us dwelling,
Word of truth, to all truth lead us;
Word of life, with one bread feed us.
Text: James Quinn, 1919–2010
Text: © 1969 OCP Publications. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 56:3–4, 10–11, 13
P For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, because Your abiding presence always goes with us, keep us aware of Your daily mercies that we may live secure and content in Your eternal love; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Jeremiah 20:7–13
7O Lord, you have deceived me,
and I was deceived;
you are stronger than I,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all the day;
everyone mocks me.
8For whenever I speak, I cry out,
I shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.
9If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
10For I hear many whispering.
Terror is on every side!
“Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
say all my close friends,
watching for my fall.
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
then we can overcome him
and take our revenge on him.”
11But the Lord is with me as a dread warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble;
they will not overcome me.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
12O Lord of hosts, who tests the righteous,
who sees the heart and the mind,
let me see your vengeance upon them,
for to you have I committed my cause.
13Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hand of evildoers.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 91:1–10
1He who dwells in the shelter of the | Most High*
will abide in the shadow of the Al- | mighty.
2I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my | fortress,*
my God, in | whom I trust.”
3For he will deliver you from the snare of the | fowler*
and from the deadly | pestilence.
4He will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find | refuge;*
his faithfulness is a shield and | buckler.
5You will not fear the terror | of the night,*
nor the arrow that | flies by day,
6nor the pestilence that stalks in | darkness,*
nor the destruction that wastes at | noonday.
7A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your | right hand,*
but it will not come | near you.
8You will only look | with your eyes*
and see the recompense of the | wicked.
9Because you have made the Lord your | dwelling place—*
the Most High, who is my | refuge--
10no evil shall be allowed to be- | fall you,*
no plague come | near your tent.
Epistle Romans 6:12–23
12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. 13Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
15What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Matthew 10:5a, 21–33
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the tenth chapter.
5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, . . .
21“Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
26“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 659 “Lord of Our Life”
1 Lord of our life and God of our salvation,
Star of our night and hope of ev’ry nation:
Hear and receive Your Church’s supplication,
Lord God Almighty.
2 See round Your ark the hungry billows curling;
See how Your foes their banners are unfurling
And with great spite their fiery darts are hurling,
O Lord, preserve us.
3 Lord, be our light when worldly darkness veils us;
Lord, be our shield when earthly armor fails us;
And in the day when hell itself assails us,
Grant us Your peace, Lord:
4 Peace in our hearts, where sinful thoughts are raging,
Peace in Your Church, our troubled souls assuaging,
Peace when the world its endless war is waging,
Peace in Your heaven.
Text: Matthäus Apelles von Löwenstern, 1594–1648; tr. Philip Pusey, 1799–1855, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Have No Fear” Matthew 10:5a, 21-33
Have No Fear! - Matthew 10:5a, 21-33
In the verses preceding today’s Gospel, Jesus has divided the twelve into teams of two each. Jesus then sent the twelve out, [Matthew 10:5–6] instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Jesus wants the disciples to get some experience proclaiming the Gospel. He has given them signs so that people will know that they are from God. He has given them a specific message to proclaim. They are almost ready. Jesus has just one more thing to teach them before they leave. He wants them to know about the response they will receive after they proclaim the message.
The response Jesus tells the disciples to expect SEEMS totally wrong. It doesn’t seem to make sense. Jesus warned the disciples with words like, “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” This doesn’t seem right.
To help you understand why this seems so wrong, let’s take a few moments to imagine other scenarios of extreme need. Imagine a hurricane with a path of destruction that is miles wide. A team shows up with trucks carrying food, shelter, water, clothing, and so forth. The victims of the storm would have nothing but thanks for these kind people. News media would broadcast from the site of the destruction and praise the work of these rescuers. That is what we would expect.
Or here is a real historical example. Up until the middle of the twentieth century many of the diseases that we now take in stride meant death or loss of limb. Ear infections would leave people deaf. Pneumonia was fatal. Surgeons would often operate successfully only to have patients die of infection. Then Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. Two other men, Ernst Boris Chain and Howard Walter Florey read about Fleming’s work and developed ways to mass produce penicillin and make it available to the world at a relatively low price. In 1945, these three men shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Once again, we see that the world honored them for their achievement.
I am sure that most of you know other examples of serious problems that were solved by dedicated teams of people. You can also relate how people responded in gratitude to these solutions. You expect people to be grateful when they have a problem and someone solves it.
Now consider the problem that Jesus solves. The order of Baptism in Lutheran Service Book says:
“We are all conceived and born sinful and are under the power of the devil until Christ claims us as His own. We would be lost forever unless delivered from sin, death, and everlasting condemnation.”
Did you hear the problem in those words? Lost forever means an eternity of suffering in hell. This is the most serious problem of humanity.
Jesus is the solution to the problem of eternal punishment. He is the savior of all mankind. He is the Son of God who took humanity into Himself so that He could take our place and earn salvation for us. He lived a perfect life and then suffered the eternal punishment we deserved as He hung on a cross for us. In this way, He paid the dreadful price of sin so that we could have salvation for free … not just cheap, but free. Then He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Now He offers His salvation to all people by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.
When you hear this, you realize that Jesus makes us aware of our greatest problem and He provides the greatest solution for free. You would think that the entire world would honor Him above all others. That is what you would think, but the reality is just the opposite.
This hatred does not make sense to us Christians. After all, we are telling people that Christ has already purchased their salvation with His death on the cross. We are telling them that He gives this salvation to them for free … that’s F – R – E – E free! We are telling them that the Christ has purchased a gift that is worth more than the wealth of all nations and He is giving it away for free. Nevertheless, the proclamation of this gift makes people angry. This just doesn’t make sense.
If Jesus had not given us the words of today’s Gospel, sharing the Good News of salvation would be a very confusing activity. It would be easy to think that we were doing something wrong when people did not eagerly desire to receive this gift when we told them about it. It would be easy to think that we were doing something wrong when people actually fought against us and tried to destroy us when all we want to do is tell them about a gift that is more valuable than all the riches contained in the world. You would think that people would fill this building and line up around the block and down the street in order to get this gift, but they don’t. They persecute it instead. Why!
Well, there is something fundamentally different about the proclamation of salvation in Jesus Christ. There is a spiritual war going on all around us. While we are proclaiming the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, sin, death, and the devil are fighting a war of lies against that proclamation. They are doing everything within their power to make truth look like a lie and to make lies look like the truth. Although sin, death, and the devil want to enslave us, they present themselves as a way to freedom. Although true freedom is in Christ Jesus, the forces of evil proclaim Christ as restrictive and domineering. The forces of sin, death, and the devil are the ultimate con artists. They pose as friends, but are really deadly enemies.
Today’s Gospel is a great comfort for persecuted Christians around the world. It tells us that the opposition of the world is no surprise to God. God is not up in heaven going, “O My! The world is persecuting My people. Whatever will I do?” No! God knows all about our situation. He understands that the world makes it hard to be a Christian. He understands that His faithful confessors will undergo hard times. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians: [1 Corinthians 1:23] “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.” Today’s Gospel is one of many places that tell us to expect opposition from the world. Today’s Gospel tells us that we are not doing something wrong when the world or even our own family hates us for making a faithful confession of Jesus Christ.
Even with the knowledge that God understands, though, it is still hard to stand firm in the face of criticism. The temptation is always there for us to compromise God’s teachings in order to get along with the world. If the world gets offended because the Bible says that all are sinners, we might be tempted to water down the message of sin – perhaps even skip it altogether. If the world is offended by the gruesome nature of the cross, we may want to push the cruel torture and the pain of the cross into the background. It is easy to talk about God’s love and forget about His justice. It is easy to talk about Jesus as our buddy and forget about the day when He will come as the judge. We often want to water down the message of God’s Word just a little bit so that the world around us would not give us such a hard time.
Jesus warns that this attitude is very dangerous. He said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” The worst thing that this world can do to us is end our physical life. But this world is not all that there is. There is a judge who has the authority and power to send both soul and body to the eternal punishment of hell. It is His teachings that we are watering down when we compromise our confession in order to fare better in this world. It is His name we are blaspheming when we give way, even a little bit, to the doctrines of this world.
So, have you stood firm in the faith even in the face of the world’s persecution? Neither have I. I must confess that in spite of my desire to remain faithful to the teachings of God’s Word, I regularly compromise my profession of faith. Once again the Law convicts with a standard of perfection that is so high that no mere human could ever keep it. Once again, the Law shows our sin to us and shows us our need for a savior.
That is the reason that the Gospel is so sweet to those who believe. The Gospel proclaims that Jesus is the only one who never compromised God’s Word. He is the only one who remained faithful to His calling. He remained faithful to His calling even when His calling led to the cross. He is the one who paid for our sins – even our sins of watered down doctrine – with his death on the cross. He faced not only the persecution of this world, but He also faced the combined guilt of all the sin of this world. Even then He remained faithful. With the victory He won with His death on the cross, He has purchased the forgiveness of sins for all people.
Jesus warned the disciples to remain faithful. Even so, the disciples all abandoned Jesus. At one point Peter even denied that He knew Jesus. In spite of their weak confession, Jesus took them all back.
The history of the early church tells us of the faithful Apostles. Of the eleven apostles who remained faithful to Jesus, only John the Evangelist died of natural causes. The other ten Apostles died as martyrs to their faith in Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they persevered to the end.
In spite of our many shortcomings – in spite of our fear – in spite of our desire to get along with the world at the expense of Christ’s teachings, the Holy Spirit will continue to keep us in the faith. Just as the Apostles endured to the end by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will one day bring us to a blessed end here on this earth – only to take us to a blessed eternity there in heaven. There we shall wait with all the other believers in Christ until the Last Day when Jesus will return and raise all the dead, and all who believe in Him will live forever with Jesus on a new earth where there is no sin, no sorrow, and no persecution. For we shall live in that place forever with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 7A) - 25 June 2023
God of all strength, You have brought us from death to life. Do not let sin reign in our mortal bodies and make us obey its passions. Turn our hearts continually to Christ, that we would present our bodies as instruments of righteousness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of our salvation, Your Son warned that Your people would face opposition from the world. Give courage and fortitude to Your pastors and people, that they would boldly sing Your praises, gladly endure suffering for the name of Jesus, and continue by Your grace to the end. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, the curse of sin brings division within families. Grant unity of faith within the households of this congregation. Give wisdom and peace where there is anger and strife. Bless parents with faithfulness to teach their children Your ways. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of all creation, You appoint authorities to keep order for the good of Your people. Bless the authorities in our land with wisdom to seek the common good. Deliver them from temptations to promote evil and oppose Your will. Give them penitent hearts, that they might be confident of Your grace for them. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You bestow life and salvation by Your Holy Word. Though the world treats it with derision, strengthen us to hold fast to Your Word and declare Your praises. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, look with favor upon those who are persecuted for the name of Jesus. Be their dread warrior against the evil one. Strengthen them to endure and make known Your mercy through the witness of their suffering. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, keep our feet from falling, and preserve us from fear. Make us confident that, since You have delivered our souls from death, You will deliver us to walk before You in the light of everlasting life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of life, grant that all who partake of the Holy Communion today would present themselves as those brought out of death into life, repenting of their transgressions and gratefully receiving Your Son’s body and blood for the forgiveness of their sins. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be merciful to us, O Lord, and hear our prayers. Grant to us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, that we may be led into all truth and be steadfast in the confession of Christ; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
537 “Beautiful Savior”
1 Beautiful Savior,
King of creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I’d love Thee,
Truly I’d serve Thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
2 Fair are the meadows,
Fair are the woodlands,
Robed in flow’rs of blooming spring;
Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer,
He makes our sorr’wing spirit sing.
3 Fair is the sunshine,
Fair is the moonlight,
Bright the sparkling stars on high;
Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer
Than all the angels in the sky.
4 Beautiful Savior,
Lord of the nations,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration
Now and forevermore be Thine!
Text: Münsterisch Gesangbuch, 1677, Münster; tr. Joseph A. Seiss, 1823–1904
Text: Public domain
725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1 Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 535 “How Wide the Love of Christ”
1 How wide the love of Christ!
It knows not class or race
But holds our one humanity
Within its broad embrace.
2 How long the love of Christ!
Its patience will not cease
Until this broken world is bound
In everlasting peace.
3 How high the love of Christ!
Beyond all thought it soars,
And yet upon our passing lives
Unmeasured mercy pours.
4 How deep the love of Christ,
Descending to a cross!
He bears within His wounded hands
All human pain and loss.
5 All praise to You, O Christ,
For love whose depth and height,
Whose length and breadth fill time and space
With endless life and light!
Text: Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., 1923–2007
Text: © 1997 GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Study and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday after Pentecost – June 18, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for THIS week, June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. Questions? Please speak with Barb Whitley, our VBS coordinator. There will be a decorating “party” for the sanctuary after Adult Bible Class and the Children’s study today. Thanks.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this real bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die BUT someone rescues you! Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell you." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 18, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 559 “Oh, How Great Is Your Compassion”
1 Oh, how great is Your compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace,
That with all our fallen race
In our depth of degradation
You had mercy so that we
Might be saved eternally!
2 Your great love for this has striven
That we may, from sin made free,
Live with You eternally.
Your dear Son Himself has given
And extends His gracious call,
To His supper leads us all.
3 Firmly to our soul’s salvation
Witnesses Your Spirit, Lord,
In Your Sacraments and Word.
There He sends true consolation,
Giving us the gift of faith
That we fear not hell nor death.
4 Lord, Your mercy will not leave me;
Ever will Your truth abide.
Then in You I will confide.
Since Your Word cannot deceive me,
My salvation is to me
Safe and sure eternally.
5 I will praise Your great compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace,
That with all our fallen race
In our depth of degradation
You had mercy so that we
Might be saved eternally.
Text: Johann Olearius, 1611–84; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 67:3–7
P Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty, eternal God, in the Word of Your apostles and prophets You have proclaimed to us Your saving will. Grant us faith to believe Your promises that we may receive eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 19:2–8
2[The people of Israel] set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
7So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 100
1Make a joyful noise to the Lord, | all the earth!*
2Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with | singing!
3Know that the Lord, | he is God!*
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his | pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his | courts with praise!*
Give thanks to him; | bless his name!
5For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for- | ever,*
and his faithfulness to all gener- | ations.
Epistle Romans 5:6–15
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel Matthew 9:35—10:8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the ninth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
35Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
1And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day:571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
1 God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
2 Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.
3 God would not have the sinner die;
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.
4 Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins which you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.
5 If you are sick, if death is near,
This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves your soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.
D 6 Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
Text: Heiliges Lippen- und Hertzens-Opffer, c. 1778, Stettin; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Compassion of Jesus” Matthew 9:35 – 10:8
The Compassion of Jesus – Matthew 9:35-10:8
“When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) Once again, we hear that Jesus had compassion. This is that compassion that moved Him deep down inside. It is a compassion that is primal, part of the essence of His being. The compassion of Jesus is one of the deepest, richest, and most comforting of His qualities.
The reason for this compassion is the state of the people. The words “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” tell us that the people were the constant target of an evil bully. They were like a flock of sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. The wolves constantly probing, nipping. Which member of the flock is the weakest … the slowest? Constantly under the pressure of knowing that one false step … one stumble … any sign of weakness, and the wolves will have their next meal.
Things haven’t changed that much. Many still like to do their own “thing” and not consult God about whether or not it is something of which he would approve. In truth, they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, because they really don’t desire one. They are much happier defining life on their own terms, or what the world, or society seems to be suggesting that they should do.
As much as people like this make us nervous and uncomfortable, they end up doing more harm to themselves than to anyone else. While their poor lifestyle choices may give brief pleasure, they find that, in the long run, they are always angry, sad, depressed, and never satisfied. We wish they would just stop, listen, and think. We wish there was a way to tell them that they are looking for love, joy, peace, and fulfillment in all the wrong places. Most of the problems they have are of their own making.
Of course, many people are looking for love, joy, peace, and fulfillment in all the wrong places. We are born with a desire for the spiritual … or at least with a desire for our lives to have meaning. Look at all the art that searches for a deeper meaning to life … paintings … sculptures … songs … books … movies … and so forth. There are religions all over the world that offer to help us learn what there is beyond this world. Every human being knows that something is missing and they go and search to find it.
There are several possible outcomes of this search. Some search for a while and then give up and decide to get on with their lives as best they can; they take up diversionary activities to take their mind off their dissatisfaction. Others incorrectly believe that they have found the answer; they too take up some sort of activity to help them fulfill the requirements of that answer. Finally, the truly honest seeker continues to search indefinitely … finding nothing that satisfies the need for meaning.
In the end, all searches lead to intense activity that accomplishes nothing. We are like little pet rodents running on wheels … expending a lot of energy, but not going anywhere. Or as Lewis Carroll had the Queen say to Alice, “It takes all the running YOU can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” The truth is that no merely human activity can ever find the true meaning of life. The only thing that a mere human search can find is eternal separation from God.
That is what Jesus saw when He looked out at the crowd. That is still what we see as we look around us today. People endlessly searching for something they can never find. That is the reason his heart went out to them with such deep compassion. He saw the meaningless struggle of their struggle for meaning.
That is the reason that Jesus stepped forward from His heavenly throne. That is the reason that He took humanity onto Himself. He became something infinitely greater than a mere human being. He became the God-man Christ Jesus.
He became true man to take our place under God’s law and fulfill it perfectly. He also took our place as the target of God’s justice against our sin with His suffering and death on the cross. As the Son of God, the ransom of His life, suffering, and death was enough to redeem the whole world from sin. As true God, He defeated sin, death and the power of the devil.
With His resurrection on the third day, He proclaimed the restoration of our relationship with God. He proclaimed His victory and He validated everything that He taught during his ministry. His resurrection provides the assurance that the true meaning of life is ours once again. His resurrection promises that we too will one day rise from death to live with Him forever.
Jesus looked at the crowds around Him and He also looked beyond them to the hungry souls of all time. He saw a vast harvest of souls ready for redemption. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37–38)
Even as He instructed His disciples to pray for laborers to work in that harvest, He prepared His disciples to carry on that labor. “He called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” (Matthew 10:1) Jesus passed His mission on to the Twelve Disciples. He taught them about the true meaning of life … Who He truly was and how He would save the world from sin. Then He prepared them to carry this teaching to others. He gave them the privilege of working in His harvest. The harvest continues to this day and God has had His laborers in every generation. He has thrown them into His harvest and passed the Good News of Jesus Christ to generation after generation.
When I was a child, we often had missionaries make presentations on mission Sundays. I learned about mission activities in faraway places like New Guinea, the Philippines, Kenya, Liberia, and so forth. I thought that the work these missionaries did was wonderful. I still do. At the same time, it didn’t occur to me that there was mission work to do right here at home. I tended to think of the harvest as something that people did in faraway lands with exotic names. While it is marvelous that the Church of God continues to spread and grow in those faraway lands, there is also a harvest right here.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5–6) Jesus did not send these twelve to some far away land on that day. He sent them to their neighbors, the lost sheep of Israel … the sheep without a shepherd. Yes, the day would come when Jesus would say, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …” (Matthew 28:19) and God calls some to work in nations that are far away. He also calls some to labor in the harvest nearby. The Great Commission is not about going to faraway lands. Instead, it is about confessing your faith as you go about your daily life living out your vocations.
At your earliest convenience, I would encourage you to open your Small Catechism and check out the phrase that Martin Luther appends to the title of each section of the book. After each heading, Luther added the words, “As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.” Some of you are already heads of households. Some of you are still preparing to become heads of households some day. Luther wanted you all to know that the closest mission field to you is under your own roof. There are people in your own family who are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord has given you the opportunity to confess your faith to them.
Let us give thanks this day for the laborers that the Lord of the Harvest has sent into His harvest and let us continue to pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then even more people can hear the good news that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, that He redeemed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, and that we shall be with Him forever even as He has risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6A) - 18 June 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You treasure Your people for Christ’s sake and give us Your commandments to guide our ways. Grant that we, redeemed by His blood, may do all He has spoken. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, send forth laborers to make known the Gospel of Your kingdom in Christ Jesus. Prosper the labor of pastors, missionaries and all church workers, that many peoples may hear, believe and praise You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O righteous Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named, give Your grace to the fathers and sons of Your Church. Inspire them by Your own example and the example of Your beloved Son to be perfectly united in faith, hope and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, turn the eyes of [_____________ and] all who make, execute and judge our laws to You, that they may receive wisdom and strength to faithfully carry out their duties. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our God, the earth still yields its increase under Your care and preservation. Bless us with daily bread, and give us wisdom as stewards of Your creation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son demonstrated His power over sin by healing every disease and affliction. Give healing to those in need [especially _____________]. Deliver them according to Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You descended on Mount Sinai and bid Moses to come into Your presence. Prepare the hearts of all who come to Your altar today, that they may receive Christ’s body and blood for their forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O blessed Lord, through Moses You called a people to Yourself, and from them You delivered up Your own Son to be our Savior. By His sufferings and death, He has redeemed us sinners from our sins. By His resurrection, He has released us from the fear of death. Help us to live as Your people, doing the good works for which we were created, and praying with confidence the petitions and supplications of our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
561 “The Tree of Life”
1 The tree of life with ev’ry good
In Eden’s holy orchard stood,
And of its fruit so pure and sweet
God let the man and woman eat.
Yet in this garden also grew
Another tree, of which they knew;
Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned
Against whose eating God had warned.
2 The stillness of that sacred grove
Was broken, as the serpent strove
With tempting voice Eve to beguile
And Adam too by sin defile.
O day of sadness when the breath
Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,
Its awful poison first displayed
Within the world so newly made.
3 What mercy God showed to our race,
A plan of rescue by His grace:
In sending One from woman’s seed,
The One to fill our greatest need--
For on a tree uplifted high
His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread
To crush the ancient serpent’s head!
4 Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame
Flows life eternal in His name;
For all who trust and will believe,
Salvation’s living fruit receive.
And of this fruit so pure and sweet
The Lord invites the world to eat,
To find within this cross of wood
The tree of life with ev’ry good.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1993 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
618 “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table”
1 I come, O Savior, to Thy table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole: Refrain
ref Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!
2 Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee. Refrain
3 Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never,
For Thou my faithful shepherd art: Refrain
4 Weary am I and heavy laden;
With sin my soul is sore oppressed;
Receive me graciously and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest. Refrain
5 What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith’s bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace. Refrain
Text: Friedrich Christian Heyder, 1677–1754; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 836 “O God of Light”
1 O God of light, Your Word, a lamp unfailing,
Shall pierce the darkness of our earthbound way
And show Your grace, Your plan for us unveiling,
And guide our footsteps to the perfect day.
2 From days of old, through blind and willful ages,
Though we rebelled, You gently sought again
And spoke through saints, apostles, prophets, sages,
Who wrote with eager or reluctant pen.
3 Undimmed by time, those words are still revealing
To sinful hearts Your justice and Your grace;
And questing spirits, longing for Your healing,
See Your compassion in the Savior’s face.
4 To all the world Your summons You are sending,
Through all the earth, to ev’ry land and race,
That myriad tongues, in one great anthem blending,
May praise and celebrate Your gift of grace.
Text: Sarah E. Taylor, 1883–1954, alt.
Text: © 1952, renewed 1980 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday after Pentecost – June 18, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Mark Klein
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for THIS week, June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. Questions? Please speak with Barb Whitley, our VBS coordinator. There will be a decorating “party” for the sanctuary after Adult Bible Class and the Children’s study today. Thanks.
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this real bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die BUT someone rescues you! Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell you." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it.
“The Bible is about Christ from cover to cover. The Incarnate Word [Jesus Christ] makes Himself known in the written Word.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
June 18, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 559 “Oh, How Great Is Your Compassion”
1 Oh, how great is Your compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace,
That with all our fallen race
In our depth of degradation
You had mercy so that we
Might be saved eternally!
2 Your great love for this has striven
That we may, from sin made free,
Live with You eternally.
Your dear Son Himself has given
And extends His gracious call,
To His supper leads us all.
3 Firmly to our soul’s salvation
Witnesses Your Spirit, Lord,
In Your Sacraments and Word.
There He sends true consolation,
Giving us the gift of faith
That we fear not hell nor death.
4 Lord, Your mercy will not leave me;
Ever will Your truth abide.
Then in You I will confide.
Since Your Word cannot deceive me,
My salvation is to me
Safe and sure eternally.
5 I will praise Your great compassion,
Faithful Father, God of grace,
That with all our fallen race
In our depth of degradation
You had mercy so that we
Might be saved eternally.
Text: Johann Olearius, 1611–84; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Please stand if able
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 67:3–7
P Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
Almighty, eternal God, in the Word of Your apostles and prophets You have proclaimed to us Your saving will. Grant us faith to believe Your promises that we may receive eternal salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Exodus 19:2–8
2[The people of Israel] set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before the mountain, 3while Moses went up to God. The Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
7So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 100
1Make a joyful noise to the Lord, | all the earth!*
2Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with | singing!
3Know that the Lord, | he is God!*
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his | pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his | courts with praise!*
Give thanks to him; | bless his name!
5For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for- | ever,*
and his faithfulness to all gener- | ations.
Epistle Romans 5:6–15
6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
12Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
C Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Holy Gospel Matthew 9:35—10:8
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the ninth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
35Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
1And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. 2The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day:571 “God Loved the World So That He Gave”
1 God loved the world so that He gave
His only Son the lost to save,
That all who would in Him believe
Should everlasting life receive.
2 Christ Jesus is the ground of faith,
Who was made flesh and suffered death;
All then who trust in Him alone
Are built on this chief cornerstone.
3 God would not have the sinner die;
His Son with saving grace is nigh;
His Spirit in the Word declares
How we in Christ are heaven’s heirs.
4 Be of good cheer, for God’s own Son
Forgives all sins which you have done;
And, justified by Jesus’ blood,
Your Baptism grants the highest good.
5 If you are sick, if death is near,
This truth your troubled heart can cheer:
Christ Jesus saves your soul from death;
That is the firmest ground of faith.
D 6 Glory to God the Father, Son,
And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
To You, O blessèd Trinity,
Be praise now and eternally!
Text: Heiliges Lippen- und Hertzens-Opffer, c. 1778, Stettin; tr. August Crull, 1845–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Compassion of Jesus” Matthew 9:35 – 10:8
The Compassion of Jesus – Matthew 9:35-10:8
“When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36) Once again, we hear that Jesus had compassion. This is that compassion that moved Him deep down inside. It is a compassion that is primal, part of the essence of His being. The compassion of Jesus is one of the deepest, richest, and most comforting of His qualities.
The reason for this compassion is the state of the people. The words “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” tell us that the people were the constant target of an evil bully. They were like a flock of sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. The wolves constantly probing, nipping. Which member of the flock is the weakest … the slowest? Constantly under the pressure of knowing that one false step … one stumble … any sign of weakness, and the wolves will have their next meal.
Things haven’t changed that much. Many still like to do their own “thing” and not consult God about whether or not it is something of which he would approve. In truth, they are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, because they really don’t desire one. They are much happier defining life on their own terms, or what the world, or society seems to be suggesting that they should do.
As much as people like this make us nervous and uncomfortable, they end up doing more harm to themselves than to anyone else. While their poor lifestyle choices may give brief pleasure, they find that, in the long run, they are always angry, sad, depressed, and never satisfied. We wish they would just stop, listen, and think. We wish there was a way to tell them that they are looking for love, joy, peace, and fulfillment in all the wrong places. Most of the problems they have are of their own making.
Of course, many people are looking for love, joy, peace, and fulfillment in all the wrong places. We are born with a desire for the spiritual … or at least with a desire for our lives to have meaning. Look at all the art that searches for a deeper meaning to life … paintings … sculptures … songs … books … movies … and so forth. There are religions all over the world that offer to help us learn what there is beyond this world. Every human being knows that something is missing and they go and search to find it.
There are several possible outcomes of this search. Some search for a while and then give up and decide to get on with their lives as best they can; they take up diversionary activities to take their mind off their dissatisfaction. Others incorrectly believe that they have found the answer; they too take up some sort of activity to help them fulfill the requirements of that answer. Finally, the truly honest seeker continues to search indefinitely … finding nothing that satisfies the need for meaning.
In the end, all searches lead to intense activity that accomplishes nothing. We are like little pet rodents running on wheels … expending a lot of energy, but not going anywhere. Or as Lewis Carroll had the Queen say to Alice, “It takes all the running YOU can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!” The truth is that no merely human activity can ever find the true meaning of life. The only thing that a mere human search can find is eternal separation from God.
That is what Jesus saw when He looked out at the crowd. That is still what we see as we look around us today. People endlessly searching for something they can never find. That is the reason his heart went out to them with such deep compassion. He saw the meaningless struggle of their struggle for meaning.
That is the reason that Jesus stepped forward from His heavenly throne. That is the reason that He took humanity onto Himself. He became something infinitely greater than a mere human being. He became the God-man Christ Jesus.
He became true man to take our place under God’s law and fulfill it perfectly. He also took our place as the target of God’s justice against our sin with His suffering and death on the cross. As the Son of God, the ransom of His life, suffering, and death was enough to redeem the whole world from sin. As true God, He defeated sin, death and the power of the devil.
With His resurrection on the third day, He proclaimed the restoration of our relationship with God. He proclaimed His victory and He validated everything that He taught during his ministry. His resurrection provides the assurance that the true meaning of life is ours once again. His resurrection promises that we too will one day rise from death to live with Him forever.
Jesus looked at the crowds around Him and He also looked beyond them to the hungry souls of all time. He saw a vast harvest of souls ready for redemption. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37–38)
Even as He instructed His disciples to pray for laborers to work in that harvest, He prepared His disciples to carry on that labor. “He called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.” (Matthew 10:1) Jesus passed His mission on to the Twelve Disciples. He taught them about the true meaning of life … Who He truly was and how He would save the world from sin. Then He prepared them to carry this teaching to others. He gave them the privilege of working in His harvest. The harvest continues to this day and God has had His laborers in every generation. He has thrown them into His harvest and passed the Good News of Jesus Christ to generation after generation.
When I was a child, we often had missionaries make presentations on mission Sundays. I learned about mission activities in faraway places like New Guinea, the Philippines, Kenya, Liberia, and so forth. I thought that the work these missionaries did was wonderful. I still do. At the same time, it didn’t occur to me that there was mission work to do right here at home. I tended to think of the harvest as something that people did in faraway lands with exotic names. While it is marvelous that the Church of God continues to spread and grow in those faraway lands, there is also a harvest right here.
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 10:5–6) Jesus did not send these twelve to some far away land on that day. He sent them to their neighbors, the lost sheep of Israel … the sheep without a shepherd. Yes, the day would come when Jesus would say, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …” (Matthew 28:19) and God calls some to work in nations that are far away. He also calls some to labor in the harvest nearby. The Great Commission is not about going to faraway lands. Instead, it is about confessing your faith as you go about your daily life living out your vocations.
At your earliest convenience, I would encourage you to open your Small Catechism and check out the phrase that Martin Luther appends to the title of each section of the book. After each heading, Luther added the words, “As the head of the family should teach it in a simple way to his household.” Some of you are already heads of households. Some of you are still preparing to become heads of households some day. Luther wanted you all to know that the closest mission field to you is under your own roof. There are people in your own family who are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord has given you the opportunity to confess your faith to them.
Let us give thanks this day for the laborers that the Lord of the Harvest has sent into His harvest and let us continue to pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then even more people can hear the good news that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, that He redeemed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death, and that we shall be with Him forever even as He has risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity. Amen
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 6A) - 18 June 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Almighty God, You treasure Your people for Christ’s sake and give us Your commandments to guide our ways. Grant that we, redeemed by His blood, may do all He has spoken. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, send forth laborers to make known the Gospel of Your kingdom in Christ Jesus. Prosper the labor of pastors, missionaries and all church workers, that many peoples may hear, believe and praise You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O righteous Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named, give Your grace to the fathers and sons of Your Church. Inspire them by Your own example and the example of Your beloved Son to be perfectly united in faith, hope and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, turn the eyes of [_____________ and] all who make, execute and judge our laws to You, that they may receive wisdom and strength to faithfully carry out their duties. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our God, the earth still yields its increase under Your care and preservation. Bless us with daily bread, and give us wisdom as stewards of Your creation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son demonstrated His power over sin by healing every disease and affliction. Give healing to those in need [especially _____________]. Deliver them according to Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, You descended on Mount Sinai and bid Moses to come into Your presence. Prepare the hearts of all who come to Your altar today, that they may receive Christ’s body and blood for their forgiveness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O blessed Lord, through Moses You called a people to Yourself, and from them You delivered up Your own Son to be our Savior. By His sufferings and death, He has redeemed us sinners from our sins. By His resurrection, He has released us from the fear of death. Help us to live as Your people, doing the good works for which we were created, and praying with confidence the petitions and supplications of our hearts; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
In Your righteous judgment You condemned the sin of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit, and You justly barred them and all their children from the tree of life. Yet, in Your great mercy, You promised salvation by a second Adam, Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and made His cross a life-giving tree for all who trust in Him.
We give You thanks for the redemption You have prepared for us through Jesus Christ. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may faithfully eat and drink of the fruits of His cross and receive the blessings of forgiveness, life, and salvation that come to us in His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
561 “The Tree of Life”
1 The tree of life with ev’ry good
In Eden’s holy orchard stood,
And of its fruit so pure and sweet
God let the man and woman eat.
Yet in this garden also grew
Another tree, of which they knew;
Its lovely limbs with fruit adorned
Against whose eating God had warned.
2 The stillness of that sacred grove
Was broken, as the serpent strove
With tempting voice Eve to beguile
And Adam too by sin defile.
O day of sadness when the breath
Of fear and darkness, doubt and death,
Its awful poison first displayed
Within the world so newly made.
3 What mercy God showed to our race,
A plan of rescue by His grace:
In sending One from woman’s seed,
The One to fill our greatest need--
For on a tree uplifted high
His only Son for sin would die,
Would drink the cup of scorn and dread
To crush the ancient serpent’s head!
4 Now from that tree of Jesus’ shame
Flows life eternal in His name;
For all who trust and will believe,
Salvation’s living fruit receive.
And of this fruit so pure and sweet
The Lord invites the world to eat,
To find within this cross of wood
The tree of life with ev’ry good.
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1993 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
618 “I Come, O Savior, to Thy Table”
1 I come, O Savior, to Thy table,
For weak and weary is my soul;
Thou, Bread of Life, alone art able
To satisfy and make me whole: Refrain
ref Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood
Be for my soul the highest good!
2 Thy heart is filled with fervent yearning
That sinners may salvation see
Who, Lord, to Thee in faith are turning;
So I, a sinner, come to Thee. Refrain
3 Unworthy though I am, O Savior,
Because I have a sinful heart,
Yet Thou Thy lamb wilt banish never,
For Thou my faithful shepherd art: Refrain
4 Weary am I and heavy laden;
With sin my soul is sore oppressed;
Receive me graciously and gladden
My heart, for I am now Thy guest. Refrain
5 What higher gift can we inherit?
It is faith’s bond and solid base;
It is the strength of heart and spirit,
The covenant of hope and grace. Refrain
Text: Friedrich Christian Heyder, 1677–1754; tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, abr.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 836 “O God of Light”
1 O God of light, Your Word, a lamp unfailing,
Shall pierce the darkness of our earthbound way
And show Your grace, Your plan for us unveiling,
And guide our footsteps to the perfect day.
2 From days of old, through blind and willful ages,
Though we rebelled, You gently sought again
And spoke through saints, apostles, prophets, sages,
Who wrote with eager or reluctant pen.
3 Undimmed by time, those words are still revealing
To sinful hearts Your justice and Your grace;
And questing spirits, longing for Your healing,
See Your compassion in the Savior’s face.
4 To all the world Your summons You are sending,
Through all the earth, to ev’ry land and race,
That myriad tongues, in one great anthem blending,
May praise and celebrate Your gift of grace.
Text: Sarah E. Taylor, 1883–1954, alt.
Text: © 1952, renewed 1980 The Hymn Society, admin. Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 11, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A Men’s Bible Study this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
A ZOOM Women’s Bible study is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). There will be two decorating “parties,” one this Saturday, June 17th at 10 a.m., and the other on Sunday, June 18th following Bible Class and the Children’s study (includes a pizza lunch). Please speak with Barb if you would like to help with either (or both) of the setups.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 11, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 915 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”
1 Today Your mercy calls us
To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
And make us clean today.
2 Today Your gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv’n,
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav’n.
3 Today our Father calls us;
His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessèd angels gather
Around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
It is our Father’s home.
4 O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You
When heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.
Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 50:1, 7–10
P The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting. Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and most merciful God, You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and to save the lost. Graciously open our ears and our hearts to hear His call and to follow Him by faith that we may feast with Him forever in His kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Hosea 5:15—6:6
15I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress earnestly seek me.
1“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
2After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
3Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”
4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.
6For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:65–72
Teth
65You have dealt well with your | servant,*
O Lord, according | to your word.
66Teach me good judgment and | knowledge,*
for I believe in your com- | mandments.
67Before I was afflicted I | went astray,*
but now I | keep your word.
68You are good and | do good;*
teach me your | statutes.
69The insolent smear | me with lies,*
but with my whole heart I keep your | precepts;
70their heart is unfeeling | like fat,*
but I delight | in your law.
71It is good for me that I was af- | flicted,*
that I might learn your | statutes.
72The law of your mouth is bet- | ter to me*
than thousands of gold and silver | pieces.
Epistle Romans 4:13–25
13The promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 9:9–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the ninth chapter.
9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 689 “Let Me Be Thine Forever”
1 Let me be Thine forever,
My faithful God and Lord;
Let me forsake Thee never
Nor wander from Thy Word.
Lord, do not let me waver,
But give me steadfastness,
And for such grace forever
Thy holy name I’ll bless.
2 Lord Jesus, my salvation,
My light, my life divine,
My only consolation,
O make me wholly Thine!
For Thou hast dearly bought me
With blood and bitter pain.
Let me, since Thou hast sought me,
Eternal life obtain.
3 And Thou, O Holy Spirit,
My comforter and guide,
Grant that in Jesus’ merit
I always may confide,
Him to the end confessing
Whom I have known by faith.
Give me Thy constant blessing
And grant a Christian death.
Text: tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.; (st. 1): Nicolaus Selnecker, 1532–92; (sts. 2–3): Gesang-Büchlein, 1688, Rudolstadt
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Is Anyone Sick Here?” Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13
Is Anyone Sick Here? Matthew 9:9-13
How sick are you? How great is the illness of your sin?
Some people think that the disease of sin is only a minor affliction. Perhaps it is like a little sniffle that you get, but nothing serious.
Others think that sin is a pretty bad disease, but they have it under control. They can do the right things and avoid the wrong things, and keep it within manageable limits.
Some do not think that they are sick at all.
Jesus declares today that those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.
Are you sick? Is it a minor illness that will go away by itself? Is it something that you can handle? Or do you need your doctor?
According to Holy Scripture, the disease of sin is very serious. It is deadly. It causes spiritual blindness. It creates all kinds of symptoms that we call actual sins. However, because of the blindness that it causes, we are often unable to notice the symptoms.
The Pharisees, of course, did not think they needed Jesus Christ, the Great Physician. The Pharisees thought they were doing just fine. They were healthy and had plenty of good works as fruits to demonstrate their spiritual healthiness.
If you pay too much attention to your good works, whatever they may be, and do not notice your sins, then you will surely become like the Pharisees. Then you may still attend worship, although the only real purpose of worship would be to display how good you are before others. If you are a Pharisee, then you have no real need of forgiveness or Christ.
Meanwhile, many sinners were crowding around Christ. Here was a teacher who welcomes sinners at Table with Him, including a chief tax collector named Matthew! Jesus proclaimed forgiveness, which all the sinners knew they needed very badly. So they came to Christ in droves.
The Pharisees sneered at these horrible sinners. But Christ said, “Go learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” Mercy is the quality God desires to show to us. He does not want to be merely a stern God of the Law. But if we reject His mercy in Christ Jesus, then that is all that He will be. If we rejoice and crowd close to receive His mercy, then He will overflow more and more for us.
When we are chiefly receivers of mercy, then why would we ever have room to be self-righteous, judgmental Pharisees? All we should concentrate upon is getting more and more of this precious grace. We should press close to the Son of God who speaks mercy into our ears. As Doctor Luther said in the Large Catechism, we should be begging our preachers to give us more and more of Absolution and the Lord’s Supper and all the gifts of this Divine Service.
But of course, we still find room to have a Pharisee in us. We still find time to notice how the righteousness of others does not measure up to our own righteousness. We notice their flaws, but so often miss our own. We know very well the things they should do better, while we hardly feel there is room for improvement in ourselves.
We will be Pharisees until the day we die. The Spirit fights against the impulses of self-righteousness in each of us, yet they never quite die. This is because we have a disease that will never completely go away in this life.
St. Augustine said that since we have the diseases, we need the medicine for our souls. We need to keep receiving the mercy. The day we decide we do not need the mercy of God, then we have regressed into a full-blown relapse of the deadly sickness of sin.
May it never be so for you. May the Lord produce in you greater and greater desire for every form of mercy that He pours out in this place.
Mercy bled from the Great Physician’s wounds as He hung dying on the tree of the cross. Mercy was heard in his dying cry, “It is finished!” Mercy shone out as the Lord of life stepped forth from His own tomb on Easter morning.
The same mercy shines brightly in this place, although our sin-diseased eyes are not able to see. At the font, at the altar, at the lectern, at the pulpit, mercy pours out to us. This house is filled to the rafters with the mercy of God for poor sinners like us.
But if we think that we do not particularly need mercy, then the services of this house will not be that important. If we think that we are not terribly sick, then the divine medicine in this place will not be a matter of life and death. We will not urgently seek out the Great Physician, like those sinners and tax collectors who crowded around Jesus the Christ, pressing in on Him to hear the mercy of God in His words.
Are we sick? We really are, whether we know it or not. The question is, do we know our condition? If we do, then we know our need for the Savior. We know our need for this house.
May the Spirit open our eyes to see our sin, and then point us to the medicine for us. May He strengthen our trust and increase our faithfulness, that we may always remain people gathered by Him around our Lord Jesus. May He increase our hunger and thirst for these gifts of Divine mercy.
In His name, and to His glory and honor, forever and ever.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5A) - 11 June 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, You strike down and You heal. Though we justly deserve Your wrath for our sin, revive us and raise us up, that we may live before You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You desire steadfast love and that Your people would know You. Bless pastors, teachers and all church workers, that Your Word would sound forth in abundance. Open the ears of all who hear to acknowledge Your steadfast love. Be also with those who work this weekend to prepare for our Synod’s convention. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, by Your grace Abraham did not weaken in faith but trusted Your promises. Strengthen parents to persist in their callings and train their children in Your Word and ways. Defend them from discouragement and apathy, and convince them that You are able to do what You have promised. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Creator of all things, You call into existence what does not exist and govern it for good. Remember those You have given authority among the nations, that the laws they administer might reflect Your order and maintain peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son came to heal the sick and forgive sinners. Hear our prayers for those who suffer in any way [including _____________]. Restore them according to Your gracious will, and strengthen their faith in Your faithfulness and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You made childless Abraham the father of many nations when his body was as good as dead, giving him faith to trust in the promised Christ. Strengthen our faith also to trust Your promises despite our weaknesses and troubles. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son ate with sinners to call them into righteousness and now feeds us in His Supper, that we might be forgiven. Prepare our hearts to partake of the Sacrament of the Altar with penitence and faith, and so depart in righteousness and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, receive our thanks for Your kindness to Abraham, Sarah and all the saints who have gone before us. Preserve us in faith and in righteousness, that we, too, may give You glory now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
611 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”
1 Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
2 Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
3 Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
4 Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
He sustains the hidden life
Safe with Him from earthly strife.
5 O my Savior, help afford
By Your Spirit and Your Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
Text: William McComb, 1793–1873, alt.
Text: Public domain
688 “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake
1 “Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake,
“All in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake,
Obey My call and guiding.
O bear the cross, whate’er betide,
Take My example for your guide.
2 “I am the light, I light the way,
A godly life displaying;
I bid you walk as in the day;
I keep your feet from straying.
I am the way, and well I show
How you must sojourn here below.
3 “My heart abounds in lowliness,
My soul with love is glowing;
And gracious words My lips express,
With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,
To God I yield, on Him I call.
4 “I teach you how to shun and flee
What harms your soul’s salvation,
Your heart from ev’ry guile to free,
From sin and its temptation.
I am the refuge of the soul
And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”
5 Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,
And take the cross appointed
And, firmly clinging to His Word,
In suff’ring be undaunted.
For those who bear the battle’s strain
The crown of heav’nly life obtain.
Text: tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813–96; (sts. 1–3, 5): Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; (st. 4): Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
518 By All Your Saints in Warfare sts. 1,25, 3
1 By all Your saints in warfare,
For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
Reflected from Your throne.
D 3 Then let us praise the Father
And worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One,
Till all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory
And praise to God alone.
Text: Horatio Bolton Nelson, 1823–1913, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 11, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan
Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A Men’s Bible Study this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
A ZOOM Women’s Bible study is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). There will be two decorating “parties,” one this Saturday, June 17th at 10 a.m., and the other on Sunday, June 18th following Bible Class and the Children’s study (includes a pizza lunch). Please speak with Barb if you would like to help with either (or both) of the setups.
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song,
This Cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm;
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled,
When strivings cease,
My Comforter, My All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand!
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
June 11, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 915 “Today Your Mercy Calls Us”
1 Today Your mercy calls us
To wash away our sin.
However great our trespass,
Whatever we have been,
However long from mercy
Our hearts have turned away,
Your precious blood can wash us
And make us clean today.
2 Today Your gate is open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be giv’n,
A future grace be promised,
A glorious crown in heav’n.
3 Today our Father calls us;
His Holy Spirit waits;
His blessèd angels gather
Around the heav’nly gates.
No question will be asked us
How often we have come;
Although we oft have wandered,
It is our Father’s home.
4 O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
What should we do without You
When heart and eye run o’er?
When all things seem against us,
To drive us to despair,
We know one gate is open,
One ear will hear our prayer.
Text: Oswald Allen, 1816–78, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Confession and Absolution
The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 50:1, 7–10
P The Mighty One, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting. Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me. I will not accept a bull from your house or goats from your folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty and most merciful God, You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to seek and to save the lost. Graciously open our ears and our hearts to hear His call and to follow Him by faith that we may feast with Him forever in His kingdom; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Hosea 5:15—6:6
15I will return again to my place,
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face,
and in their distress earnestly seek me.
1“Come, let us return to the Lord;
for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
2After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
3Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
as the spring rains that water the earth.”
4What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that goes early away.
5Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
and my judgment goes forth as the light.
6For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 119:65–72
Teth
65You have dealt well with your | servant,*
O Lord, according | to your word.
66Teach me good judgment and | knowledge,*
for I believe in your com- | mandments.
67Before I was afflicted I | went astray,*
but now I | keep your word.
68You are good and | do good;*
teach me your | statutes.
69The insolent smear | me with lies,*
but with my whole heart I keep your | precepts;
70their heart is unfeeling | like fat,*
but I delight | in your law.
71It is good for me that I was af- | flicted,*
that I might learn your | statutes.
72The law of your mouth is bet- | ter to me*
than thousands of gold and silver | pieces.
Epistle Romans 4:13–25
13The promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel Matthew 9:9–13
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew, the ninth chapter.
9As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 689 “Let Me Be Thine Forever”
1 Let me be Thine forever,
My faithful God and Lord;
Let me forsake Thee never
Nor wander from Thy Word.
Lord, do not let me waver,
But give me steadfastness,
And for such grace forever
Thy holy name I’ll bless.
2 Lord Jesus, my salvation,
My light, my life divine,
My only consolation,
O make me wholly Thine!
For Thou hast dearly bought me
With blood and bitter pain.
Let me, since Thou hast sought me,
Eternal life obtain.
3 And Thou, O Holy Spirit,
My comforter and guide,
Grant that in Jesus’ merit
I always may confide,
Him to the end confessing
Whom I have known by faith.
Give me Thy constant blessing
And grant a Christian death.
Text: tr. Matthias Loy, 1828–1915, alt.; (st. 1): Nicolaus Selnecker, 1532–92; (sts. 2–3): Gesang-Büchlein, 1688, Rudolstadt
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Is Anyone Sick Here?” Romans 4:13-25, Matthew 9:9-13
Is Anyone Sick Here? Matthew 9:9-13
How sick are you? How great is the illness of your sin?
Some people think that the disease of sin is only a minor affliction. Perhaps it is like a little sniffle that you get, but nothing serious.
Others think that sin is a pretty bad disease, but they have it under control. They can do the right things and avoid the wrong things, and keep it within manageable limits.
Some do not think that they are sick at all.
Jesus declares today that those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick.
Are you sick? Is it a minor illness that will go away by itself? Is it something that you can handle? Or do you need your doctor?
According to Holy Scripture, the disease of sin is very serious. It is deadly. It causes spiritual blindness. It creates all kinds of symptoms that we call actual sins. However, because of the blindness that it causes, we are often unable to notice the symptoms.
The Pharisees, of course, did not think they needed Jesus Christ, the Great Physician. The Pharisees thought they were doing just fine. They were healthy and had plenty of good works as fruits to demonstrate their spiritual healthiness.
If you pay too much attention to your good works, whatever they may be, and do not notice your sins, then you will surely become like the Pharisees. Then you may still attend worship, although the only real purpose of worship would be to display how good you are before others. If you are a Pharisee, then you have no real need of forgiveness or Christ.
Meanwhile, many sinners were crowding around Christ. Here was a teacher who welcomes sinners at Table with Him, including a chief tax collector named Matthew! Jesus proclaimed forgiveness, which all the sinners knew they needed very badly. So they came to Christ in droves.
The Pharisees sneered at these horrible sinners. But Christ said, “Go learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” Mercy is the quality God desires to show to us. He does not want to be merely a stern God of the Law. But if we reject His mercy in Christ Jesus, then that is all that He will be. If we rejoice and crowd close to receive His mercy, then He will overflow more and more for us.
When we are chiefly receivers of mercy, then why would we ever have room to be self-righteous, judgmental Pharisees? All we should concentrate upon is getting more and more of this precious grace. We should press close to the Son of God who speaks mercy into our ears. As Doctor Luther said in the Large Catechism, we should be begging our preachers to give us more and more of Absolution and the Lord’s Supper and all the gifts of this Divine Service.
But of course, we still find room to have a Pharisee in us. We still find time to notice how the righteousness of others does not measure up to our own righteousness. We notice their flaws, but so often miss our own. We know very well the things they should do better, while we hardly feel there is room for improvement in ourselves.
We will be Pharisees until the day we die. The Spirit fights against the impulses of self-righteousness in each of us, yet they never quite die. This is because we have a disease that will never completely go away in this life.
St. Augustine said that since we have the diseases, we need the medicine for our souls. We need to keep receiving the mercy. The day we decide we do not need the mercy of God, then we have regressed into a full-blown relapse of the deadly sickness of sin.
May it never be so for you. May the Lord produce in you greater and greater desire for every form of mercy that He pours out in this place.
Mercy bled from the Great Physician’s wounds as He hung dying on the tree of the cross. Mercy was heard in his dying cry, “It is finished!” Mercy shone out as the Lord of life stepped forth from His own tomb on Easter morning.
The same mercy shines brightly in this place, although our sin-diseased eyes are not able to see. At the font, at the altar, at the lectern, at the pulpit, mercy pours out to us. This house is filled to the rafters with the mercy of God for poor sinners like us.
But if we think that we do not particularly need mercy, then the services of this house will not be that important. If we think that we are not terribly sick, then the divine medicine in this place will not be a matter of life and death. We will not urgently seek out the Great Physician, like those sinners and tax collectors who crowded around Jesus the Christ, pressing in on Him to hear the mercy of God in His words.
Are we sick? We really are, whether we know it or not. The question is, do we know our condition? If we do, then we know our need for the Savior. We know our need for this house.
May the Spirit open our eyes to see our sin, and then point us to the medicine for us. May He strengthen our trust and increase our faithfulness, that we may always remain people gathered by Him around our Lord Jesus. May He increase our hunger and thirst for these gifts of Divine mercy.
In His name, and to His glory and honor, forever and ever.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5A) - 11 June 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, You strike down and You heal. Though we justly deserve Your wrath for our sin, revive us and raise us up, that we may live before You forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You desire steadfast love and that Your people would know You. Bless pastors, teachers and all church workers, that Your Word would sound forth in abundance. Open the ears of all who hear to acknowledge Your steadfast love. Be also with those who work this weekend to prepare for our Synod’s convention. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, by Your grace Abraham did not weaken in faith but trusted Your promises. Strengthen parents to persist in their callings and train their children in Your Word and ways. Defend them from discouragement and apathy, and convince them that You are able to do what You have promised. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Creator of all things, You call into existence what does not exist and govern it for good. Remember those You have given authority among the nations, that the laws they administer might reflect Your order and maintain peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son came to heal the sick and forgive sinners. Hear our prayers for those who suffer in any way [including _____________]. Restore them according to Your gracious will, and strengthen their faith in Your faithfulness and love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You made childless Abraham the father of many nations when his body was as good as dead, giving him faith to trust in the promised Christ. Strengthen our faith also to trust Your promises despite our weaknesses and troubles. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, Your Son ate with sinners to call them into righteousness and now feeds us in His Supper, that we might be forgiven. Prepare our hearts to partake of the Sacrament of the Altar with penitence and faith, and so depart in righteousness and peace. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, receive our thanks for Your kindness to Abraham, Sarah and all the saints who have gone before us. Preserve us in faith and in righteousness, that we, too, may give You glory now and forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who on this day overcame death and the grave and by His glorious resurrection opened to us the way of everlasting life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
611 “Chief of Sinners Though I Be”
1 Chief of sinners though I be,
Jesus shed His blood for me,
Died that I might live on high,
Lives that I might never die.
As the branch is to the vine,
I am His, and He is mine.
2 Oh, the height of Jesus’ love,
Higher than the heav’ns above,
Deeper than the depths of sea,
Lasting as eternity!
Love that found me—wondrous thought!
Found me when I sought Him not.
3 Only Jesus can impart
Balm to heal the wounded heart,
Peace that flows from sin forgiv’n,
Joy that lifts the soul to heav’n,
Faith and hope to walk with God
In the way that Enoch trod.
4 Chief of sinners though I be,
Christ is all in all to me;
All my wants to Him are known,
All my sorrows are His own.
He sustains the hidden life
Safe with Him from earthly strife.
5 O my Savior, help afford
By Your Spirit and Your Word!
When my wayward heart would stray,
Keep me in the narrow way;
Grace in time of need supply
While I live and when I die.
Text: William McComb, 1793–1873, alt.
Text: Public domain
688 “Come, Follow Me,” the Savior Spake
1 “Come, follow Me,” the Savior spake,
“All in My way abiding;
Deny yourselves, the world forsake,
Obey My call and guiding.
O bear the cross, whate’er betide,
Take My example for your guide.
2 “I am the light, I light the way,
A godly life displaying;
I bid you walk as in the day;
I keep your feet from straying.
I am the way, and well I show
How you must sojourn here below.
3 “My heart abounds in lowliness,
My soul with love is glowing;
And gracious words My lips express,
With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all,
To God I yield, on Him I call.
4 “I teach you how to shun and flee
What harms your soul’s salvation,
Your heart from ev’ry guile to free,
From sin and its temptation.
I am the refuge of the soul
And lead you to your heav’nly goal.”
5 Then let us follow Christ, our Lord,
And take the cross appointed
And, firmly clinging to His Word,
In suff’ring be undaunted.
For those who bear the battle’s strain
The crown of heav’nly life obtain.
Text: tr. Charles W. Schaeffer, 1813–96; (sts. 1–3, 5): Johann Scheffler, 1624–77; (st. 4): Geistliche Lieder und Lobgesänge, 1695
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
518 By All Your Saints in Warfare sts. 1,25, 3
1 By all Your saints in warfare,
For all Your saints at rest,
Your holy name, O Jesus,
Forevermore be blest!
For You have won the battle
That they might wear the crown;
And now they shine in glory
Reflected from Your throne.
D 3 Then let us praise the Father
And worship God the Son
And sing to God the Spirit,
Eternal Three in One,
Till all the ransomed number
Fall down before the throne,
Ascribing pow’r and glory
And praise to God alone.
Text: Horatio Bolton Nelson, 1823–1913, alt.
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Holy Trinity – June 4, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.” Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Sonja Helley
Ushers Howard Holman, Randy Peeters, Allan Bliss, Robert Potts
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
THE FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE is sponsoring a trip to the Rivercats game this Saturday, June 10th.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). There will be a decorating “party” on Saturday, June 17th. Please speak with Barb if you would like to help with the setup.
WHAT IS FAITH?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace.” (Luther’s Works, vol. 35)
Trust in the Lord; don’t lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
The Holy Trinity
June 4, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 940 “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
1 Holy God, we praise Thy name;
Lord of all, we bow before Thee.
All on earth Thy scepter claim,
All in heav’n above adore Thee.
Infinite Thy vast domain,
Everlasting is Thy reign.
2 Hark! The glad celestial hymn
Angel choirs above are raising;
Cherubim and seraphim,
In unceasing chorus praising,
Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
3 Lo, the_apostles’ holy train
Join Thy sacred name to hallow;
Prophets swell the glad refrain,
And the white-robed martyrs follow,
And from morn to set of sun
Through the Church the song goes on.
4 Thou art King of Glory, Christ;
Son of God, yet born of Mary.
For us sinners sacrificed,
As to death a Tributary,
First to break the bars of death,
Thou hast opened heav’n to faith.
D 5 Holy Father, holy Son,
Holy Spirit, three we name Thee;
Though in essence only one,
Undivided God we claim Thee
And, adoring, bend the knee
While we own the mystery.
Text: Latin, c. 4th cent.; German version Katholisches Gesangbuch, 1774, Vienna; tr. Clarence A. Walworth, 1820–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
L O Lord, open my lips,
C [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C [spoken] make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Genesis 1:1—2:4a
L A reading from Genesis, chapter 1.
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
6And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
9And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
14And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
20And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” 21So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. 25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
4These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading Acts 2:14a, 22–36
L A reading from Acts, chapter 2.
14Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, . . .
22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
28You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
35until I make your enemies your footstool.’
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Reading Matthew 28:16–20
L A reading from Matthew, chapter 28.
16Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsor
L Forever, O Lord, Your Word is firmly set in the heavens.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] Lord, I love the habitation of Your house and the place where Your glory dwells.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 507 “Holy, Holy, Holy”
1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,
Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
Which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see,
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,
Perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.
4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!
God in three persons, blessèd Trinity!
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783–1826
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Tri-unity of God” (all lessons of the day)
“The Tri-unity of God” – Genesis 1:1-2:4, Acts 2:14a, 22-36, Matthew 28:16-20
The festival that we celebrate on this day is very different from the other festivals of the Church Year. The other festivals celebrate events. Christmas is the birth of our Lord. Epiphany is the coming of the Magi. Good Friday is the death of our Lord on the cross. Easter is His return to life. Ascension is His ascension into heaven. Pentecost is the special revelation of the Holy Spirit. The list could go on and on. The point is that every one of these festival days commemorates a special event in the life of the church. The Feast of the Holy Trinity, on the other hand, calls our attention, not to an event, but to a teaching of the Bible … the teaching that while God is one in essence, He is a community of three persons.
Furthermore, while the Bible assumes and describes this three-in-one nature of God, it does not give a name to that nature. As many people point out, you cannot find the words triune or trinity in the Bible. You can find descriptions of God that match the doctrine of the Trinity, but you will not find the actual words triune or trinity in the Bible.
It should not bother us that the words “triune” or “trinity” are not in the Bible. After all, things were falling when people dropped them a long time before we had the word “gravity.” Boats and other things were floating on water a long time before we had the word “buoyancy.” Birds, butterflies, and other things were flying a long time before we had the word “aerodynamics.” Just because we do or do not have a word for something does not mean that something does or does not exist. The question is, “Can we find evidence of this three-in-one nature of God in the Bible?”
We can begin with the Gospel that we just heard. Jesus was about to ascend into heaven and He gave the church instructions to baptize and teach disciples. His instructions call for the church to baptize in the name of God and He said, “Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) Note that the word “name” is singular. There is only one name. At the same time, there are three persons … Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus gave instructions to baptize in one name and three persons.
Before we heard Jesus in the Gospel, we heard Peter preach on that special Pentecost that we celebrated last week. In the words that we heard today, Peter was making the case that because Jesus rose from the dead, He is God the Savior. As He made his case, he freely spoke of the Father and the Holy Spirit. He said, “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.” (Acts 2:32–33) With these words, Peter not only showed that Jesus is the Savior, but He is also the Son of God who received the promise of the Holy Spirit from God the Father. Jesus Himself poured out the Holy Spirit with the signs of the sound of a mighty wind, the tongues of fire, and the ability to speak foreign languages.
Because the signs of that special Pentecost are so spectacular, we might be tempted to believe that that is the debut of the Holy Spirit … that He really didn’t do a lot before that special day. However, the first reading that we heard this morning shows that the Holy Spirit has always been around. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1–2) Here we see that the Spirit of God was active in the beginning when God created the world.
God reveals Himself through the Bible. As He reveals Himself, we continually encounter only one true God who is a community of three persons. Jesus revealed the Father and prayed to Him. The Father recognized Jesus as His Beloved Son. Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit. At the same time, the Bible clearly proclaims that there is one and only one God. The Bible clearly proclaims God as three persons … Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. At the same time, it clearly proclaims that God is one and there is no other.
Each of the readings we heard this morning calls attention to one person of the Trinity. The Old Testament reading tells of creation and we generally ascribe the work of creation to the Father. The second reading is part of the history of the Church and we generally ascribe the planting and nurturing of faith and the birth of the church to the Holy Spirit. The Gospel shows Jesus teaching and instituting a sacrament and these are the works we generally ascribe to Jesus the Son of God. So, each reading focuses on one member of the Trinity.
While each of these readings calls attention to one member of the Trinity, they also call attention to the fact that the three persons of the one God work together. As the Father creates the heavens and the Earth, there is the Spirit hovering over the face of the waters. As Peter preaches by the power of the Holy Spirit, he preaches about the Son. As Jesus established the sacrament of Holy Baptism, He tells us to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Whenever we see one person of the Triune God take a leading role, we will always find the other two persons making their contribution. The persons of the Triune God always work together as a team.
This is especially clear in the work that the Son of God did when He took on our human nature. Even His conception as a man was a team effort. When the Son took on our human nature, God the Father sent Him and He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Here we see all three persons of the Trinity at work.
The same three persons of the Triune God that worked together at His incarnation continued to do so throughout His life. Jesus began His public ministry at His Baptism. What happened? The Holy Spirit came down as a dove. The Father declared that Jesus is His Beloved Son and that He is well pleased with Jesus. Jesus began His mission of salvation together with the Father and Holy Spirit, and all are active in completing our salvation. He regularly prayed to His Father, and the Spirit was with him every step of the way.
Then came the final days of His life. An amazing thing happened while Jesus hung on the cross. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) Somehow, in a way that is beyond understanding, the tight relationship of the Triune God experienced forsakenness. We can’t imagine what or how that happened. Nevertheless, it had to be horrible. Yet even in that forsakenness, the influence of the Father was still there … Jesus was carrying out His Father’s will by going to the cross. On Easter morning, the Father raised him from the dead. Later, when Jesus ascended into heaven, He sent His Holy Spirit to establish and nurture the Church. Jesus Christ, the Son of God began, continued, and ended His time here on this earth in complete harmony with the other persons of the Trinity.
When God created us, He created us to be in perfect harmony with the Triune God as well. God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26) God created humanity in His image … sinless, immortal, intelligent, and with a soul that was breathed into us by the very breathe of God. We were to act on God’s behalf and rule in His name. God gave us a most excellent beginning and declared us to be very good.
That goodness did not last long. The serpent got into the garden and enticed our first parents to doubt God’s goodness. Our first parents began to think that they knew better than God. Instead of honoring God by declining the forbidden fruit, they dishonored Him by taking the fruit and eating it. They sinned against God and with that sin they brought death into the world. Our first parents broke their relationship with God and we have been unable to restore that relationship ever since.
That is the reason that the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, did what He did. In His love for us the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. That is the reason that He suffered hell on the cross as the Father forsook Him. He endured all this in order to renew that relationship that He originally had with us in Eden.
How do we receive that new relationship? Once again we see the teamwork of the Triune God at work. Just as the Father sent the Son to earn our forgiveness, so He sends the Holy Spirit to offer that forgiveness to us through the gift of faith. In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us how the Holy Spirit gives that gift of faith. The Holy Spirit works through the Church to make disciples. He begins with Holy Baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and He continues by teaching [those disciples] to observe all that [Jesus] commanded. As the Church follows Christ’s instructions to baptize and teach, the Holy Spirit works through Holy Baptism and instruction in the doctrines of Jesus Christ to create and strengthen faith in us. Thus today’s Gospel not only relates Christ’s instructions to baptize and teach, but also tells us that this is how the Holy Spirit will make disciples and gather them into the Church.
On this Holy Trinity Sunday, our readings remind us once again of the unity of the three persons in the one God. Even though each person of the Trinity has His primary role … the Father as creator, the Son as Redeemer, the Holy Spirit as Sanctifier … each person of the Trinity is involved with everything that God does … especially in the work of redeeming us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. For we are justified by God the Father’s grace, for God the Son’s sake, through God the Holy Spirit’s gift of faith. So we see that in all things … especially our salvation … the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Holy Trinity (A) - 4 June 2023
Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Sabaoth, we bless Your name. You have called us out of darkness into Your marvelous light. Guard Your Church, purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Keep her in the true faith, without error, schism or compromise, until that day when You welcome her home as Your spotless Bride. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, as the Holy Spirit hovered over the face of the deep, You uttered Your Word and the world was created. In the waters of Holy Baptism, You have spoken our names and declared us righteous. You have drawn us to Jesus, the light of life, and saved us. Let His light now shine through us, that others may see our good works and give glory to You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gracious God, we thank You for Your abiding presence in all times of life, especially in our homes by Your Word. Protect our youth from all temptation and sin. Lead broken families to confess their wrongs to You and to each other, and then to forgive each other as in Christ You forgive them. Open the hearts of all married people, [especially _____________ and all who celebrate anniversaries,] that their love for each other may never grow weary but deepen and grow through every joy and sorrow shared. Be with the elderly as they cope with physical limitations and weaknesses. Give them spiritual strength to cling to Your mercies, which are new every morning. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
In government and law, Father, You work to establish and preserve order, protecting the weak and fostering godly virtue. Bless our president; our governor; and all who make, administer and judge our laws. Bless all who defend us in the armed forces, aid us in the emergency and medical fields, or inform us. Hinder those who oppress any people with mistruth, violence or fear. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, as You continue to uphold Your creation, be with us as we still suffer under the curse of sin. By Your will, grant healing to the sick, comfort to the lonely, relief to those whose hearts are heavy with grief, and aid to those who are in any need [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father, in the blessed Sacrament Your Son gives His body as the bread of heaven and His blood as the cup of salvation. Help us to receive this blessed Sacrament with faith and show forth the fruits of the Spirit in lives of faith, repentance and goodness. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
525 “Crown Him with Many Crowns”
1 Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark how the heav’nly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless king
Through all eternity.
2 Crown Him the virgin’s Son,
The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
Which now His brow adorn:
Fruit of the mystic rose,
Yet of that rose the stem,
The root whence mercy ever flows,
The babe of Bethlehem.
3 Crown Him the Lord of love.
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angels in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bend their wond’ring eyes
At mysteries so bright.
4 Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o’er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.
5 Crown Him the Lord of heav’n,
Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the king to whom is giv’n
The wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns
As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
For He is king of all.
Text (sts. 1–3, 5): Matthew Bridges, 1800–94, alt.; (st. 4): Godfrey Thring, 1823–1903
Text: Public domain
905 “Come, Thou Almighty King”
1 Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing;
Help us to praise;
Father all-glorious,
O’er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.
2 Come, Thou incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword;
Our prayer attend.
Come and Thy people bless,
And give Thy Word success,
And let Thy righteousness
On us descend.
3 Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour!
Thou, who almighty art,
Now rule in ev’ry heart,
And ne’er from us depart,
Spirit of pow’r.
D 4 To Thee, great One in Three,
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore!
Thy sov’reign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
Love and adore.
Text: English, before 1760, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
Almighty and everlasting God, You have given us grace to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity by the confession of a true faith and to worship the Unity in the power of the Divine Majesty. Keep us steadfast in this faith and defend us from all adversities; for You, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C [spoken] Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C [spoken]Amen.
Closing Hymn: 506 “Glory Be to God the Father”
1 Glory be to God the Father,
Glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit:
Great Jehovah, Three in One!
Glory, glory
While eternal ages run!
2 Glory be to Him who loved us,
Washed us from each spot and stain;
Glory be to Him who bought us,
Made us kings with Him to reign!
Glory, glory
To the Lamb that once was slain!
3 Glory to the King of angels,
Glory to the Church’s King,
Glory to the King of nations;
Heav’n and earth, your praises bring!
Glory, glory
To the King of glory sing!
4 Glory, blessing, praise eternal!
Thus the choir of angels sings;
Honor, riches, pow’r, dominion!
Thus its praise creation brings.
Glory, glory,
Glory to the King of kings!
Text: Horatius Bonar, 1808–89
Text: Public domain
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Day of Pentecost – May 28, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Pat Tavare
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Day of Pentecost
May 28, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 15th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Liturgical Text; Psalm 104:24, 27–28, 30
P Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Numbers 11:24–30
24Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
26Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 25:1–5
1To you, | O Lord,*
I lift | up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be | put to shame;*
let not my enemies exult | over me.
3Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;*
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly | treacherous.
4Make me to know your ways, | O Lord;*
teach me | your paths.
5Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my sal- | vation;*
for you I wait all the | day long.
Second Reading Acts 2:1–21
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 7:37–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventh chapter.
37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 768 “To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray”
1 To God the Holy Spirit let us pray
For the true faith needed on our way
That He may defend us when life is ending
And from exile home we are wending.
Lord, have mercy!
2 O sweetest Love, Your grace on us bestow;
Set our hearts with sacred fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Ev’ry stranger, sister, and brother.
Lord, have mercy!
3 Transcendent Comfort in our ev’ry need,
Help us neither scorn nor death to heed
That we may not falter nor courage fail us
When the foe shall taunt and assail us.
Lord, have mercy!
4 Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light;
Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright
That we may abide in the Lord who bought us,
Till to our true home He has brought us.
Lord, have mercy!
Text: tr. Worship Supplement, 1969, alt.; (st. 1): German, c. 13th cent.; (sts. 2–4): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Extraordinary Ordinary and Adequate” John 7:37-39
Extraordinarly Ordinary and Adequate – John 7:37-39
If there’s one day within the life of the Church that can produce the unintended consequence of causing people to feel grossly inadequate in their faithful service to God, it’s this day—Pentecost. Today we hear about faithful disciples boldly and masterfully speaking in tongues, and thousands of people hearing, repenting, and converting. The Church grew by thousands because of the amazing evangelistic efforts of a few. There’s not a single pastor or congregation out there who wouldn’t love to experience even a fraction of such extraordinary and miraculous results. If only…. And this is where the feelings of inadequacy start to surface.
In proud fashion, though, we attempt to overcome these feelings of inadequacy. We try to manufacture and re-produce the results. Churches do it all the time. Re-produce the excitement; manufacture some awe and inspiration, and perhaps you’ll also re-produce the massive influx of new members. If you’re not putting on the biggest, most entertaining and uplifting show in town, then you’re doing something wrong. You don’t stand a chance. You’ll never experience your own personal Pentecost. You’re just a congregation waiting to die.
Well…I don’t believe a word of that. You know why? It’s not true. It’s not right. It’s not faithful. You see, the disciples never set out to have this Pentecost experience. They didn’t organize focus groups and community polls to find out what the public masses were looking for so that they could “scratch the itch of the masses” and make a big public splash. They didn’t sit down at a board meeting and discuss membership data and formulate marketing plans and advertising so that they could increase their market share. They didn’t even wake up that morning with the intention of going out from behind the safety of their locked doors. It wasn’t their plans and purposes and intentions that made that first Pentecost what it was. It was Almighty God.
It was the work of the Holy Spirit, who not only spoke the Truth of the Gospel through these men, endowing them with the gift of proclamation in a foreign tongue, but who also summoned a huge crowd of people to their front yard so that the crowd could hear the Gospel proclaimed to them. Remember: The text tells us that the “sound” of this great rushing wind caused everyone to come running so that they could find out what was going on. Faith comes by hearing. This hearing led the masses right to the source and wellspring of the Gospel. These men didn’t manufacture anything. In terms of “success,” these men were grossly inadequate, in and of themselves. Left to their own devices and schemes and plans, they would’ve produced nothing but ruin and despair. This Pentecost miracle was all God’s working. All glory and honor (and credit) belong to Him.
And that’s why I want to draw your attention to the words of your Lord and Savior in the Gospel lesson for this morning. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Look around at this sinfully parched and barren world that we call “home.” Do you think we need a good healthy drink of the living water that is Christ Jesus? The answer to that question is so obvious, it could be summed up in one word – “yes.” Who is quenching the thirst of the sinfully thirsty? Who is giving life to those dying from spiritual dehydration? Jesus! To say that we’re grossly inadequate in our personal capabilities to save and deliver people from damnation is an understatement. We’re not inadequate. We’re completely and utterly incapable, in and of ourselves…just like those first disciples were on that first Pentecost Sunday.
And this is precisely why I love this text for Pentecost Sunday meditation. So many people have the very best intentions to serve God. They desperately want to overcome their inadequacies. They want to grow Christ’s Church, by any means necessary. Who doesn’t want to see growth? Who wouldn’t love to say that their church is the epitome of “success”? But…are we willing to let God grow His Church His way and by His means, or do we perhaps attempt to manufacture and re-produce the desired growth on our own? Look at it this way: If someone is dying of thirst, will an interpretive dance quench their deadly thirst and save them? If someone is dying of dehydration, will a rousing game of paintball or cards or a trip to the bowling alley save them? Will beautiful place-settings and a decorated fellowship hall and a kitchen with all the bells and whistles give them the drink of life they so desperately need? “You’re thirsty? Here…look at our fancy new stove.” If someone is dying of dehydration, will it help them and save them to know that you and your little group of friends got together privately and thought about them or talked about them while you drank? Kind of sounds like what often passes for “church” nowadays, doesn’t it?
This is what Pentecost is all about! It’s not a one-day-out-of-the-year kind of thing. It’s not a result to emulate and attempt to mass reproduce. It’s simply letting God work, in you and through you, and hopefully not in spite of you. “Out of his heart will flow living waters.” Christ not only quenches your deadly dehydration, but He flows through you to your thirsty neighbor in need. My question for you is: What flows forth from you? What do people get a drink of when they encounter you? Do they receive the life-giving waters of Christ through you and your words and deeds, or do they get a shot full of sin; a tall drink of septic sin flowing forth from your septic, self-centered, idolatrous heart? When you get down to it, it really is that simple; as simple as giving a drink of water; as simple as being the overflowing cup that Christ uses to quench the thirst of all those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
As I said earlier, people want to see growth. We all do. It’s natural. We want to have the same “big score” those first disciples did on that first Pentecost. We all want to be thought of as successful, individually and congregationally. We all want to see and experience more Pentecost results. We’d even be content with fractions of those results. Let God work. Let Him quench the thirst of all those who are sinfully dehydrated and dying in their sin. Open the floodgates and let the Word work, even if it’s one little drink at a time to one little thirsty soul in need. One soul saved is a Pentecost miracle; a miracle that causes the very angels in heaven to rejoice. Faith comes by hearing; hearing the life-giving Word of Christ. Just think about that first Pentecost message. “This Jesus, whom you crucified….” The mass of individuals, cut to their hearts, hear this and respond, “What shall we do to be saved?” “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” So simple. So concise. So right to the Christological point. Law and Gospel in its purest form.
Your Lord—your Good Shepherd—endeavors to lead His dehydrated flock through the valley of the shadow of death to cool, calm, life-giving waters—EVERYONE. “I desire the death of no man.” Let Him lead. Let Him work. Let Him quench and nourish His way. Proclaim the Good News that Christ Jesus died for our sins. Yes—such a proclamation rightly includes calling sin what it is – SIN. But such a proclamation also includes the life-giving cure—the Gospel Good News that says that all is forgiven and forgotten in the all-quenching, life-saving blood of Jesus.
May this Good News of the Gospel quench and satiate you as you continue to be in the world, but not of the world. May this living water of the Gospel freely flow forth from you as your Lord endeavors to quench and satiate all those who are dehydrated and dying in their sin and despair. May God’s almighty and extraordinarily life-giving miracle of Pentecost, which was begun in the lives of some rather ordinary and inadequate men so many centuries ago, continue to work in you and through you, and not in spite of you. Be at peace—the peace that surpasses all understanding—because, in faith, you are not inadequate; not to God. You are in Christ, and Christ is in you. You, like the other ordinary means that God uses to nourish and feed and save—His Word and Sacraments—are made extraordinary by Christ, in Christ, and because of Christ, and He certainly can and does accomplish the extraordinary through the most ordinary and inadequate. May this peace of Christ be the life-giving water that ever flows in you and through you in all your daily Pentecost opportunities.
To God alone be all the glory, praise, and honor. AMEN.
Offertory
Offering
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Day of Pentecost (A) - 28 May 2023
Lord God, heavenly Father, when You filled the disciples with the Holy Spirit, 3,000 souls were called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified. Likewise, fill our congregation, our Synod and the whole Christian Church on earth with the Holy Spirit. Renew us, that the Sacraments may be administered faithfully and many more would be called by the Gospel, enlightened with Your gifts, sanctified and kept in the true faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You delivered Your Word through Moses and the prophets and fulfilled Your Word in Christ. He was planted in death for our sins and raised for our justification, and in Him shall all the nations of the earth be united. Give us pastors who will preach this truth faithfully and church workers who are devoted to Your service. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have promised that all who drink from Your living water will well up to eternal life. Help us show forth in holy lives the fruits of the Spirit and live with love toward our neighbor. Remove all pride, prejudice and hate, that we may not hinder the cause of the Gospel shamefully but give welcome to all people in Christ’s name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, we give thanks for those who have served our nation through military service, and we remember with gratitude those who gave their lives for us and the cause of freedom. Help us to honor their sacrifice by using our liberty responsibly. Keep safe all who travel, bless our nation, and help us to protect and increase the privileges we have for those who follow us, looking always to You, from whom these gifts come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Light of this dark world, You have sent the Holy Spirit to Your Church as the comforter. Soothe the wounds of Your people. According to Your will, bring restoration to broken families, heal the sick, uplift the depressed, provide for the poor, uphold the forgotten and answer the prayers of all who call out to You for aid [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Giver of the Holy Spirit, clear away all distractions, that our hearts and minds may be focused on You. As Christ comes to us in the bread which is His body and the cup of His blood, help us to receive Your gifts with faith and to live from them. Receive our praise and thanksgiving together with the tithes and offerings we bring, as tokens of our trust in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, with Your Son, Jesus Christ, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts through Your Word to rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune, and defend us against every error, that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and good works, and — trusting firmly in Your grace for us by His death — obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who ascended above the heavens and, sitting at Your right hand, poured out on this day the promised Holy Spirit on His chosen disciples. For all this the whole earth rejoices with exceeding joy. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
913 “O Holy Spirit, Enter In”
1 O Holy Spirit, enter in,
And in our hearts Your work begin,
Your dwelling place now make us.
Sun of the soul, O Light divine,
Around and in us brightly shine,
To joy and gladness wake us
That we may be
Truly living,
To You giving
Prayer unceasing
And in love be still increasing.
2 Give to Your Word impressive pow’r,
That in our hearts from this good hour
As fire it may be glowing,
That in true Christian unity
We faithful witnesses may be,
Your glory ever showing.
Hear us, cheer us
By Your teaching;
Let our preaching
And our labor
Praise You, Lord, and serve our neighbor.
3 O mighty Rock, O Source of life,
Let Your dear Word, in doubt and strife,
In us be strongly burning
That we be faithful unto death
And live in love and holy faith,
From You true wisdom learning.
Your grace and peace
On us shower;
By Your power
Christ confessing,
Let us see our Savior’s blessing.
Text: Michael Schirmer, 1606–73, adapt.; (sts. 1, 3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 2): tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
496 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
1 Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
2 Let me see my Savior’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.
3 Holy Spirit, pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.
4 Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Yield a sacred, settled peace,
Let it grow and still increase.
5 Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Text: Andrew Reed, 1787–1862, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 503 “O Day Full of Grace”
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Day of Pentecost – May 28, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Howard Holman
Lay Reader Robert Potts
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Pat Tavare
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
1,000 years from now . . .
things will be very different for ALL of us. It will not matter whether we lived in a mansion or a shed, ate steak or cold cuts, drove a Cadillac or a Corolla, had a doctorate or signed our name with an X. What will matter a great deal is whether we believed in Jesus as our Savior from sin, remained faithful to Jesus until death, witnessed for Jesus by word and deed, and earnestly prayed for souls and kingdom growth.
The LORD is the everlasting God. Isaiah 40:28
The Day of Pentecost
May 28, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 497 “Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord”
1 Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord,
With all Your graces now outpoured
On each believer’s mind and heart;
Your fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Your light
In holy faith Your Church unite;
From ev’ry land and ev’ry tongue
This to Your praise, O Lord, our God, be sung:
Alleluia, alleluia!
2 Come, holy Light, guide divine,
Now cause the Word of life to shine.
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev’ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Alleluia, alleluia!
3 Come, holy Fire, comfort true,
Grant us the will Your work to do
And in Your service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Your pow’r prepare each heart,
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Through life and death to You, our Lord, ascend.
Alleluia, alleluia!
Text: tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.; (st. 1): German, 15th cent.; (sts. 2–3): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Liturgical Text; Psalm 104:24, 27–28, 30
P Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love. Alleluia.
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. These all look to you, to give them their food in due season. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you send forth your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
Old Testament Reading Numbers 11:24–30
24Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it.
26Now two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the Spirit rested on them. They were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. 27And a young man ran and told Moses, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” 28And Joshua the son of Nun, the assistant of Moses from his youth, said, “My lord Moses, stop them.” 29But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” 30And Moses and the elders of Israel returned to the camp.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 25:1–5
1To you, | O Lord,*
I lift | up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be | put to shame;*
let not my enemies exult | over me.
3Indeed, none who wait for you shall be | put to shame;*
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly | treacherous.
4Make me to know your ways, | O Lord;*
teach me | your paths.
5Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my sal- | vation;*
for you I wait all the | day long.
Second Reading Acts 2:1–21
1When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel John 7:37–39
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventh chapter.
37On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 768 “To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray”
1 To God the Holy Spirit let us pray
For the true faith needed on our way
That He may defend us when life is ending
And from exile home we are wending.
Lord, have mercy!
2 O sweetest Love, Your grace on us bestow;
Set our hearts with sacred fire aglow
That with hearts united we love each other,
Ev’ry stranger, sister, and brother.
Lord, have mercy!
3 Transcendent Comfort in our ev’ry need,
Help us neither scorn nor death to heed
That we may not falter nor courage fail us
When the foe shall taunt and assail us.
Lord, have mercy!
4 Shine in our hearts, O Spirit, precious light;
Teach us Jesus Christ to know aright
That we may abide in the Lord who bought us,
Till to our true home He has brought us.
Lord, have mercy!
Text: tr. Worship Supplement, 1969, alt.; (st. 1): German, c. 13th cent.; (sts. 2–4): Martin Luther, 1483–1546
Text: © 1969 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “Extraordinary Ordinary and Adequate” John 7:37-39
Extraordinarly Ordinary and Adequate – John 7:37-39
If there’s one day within the life of the Church that can produce the unintended consequence of causing people to feel grossly inadequate in their faithful service to God, it’s this day—Pentecost. Today we hear about faithful disciples boldly and masterfully speaking in tongues, and thousands of people hearing, repenting, and converting. The Church grew by thousands because of the amazing evangelistic efforts of a few. There’s not a single pastor or congregation out there who wouldn’t love to experience even a fraction of such extraordinary and miraculous results. If only…. And this is where the feelings of inadequacy start to surface.
In proud fashion, though, we attempt to overcome these feelings of inadequacy. We try to manufacture and re-produce the results. Churches do it all the time. Re-produce the excitement; manufacture some awe and inspiration, and perhaps you’ll also re-produce the massive influx of new members. If you’re not putting on the biggest, most entertaining and uplifting show in town, then you’re doing something wrong. You don’t stand a chance. You’ll never experience your own personal Pentecost. You’re just a congregation waiting to die.
Well…I don’t believe a word of that. You know why? It’s not true. It’s not right. It’s not faithful. You see, the disciples never set out to have this Pentecost experience. They didn’t organize focus groups and community polls to find out what the public masses were looking for so that they could “scratch the itch of the masses” and make a big public splash. They didn’t sit down at a board meeting and discuss membership data and formulate marketing plans and advertising so that they could increase their market share. They didn’t even wake up that morning with the intention of going out from behind the safety of their locked doors. It wasn’t their plans and purposes and intentions that made that first Pentecost what it was. It was Almighty God.
It was the work of the Holy Spirit, who not only spoke the Truth of the Gospel through these men, endowing them with the gift of proclamation in a foreign tongue, but who also summoned a huge crowd of people to their front yard so that the crowd could hear the Gospel proclaimed to them. Remember: The text tells us that the “sound” of this great rushing wind caused everyone to come running so that they could find out what was going on. Faith comes by hearing. This hearing led the masses right to the source and wellspring of the Gospel. These men didn’t manufacture anything. In terms of “success,” these men were grossly inadequate, in and of themselves. Left to their own devices and schemes and plans, they would’ve produced nothing but ruin and despair. This Pentecost miracle was all God’s working. All glory and honor (and credit) belong to Him.
And that’s why I want to draw your attention to the words of your Lord and Savior in the Gospel lesson for this morning. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Look around at this sinfully parched and barren world that we call “home.” Do you think we need a good healthy drink of the living water that is Christ Jesus? The answer to that question is so obvious, it could be summed up in one word – “yes.” Who is quenching the thirst of the sinfully thirsty? Who is giving life to those dying from spiritual dehydration? Jesus! To say that we’re grossly inadequate in our personal capabilities to save and deliver people from damnation is an understatement. We’re not inadequate. We’re completely and utterly incapable, in and of ourselves…just like those first disciples were on that first Pentecost Sunday.
And this is precisely why I love this text for Pentecost Sunday meditation. So many people have the very best intentions to serve God. They desperately want to overcome their inadequacies. They want to grow Christ’s Church, by any means necessary. Who doesn’t want to see growth? Who wouldn’t love to say that their church is the epitome of “success”? But…are we willing to let God grow His Church His way and by His means, or do we perhaps attempt to manufacture and re-produce the desired growth on our own? Look at it this way: If someone is dying of thirst, will an interpretive dance quench their deadly thirst and save them? If someone is dying of dehydration, will a rousing game of paintball or cards or a trip to the bowling alley save them? Will beautiful place-settings and a decorated fellowship hall and a kitchen with all the bells and whistles give them the drink of life they so desperately need? “You’re thirsty? Here…look at our fancy new stove.” If someone is dying of dehydration, will it help them and save them to know that you and your little group of friends got together privately and thought about them or talked about them while you drank? Kind of sounds like what often passes for “church” nowadays, doesn’t it?
This is what Pentecost is all about! It’s not a one-day-out-of-the-year kind of thing. It’s not a result to emulate and attempt to mass reproduce. It’s simply letting God work, in you and through you, and hopefully not in spite of you. “Out of his heart will flow living waters.” Christ not only quenches your deadly dehydration, but He flows through you to your thirsty neighbor in need. My question for you is: What flows forth from you? What do people get a drink of when they encounter you? Do they receive the life-giving waters of Christ through you and your words and deeds, or do they get a shot full of sin; a tall drink of septic sin flowing forth from your septic, self-centered, idolatrous heart? When you get down to it, it really is that simple; as simple as giving a drink of water; as simple as being the overflowing cup that Christ uses to quench the thirst of all those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
As I said earlier, people want to see growth. We all do. It’s natural. We want to have the same “big score” those first disciples did on that first Pentecost. We all want to be thought of as successful, individually and congregationally. We all want to see and experience more Pentecost results. We’d even be content with fractions of those results. Let God work. Let Him quench the thirst of all those who are sinfully dehydrated and dying in their sin. Open the floodgates and let the Word work, even if it’s one little drink at a time to one little thirsty soul in need. One soul saved is a Pentecost miracle; a miracle that causes the very angels in heaven to rejoice. Faith comes by hearing; hearing the life-giving Word of Christ. Just think about that first Pentecost message. “This Jesus, whom you crucified….” The mass of individuals, cut to their hearts, hear this and respond, “What shall we do to be saved?” “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” So simple. So concise. So right to the Christological point. Law and Gospel in its purest form.
Your Lord—your Good Shepherd—endeavors to lead His dehydrated flock through the valley of the shadow of death to cool, calm, life-giving waters—EVERYONE. “I desire the death of no man.” Let Him lead. Let Him work. Let Him quench and nourish His way. Proclaim the Good News that Christ Jesus died for our sins. Yes—such a proclamation rightly includes calling sin what it is – SIN. But such a proclamation also includes the life-giving cure—the Gospel Good News that says that all is forgiven and forgotten in the all-quenching, life-saving blood of Jesus.
May this Good News of the Gospel quench and satiate you as you continue to be in the world, but not of the world. May this living water of the Gospel freely flow forth from you as your Lord endeavors to quench and satiate all those who are dehydrated and dying in their sin and despair. May God’s almighty and extraordinarily life-giving miracle of Pentecost, which was begun in the lives of some rather ordinary and inadequate men so many centuries ago, continue to work in you and through you, and not in spite of you. Be at peace—the peace that surpasses all understanding—because, in faith, you are not inadequate; not to God. You are in Christ, and Christ is in you. You, like the other ordinary means that God uses to nourish and feed and save—His Word and Sacraments—are made extraordinary by Christ, in Christ, and because of Christ, and He certainly can and does accomplish the extraordinary through the most ordinary and inadequate. May this peace of Christ be the life-giving water that ever flows in you and through you in all your daily Pentecost opportunities.
To God alone be all the glory, praise, and honor. AMEN.
Offertory
Offering
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - The Day of Pentecost (A) - 28 May 2023
Lord God, heavenly Father, when You filled the disciples with the Holy Spirit, 3,000 souls were called, gathered, enlightened and sanctified. Likewise, fill our congregation, our Synod and the whole Christian Church on earth with the Holy Spirit. Renew us, that the Sacraments may be administered faithfully and many more would be called by the Gospel, enlightened with Your gifts, sanctified and kept in the true faith. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You delivered Your Word through Moses and the prophets and fulfilled Your Word in Christ. He was planted in death for our sins and raised for our justification, and in Him shall all the nations of the earth be united. Give us pastors who will preach this truth faithfully and church workers who are devoted to Your service. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You have promised that all who drink from Your living water will well up to eternal life. Help us show forth in holy lives the fruits of the Spirit and live with love toward our neighbor. Remove all pride, prejudice and hate, that we may not hinder the cause of the Gospel shamefully but give welcome to all people in Christ’s name. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of hosts, we give thanks for those who have served our nation through military service, and we remember with gratitude those who gave their lives for us and the cause of freedom. Help us to honor their sacrifice by using our liberty responsibly. Keep safe all who travel, bless our nation, and help us to protect and increase the privileges we have for those who follow us, looking always to You, from whom these gifts come. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Light of this dark world, You have sent the Holy Spirit to Your Church as the comforter. Soothe the wounds of Your people. According to Your will, bring restoration to broken families, heal the sick, uplift the depressed, provide for the poor, uphold the forgotten and answer the prayers of all who call out to You for aid [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, Giver of the Holy Spirit, clear away all distractions, that our hearts and minds may be focused on You. As Christ comes to us in the bread which is His body and the cup of His blood, help us to receive Your gifts with faith and to live from them. Receive our praise and thanksgiving together with the tithes and offerings we bring, as tokens of our trust in You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty Father, with Your Son, Jesus Christ, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts through Your Word to rule and govern us according to Your will, comfort us in every temptation and misfortune, and defend us against every error, that we may continue steadfast in the faith, increase in love and good works, and — trusting firmly in Your grace for us by His death — obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who ascended above the heavens and, sitting at Your right hand, poured out on this day the promised Holy Spirit on His chosen disciples. For all this the whole earth rejoices with exceeding joy. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
913 “O Holy Spirit, Enter In”
1 O Holy Spirit, enter in,
And in our hearts Your work begin,
Your dwelling place now make us.
Sun of the soul, O Light divine,
Around and in us brightly shine,
To joy and gladness wake us
That we may be
Truly living,
To You giving
Prayer unceasing
And in love be still increasing.
2 Give to Your Word impressive pow’r,
That in our hearts from this good hour
As fire it may be glowing,
That in true Christian unity
We faithful witnesses may be,
Your glory ever showing.
Hear us, cheer us
By Your teaching;
Let our preaching
And our labor
Praise You, Lord, and serve our neighbor.
3 O mighty Rock, O Source of life,
Let Your dear Word, in doubt and strife,
In us be strongly burning
That we be faithful unto death
And live in love and holy faith,
From You true wisdom learning.
Your grace and peace
On us shower;
By Your power
Christ confessing,
Let us see our Savior’s blessing.
Text: Michael Schirmer, 1606–73, adapt.; (sts. 1, 3): tr. Catherine Winkworth, 1827–78, alt.; (st. 2): tr. The Lutheran Hymnal, 1941, alt.
Text: Public domain
496 “Holy Spirit, Light Divine”
1 Holy Spirit, light divine,
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
2 Let me see my Savior’s face,
Let me all His beauties trace;
Show those glorious truths to me
Which are only known to Thee.
3 Holy Spirit, pow’r divine,
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine;
In Thy mercy pity me,
From sin’s bondage set me free.
4 Holy Spirit, joy divine,
Cheer this saddened heart of mine;
Yield a sacred, settled peace,
Let it grow and still increase.
5 Holy Spirit, all divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine;
Cast down ev’ry idol throne,
Reign supreme, and reign alone.
Text: Andrew Reed, 1787–1862, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 503 “O Day Full of Grace”
1 O day full of grace that now we see
Appearing on earth’s horizon,
Bring light from our God that we may be
Replete in His joy this season.
God, shine for us now in this dark place;
Your name on our hearts emblazon.
2 O day full of grace, O blessèd time,
Our Lord on the earth arriving;
Then came to the world that light sublime,
Great joy for us all retrieving;
For Jesus all mortals did embrace,
All darkness and shame removing.
3 For Christ bore our sins, and not His own,
When He on the cross was hanging;
And then He arose and moved the stone
That we, unto Him belonging,
Might join with angelic hosts to raise
Our voices in endless singing.
4 God came to us then at Pentecost,
His Spirit new life revealing,
That we might no more from Him be lost,
All darkness for us dispelling.
His flame will the mark of sin efface
And bring to us all His healing.
5 When we on that final journey go
That Christ is for us preparing,
We’ll gather in song, our hearts aglow,
All joy of the heavens sharing,
And walk in the light of God’s own place,
With angels His name adoring.
Text: Scandinavian, c. 1450; tr. Gerald Thorson, 1921–2001
Text: © 1978 Lutheran Book of Worship. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+Soli Deo Gloria+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday of Easter – May 21, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 21, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 492 “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build”
1 On Christ’s ascension I now build
The hope of my ascension;
This hope alone has always stilled
All doubt and apprehension;
For where the Head is, there as well
I know His members are to dwell
When Christ will come and call them.
2 Since Christ returned to claim His throne,
Great gifts for me obtaining,
My heart will rest in Him alone,
No other rest remaining;
For where my treasure went before,
There all my thoughts will ever soar
To still their deepest yearning.
3 O grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,
Recalling Your ascension,
That I may serve You faithfully
In thanks for my redemption;
And then, when all my days will cease,
Let me depart in joy and peace
In answer to my pleading.
Text: Josua Wegelin, 1604–40; tr. William M. Czamanske, 1873–1964, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 100
P I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 1:12–26
12Then [the apostles] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 68:1–10
1God shall arise, his enemies shall be | scattered;*
and those who hate him shall flee be- | fore him!
2As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive | them away;*
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish be- | fore God!
3But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult be- | fore God;*
they shall be jubilant | with joy!
4Sing to God, sing praises | to his name;*
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult be- | fore him!
5Father of the fatherless and protector of | widows*
is God in his holy habi- | tation.
6God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to pros- | perity,*
but the rebellious dwell in a | parched land.
7O God, when you went out before your | people,*
when you marched through the | wilderness,
8the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of | Sinai,*
before God, the God of | Israel.
9Rain in abundance, O God, you | shed abroad;*
you restored your inheritance as it | languished;
10your flock found a dwell- | ing in it;*
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the | needy.
Epistle 1 Peter 4:12–19; 5:6–11
12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. . . .
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 17:1–11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 539 “Christ Is the World’s Redeemer”
sung to a different melody
1 Christ is the world’s Redeemer,
The lover of the pure,
The font of heav’nly wisdom,
Our trust and hope secure,
The armor of His soldiers,
The Lord of earth and sky,
Our health while we are living,
Our life when we shall die.
2 Christ has our host surrounded
With clouds of martyrs bright,
Who wave their palms in triumph
And fire us for the fight.
Then Christ the cross ascended
To save a world undone
And, suff’ring for the sinful,
Our full redemption won.
3 Down through the realm of darkness
He strode in victory,
And at the hour appointed
He rose triumphantly.
And now, to heav’n ascended,
He sits upon the throne
Whence He had ne’er departed,
His Father’s and His own.
D 4 Glory to God the Father,
The unbegotten One,
All honor be to Jesus,
His sole-begotten Son,
And to the Holy Spirit--
The perfect Trinity.
Let all the worlds give answer:
Amen! So let it be.
Text: attr. Columba, 521–597; tr. Duncan MacGregor, 1854–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Prays for Us” John 17:1-11
Jesus Prays for Us – John 17:1-11
During the last half of the Easter Season, we have been listening to Jesus in the Upper Room just a few hours before Judas betrayed Him. This morning, we had an opportunity to listen to the prayer Jesus prayed at the close of His teaching. Soon they will leave the Upper Room and make their way to Gethsemane where Judas would betray Him into the hands of the temple guard.
This is one of the few accounts of the actual words of Jesus in prayer. The Gospel accounts tell us that prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life, but most of the time, they do not tell us the actual words that He prayed. At this time, just before Jesus took the disciples to Gethsemane, Jesus wanted the disciples to hear the words of His prayer, and the Holy Spirit inspired John to record them for us.
In this prayer, we hear Jesus in His state of humiliation. Although He is both God and man in one person, He did not use His Divine power for His own benefit. As you listen to this prayer, you hear the prayer of a man who endures great stress. He knows what is coming. He knows that the next 24 hours will hold shame, torture, and death. In His state of humiliation, He will not use His divine power to reduce the anguish of the suffering and death that is coming. At the same time, His words tell us that He is fully aware of His divine nature. He will speak of the divine results of His suffering. He will also speak of His eternal existence in the presence of God the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard is only the first half of the prayer. Nevertheless, it is useful to look at the overall organization of the entire prayer before we get into the details of what we heard this morning.
Jesus began with prayer for Himself. Just as the flight attendant on an airline instructs you to place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then you will have the oxygen you need to help others, so also, when we pray, it is appropriate to pray for ourselves first, so that we may better pray for others. That is exactly what Jesus did.
Second, Jesus prayed for His disciples. He prayed that the Father would strengthen and keep them, not only during the next few days of grief for their dead teacher, but also for the years of persecution as they proclaimed the Gospel.
Finally, in the part of the prayer that we did not hear today, Jesus prayed for you. He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. (John 17:20) This part of the prayer is for all New Testament believers. For it is by the proclamation of the Gospel that these people come to believe. It is by the proclamation of the Gospel that you came to believe.
So, the prayer begins as Jesus prayed for Himself. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John speaks frequently of this hour. At the wedding in Cana Jesus had a conversation with His mother. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:3–4) At another time, He offended some people with His teaching. So they were seeking to arrest him, but “no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 7:30) And again: “These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:20) Now, in this prayer, Jesus acknowledges that the hour has come.
The hour Jesus speaks of is His appointment with the work that will earn the forgiveness of sins for all people. Jesus knows full well about the shame, suffering, and death that waits for Him. He knows full well the wrath of God that He will endure as He takes our punishment onto Himself. And so it is that He begins, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1)
Jesus continued His prayer, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John uses the words glory or glorify about forty times. When we hear the words glory and glorify outside the Bible, they usually refer to fame, honor, wealth, and so forth. This is not what these words mean in the Bible. Within the Bible, glory is lowly service. In the case of Jesus, His greatest glory comes as He hangs on the cross. With these words, Jesus prayed for the strength to submit to death on the cross.
But what is the benefit of Christ’s glory on the cross? Jesus prayed for that as well as He prayed, “Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:1–3) The glory of Christ on the cross gives eternal life to all who know God, but not just any god. Eternal Life is for those who know the only true God who sent Jesus Christ to suffer the glory of the cross. It is not enough to say, “I believe in god.” There are many religions that believe in god. The true religion knows the only true God, and Jesus Christ who was sent from God.
There is also comfort in this prayer for those who are afraid that their faith is not strong enough … that they are not sure of their salvation. Throughout this prayer, Jesus speaks of the disciples as those whom the Father has given Him. The disciples were not responsible for their faith. The disciples did not attach themselves to Jesus of their own will. Instead, God chose them. Jesus prayed for them as a gift to Him from God the Father. Likewise, God has chosen you. It is God who chooses those who receive Christ’s gift of eternal life.
After Jesus asked for strength for His glorification on the cross, He acknowledged the work that He already did. He prayed, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:4–8) The cross is the crowning glory of Jesus Christ, but the cross would be no good if Jesus did not also lead a perfect life. The blood that He shed on the cross must be innocent. He lived a perfect life under the law.
Part of that perfect life involved the proclamation of the words that the Father gave Him to proclaim. The saving work of Jesus Christ does no good if no one proclaims it. It is when the Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Gospel, that God brings people to faith in Jesus so that they receive the gifts that He has for them. Jesus conducted a ministry of teaching and healing. He proclaimed the words that the Father had given Him. Jesus had finished the work the Father sent Him to do before He endured the glory of the cross. He had prepared everything according to the Father’s will. Now it was the time for Him to submit passively to the cross.
As Jesus acknowledged the completion of the task of proclamation, He transitioned into prayer for His disciples. He prayed, “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:8–11)
With these words, Jesus prayed specifically for those whom the Father had chosen. He knew that they would endure incredible grief over the next few days. He, their teacher and their friend, would be arrested, hung on a cross, and buried in a tomb. He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. Jesus did not want them to be alone at this time.
Jesus was also looking ahead to the time after His resurrection. He knew that He would soon ascend into heaven. Again, He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. After Jesus ascended, they would continue to endure the attacks of this sinful world. They needed protection. Jesus prayed for the Father to keep them unified … not just in any unity, but in the unity of God’s name. Jesus prayed, that in the name of God, they would have the transcendent unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
With these words, we come to the end of the Gospel reading for this day. Jesus’ prayer continues to the end of the chapter. I encourage you to take the time to read the entire prayer.
Jesus had fulfilled His ministry of teaching and healing. Everything was in place. The time had come for Him to endure the glory of the cross. He prayed that God the Father would sustain Him so that He would glorify the Father and the Father would glorify Him. By enduring the glory of the cross, He would give eternal life to those whom the Father had given to Him. He prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples while He hung on the cross and laid in the grave. He also prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples as, at the time of the ascension, His presence with them changed from the visible to the sacramental. As we came to the ending of today’s reading, we heard Jesus pray for the unity of the church in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus went on to pray specifically for you as He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” (John 17:20) He continues to pray for you to this very day.
Of course, God answered Jesus’ prayer. Jesus did indeed endure the glory of the cross to earn eternal life for you, me, and all people. Jesus opened the way to eternal life by rising from the dead. God poured out the Holy Spirit to call us by the Gospel and enlighten us with His gifts. Eternal life is already ours in Christ. Although our understanding of God’s unity is imperfect in this life, we are unified in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
When we leave this world, God will fully glorify us with him forever in heaven. There we will finally see and fully partake of the glory of the Father, not as a reward but as a promise … eternal inheritance for all believers. Until that day, we pray that God would use us to glorify his name in this world in all that we do. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter (A) - 21 May 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, Ruler of all, protect and defend Your Church from every attack of the devil who prowls and seeks to devour. Where he tempts, strengthen Your people to resist his seductions and terrors; where he gains a foothold with false teaching or ungodly living, call to repentance and holiness; and where he incites enemies against Your Word and Church, preserve Your saints in the faith, that they may rejoice to share in the sufferings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, bless the work of our missionaries. Bring forth Your harvest from the seeds they sow. Support those who endure fiery trials for Your name. As they shine the light of the Gospel into hostile darkness, guard them with the sign of Your cross. Let them rejoice that in tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, they share in Your very sufferings. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You hold the might of man in Your hand and can destroy all things by Your mighty power. Bless our nation and all the peoples of the world. Where war and violence threaten, bring peace and justice. Where oppression reigns, bring liberty. Watch over those who defend us, especially the men and women of our armed forces and those who protect within our communities. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have saved us by Your grace. We pray for the sick, the distressed, those whose hearts are heavy, those whose lives are burdened, those who mourn and all who are in any need [especially _____________]. Grant them healing according to Your will, strength and mercy according to their needs, and the peace that passes understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, Your Son is both host and meal in the Sacrament of the Altar. Give us faith to recognize His body and blood and to receive with grateful faith this blessed food in Holy Communion. Guide us to live faithfully here on earth until we live forever with You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as the first Christians devoted themselves to prayer and worship following Christ’s glorious ascension, preserve us in the same until we are raised with all the saints to Your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Having revealed Your glory in the face of Your only-begotten Son, who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation, You have exalted Him to the highest majesty at Your right hand, that He might graciously fill all things.
Grant us faithfully to eat and drink this Holy Supper, trusting our reigning Savior Jesus, who, though unseen in His ascended glory, is here present to save by His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
772 “In Holy Conversation”
1 In holy conversation
We speak to God in prayer,
And at His invitation
Our deepest thoughts we share.
We come, His will obeying,
As children bringing needs;
And to support our praying,
His Spirit intercedes.
2 These holy conversations
Begin in childlike ways;
We bring our supplications
And words of thanks and praise.
With care our Father listens
To ev’ry thought expressed,
Then answers our petitions
In ways He knows are best.
3 As holy conversation,
In silence or by word,
In ev’ry situation
Through Jesus, we are heard.
So let us pray securely,
Expressing hopes and fears
With confidence that surely
Our Father ever hears.
Text: Gregory J. Wismar, 1946
Text: © 2004 Gregory J. Wismar. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 829 “Christ the Eternal Lord”
1 Christ the eternal Lord,
Whose promise here we claim,
Whose gifts of grace are freely poured
On all who name Your name;
With thankfulness and praise
We stand before Your throne,
Intent to serve You all our days
And make Your glory known.
2 Christ the unchanging Word
To ev’ry passing age,
Whose timeless teachings still are heard
Set forth on Scripture’s page;
Transform our thought and mind,
Enlighten all who read,
Within Your Word by faith to find
The bread of life indeed.
3 Christ the redeeming Son,
Who shares our human birth,
And by His death salvation won
For ev’ry child of earth;
Inspire our hearts, we pray,
To tell Your love abroad,
That all may honor Christ today
And follow Him as Lord.
4 Christ the unfading Light
Of everlasting day,
Our Morning Star in splendor bright,
The Life, the Truth, the Way;
That light of truth You give
To servants as to friends,
Your way to walk, Your life to live,
Till earth’s brief journey ends.
5 Christ the ascended King
Exalted high above,
Whose praise unending ages sing,
Whom yet unseen we love;
When mortal life is past
Your voice from heaven’s throne
Shall call Your children home at last
To know as we are known.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1999 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives!+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Seventh Sunday of Easter – May 21, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Wayne Helley
Acolyte Kathy McCarthy
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Coleen Tallman
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: As a citizen of this present age you have certain rights: You have the right to become a child of God. However, everything you have done or will do can and will be held against you. Because you cannot pay the penalty for your misdeeds, God has provided a Substitute, Jesus Christ, who took your sentence and punishment for you on the cross. However, you have the right to refuse God's free gift of forgiveness for your sins and receive instead eternal condemnation. Now, with these rights in mind, is there any good reason why you should not believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, as your personal Savior?
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 21, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 492 “On Christ’s Ascension I Now Build”
1 On Christ’s ascension I now build
The hope of my ascension;
This hope alone has always stilled
All doubt and apprehension;
For where the Head is, there as well
I know His members are to dwell
When Christ will come and call them.
2 Since Christ returned to claim His throne,
Great gifts for me obtaining,
My heart will rest in Him alone,
No other rest remaining;
For where my treasure went before,
There all my thoughts will ever soar
To still their deepest yearning.
3 O grant, dear Lord, this grace to me,
Recalling Your ascension,
That I may serve You faithfully
In thanks for my redemption;
And then, when all my days will cease,
Let me depart in joy and peace
In answer to my pleading.
Text: Josua Wegelin, 1604–40; tr. William M. Czamanske, 1873–1964, alt.
Text: © 1941 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
C But with You there is forgiveness; therefore You are feared.
P Since we are gathered to hear God’s Word, call upon Him in prayer and praise, and receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ in the fellowship of this altar, let us first consider our unworthiness and confess before God and one another that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, and that we cannot free ourselves from our sinful condition. Together as His people let us take refuge in the infinite mercy of God, our heavenly Father, seeking His grace for the sake of Christ, and saying:
C God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us our sins, and lead us to everlasting life. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 100
P I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Let us pray.
O King of glory, Lord of hosts, uplifted in triumph far above all heavens, leave us not without consolation but send us the Spirit of truth whom You promised from the Father; for You live and reign with Him and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Sit
First Reading Acts 1:12–26
12Then [the apostles] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18(Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20“For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 68:1–10
1God shall arise, his enemies shall be | scattered;*
and those who hate him shall flee be- | fore him!
2As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive | them away;*
as wax melts before fire,
so the wicked shall perish be- | fore God!
3But the righteous shall be glad;
they shall exult be- | fore God;*
they shall be jubilant | with joy!
4Sing to God, sing praises | to his name;*
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
exult be- | fore him!
5Father of the fatherless and protector of | widows*
is God in his holy habi- | tation.
6God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to pros- | perity,*
but the rebellious dwell in a | parched land.
7O God, when you went out before your | people,*
when you marched through the | wilderness,
8the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of | Sinai,*
before God, the God of | Israel.
9Rain in abundance, O God, you | shed abroad;*
you restored your inheritance as it | languished;
10your flock found a dwell- | ing in it;*
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the | needy.
Epistle 1 Peter 4:12–19; 5:6–11
12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And
“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. . . .
6Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 17:1–11
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter.
C Glory to You, O Lord.
1When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
6“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. 8For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. 9I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. 10All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. 11And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 539 “Christ Is the World’s Redeemer”
sung to a different melody
1 Christ is the world’s Redeemer,
The lover of the pure,
The font of heav’nly wisdom,
Our trust and hope secure,
The armor of His soldiers,
The Lord of earth and sky,
Our health while we are living,
Our life when we shall die.
2 Christ has our host surrounded
With clouds of martyrs bright,
Who wave their palms in triumph
And fire us for the fight.
Then Christ the cross ascended
To save a world undone
And, suff’ring for the sinful,
Our full redemption won.
3 Down through the realm of darkness
He strode in victory,
And at the hour appointed
He rose triumphantly.
And now, to heav’n ascended,
He sits upon the throne
Whence He had ne’er departed,
His Father’s and His own.
D 4 Glory to God the Father,
The unbegotten One,
All honor be to Jesus,
His sole-begotten Son,
And to the Holy Spirit--
The perfect Trinity.
Let all the worlds give answer:
Amen! So let it be.
Text: attr. Columba, 521–597; tr. Duncan MacGregor, 1854–1923, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus Prays for Us” John 17:1-11
Jesus Prays for Us – John 17:1-11
During the last half of the Easter Season, we have been listening to Jesus in the Upper Room just a few hours before Judas betrayed Him. This morning, we had an opportunity to listen to the prayer Jesus prayed at the close of His teaching. Soon they will leave the Upper Room and make their way to Gethsemane where Judas would betray Him into the hands of the temple guard.
This is one of the few accounts of the actual words of Jesus in prayer. The Gospel accounts tell us that prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life, but most of the time, they do not tell us the actual words that He prayed. At this time, just before Jesus took the disciples to Gethsemane, Jesus wanted the disciples to hear the words of His prayer, and the Holy Spirit inspired John to record them for us.
In this prayer, we hear Jesus in His state of humiliation. Although He is both God and man in one person, He did not use His Divine power for His own benefit. As you listen to this prayer, you hear the prayer of a man who endures great stress. He knows what is coming. He knows that the next 24 hours will hold shame, torture, and death. In His state of humiliation, He will not use His divine power to reduce the anguish of the suffering and death that is coming. At the same time, His words tell us that He is fully aware of His divine nature. He will speak of the divine results of His suffering. He will also speak of His eternal existence in the presence of God the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard is only the first half of the prayer. Nevertheless, it is useful to look at the overall organization of the entire prayer before we get into the details of what we heard this morning.
Jesus began with prayer for Himself. Just as the flight attendant on an airline instructs you to place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then you will have the oxygen you need to help others, so also, when we pray, it is appropriate to pray for ourselves first, so that we may better pray for others. That is exactly what Jesus did.
Second, Jesus prayed for His disciples. He prayed that the Father would strengthen and keep them, not only during the next few days of grief for their dead teacher, but also for the years of persecution as they proclaimed the Gospel.
Finally, in the part of the prayer that we did not hear today, Jesus prayed for you. He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. (John 17:20) This part of the prayer is for all New Testament believers. For it is by the proclamation of the Gospel that these people come to believe. It is by the proclamation of the Gospel that you came to believe.
So, the prayer begins as Jesus prayed for Himself. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John speaks frequently of this hour. At the wedding in Cana Jesus had a conversation with His mother. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:3–4) At another time, He offended some people with His teaching. So they were seeking to arrest him, but “no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 7:30) And again: “These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:20) Now, in this prayer, Jesus acknowledges that the hour has come.
The hour Jesus speaks of is His appointment with the work that will earn the forgiveness of sins for all people. Jesus knows full well about the shame, suffering, and death that waits for Him. He knows full well the wrath of God that He will endure as He takes our punishment onto Himself. And so it is that He begins, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1)
Jesus continued His prayer, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John uses the words glory or glorify about forty times. When we hear the words glory and glorify outside the Bible, they usually refer to fame, honor, wealth, and so forth. This is not what these words mean in the Bible. Within the Bible, glory is lowly service. In the case of Jesus, His greatest glory comes as He hangs on the cross. With these words, Jesus prayed for the strength to submit to death on the cross.
But what is the benefit of Christ’s glory on the cross? Jesus prayed for that as well as He prayed, “Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:1–3) The glory of Christ on the cross gives eternal life to all who know God, but not just any god. Eternal Life is for those who know the only true God who sent Jesus Christ to suffer the glory of the cross. It is not enough to say, “I believe in god.” There are many religions that believe in god. The true religion knows the only true God, and Jesus Christ who was sent from God.
There is also comfort in this prayer for those who are afraid that their faith is not strong enough … that they are not sure of their salvation. Throughout this prayer, Jesus speaks of the disciples as those whom the Father has given Him. The disciples were not responsible for their faith. The disciples did not attach themselves to Jesus of their own will. Instead, God chose them. Jesus prayed for them as a gift to Him from God the Father. Likewise, God has chosen you. It is God who chooses those who receive Christ’s gift of eternal life.
After Jesus asked for strength for His glorification on the cross, He acknowledged the work that He already did. He prayed, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:4–8) The cross is the crowning glory of Jesus Christ, but the cross would be no good if Jesus did not also lead a perfect life. The blood that He shed on the cross must be innocent. He lived a perfect life under the law.
Part of that perfect life involved the proclamation of the words that the Father gave Him to proclaim. The saving work of Jesus Christ does no good if no one proclaims it. It is when the Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Gospel, that God brings people to faith in Jesus so that they receive the gifts that He has for them. Jesus conducted a ministry of teaching and healing. He proclaimed the words that the Father had given Him. Jesus had finished the work the Father sent Him to do before He endured the glory of the cross. He had prepared everything according to the Father’s will. Now it was the time for Him to submit passively to the cross.
As Jesus acknowledged the completion of the task of proclamation, He transitioned into prayer for His disciples. He prayed, “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:8–11)
With these words, Jesus prayed specifically for those whom the Father had chosen. He knew that they would endure incredible grief over the next few days. He, their teacher and their friend, would be arrested, hung on a cross, and buried in a tomb. He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. Jesus did not want them to be alone at this time.
Jesus was also looking ahead to the time after His resurrection. He knew that He would soon ascend into heaven. Again, He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. After Jesus ascended, they would continue to endure the attacks of this sinful world. They needed protection. Jesus prayed for the Father to keep them unified … not just in any unity, but in the unity of God’s name. Jesus prayed, that in the name of God, they would have the transcendent unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
With these words, we come to the end of the Gospel reading for this day. Jesus’ prayer continues to the end of the chapter. I encourage you to take the time to read the entire prayer.
Jesus had fulfilled His ministry of teaching and healing. Everything was in place. The time had come for Him to endure the glory of the cross. He prayed that God the Father would sustain Him so that He would glorify the Father and the Father would glorify Him. By enduring the glory of the cross, He would give eternal life to those whom the Father had given to Him. He prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples while He hung on the cross and laid in the grave. He also prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples as, at the time of the ascension, His presence with them changed from the visible to the sacramental. As we came to the ending of today’s reading, we heard Jesus pray for the unity of the church in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus went on to pray specifically for you as He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” (John 17:20) He continues to pray for you to this very day.
Of course, God answered Jesus’ prayer. Jesus did indeed endure the glory of the cross to earn eternal life for you, me, and all people. Jesus opened the way to eternal life by rising from the dead. God poured out the Holy Spirit to call us by the Gospel and enlighten us with His gifts. Eternal life is already ours in Christ. Although our understanding of God’s unity is imperfect in this life, we are unified in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
When we leave this world, God will fully glorify us with him forever in heaven. There we will finally see and fully partake of the glory of the Father, not as a reward but as a promise … eternal inheritance for all believers. Until that day, we pray that God would use us to glorify his name in this world in all that we do. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter (A) - 21 May 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Lord God, Ruler of all, protect and defend Your Church from every attack of the devil who prowls and seeks to devour. Where he tempts, strengthen Your people to resist his seductions and terrors; where he gains a foothold with false teaching or ungodly living, call to repentance and holiness; and where he incites enemies against Your Word and Church, preserve Your saints in the faith, that they may rejoice to share in the sufferings of Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, bless the work of our missionaries. Bring forth Your harvest from the seeds they sow. Support those who endure fiery trials for Your name. As they shine the light of the Gospel into hostile darkness, guard them with the sign of Your cross. Let them rejoice that in tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword, they share in Your very sufferings. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You hold the might of man in Your hand and can destroy all things by Your mighty power. Bless our nation and all the peoples of the world. Where war and violence threaten, bring peace and justice. Where oppression reigns, bring liberty. Watch over those who defend us, especially the men and women of our armed forces and those who protect within our communities. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You have saved us by Your grace. We pray for the sick, the distressed, those whose hearts are heavy, those whose lives are burdened, those who mourn and all who are in any need [especially _____________]. Grant them healing according to Your will, strength and mercy according to their needs, and the peace that passes understanding. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, Your Son is both host and meal in the Sacrament of the Altar. Give us faith to recognize His body and blood and to receive with grateful faith this blessed food in Holy Communion. Guide us to live faithfully here on earth until we live forever with You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, as the first Christians devoted themselves to prayer and worship following Christ’s glorious ascension, preserve us in the same until we are raised with all the saints to Your heavenly kingdom; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, O Lord, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, for the countless blessings You so freely bestow on us and all creation. Above all, we give thanks for Your boundless love shown to us when You sent Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into our flesh and laid on Him our sin, giving Him into death that we might not die eternally. Because He is now risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity, all who believe in Him will overcome sin and death and will rise again to new life. Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of all creation, for You have had mercy on us and given Your only-begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Having revealed Your glory in the face of Your only-begotten Son, who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation, You have exalted Him to the highest majesty at Your right hand, that He might graciously fill all things.
Grant us faithfully to eat and drink this Holy Supper, trusting our reigning Savior Jesus, who, though unseen in His ascended glory, is here present to save by His body and blood.
Hear us as we pray in His name and as He has taught us:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My T body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My T blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C Amen.
Agnus Dei
Text: Stephen P. Starke
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
623 “Lord Jesus Christ, We Humbly Pray”
1 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray
That we may feast on You today;
Beneath these forms of bread and wine
Enrich us with Your grace divine.
2 Give us, who share this wondrous food,
Your body broken and Your blood,
The grateful peace of sins forgiv’n,
The certain joys of heirs of heav’n.
3 By faith Your Word has made us bold
To seize the gift of love retold;
All that You are we here receive,
And all we are to You we give.
4 One bread, one cup, one body, we,
Rejoicing in our unity,
Proclaim Your love until You come
To bring Your scattered loved ones home.
5 Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly pray:
O keep us steadfast till that day
When each will be Your welcomed guest
In heaven’s high and holy feast.
Text: Henry E. Jacobs, 1844–1932, alt.
Text: Public domain
772 “In Holy Conversation”
1 In holy conversation
We speak to God in prayer,
And at His invitation
Our deepest thoughts we share.
We come, His will obeying,
As children bringing needs;
And to support our praying,
His Spirit intercedes.
2 These holy conversations
Begin in childlike ways;
We bring our supplications
And words of thanks and praise.
With care our Father listens
To ev’ry thought expressed,
Then answers our petitions
In ways He knows are best.
3 As holy conversation,
In silence or by word,
In ev’ry situation
Through Jesus, we are heard.
So let us pray securely,
Expressing hopes and fears
With confidence that surely
Our Father ever hears.
Text: Gregory J. Wismar, 1946
Text: © 2004 Gregory J. Wismar. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
A Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and T give you peace.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 829 “Christ the Eternal Lord”
1 Christ the eternal Lord,
Whose promise here we claim,
Whose gifts of grace are freely poured
On all who name Your name;
With thankfulness and praise
We stand before Your throne,
Intent to serve You all our days
And make Your glory known.
2 Christ the unchanging Word
To ev’ry passing age,
Whose timeless teachings still are heard
Set forth on Scripture’s page;
Transform our thought and mind,
Enlighten all who read,
Within Your Word by faith to find
The bread of life indeed.
3 Christ the redeeming Son,
Who shares our human birth,
And by His death salvation won
For ev’ry child of earth;
Inspire our hearts, we pray,
To tell Your love abroad,
That all may honor Christ today
And follow Him as Lord.
4 Christ the unfading Light
Of everlasting day,
Our Morning Star in splendor bright,
The Life, the Truth, the Way;
That light of truth You give
To servants as to friends,
Your way to walk, Your life to live,
Till earth’s brief journey ends.
5 Christ the ascended King
Exalted high above,
Whose praise unending ages sing,
Whom yet unseen we love;
When mortal life is past
Your voice from heaven’s throne
Shall call Your children home at last
To know as we are known.
Text: Timothy Dudley-Smith, 1926
Text: © 1999 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives!+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Four from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski, emeritus
Elder Howard Holman
Acolyte Gena Dillon
Organist Fred Weber
Communion Preparation Gena Dillon
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
A CHURCH COUNCIL meeting is scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
ALSO ON THURSDAY, A WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY is scheduled for 10 a.m. via Zoom. Questions? Ask Barb Whitley. Thanks.
DELTA DASH is scheduled for this coming Saturday. See Randy Peeters if you have any questions. Thanks.
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 14, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 594 “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It”
1 God’s own child, I gladly say it:
I am baptized into Christ!
He, because I could not pay it,
Gave my full redemption price.
Do I need earth’s treasures many?
I have one worth more than any
That brought me salvation free
Lasting to eternity!
2 Sin, disturb my soul no longer:
I am baptized into Christ!
I have comfort even stronger:
Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice.
Should a guilty conscience seize me
Since my Baptism did release me
In a dear forgiving flood,
Sprinkling me with Jesus’ blood?
3 Satan, hear this proclamation:
I am baptized into Christ!
Drop your ugly accusation,
I am not so soon enticed.
Now that to the font I’ve traveled,
All your might has come unraveled,
And, against your tyranny,
God, my Lord, unites with me!
4 Death, you cannot end my gladness:
I am baptized into Christ!
When I die, I leave all sadness
To inherit paradise!
Though I lie in dust and ashes
Faith’s assurance brightly flashes:
Baptism has the strength divine
To make life immortal mine.
5 There is nothing worth comparing
To this lifelong comfort sure!
Open-eyed my grave is staring:
Even there I’ll sleep secure.
Though my flesh awaits its raising,
Still my soul continues praising:
I am baptized into Christ;
I’m a child of paradise!
Text: Erdmann Neumeister, 1671–1756; tr. Robert E. Voelker, 1957
Text: © 1991 Robert E. Voelker. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 119:105, 89–93
P Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts,
for by them you have given me life.
Kyrie
This Is the Feast
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
O God, the giver of all that is good, by Your holy inspiration grant that we may think those things that are right and by Your merciful guiding accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 17:16–31
16While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
22So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.’
29Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 66:8–20
8Bless our God, O | peoples;*
let the sound of his | praise be heard,
9who has kept our soul among the | living*
and has not let our | feet slip.
10For you, O God, have | tested us;*
you have tried us as sil- | ver is tried.
11You brought us in- | to the net;*
you laid a crushing burden | on our backs;
12you let men ride o- | ver our heads;*
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of a- | bundance.
13I will come into your house with burnt | offerings;*
I will perform my | vows to you,
14that which my lips | uttered*
and my mouth promised when I was in | trouble.
15I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacri- | fice of rams;*
I will make an offering of | bulls and goats.
16Come and hear, all you who | fear God,*
and I will tell what he has done | for my soul.
17I cried to him | with my mouth,*
and high praise was | on my tongue.
18If I had cherished iniquity | in my heart,*
the Lord would not have | listened.
19But truly God has | listened;*
he has attended to the voice | of my prayer.
20Blessèd | be God,*
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast | love from me!
Epistle 1 Peter 3:13–22
13Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; 16yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 14:15–21
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the fourteenth chapter.
15[Jesus said:] “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 500 “Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid”
1 Creator Spirit, by whose aid
The world’s foundations first were laid,
Come, visit ev’ry humble mind;
Come, pour Your joys on humankind;
From sin and sorrow set us free;
May we Your living temples be.
2 O Source of uncreated light,
The bearer of God’s gracious might,
Thrice-holy fount, thrice-holy fire,
Our hearts with heav’nly love inspire;
Your sacred, healing message bring
To sanctify us as we sing.
3 Giver of grace, descend from high;
Your sev’nfold gifts to us supply;
Help us eternal truths receive
And practice all that we believe;
Give us Yourself that we may see
The glory of the Trinity.
D 4 Immortal honor, endless fame
Attend the_almighty Father’s name;
The Savior-Son be glorified,
Who for all humankind has died;
To You, O Paraclete, we raise
Unending songs of thanks and praise.
Text: attr. Rabanus Maurus, 776–856; tr. John Dryden, 1631–1700, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “The Paraclete Comes” John 14:15-21
Jesus Prays for Us – John 17:1-11
During the last half of the Easter Season, we have been listening to Jesus in the Upper Room just a few hours before Judas betrayed Him. This morning, we had an opportunity to listen to the prayer Jesus prayed at the close of His teaching. Soon they will leave the Upper Room and make their way to Gethsemane where Judas would betray Him into the hands of the temple guard.
This is one of the few accounts of the actual words of Jesus in prayer. The Gospel accounts tell us that prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life, but most of the time, they do not tell us the actual words that He prayed. At this time, just before Jesus took the disciples to Gethsemane, Jesus wanted the disciples to hear the words of His prayer, and the Holy Spirit inspired John to record them for us.
In this prayer, we hear Jesus in His state of humiliation. Although He is both God and man in one person, He did not use His Divine power for His own benefit. As you listen to this prayer, you hear the prayer of a man who endures great stress. He knows what is coming. He knows that the next 24 hours will hold shame, torture, and death. In His state of humiliation, He will not use His divine power to reduce the anguish of the suffering and death that is coming. At the same time, His words tell us that He is fully aware of His divine nature. He will speak of the divine results of His suffering. He will also speak of His eternal existence in the presence of God the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard is only the first half of the prayer. Nevertheless, it is useful to look at the overall organization of the entire prayer before we get into the details of what we heard this morning.
Jesus began with prayer for Himself. Just as the flight attendant on an airline instructs you to place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then you will have the oxygen you need to help others, so also, when we pray, it is appropriate to pray for ourselves first, so that we may better pray for others. That is exactly what Jesus did.
Second, Jesus prayed for His disciples. He prayed that the Father would strengthen and keep them, not only during the next few days of grief for their dead teacher, but also for the years of persecution as they proclaimed the Gospel.
Finally, in the part of the prayer that we did not hear today, Jesus prayed for you. He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word. (John 17:20) This part of the prayer is for all New Testament believers. For it is by the proclamation of the Gospel that these people come to believe. It is by the proclamation of the Gospel that you came to believe.
So, the prayer begins as Jesus prayed for Himself. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John speaks frequently of this hour. At the wedding in Cana Jesus had a conversation with His mother. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:3–4) At another time, He offended some people with His teaching. So they were seeking to arrest him, but “no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 7:30) And again: “These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.” (John 8:20) Now, in this prayer, Jesus acknowledges that the hour has come.
The hour Jesus speaks of is His appointment with the work that will earn the forgiveness of sins for all people. Jesus knows full well about the shame, suffering, and death that waits for Him. He knows full well the wrath of God that He will endure as He takes our punishment onto Himself. And so it is that He begins, “Father, the hour has come.” (John 17:1)
Jesus continued His prayer, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you.” (John 17:1) The Gospel according to John uses the words glory or glorify about forty times. When we hear the words glory and glorify outside the Bible, they usually refer to fame, honor, wealth, and so forth. This is not what these words mean in the Bible. Within the Bible, glory is lowly service. In the case of Jesus, His greatest glory comes as He hangs on the cross. With these words, Jesus prayed for the strength to submit to death on the cross.
But what is the benefit of Christ’s glory on the cross? Jesus prayed for that as well as He prayed, “Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” (John 17:1–3) The glory of Christ on the cross gives eternal life to all who know God, but not just any god. Eternal Life is for those who know the only true God who sent Jesus Christ to suffer the glory of the cross. It is not enough to say, “I believe in god.” There are many religions that believe in god. The true religion knows the only true God, and Jesus Christ who was sent from God.
There is also comfort in this prayer for those who are afraid that their faith is not strong enough … that they are not sure of their salvation. Throughout this prayer, Jesus speaks of the disciples as those whom the Father has given Him. The disciples were not responsible for their faith. The disciples did not attach themselves to Jesus of their own will. Instead, God chose them. Jesus prayed for them as a gift to Him from God the Father. Likewise, God has chosen you. It is God who chooses those who receive Christ’s gift of eternal life.
After Jesus asked for strength for His glorification on the cross, He acknowledged the work that He already did. He prayed, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.” (John 17:4–8) The cross is the crowning glory of Jesus Christ, but the cross would be no good if Jesus did not also lead a perfect life. The blood that He shed on the cross must be innocent. He lived a perfect life under the law.
Part of that perfect life involved the proclamation of the words that the Father gave Him to proclaim. The saving work of Jesus Christ does no good if no one proclaims it. It is when the Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of the Gospel, that God brings people to faith in Jesus so that they receive the gifts that He has for them. Jesus conducted a ministry of teaching and healing. He proclaimed the words that the Father had given Him. Jesus had finished the work the Father sent Him to do before He endured the glory of the cross. He had prepared everything according to the Father’s will. Now it was the time for Him to submit passively to the cross.
As Jesus acknowledged the completion of the task of proclamation, He transitioned into prayer for His disciples. He prayed, “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” (John 17:8–11)
With these words, Jesus prayed specifically for those whom the Father had chosen. He knew that they would endure incredible grief over the next few days. He, their teacher and their friend, would be arrested, hung on a cross, and buried in a tomb. He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. Jesus did not want them to be alone at this time.
Jesus was also looking ahead to the time after His resurrection. He knew that He would soon ascend into heaven. Again, He would not be with them to care for them as he had before. After Jesus ascended, they would continue to endure the attacks of this sinful world. They needed protection. Jesus prayed for the Father to keep them unified … not just in any unity, but in the unity of God’s name. Jesus prayed, that in the name of God, they would have the transcendent unity of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
With these words, we come to the end of the Gospel reading for this day. Jesus’ prayer continues to the end of the chapter. I encourage you to take the time to read the entire prayer.
Jesus had fulfilled His ministry of teaching and healing. Everything was in place. The time had come for Him to endure the glory of the cross. He prayed that God the Father would sustain Him so that He would glorify the Father and the Father would glorify Him. By enduring the glory of the cross, He would give eternal life to those whom the Father had given to Him. He prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples while He hung on the cross and laid in the grave. He also prayed that the Father would watch over His disciples as, at the time of the ascension, His presence with them changed from the visible to the sacramental. As we came to the ending of today’s reading, we heard Jesus pray for the unity of the church in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus went on to pray specifically for you as He prayed, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word.” (John 17:20) He continues to pray for you to this very day.
Of course, God answered Jesus’ prayer. Jesus did indeed endure the glory of the cross to earn eternal life for you, me, and all people. Jesus opened the way to eternal life by rising from the dead. God poured out the Holy Spirit to call us by the Gospel and enlighten us with His gifts. Eternal life is already ours in Christ. Although our understanding of God’s unity is imperfect in this life, we are unified in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
When we leave this world, God will fully glorify us with him forever in heaven. There we will finally see and fully partake of the glory of the Father, not as a reward but as a promise … eternal inheritance for all believers. Until that day, we pray that God would use us to glorify his name in this world in all that we do. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Sixth Sunday of Easter (A) - 14 May 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Lord, You bless and protect Your people in a world where many false gods, known and unknown, are worshiped. Give Your saints a clear and bold proclamation of Jesus Christ. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, Your Son suffered on our behalf to win salvation for us. Grant that we may have the privilege not only of believing in Him but also of suffering for His sake. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of heaven and earth, You have given the Spirit of truth to dwell in us through Holy Baptism. Grant Your Spirit’s steadfast guidance, that the feet of this congregation and its catechumens may not slip into sin and unbelief, but live always in praise of You before the world. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Creator, You made from one man all the nations of the earth, and still You sustain us. Grant good leaders in every land who will seek peace and serve justice. Frustrate the causes of evil, violence and oppression. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father in heaven, You have given us a mirror of Your love in the vocation of mothers who nurture, guide and raise their children in all things good. Bless them in their calling. Sustain them through weary and difficult times. Remember in compassion all who are barren, and bring them comfort through the children of Your Church. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, You promised not to abandon us in our need nor leave us as orphans. Send forth Your Spirit and work through us, Your people, that the lonely, poor, homeless and travelers may rejoice in Your presence and the power of Your love. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Grant healing according to Your will, and sustain in faith those for whom we pray [especially _____________]. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
We give You thanks for the salvation and life You give us through Christ Jesus. You do not leave Your people as orphans but strengthen the penitent with the body and blood of Your Son. Help us to receive what You offer here for our good, that this Holy Communion may strengthen our faith and equip us for Your service. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
779 “Come, My Soul, with Every Care”
1 Come, my soul, with ev’ry care,
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not turn away.
2 Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For His grace and pow’r are such
None can ever ask too much.
3 With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let Thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.
4 Lord, Thy rest to me impart,
Take possession of my heart;
There Thy blood-bought right maintain
And without a rival reign.
5 While I am a pilgrim here,
Let Thy love my spirit cheer;
As my guide, my guard, my friend,
Lead me to my journey’s end.
6 Show me what is mine to do;
Ev’ry hour my strength renew.
Let me live a life of faith;
Let me die Thy people’s death.
Text: John Newton, 1725–1807, alt.
Text: Public domain
725 “Children of the Heavenly Father”
1 Children of the heav’nly Father
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e’er was given.
2 God His own doth tend and nourish;
In His holy courts they flourish.
From all evil things He spares them;
In His mighty arms He bears them.
3 Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
4 Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
Text: Carolina Sandell Berg, 1832–1903; tr. Ernst W. Olson, 1870–1958
Text: Public domain
Stand
Thank the Lord
Post-Communion Collect
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 821 “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus”
1 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
2 Alleluia! Not as orphans
Are we left in sorrow now;
Alleluia! He is near us;
Faith believes, nor questions how.
Though the cloud from sight received Him
When the forty days were o’er,
Shall our hearts forget His promise:
“I am with you evermore”?
3 Alleluia! Bread of heaven,
Here on earth our food, our stay;
Alleluia! Here the sinful
Flee to You from day to day.
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
Earth’s Redeemer, hear our plea
Where the songs of all the sinless
Sweep across the crystal sea.
4 Alleluia! King eternal,
Lord omnipotent we own;
Alleluia! Born of Mary,
Earth Your footstool, heav’n Your throne.
As within the veil You entered,
Robed in flesh, our great High Priest,
Here on earth both priest and victim
In the eucharistic feast.
5 Alleluia! Sing to Jesus;
His the scepter, His the throne;
Alleluia! His the triumph,
His the victory alone.
Hark! The songs of peaceful Zion
Thunder like a mighty flood:
“Jesus out of ev’ry nation
Has redeemed us by His blood.”
Text: William C. Dix, 1837–98, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives!+
Announcements
Postlude
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting One from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 7, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). ALSO, THERE IS A MEETING TODAY FOLLOWING THIS SERVICE FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS. Please meet in the cry room for this brief meeting.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 465 “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds”
1 Now all the vault of heav’n resounds
In praise of love that still abounds:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat their song of glory here:
“Christ has triumphed! Christ has triumphed!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 Eternal is the gift He brings,
Therefore our heart with rapture sings:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Now still He comes to give us life
And by His presence stills all strife.
Christ has triumphed! He is living!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set heart and will on things above
That we conquer through Your triumph;
Grant grace sufficient for life’s day
That by our lives we truly say:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
D 4 Adoring praises now we bring
And with the heav’nly blessèd sing:
“Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!”
Be to the Father and our Lord,
To Spirit blest, most holy God,
All the glory, never ending!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Paul Z. Strodach, 1876–1947, alt.
Text: © 1958 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
L O Lord, open my lips,
C [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C [spoken] make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60
L A reading from Acts, chapter 6.
1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. . . .
2And Stephen said:
“Brothers and fathers, hear me. . . .
51You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Peter 2:2–10
L A reading from 1 Peter, chapter 2.
2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading John 14:1–14
L A reading from John, chapter 14.
1[Jesus said:] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 526 “You Are the Way; through You Alone”
1 You are the way; through You alone
Can we the Father find;
In You, O Christ, has God revealed
His heart and will and mind.
2 You are the truth; Your Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
You only can inform the mind
And purify the heart.
3 You are the life; the empty tomb
Proclaims Your conqu’ring arm,
And those who put their trust in You
Not death nor hell shall harm.
4 You are the way, the truth, the life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win
Whose joys eternal flow.
Text: George W. Doane, 1799–1859, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus: The Only Way, Truth and Life” John 14:6
Jesus: The Only Way, Truth and Life – John 14:6
I once heard a pastor talk about when he lived in Frederick, Maryland, about 50 miles from Washington, DC. He said that on one of his days off, he and his wife drove to the nation’s capital and upon arriving, they could see the Washington Monument in the distance. (By the way, these were the days before GPS.) They decided to drive over to it and have a look around. Well, he said that was easier said than done. Between the various one-way streets and the traffic pattern of downtown Washington, they suddenly found themselves on a bridge going over the Potomac River into Virginia. Then as they were driving along the river on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, they could see the Washington Monument behind them. So, at the next opportunity, they drove back across the Potomac, and, once again, there was the Washington Monument in the distance. They tried not to make the same mistakes, but, in about ten minutes, they found themselves driving across the Potomac and back onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The pastor said they tried several more times. In the process, they discovered many ways to get around in Washington, DC. Nevertheless, they did not discover the way that led to the Washington Monument. Instead, he said that they became very familiar with many of the exit and entrance ramps on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Finally, he said they noticed a sign to Arlington National Cemetery. He said that they drove right to it, parked the car, and toured the cemetery. As they came back out to the parking lot, they saw many tour buses. These buses gave guided tours of Washington, D.C. So they decided to purchase day passes and got on one of the buses. The pastor said: “Do you know that driver took us straight past the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Smithsonian Institute, the White House, AND the Washington Monument? He went to all those places, and more, and we were never lost once. The driver of that bus knew the way.”
In today’s Gospel, we heard Jesus say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) With these words, Jesus teaches that finding the way to the Father is a little bit like trying to find the Washington Monument. It can’t be done. It is only by the way of Jesus that we can come to the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard was a few paragraphs from the teaching in the Upper Room on the night that Jesus was betrayed. Jesus made an important promise concerning the eternal destiny of all believers. He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1–3) Here Jesus teaches us that, although our homes on this earth may be very comfortable, they are only temporary. He has promised that a day will come that even though we are dead, He will raise us up to live with Him forever. On that day, He will take us to His home where He has an eternal dwelling for each and every one of us. These lodgings in the Father’s House are far beyond any luxury that we can even imagine while we live here on this earth.
Then Jesus said something that should give great comfort. He said, “And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:4) Now, the disciples should have known the way. For example: Jesus once said, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18–19) With words like this, Jesus regularly told His disciples about the way He was to go. He would go this way for the life of the world. So that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.
As often as Jesus told them about it, the disciples did not understand. You can’t really blame them. To begin with, resurrection from the dead was extremely rare. Jesus had raised a few people as had some of the prophets. Furthermore, no one in the entire history of the world before or since has come back from the dead under His own power. The disciples did not have the ability to understand that Jesus would rise from the dead after a cruel death on a cross.
I am sure that Thomas spoke for all the disciples when He asked, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5) Thomas was thinking that if He was to be with Jesus, then, somehow, he had to walk the way Jesus walked. He did not understand that Jesus would do the walking for him.
Here is one way that one’s struggle, say, to find the Washington Monument is very different from the disciples’ struggle. Eventually, we can no doubt learn how to find the Washington Monument. On the other hand, neither Thomas nor anyone else could ever find the way to the Father’s house. That is what Jesus meant when He explained, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus was telling His disciples and us that He and He alone is the one who is the way. If you know Him, you know the way.
Our natural instinct is to believe that we can and must find the way … that we may even need to make a way. The devil and the world know about this tendency and encourage it. Satan is more than happy to feed our ego and tell us that we can earn our way into heaven, and the world is more than happy to help Satan out. The world sends us all kinds of messages that pump up our self-esteem – that tell us that the good works you need for heaven might be a bit of a challenge, but we can do it. We’re basically good people. Most of us are nice people. Heaven is within our grasp. We just have to put in a little effort and it will all be ours.
Then there are those who teach that there are many ways and they are all good. Consider an engineer from India. He had a full color photograph of a man on his work desk. The man in the photograph looked as though he was in his early twenties. He wore a lumberjack shirt and blue jeans. One day he was asked who that man was. He said that the man in the photograph was his god. He made it very clear that he worshipped him. He said that there were thousands of gods like that all over the world and that at some point in your life, you had to choose one and worship him, her, or it. When a Christian told him that his God died for him and all people on a cross and then rose from the dead, he thought the Christian had chosen one of the very good gods and that made him happy. Unfortunately, he never quite got the idea that the God the Christian worships is the only true God and our only way of salvation. The world wants us to believe that our eternal destiny is like a great religious smorgasbord from which we get to pick and choose. And one religion is just as good as another.
The world’s view is exactly the opposite of what Jesus told His disciples. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). The only one who can take us to the Father’s house is the Son who comes from that house and Jesus Christ is that Son. He is the way to the Father. He is the truth that keeps us on that way. He is the life that is the destination of that way. Without Jesus there is no way to the Father. Without Jesus there is no saving truth. Without Jesus there is no spiritual life. Jesus is not just one of many ways to the Father. He is the only way to the Father. He is the beginning, middle, and destination of our faith. Any religion that is not based on the person and work of Jesus Christ is false and leads to eternal suffering in hell.
At first, this may sound like it is all law and no gospel, but Christ’s teaching really is good news. Jesus Christ did not say we are the way, the truth, and the life. That would be pure law. If it were true, we would all be doomed. Instead, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6). It is Jesus who makes it possible for us to call God our Father and have a room in His house.
How did Jesus do that? He left His Father’s house and came to this earth to do the works of His Father. While He was here He took on human nature and lived a righteous life under the authority of the law. He allowed the authorities to arrest Him, torture Him, and put Him on a cross. By doing these things He satisfied His Father’s wrath against our sin. This is how He became the way for us to enter His Father’s house. We have confidence that He is the way because He rose from the dead. This is the reason He could say, “He said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:3) His resurrection assures us that we too shall rise from death and that He will take us to live with Him.
What gracious words Jesus shared with His disciples in that upper room on the evening before He went to the cross. His words are full of comfort and reassurance. How gracious it is of Christ to prepare a uniquely perfect room for each and every one of us in His Father’s house. How comforting it is to know that Jesus will bring us to His Father’s house safely because He Himself is the way. How reassuring it is to know that Jesus is the full presence of God with us. Most of all, how wonderful it is to know that Jesus’ perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection mean that His Father is also our Father and His Father’s house is also our eternal home. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday of Easter (A) - 7 May 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, through the power of Christ’s resurrection You adopt all who believe in Him. Receive us as Your newborn children and nourish our faith through the pure spiritual milk of Your Word, that we may dwell in Your presence forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have promised to build up Your Church to be a holy priesthood, that Your people might offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving acceptable to You. Bless Your Church, and bring all congregations together. Bless all pastors who proclaim Christ to us. Bless church workers and those preparing for full-time church vocations, that we may be supplied with faithful leaders and servants of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, Your power brought all things into being and still preserves what You have made. Bless our president; the Congress of these United States; our governor; and all elected and appointed civil servants. Lead them to honor You and Your purpose, establishing order and justice, encouraging virtue, and protecting all life. Give them wisdom and moderation to lead for the well-being of the nation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, who has restored all things by His cross, grant healing, comfort, deliverance and peace to those in need. Bless the sick, the sorrowing, the anxious, the fearful, the homebound, the homeless, the dying and all who have requested our prayers [including _____________]. At the last, give them entrance into Your heavenly kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of the risen Christ, You give us the crucified and risen body and blood of our Lord in this Holy Supper. Let us taste that the Lord is good and continually grow up unto salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for Your servant St. Stephen, whom Your Son has received into His glory. May we imitate him in faith and love to speak Your truth with boldness, forgiving those who sin against us as Christ forgave His persecutors from the cross. When our last hour comes, let us fall asleep in Him and be born into eternal life; for the sake of Him who was born into our flesh to redeem it, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
687 “Thine Forever, God of Love”
1 Thine forever, God of love!
Hear us from Thy throne above;
Thine forever may we be
Here and in eternity!
2 Thine forever! Oh, how blest
They who find in Thee their rest!
Savior, guardian, heav’nly friend,
O defend us to the end!
3 Thine forever, Lord of Life!
Shield us through our earthly strife.
Thou, the life, the truth, the way,
Guide us to the realms of day.
4 Thine forever! Shepherd, keep
These Thy frail and trembling sheep;
Safe alone beneath Thy care,
Let us all Thy goodness share.
5 Thine forever! Thou our guide,
All our wants by Thee supplied,
All our sins by Thee forgiv’n;
Lead us, Lord, from earth to heav’n.
Text: Mary F. Maude, 1819–1913
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 846 “Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old”
1 Your hand, O Lord, in days of old
Was strong to heal and save;
It triumphed over ills and death,
O’er darkness and the grave.
To You they came, the blind, the mute,
The palsied and the lame,
The lepers in their misery,
The sick with fevered frame.
2 Your touch then, Lord, brought life and health,
Gave speech and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and frenzy calmed
Revealed You, Lord of light.
And now, O Lord, be near to bless,
Almighty as before,
In crowded street, by beds of pain,
As by Gennes’ret’s shore.
3 O be our great deliv’rer still,
The Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless,
With Your life-giving breath.
To hands that work and eyes that see
Give wisdom’s healing pow’r
That whole and sick and weak and strong
May praise You evermore.
Text: Edward H. Plumptre, 1821–91, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesus—Jesus lives!+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fifth Sunday of Easter – May 7, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Pam Trocha
Ushers Wayne Helley, Lynn Tallman, Steve Broach
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520). ALSO, THERE IS A MEETING TODAY FOLLOWING THIS SERVICE FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS. Please meet in the cry room for this brief meeting.
“The Bible says little about ‘seeing’ God, but it says a great deal about
‘hearing’ him. To be sure, after death we shall see God (1 Corinthians 13:12). But for now, we must listen to him, and what we must listen to is the Bible.” Gene Edward Veith in “Why God’s Word Is All We Need”
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 7, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 465 “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds”
1 Now all the vault of heav’n resounds
In praise of love that still abounds:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Sing, choirs of angels, loud and clear!
Repeat their song of glory here:
“Christ has triumphed! Christ has triumphed!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 Eternal is the gift He brings,
Therefore our heart with rapture sings:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Now still He comes to give us life
And by His presence stills all strife.
Christ has triumphed! He is living!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 O fill us, Lord, with dauntless love;
Set heart and will on things above
That we conquer through Your triumph;
Grant grace sufficient for life’s day
That by our lives we truly say:
“Christ has triumphed! He is living!”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
D 4 Adoring praises now we bring
And with the heav’nly blessèd sing:
“Christ has triumphed! Alleluia!”
Be to the Father and our Lord,
To Spirit blest, most holy God,
All the glory, never ending!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: Paul Z. Strodach, 1876–1947, alt.
Text: © 1958 Augsburg Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
L O Lord, open my lips,
C [spoken] and my mouth will declare Your praise.
L Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
C [spoken] make haste to help me, O Lord.
C [spoken] Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Praise to You, O Christ. Alleluia.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Venite [sung] LSB 220
C O come, let us sing to the Lord,
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving,
let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.
For the Lord is a great God
and a great king above all gods.
The deep places of the earth are in His hand;
the strength of the hills is His also.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hand formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down,
let us kneel before the Lord, our maker.
For He is our God,
and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
L Blessed be God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] O come, let us worship Him.
Sit
Reading Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60
L A reading from Acts, chapter 6.
1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. . . .
2And Stephen said:
“Brothers and fathers, hear me. . . .
51You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading 1 Peter 2:2–10
L A reading from 1 Peter, chapter 2.
2Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8and
“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Reading John 14:1–14
L A reading from John, chapter 14.
1[Jesus said:] “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
8Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
L O Lord, have mercy on us.
C Thanks be to God.
Responsory (Easter)
L Sing to the Lord and bless His name, proclaim His salvation from day to day.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that sleep.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
L Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
C [spoken] Give to the Lord all glory and strength, give Him the honor due His name. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hymn of the Day: 526 “You Are the Way; through You Alone”
1 You are the way; through You alone
Can we the Father find;
In You, O Christ, has God revealed
His heart and will and mind.
2 You are the truth; Your Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
You only can inform the mind
And purify the heart.
3 You are the life; the empty tomb
Proclaims Your conqu’ring arm,
And those who put their trust in You
Not death nor hell shall harm.
4 You are the way, the truth, the life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win
Whose joys eternal flow.
Text: George W. Doane, 1799–1859, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Jesus: The Only Way, Truth and Life” John 14:6
Jesus: The Only Way, Truth and Life – John 14:6
I once heard a pastor talk about when he lived in Frederick, Maryland, about 50 miles from Washington, DC. He said that on one of his days off, he and his wife drove to the nation’s capital and upon arriving, they could see the Washington Monument in the distance. (By the way, these were the days before GPS.) They decided to drive over to it and have a look around. Well, he said that was easier said than done. Between the various one-way streets and the traffic pattern of downtown Washington, they suddenly found themselves on a bridge going over the Potomac River into Virginia. Then as they were driving along the river on the George Washington Memorial Parkway, they could see the Washington Monument behind them. So, at the next opportunity, they drove back across the Potomac, and, once again, there was the Washington Monument in the distance. They tried not to make the same mistakes, but, in about ten minutes, they found themselves driving across the Potomac and back onto the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The pastor said they tried several more times. In the process, they discovered many ways to get around in Washington, DC. Nevertheless, they did not discover the way that led to the Washington Monument. Instead, he said that they became very familiar with many of the exit and entrance ramps on the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Finally, he said they noticed a sign to Arlington National Cemetery. He said that they drove right to it, parked the car, and toured the cemetery. As they came back out to the parking lot, they saw many tour buses. These buses gave guided tours of Washington, D.C. So they decided to purchase day passes and got on one of the buses. The pastor said: “Do you know that driver took us straight past the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Smithsonian Institute, the White House, AND the Washington Monument? He went to all those places, and more, and we were never lost once. The driver of that bus knew the way.”
In today’s Gospel, we heard Jesus say, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) With these words, Jesus teaches that finding the way to the Father is a little bit like trying to find the Washington Monument. It can’t be done. It is only by the way of Jesus that we can come to the Father.
The Gospel that we just heard was a few paragraphs from the teaching in the Upper Room on the night that Jesus was betrayed. Jesus made an important promise concerning the eternal destiny of all believers. He said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:1–3) Here Jesus teaches us that, although our homes on this earth may be very comfortable, they are only temporary. He has promised that a day will come that even though we are dead, He will raise us up to live with Him forever. On that day, He will take us to His home where He has an eternal dwelling for each and every one of us. These lodgings in the Father’s House are far beyond any luxury that we can even imagine while we live here on this earth.
Then Jesus said something that should give great comfort. He said, “And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:4) Now, the disciples should have known the way. For example: Jesus once said, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:18–19) With words like this, Jesus regularly told His disciples about the way He was to go. He would go this way for the life of the world. So that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.
As often as Jesus told them about it, the disciples did not understand. You can’t really blame them. To begin with, resurrection from the dead was extremely rare. Jesus had raised a few people as had some of the prophets. Furthermore, no one in the entire history of the world before or since has come back from the dead under His own power. The disciples did not have the ability to understand that Jesus would rise from the dead after a cruel death on a cross.
I am sure that Thomas spoke for all the disciples when He asked, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5) Thomas was thinking that if He was to be with Jesus, then, somehow, he had to walk the way Jesus walked. He did not understand that Jesus would do the walking for him.
Here is one way that one’s struggle, say, to find the Washington Monument is very different from the disciples’ struggle. Eventually, we can no doubt learn how to find the Washington Monument. On the other hand, neither Thomas nor anyone else could ever find the way to the Father’s house. That is what Jesus meant when He explained, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). Jesus was telling His disciples and us that He and He alone is the one who is the way. If you know Him, you know the way.
Our natural instinct is to believe that we can and must find the way … that we may even need to make a way. The devil and the world know about this tendency and encourage it. Satan is more than happy to feed our ego and tell us that we can earn our way into heaven, and the world is more than happy to help Satan out. The world sends us all kinds of messages that pump up our self-esteem – that tell us that the good works you need for heaven might be a bit of a challenge, but we can do it. We’re basically good people. Most of us are nice people. Heaven is within our grasp. We just have to put in a little effort and it will all be ours.
Then there are those who teach that there are many ways and they are all good. Consider an engineer from India. He had a full color photograph of a man on his work desk. The man in the photograph looked as though he was in his early twenties. He wore a lumberjack shirt and blue jeans. One day he was asked who that man was. He said that the man in the photograph was his god. He made it very clear that he worshipped him. He said that there were thousands of gods like that all over the world and that at some point in your life, you had to choose one and worship him, her, or it. When a Christian told him that his God died for him and all people on a cross and then rose from the dead, he thought the Christian had chosen one of the very good gods and that made him happy. Unfortunately, he never quite got the idea that the God the Christian worships is the only true God and our only way of salvation. The world wants us to believe that our eternal destiny is like a great religious smorgasbord from which we get to pick and choose. And one religion is just as good as another.
The world’s view is exactly the opposite of what Jesus told His disciples. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). The only one who can take us to the Father’s house is the Son who comes from that house and Jesus Christ is that Son. He is the way to the Father. He is the truth that keeps us on that way. He is the life that is the destination of that way. Without Jesus there is no way to the Father. Without Jesus there is no saving truth. Without Jesus there is no spiritual life. Jesus is not just one of many ways to the Father. He is the only way to the Father. He is the beginning, middle, and destination of our faith. Any religion that is not based on the person and work of Jesus Christ is false and leads to eternal suffering in hell.
At first, this may sound like it is all law and no gospel, but Christ’s teaching really is good news. Jesus Christ did not say we are the way, the truth, and the life. That would be pure law. If it were true, we would all be doomed. Instead, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6). It is Jesus who makes it possible for us to call God our Father and have a room in His house.
How did Jesus do that? He left His Father’s house and came to this earth to do the works of His Father. While He was here He took on human nature and lived a righteous life under the authority of the law. He allowed the authorities to arrest Him, torture Him, and put Him on a cross. By doing these things He satisfied His Father’s wrath against our sin. This is how He became the way for us to enter His Father’s house. We have confidence that He is the way because He rose from the dead. This is the reason He could say, “He said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (John 14:3) His resurrection assures us that we too shall rise from death and that He will take us to live with Him.
What gracious words Jesus shared with His disciples in that upper room on the evening before He went to the cross. His words are full of comfort and reassurance. How gracious it is of Christ to prepare a uniquely perfect room for each and every one of us in His Father’s house. How comforting it is to know that Jesus will bring us to His Father’s house safely because He Himself is the way. How reassuring it is to know that Jesus is the full presence of God with us. Most of all, how wonderful it is to know that Jesus’ perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection mean that His Father is also our Father and His Father’s house is also our eternal home. Amen
Canticle: 941 “We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O God”
1 We praise You and acknowledge You, O God, to be the Lord,
The Father everlasting, by all the earth adored.
To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing,
The cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring:
“O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth;
Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!”
2 The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise;
The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise.
The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng,
Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song:
“O all-majestic Father, Your true and only Son,
And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!”
3 You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son,
Yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue ev’ryone:
You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin’s womb,
Were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb;
Then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve--
You opened heaven’s kingdom to all who would believe.
4 You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God’s right hand,
Upholding earth and heaven by forces You command.
We know that You will come as our Judge that final day,
So help Your servants You have redeemed by blood, we pray;
May we with saints be numbered where praises never end,
In glory everlasting. Amen, O Lord, amen!
Text: Stephen P. Starke, 1955
Text: © 1999 Stephen P. Starke, admin. Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church - Fifth Sunday of Easter (A) - 7 May 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Heavenly Father, through the power of Christ’s resurrection You adopt all who believe in Him. Receive us as Your newborn children and nourish our faith through the pure spiritual milk of Your Word, that we may dwell in Your presence forever. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have promised to build up Your Church to be a holy priesthood, that Your people might offer spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving acceptable to You. Bless Your Church, and bring all congregations together. Bless all pastors who proclaim Christ to us. Bless church workers and those preparing for full-time church vocations, that we may be supplied with faithful leaders and servants of Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy God, Your power brought all things into being and still preserves what You have made. Bless our president; the Congress of these United States; our governor; and all elected and appointed civil servants. Lead them to honor You and Your purpose, establishing order and justice, encouraging virtue, and protecting all life. Give them wisdom and moderation to lead for the well-being of the nation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful heavenly Father, for the sake of Your dear Son, who has restored all things by His cross, grant healing, comfort, deliverance and peace to those in need. Bless the sick, the sorrowing, the anxious, the fearful, the homebound, the homeless, the dying and all who have requested our prayers [including _____________]. At the last, give them entrance into Your heavenly kingdom. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Father of the risen Christ, You give us the crucified and risen body and blood of our Lord in this Holy Supper. Let us taste that the Lord is good and continually grow up unto salvation. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for Your servant St. Stephen, whom Your Son has received into His glory. May we imitate him in faith and love to speak Your truth with boldness, forgiving those who sin against us as Christ forgave His persecutors from the cross. When our last hour comes, let us fall asleep in Him and be born into eternal life; for the sake of Him who was born into our flesh to redeem it, even Jesus Christ, our Lord. And God’s people said: Amen.
Kyrie
C [spoken] Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
Stand
Celebration of Holy Communion
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy
Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Communion Liturgy
P The Lord be with you.
C And also with you.
P Lift up your hearts.
C We lift them to the Lord.
P Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
C For His mercy endures forever.
Words of Institution
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
P The peace of the Lord be with you always.
C And also with you.
Sit
Communion Distribution and Hymns:
644 “The Church’s One Foundation”
1 The Church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
She is His new creation
By water and the Word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her,
And for her life He died.
2 Elect from ev’ry nation,
Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
With ev’ry grace endued.
3 Though with a scornful wonder
The world sees her oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder,
By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping;
Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping
Shall be the morn of song.
4 Through toil and tribulation
And tumult of her war
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore
Till with the vision glorious
Her longing eyes are blest,
And the great Church victorious
Shall be the Church at rest.
5 Yet she on earth has union
With God, the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won.
O blessèd heav’nly chorus!
Lord, save us by Your grace
That we, like saints before us,
May see You face to face.
Text: Samuel J. Stone, 1839–1900, alt.
Text: Public domain
687 “Thine Forever, God of Love”
1 Thine forever, God of love!
Hear us from Thy throne above;
Thine forever may we be
Here and in eternity!
2 Thine forever! Oh, how blest
They who find in Thee their rest!
Savior, guardian, heav’nly friend,
O defend us to the end!
3 Thine forever, Lord of Life!
Shield us through our earthly strife.
Thou, the life, the truth, the way,
Guide us to the realms of day.
4 Thine forever! Shepherd, keep
These Thy frail and trembling sheep;
Safe alone beneath Thy care,
Let us all Thy goodness share.
5 Thine forever! Thou our guide,
All our wants by Thee supplied,
All our sins by Thee forgiv’n;
Lead us, Lord, from earth to heav’n.
Text: Mary F. Maude, 1819–1913
Text: Public domain
Stand
Collects
L O Lord, hear my prayer.
C And let my cry come to You.
Collect of the Day
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Collect for Grace
L O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, You have safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with Your mighty power and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings, being ordered by Your governance, may be righteous in Your sight; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
Benedicamus
L Let us bless the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Benediction
P The grace of our Lord T Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
C Amen.
Closing Hymn: 846 “Your Hand, O Lord, in Days of Old”
1 Your hand, O Lord, in days of old
Was strong to heal and save;
It triumphed over ills and death,
O’er darkness and the grave.
To You they came, the blind, the mute,
The palsied and the lame,
The lepers in their misery,
The sick with fevered frame.
2 Your touch then, Lord, brought life and health,
Gave speech and strength and sight;
And youth renewed and frenzy calmed
Revealed You, Lord of light.
And now, O Lord, be near to bless,
Almighty as before,
In crowded street, by beds of pain,
As by Gennes’ret’s shore.
3 O be our great deliv’rer still,
The Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless,
With Your life-giving breath.
To hands that work and eyes that see
Give wisdom’s healing pow’r
That whole and sick and weak and strong
May praise You evermore.
Text: Edward H. Plumptre, 1821–91, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesus—Jesus lives!+
Announcements
Refreshments, Adult Bible Class and Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Matins from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 30, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
(honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Serve the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing.
Ps. 100:2
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 30, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 475, “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
FIRST LESSON Acts 2:42-47
42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
EPISTLE LESSON 1 Peter 2:19-25
19This is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON John 10:1-10
1[Jesus said:] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 709, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
SERMON “Our Good Shepherd” John 10:1-10
Our Good Shepherd – John 10:1-10
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia! This morning we remember that the one who rose from the dead is our Good Shepherd.
In the time and place that Jesus first spoke the words we heard in today’s Gospel, sheep grazed on the open range. There were areas of land that were not of much use for crops, but they still grew vegetation that sheep could eat. It was in these wild, desolate areas that shepherds led their flocks during the day.
Although sheep country was not that great for agriculture, the rocky terrain produced a fine crop of stones. Shepherds often used those stones to build sheepfolds … an enclosure with walls high enough to discourage both animal and human predators. Other times the shepherds would use caves or other natural rock formations for sheepfolds. As the sun went down, the shepherds would bring their flocks together and lead them into one of these sheepfolds. The sheep spent the night in the relative security of the sheepfold.
There was only one opening to the sheepfold and during the night a shepherd would sleep in that opening. That shepherd became the door. No predators could get in and no sheep could get out without waking the shepherd. The only way in or out of that sheepfold was by that shepherd who had become the door of the sheep.
In the morning, each of the shepherds needed to lead his sheep out of the sheepfold. Now how do you make sure that the right flock of sheep goes with the right shepherd? Well, the sheep would know the voice of their shepherd. A shepherd would come to the entrance to the sheepfold and talk or sing to the sheep. The sheep in the shepherd’s flock knew that this voice meant food when they were hungry … water when they were thirsty … and safety at all times. They followed the voice. The sheep in the other flocks didn’t know the voice and they ignored it. All the shepherd had to do was start talking or singing and lead his flock out of the sheepfold to green pastures and still waters.
A man by the name of H. V. Morton was an eyewitness to this very thing. Apparently, while he was in the Holy Land, he was up early one morning in the countryside around Bethlehem. Later, he recorded his experience in a book. He wrote, “Early one morning I saw an extraordinary sight not far from Bethlehem. Two shepherds had evidently spent the night with their flocks in a cave. The sheep were all mixed together and the time had come for the shepherds to go in different directions. One of the shepherds stood some distance from the sheep and began to call. First one, then another, then four or five animals ran towards him; and so on until he had counted his whole flock” (H. V. Morton, In the Steps of the Master [London, 1935] quoted in L. Morris, The Gospel According to John [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971] p. 502 n. 17).
This is the reason that shepherds made sure that the sheep knew their voice. They spoke to the sheep. They sang to the sheep. The sheep grew used to the voice of their shepherd. That voice became a source of comfort and security. This confidence in the voice of the shepherd was very important for the sheep.
Jesus used this figure of speech to teach about His church. The shepherd is Jesus Himself. The flock of sheep is His church. The thieves and robbers are the false prophets and teachers who would tempt His people to leave His church. The voice that the shepherd uses to call his sheep is the Bible as it is taught in its truth and purity. In essence, Jesus said that the members of His church will follow His word in the same way that sheep will follow the voice of their shepherd. Christ’s Word is our source of comfort and security.
Jesus words become even more interesting if you look at their context. Jesus had just given sight to a man who had been born blind. Jesus performed this miracle on a Sabbath and that really offended the Pharisees. Perhaps you remember that the account of this healing was the Gospel reading about six weeks ago in the season of Lent. You may remember that the Pharisees excommunicated the man who was born blind and they condemned Jesus as well. By then, the man didn’t care because his faith was in Jesus and not in the Pharisees or the synagogue.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees by declaring that, even though they claimed to have spiritual insight, they were spiritually blind. And because they insisted that they had spiritual insight, their guilt remained. Then He began the teaching that we heard in today’s Gospel. Therefore, when Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber,” (John 10:1) He was speaking directly to the Pharisees who condemned Him and who had thrown the man out of the synagogue. He was saying that they were the thieves and robbers.
The Pharisees serve as reminders to us. There are still false teachers today who want to lead us away from our Good Shepherd. They, like the Pharisees at the time of our text, are experts at taking the Word of God out of context. They replace the true meaning of Scripture with their own opinion. Jesus would condemn these false teachers even as He condemned the Pharisees and said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:7–9) Such false teachers will be with us until the Lord returns on the Last Day.
There are millions of false opinions out there. They come in all sizes, shapes, and styles. At first, this might seem overwhelming. How can we guard against false teachings if there are so many? While it is never easy to guard against false teachings, it does become a little easier when you realize that all false teachings have one central teaching. In some way, shape, or form, they all teach that you are at least partially responsible for providing your own salvation. There may be all kinds of rituals. There may be all kinds of teachings. There may be many approaches. But, in the end, somewhere inside it all, you will hear a condition … a condition that says, “When (or “If”) you do something, then you will receive something.” It all depends on you.
It can sound ever so simple, such as: “God wants to bless you. All you have to do is think happy thoughts and then He will give you a life of victory.” At first, this sounds tempting, but then we realize, “I am the one who has to think happy thoughts. I am the one who has to do something.” It sounds so harmless and uplifting, but as soon as any part of the process depends on you, it is false teaching. It is a robber or thief trying to get into the sheepfold. Any system that depends in any part on me will fail in the end because I will fail. In the end, we all must stand before Almighty and Holy God and give an account of ourselves. Those who listen to the opinions of the false prophets will depend on themselves and not pass the final test.
Those who listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd will depend on Jesus Christ who has already earned eternal life for all. His voice gives us His body for food and His blood for drink. His voice is our safety from sin, death, and the power of the devil. His voice is our comfort and security. His voice is our comfort and security especially when we realize that we cannot pass God’s test in our own power.
Instead of looking to our own power, the voice of Jesus tells you that He, the Good Shepherd, is the door to salvation. When you go before God and confess, “I do not love You as I should,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When you go before God and confess, “I do not love my neighbor as I love myself,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When you go before God and confess, “I cannot bear the punishment I deserve for my sin,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When Jesus hung on the cross for three hours and cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,” He endured the eternal punishment of hell for you. The truth proclaimed by the voice of Jesus is that God does all the work that gives us salvation. We do nothing. God does it all. God the Holy Spirit even gives you the faith that receives this salvation.
We hear Jesus’ voice when we hear his teaching. When Jesus instituted Holy Baptism, He also instructed the church to continue His teaching. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18–20) Teaching the things that Jesus taught is an ongoing part of the church’s ministry to the baptized. Baptism brings us into the flock of Jesus Christ. Teaching the things that Jesus taught keeps us in that flock. Hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd in His teachings makes it possible for us to recognize His voice and ignore the voice of the false teacher.
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. It is He who loves God perfectly for you. It is He who loves His neighbor perfectly for you. It is He who died for you. It is He who rose from the dead for you. It is He who ascended for you. He is the one whose body is the door to salvation. It is He who calls you by name. He has done all that you need. And He has done it so that you can live with Him forever. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of the Church--Fourth Sunday of Easter (A)--30 April 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Loving Father, Your Son is the great Shepherd of the sheep, who faithfully gathers His flock to Himself in the pastures of the Church. Grant us steadfast faith to hear His voice and follow Him, even through the valley of the shadow of death, that we may receive our portion in His abundant life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, by the work of Your Spirit through the Means of Grace, You daily add to the number of believers. Grant Your people courageous hearts and bold tongues to proclaim Your truth, trusting that You will gather more in keeping with Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Shepherd of Israel, You have clothed us with Christ’s righteousness and taught us to love all that is good, beautiful and true. Bless all artists and artisans, composers and musicians, and craftsmen and writers, that they may employ all their skills for Your glory and, in service to the Gospel, testify to Your saving death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You hold in Your hands all the might of man, and You hold accountable those who would govern Your people. Grant to us good government and leaders who will honor Your purpose, protect Your people, serve the cause of justice and defend our liberty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Shepherd, Your wounds are our healing and Your voice our certainty. Hear us on behalf of those who suffer in body or mind, who grieve, or to whom death draws near. [We pray especially for _____________ and those we name in our hearts.] Grant them healing according to Your will, grace to sustain them in trouble and the sure hope of everlasting life. Abide also with the unemployed and the distraught. Return them to health and livelihood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, in the wake of Your Son’s resurrection, Your people devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Unite Your people in the one true faith, and grant penitent hearts to all who come to receive the Sacrament this day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, as You have put our sins to death in Christ’s body on the tree, so bring life to our faith by His Spirit, that in Your continual grace we may bring forth the fruit of holy lives. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
[This will be shared after the offerings are presented at the altar.]
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 7]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
711, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”
740, “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 30, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Barb Whitley
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Karen Broach
Communion Preparation Jeri Bliss
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
(honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
FELLOWSHIP ITEM: On Saturday, June 10th, you are invited to attend a Sacramento Rivercats game with other members of the congregation. The game is at 6:37 p.m. against the Las Vegas Aviators. There is a special $89 group-of-four ticket price (includes 4 hats, 4 hot dogs and 4 Pepsi’s) for as many groups-of-four that can be made up from those in attendance. Please see Randy Peeters for more information. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board in the Fellowship Room.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is scheduled for June 19th – 23rd, 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Rainforest Explorers,” and we will learn how Jesus is our ultimate guide in the rainforest and in all of life as He leads us to the treasure of eternal life. There are many ways that you can help. Go to vbsmate.com/stpaulaubca to sign up for volunteer opportunities. For more information, please contact Barb Whitley
(530-305-7520).
And when I am oppressed, beat down, By devil, world, and flesh,
His Supper does with grace abound, His blood shall e’er refresh.
[sung to the tune of “Amazing Grace”]
Serve the Lord with gladness; come into His presence with singing.
Ps. 100:2
MORNING SERVICE WITH HOLY COMMUNION
The Fourth Sunday of Easter – April 30, 2023
PRESERVICE MUSIC AND RINGING OF THE CHURCH BELL
OPENING HYMN: 475, “Good Christian Friends, Rejoice and Sing”
INVOCATION, CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION
P: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
ALL: Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all
things, Judge of all people, we admit and confess our sinful-
ness. We have turned away from you and from each other in
our thoughts, words, and actions. We do repent and are truly
sorry for our sins. Have mercy on us, kind Father, because of
the obedience of our Brother, Jesus Christ, your Son. Forgive
us all that is past, renew us with the power of the Holy Spirit,
and move us to faithful service in the kingdom of Jesus Christ
our Lord.
P: God has promised forgiveness of sins to those who repent and turn to
Him. May He keep you in His grace by the Holy Spirit, lead you to
greater faith and obedience, and bring you to live with Him forever,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
C: Amen.
KYRIE [sung to the tune of the hymn Amazing Grace]
Have mercy on Your people, Lord.
Have mercy, Christ our King.
Renew us by Your mercy, Lord;
Accept the prayers we bring.
HYMN OF PRAISE [tune – Hark the Herald Angels Sing]
“Glory be to God on high.” This is now our joyful cry.
Peace to all who live on earth, Grace and favor for new birth.
You we praise and glorify, Worship You, O Lord most high.
Gracious Father, heav’nly King, To Your name alone we sing:
Praise the glory of Your name, Now and evermore the same.
Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, Sole-begotten, Holy One,
Born on earth from realms on high, Born true man for us to die,
Lamb of God, You take away This world’s sin: Grant peace we pray.
With the Spirit, You alone Are most high, O God the Son,
And the Father, God above. Praise we now Your glorious love.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Sit
FIRST LESSON Acts 2:42-47
42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
EPISTLE LESSON 1 Peter 2:19-25
19This is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Stand
GOSPEL LESSON John 10:1-10
1[Jesus said:] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Sit
SERMON HYMN: 709, “The King of Love My Shepherd Is”
SERMON “Our Good Shepherd” John 10:1-10
Our Good Shepherd – John 10:1-10
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia! This morning we remember that the one who rose from the dead is our Good Shepherd.
In the time and place that Jesus first spoke the words we heard in today’s Gospel, sheep grazed on the open range. There were areas of land that were not of much use for crops, but they still grew vegetation that sheep could eat. It was in these wild, desolate areas that shepherds led their flocks during the day.
Although sheep country was not that great for agriculture, the rocky terrain produced a fine crop of stones. Shepherds often used those stones to build sheepfolds … an enclosure with walls high enough to discourage both animal and human predators. Other times the shepherds would use caves or other natural rock formations for sheepfolds. As the sun went down, the shepherds would bring their flocks together and lead them into one of these sheepfolds. The sheep spent the night in the relative security of the sheepfold.
There was only one opening to the sheepfold and during the night a shepherd would sleep in that opening. That shepherd became the door. No predators could get in and no sheep could get out without waking the shepherd. The only way in or out of that sheepfold was by that shepherd who had become the door of the sheep.
In the morning, each of the shepherds needed to lead his sheep out of the sheepfold. Now how do you make sure that the right flock of sheep goes with the right shepherd? Well, the sheep would know the voice of their shepherd. A shepherd would come to the entrance to the sheepfold and talk or sing to the sheep. The sheep in the shepherd’s flock knew that this voice meant food when they were hungry … water when they were thirsty … and safety at all times. They followed the voice. The sheep in the other flocks didn’t know the voice and they ignored it. All the shepherd had to do was start talking or singing and lead his flock out of the sheepfold to green pastures and still waters.
A man by the name of H. V. Morton was an eyewitness to this very thing. Apparently, while he was in the Holy Land, he was up early one morning in the countryside around Bethlehem. Later, he recorded his experience in a book. He wrote, “Early one morning I saw an extraordinary sight not far from Bethlehem. Two shepherds had evidently spent the night with their flocks in a cave. The sheep were all mixed together and the time had come for the shepherds to go in different directions. One of the shepherds stood some distance from the sheep and began to call. First one, then another, then four or five animals ran towards him; and so on until he had counted his whole flock” (H. V. Morton, In the Steps of the Master [London, 1935] quoted in L. Morris, The Gospel According to John [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971] p. 502 n. 17).
This is the reason that shepherds made sure that the sheep knew their voice. They spoke to the sheep. They sang to the sheep. The sheep grew used to the voice of their shepherd. That voice became a source of comfort and security. This confidence in the voice of the shepherd was very important for the sheep.
Jesus used this figure of speech to teach about His church. The shepherd is Jesus Himself. The flock of sheep is His church. The thieves and robbers are the false prophets and teachers who would tempt His people to leave His church. The voice that the shepherd uses to call his sheep is the Bible as it is taught in its truth and purity. In essence, Jesus said that the members of His church will follow His word in the same way that sheep will follow the voice of their shepherd. Christ’s Word is our source of comfort and security.
Jesus words become even more interesting if you look at their context. Jesus had just given sight to a man who had been born blind. Jesus performed this miracle on a Sabbath and that really offended the Pharisees. Perhaps you remember that the account of this healing was the Gospel reading about six weeks ago in the season of Lent. You may remember that the Pharisees excommunicated the man who was born blind and they condemned Jesus as well. By then, the man didn’t care because his faith was in Jesus and not in the Pharisees or the synagogue.
Jesus condemned the Pharisees by declaring that, even though they claimed to have spiritual insight, they were spiritually blind. And because they insisted that they had spiritual insight, their guilt remained. Then He began the teaching that we heard in today’s Gospel. Therefore, when Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber,” (John 10:1) He was speaking directly to the Pharisees who condemned Him and who had thrown the man out of the synagogue. He was saying that they were the thieves and robbers.
The Pharisees serve as reminders to us. There are still false teachers today who want to lead us away from our Good Shepherd. They, like the Pharisees at the time of our text, are experts at taking the Word of God out of context. They replace the true meaning of Scripture with their own opinion. Jesus would condemn these false teachers even as He condemned the Pharisees and said, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:7–9) Such false teachers will be with us until the Lord returns on the Last Day.
There are millions of false opinions out there. They come in all sizes, shapes, and styles. At first, this might seem overwhelming. How can we guard against false teachings if there are so many? While it is never easy to guard against false teachings, it does become a little easier when you realize that all false teachings have one central teaching. In some way, shape, or form, they all teach that you are at least partially responsible for providing your own salvation. There may be all kinds of rituals. There may be all kinds of teachings. There may be many approaches. But, in the end, somewhere inside it all, you will hear a condition … a condition that says, “When (or “If”) you do something, then you will receive something.” It all depends on you.
It can sound ever so simple, such as: “God wants to bless you. All you have to do is think happy thoughts and then He will give you a life of victory.” At first, this sounds tempting, but then we realize, “I am the one who has to think happy thoughts. I am the one who has to do something.” It sounds so harmless and uplifting, but as soon as any part of the process depends on you, it is false teaching. It is a robber or thief trying to get into the sheepfold. Any system that depends in any part on me will fail in the end because I will fail. In the end, we all must stand before Almighty and Holy God and give an account of ourselves. Those who listen to the opinions of the false prophets will depend on themselves and not pass the final test.
Those who listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd will depend on Jesus Christ who has already earned eternal life for all. His voice gives us His body for food and His blood for drink. His voice is our safety from sin, death, and the power of the devil. His voice is our comfort and security. His voice is our comfort and security especially when we realize that we cannot pass God’s test in our own power.
Instead of looking to our own power, the voice of Jesus tells you that He, the Good Shepherd, is the door to salvation. When you go before God and confess, “I do not love You as I should,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When you go before God and confess, “I do not love my neighbor as I love myself,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When you go before God and confess, “I cannot bear the punishment I deserve for my sin,” the voice of Jesus tells you that God sent His only begotten Son into the world to do that for you. When Jesus hung on the cross for three hours and cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me,” He endured the eternal punishment of hell for you. The truth proclaimed by the voice of Jesus is that God does all the work that gives us salvation. We do nothing. God does it all. God the Holy Spirit even gives you the faith that receives this salvation.
We hear Jesus’ voice when we hear his teaching. When Jesus instituted Holy Baptism, He also instructed the church to continue His teaching. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18–20) Teaching the things that Jesus taught is an ongoing part of the church’s ministry to the baptized. Baptism brings us into the flock of Jesus Christ. Teaching the things that Jesus taught keeps us in that flock. Hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd in His teachings makes it possible for us to recognize His voice and ignore the voice of the false teacher.
Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd. It is He who loves God perfectly for you. It is He who loves His neighbor perfectly for you. It is He who died for you. It is He who rose from the dead for you. It is He who ascended for you. He is the one whose body is the door to salvation. It is He who calls you by name. He has done all that you need. And He has done it so that you can live with Him forever. Amen
CREEDAL HYMN [tune – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise]
In God we believe: the creator whose pow’r
In mercy has brought us for worship this hour.
He graciously grants us our years and our days
And blesses with kindness our work and our ways.
In Jesus, the Savior, our hope is secured,
True God and true man once the cross He endured,
To grant our lives wholeness, forgiveness of sin.
With hearts freed from guilt, we know true peace within.
God’s Spirit at work in our lives we confess;
With power and truth the Church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then,
Be living in glory forever. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE CHURCH/PRAYERS FOR HEALING
P: In our prayers we pray for the whole Church and the world, we lift
before God specific needs especially in our own parish, and we
remember and give thanks for the faithful departed….. Great God our
Healer, by Your power, the Lord Jesus healed the sick and gave hope
to the hopeless. In His name and for His sake,
C: look upon us with mercy and bless us with your healing Spirit.
P: Bring us comfort in the midst of pain, strength to transform our
weakness,
C: and light to illuminate our darkness.
P: Grant Your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that
they may be made whole; Lord in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, the awareness of
Your presence; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to
soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering;
grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Lord, in Your
mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Grant to the dying a peaceful, holy death, and with Your grace
strengthen those who mourn; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Restore to wholeness whatever is broken in our lives, in this nation,
and in the world; Lord, in Your mercy,
C: hear our prayer.
P: Gracious God, in baptism You anointed us with the oil of salvation, and
joined us to the death and resurrection of Your Son. Bless all who seek
Your healing presence in their lives. In their suffering draw them more
deeply into the mystery of Your love, that following Christ in the way of
the cross they may know the power of His resurrection; who lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of the Church--Fourth Sunday of Easter (A)--30 April 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
Loving Father, Your Son is the great Shepherd of the sheep, who faithfully gathers His flock to Himself in the pastures of the Church. Grant us steadfast faith to hear His voice and follow Him, even through the valley of the shadow of death, that we may receive our portion in His abundant life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Father, by the work of Your Spirit through the Means of Grace, You daily add to the number of believers. Grant Your people courageous hearts and bold tongues to proclaim Your truth, trusting that You will gather more in keeping with Your gracious will. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Shepherd of Israel, You have clothed us with Christ’s righteousness and taught us to love all that is good, beautiful and true. Bless all artists and artisans, composers and musicians, and craftsmen and writers, that they may employ all their skills for Your glory and, in service to the Gospel, testify to Your saving death and resurrection. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, You hold in Your hands all the might of man, and You hold accountable those who would govern Your people. Grant to us good government and leaders who will honor Your purpose, protect Your people, serve the cause of justice and defend our liberty. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Shepherd, Your wounds are our healing and Your voice our certainty. Hear us on behalf of those who suffer in body or mind, who grieve, or to whom death draws near. [We pray especially for _____________ and those we name in our hearts.] Grant them healing according to Your will, grace to sustain them in trouble and the sure hope of everlasting life. Abide also with the unemployed and the distraught. Return them to health and livelihood. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, in the wake of Your Son’s resurrection, Your people devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers. Unite Your people in the one true faith, and grant penitent hearts to all who come to receive the Sacrament this day. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord, as You have put our sins to death in Christ’s body on the tree, so bring life to our faith by His Spirit, that in Your continual grace we may bring forth the fruit of holy lives. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these things and whatever else You know that we need, grant us, Father, for the sake of Him who died and rose again and now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
OFFERING PRAYER
[This will be shared after the offerings are presented at the altar.]
Stand
PREPARATION FOR HOLY COMMUNION
P: The Lord be with you.
C: And also with you.
P: Lift up your hearts.
C: We lift them to the Lord.
P: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
C: It is right to give Him thanks and praise.
P: It is truly good, right, and salutary…..evermore praising You and
saying:
SANCTUS [tune – Holy, Holy, Holy]
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
Day and night we join to praise Your love and majesty.
You alone are holy, worthy and righteous.
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty!
We rejoice to join the hymn of earth and sky and sea.
Generations praise You, with saints and angels,
Holy and bless’d through all eternity.
WORDS OF INSTITUTION
LORD’S PRAYER
AGNUS DEI [tune – My Faith Looks Up to Thee]
O Lamb of God, we pray: Take all our sins away,
Our faith increase. Have mercy on us all,
Strengthen us when we fall,
Answer our fervent call And grant us peace.
Sit
DISTRIBUTION OF HOLY COMMUNION AND THE OPTIONAL ANOINTING WITH OIL [See explanation on page 7]
[Note: If you wish to be anointed with oil, please remain kneeling after pastor dismisses the communion table. You may then return to your seat after being anointed.]
DISTRIBUTION HYMNS:
711, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”
740, “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb”
Stand
POST-COMMUNION PRAYER
BENEDICTION
P: Go in peace. Serve the Lord.
C: Thanks be to God.
CLOSING HYMN: 710 “The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want”
+ spes mea Christus – My Hope is in Christ +
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POST-SERVICE MUSIC
REFRESHMENTS
BIBLE CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN
Anointing with Oil Oil was and is effective medicine. As Jesus shared the story of the Good Samaritan who bandaged wounds and poured oil on them in Luke 10:30-34, He also instructed His disciples to anoint and cure the ill (Mark 6:7,13). The extended Church and its elders [pastors] in James 5:14-16 were urged to pray for healing and anoint with oil. Oil, applied to the forehead in a service of healing, has no healing effect on its own. However, anointing with the sign of the cross using a forefinger or thumb, touches us with the fingerprint of the Great Physician. Anointing points to the presence of our healing Savior as the source of our restoration to wholeness.
For this reason, some may wish to receive this special anointing. If you do not wish to do so, it does not mean that you do not wish God’s healing presence in your life. It is simply an optional rite in the Church that some have found helpful/advantageous over the centuries, as Psalm 23:5 indicates—“you anoint my head with oil.”
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday of Easter – April 23, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pat Tavare
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
(honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as a Voters’ Meeting and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it. As 2 Corinthians 5:20 states, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 469 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
1 “Christ the Lord is ris’n today!”
Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply.
2 Love’s redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun’s eclipse is o’er;
Lo! He sets in blood no more.
3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
4 Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O grave?
5 Soar we now where Christ has led;
Foll’wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
6 Hail the Lord of earth and heav’n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv’n!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the resurrection, Thou!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 133
P Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for- evermore.
C [sung]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 2:14a, 36–41
14Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, . . .
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 116:1–7, 12-14
1I love the Lord, because | he has heard*
my voice and my pleas for | mercy.
2Because he inclined his | ear to me,*
therefore I will call on him as long | as I live.
3The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid | hold on me;*
I suffered distress and | anguish.
4Then I called on the name | of the Lord:*
“O Lord, I pray, deliv- | er my soul!”
5Gracious is the Lord, and | righteous;*
our God is | merciful.
6The Lord preserves the | simple;*
when I was brought low, he | saved me.
7Return, O my soul, | to your rest;*
for the Lord has dealt bountifully | with you.
12What shall I render | to the Lord*
for all his bene- | fits to me?
13I will lift up the cup of sal- | vation*
and call on the name | of the Lord,
14I will pay my vows | to the Lord*
in the presence of all his | people.
Epistle 1 Peter 1:17–25
17If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, 21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 24:13–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 879 “Stay with Us”
1 Stay with us, till night has come:
Our praise to You this day be sung.
Bless our bread,
Open our eyes:
Jesus, be our great surprise.
2 Walk with us, our spirits sigh:
Hear when our weary spirits cry,
Feel again
Our loss, our pain:
Jesus, take us to Your side.
3 Walk with us, the road will bend:
Make all our weeping, wailing end.
Wipe our tears,
Forgive our fears:
Jesus, lift the heavy cross.
4 Talk with us, till we behold
A joyful life You will unfold:
Heal our eyes
To see the prize:
Jesus, take us to the light.
5 Stay with us, till day is done:
No tears nor dark shall dim the sun.
Cheer the heart,
Your grace impart:
Jesus, bring eternal life.
Text: Herbert F. Brokering, 1926–2009
Text: © 1990 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “I Told You So” Luke 24:13-35
I Told You So – Luke 24:13-35
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia!
There is a subtle, but very persistent theme in the events of the Resurrection as told in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It shows up in the announcement that the angels make to the women at the tomb. Listen to the angel’s words and you will hear a common thread. In Matthew’s account, the angel said, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” (Matthew 28:6) In Mark, the angel said, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:7) Luke’s account is the longest. In his account, the angel said, “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:6–7) Did you notice the small, but very important idea that each angel had in their message? Each of these accounts made it clear that an important part of the angel’s message of the Resurrection was a reminder that Jesus had regularly told His disciples that He would rise from the dead. They all included an emphasis on the Word of Jesus. And, since Jesus is God, this is an emphasis on the Word of God.
Jesus Himself made this very clear in the reading we just heard. Jesus joined two of His disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. (Luke 24:13–16) Notice that Jesus did not immediately reveal Himself to them. Instead, He first taught them from the Word of God. The opening words of their conversation show how much they need this instruction.
Jesus greeted them by asking a perfectly natural question. “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” (Luke 24:17) This gave the two travelers the opportunity to express their grief at Jesus’ death. In their grief, the two travelers stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:17–18) From these words, we learn that the news of Jesus’ crucifixion had spread throughout Jerusalem. Cleopas assumed that anyone who had been in Jerusalem would know all about it.
Then Jesus asked one of those open-ended questions that gave Cleopas and his friend an opportunity to talk. He said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” (Luke 24:19–24)
This is a very good summary of Jesus’ ministry. It even speaks of the resurrection. The words, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” even proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah. The only problem is that they didn’t believe that it was true. Their words showed that they knew everything they needed to believe in Jesus. Nevertheless, from their point of view, it was more like a dream than reality.
Right then and there, Jesus could have said, “Here I am! The accounts of my resurrection are true!” He could have shown them His hands, feet, and side. He could have shown them that He was alive, but He didn’t. Instead, He began an intense Bible Study. He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25–27)
Before Jesus revealed Himself to these two disciples, He showed them Christ in Moses and the prophets … what we would call the Old Testament. He taught them that the entire Old Testament points to Christ. He used the Old Testament to show these two disciples that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer as they had witnessed with their own eyes and ears. He showed them, from the Old Testament, that the very heart of what it meant to be the Christ was for the chief priests and rulers to deliver Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified. According to the Scriptures, this is exactly what the Christ came to do and experience. The very testimony that they gave when they explained the happenings in Jerusalem … who Jesus was … what He experienced … His suffering and death … this very testimony points to Jesus as the Messiah promised by God in the Holy Scriptures.
Last week we heard John’s account of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the locked room. When Thomas saw the Lord, he confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Jesus responded to Thomas and said, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) In today’s Gospel, we heard how Jesus did that with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In this account, Jesus pointed to the Holy Scriptures as the proof of His resurrection before He revealed Himself to these two disciples. They did not know it was Jesus talking to them. Nevertheless they believed because of the testimony of the Holy Scriptures. They believed without seeing.
When Jesus first joined the disciples, they had the facts exactly right, but the facts depressed them. The facts depressed them because they did not interpret the facts in light of the Holy Scriptures. They did not understand how the crucifixion fit into the plan of God. They had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel, but they did not understand that the crucifixion was the way that the Christ did the redeeming. It was as Jesus opened the Holy Scriptures to them that they began to understand that, in the crucifixion, Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but He redeemed the entire world. Jesus opened the Gospel of the Old Testament to them, and the Holy Spirit called them by that Gospel. The Holy Spirit created faith in them even though they did not recognize that it was Jesus Himself who taught them. Not only did the Holy Spirit bring them to faith, but they became an example of “those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
There are many devout Christians who really wish they could have heard the Bible class that Jesus gave on that road to Emmaus. How wonderful it would be to hear God’s Word taught by the perfect teacher. While we cannot know every last detail of His teaching, today’s reading gives us insight into the general theme of His teaching. It really all boils down to this: “What is the key to the correct understanding of the Bible?” The official answer is: “Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is the heart and center of the Scripture and therefore the key to its true meaning.” This is a primary principle of Biblical interpretation taught by the Scriptures themselves and demonstrated in today’s Gospel: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27) These words teach us that you have not fully explored a passage in Scripture until you have learned something about Jesus from that passage. Jesus Himself tells us that the Bible teaches us that “it is necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26) It is by this suffering that Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but also redeemed the entire world.
Now that Jesus had taught them from the Holy Scriptures, it was time for them to share a meal. “As they talked, the two disciples drew near to the village to which they were going. [Jesus] acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them.” (Luke 24:28–29) This is common Middle Eastern hospitality at work. There were no Motels or other public lodgings. As travelers came to the end of the day, those who had farther to go, acted as though they would continue their journey. Those who had arrived at their destination, insisted that other travelers stay with them and enjoy their hospitality.
Hospitality included a meal. When you stayed at someone’s house, they would serve a meal to you. They would bless the food and serve it to you, the guest. But something changed as this guest came to eat with these two disciples. Notice how Jesus turned the tables on His hosts. He became the host and served them. “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” (Luke 24:30–31) Jesus was the invited guest, but He became the host. He took the bread. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it. Jesus served the two disciples. It was as Jesus served them with this meal that He finally revealed Himself to them.
This pattern of teaching and then eating is very common in the Bible. The Gospels record many meals that Jesus had with a wide variety of people. Every time there was teaching before eating. First there is teaching from the Word of God. Then there is a meal with the Christ. This meal in Emmaus was different in that it is a meal after Jesus rose from the dead. In this meal, Jesus began teaching the disciples that although they could not always see Him, He was always with them. He was with them in disguise on the road as He taught from God’s Word. He was with them as He broke the bread and they recognized Him. He was still with them even after He disappeared from their sight.
This pattern of hearing God’s Word and then eating God’s meal has made its way into the liturgy of the church. We follow the pattern that Jesus used as we first have the Service of the Word where we hear the teaching that Jesus has passed on to us through the writings of His apostles. We continue that pattern as we eat a meal with Jesus and all the company of heaven even as Jesus gives His body and blood for us to eat and to drink.
Even though we cannot see Jesus, He has promised to be with us. He is with us as we hear the Word of God and the Holy Spirit uses it to strengthen our faith. Then, after we hear teaching that is based on the Word of God, we have a meal with Jesus where He feeds us His true body and His true blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus comes to us in His Word. He comes to us as His Word falls on our ears and He comes to us as the Word combines with the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. In each case Jesus reveals Himself to us. He is with us just as He was with the Emmaus disciples. We have His promise and by His promise He gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church-Third Sunday of Easter (A)--23 April 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Father of the risen Christ, in Your Son’s appearance to the Emmaus disciples, He expounded the Scriptures and revealed Himself in the breaking of the bread. Grant us grace that we, too, may perceive Him as our Savior through His Word and rejoice to receive Him as the bread of life for the salvation of our souls. By the Word and Sacraments, renew our piety this Eastertide, that we may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, Your Spirit opens the Holy Scriptures to the hearts of Your people. Enlighten this congregation by the resurrection light that never fades, that our hearts may burn in faith toward You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have poured out Your Spirit upon us, that we might believe Your truth and raise our sons and daughters in it. Bless all parents, that they may faithfully catechize their children in Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, stifle the powers of darkness and end the reign of war, violence and terror. Give leaders who will seek peace and work for the common good. Instill in them a love of righteousness, and guide them in the pursuit of justice for all. Bless our president; the Congress of the United States; our governor; all state and local officials; all medical and emergency workers; and all members of the armed forces who protect us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of compassion, those who suffer cry to You. Hear them and answer them with grace sufficient for all their needs. Heal the sick according to Your will, comfort the wounded and give Your peace to the dying. [We especially pray for _____________.] You are our health and strength for this life and eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, Your compassion is made known to us through Your Son’s breaking of the bread. Open our hearts and mouths to receive forgiveness in the body and blood of Christ, who suffered for us and has entered into His glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, have mercy on us when we are foolish and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken about Your Son. Pour out Your Spirit on us through the preaching of the Gospel, that the Scriptures might be opened to us; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 195
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
461 “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
1 I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living head.
2 He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives all-glorious in the sky;
He lives exalted there on high.
3 He lives to bless me with His love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.
4 He lives to grant me rich supply;
He lives to guide me with His eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint;
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
5 He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.
6 He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
7 He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.
8 He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same;
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
Text: Samuel Medley, 1738–99, abr.
Text: Public domain
488 “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word”
1 He is arisen! Glorious Word!
Now reconciled is God, my Lord;
The gates of heav’n are open.
My Jesus did triumphant die,
And Satan’s arrows broken lie,
Destroyed hell’s fiercest weapon.
O hear what cheer!
Christ victorious,
Rising glorious,
Life is giving.
He was dead but now is living!
Text: Birgitte Katerine Boye, 1742–1824; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 490 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”
1 Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!
Death no longer can appall me;
Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!
From the grave will Christ recall me.
Brighter scenes will then commence;
This shall be my confidence.
2 Jesus lives! To Him the throne
High above all things is given.
I shall go where He is gone,
Live and reign with Him in heaven.
God is faithful; doubtings, hence!
This shall be my confidence.
3 Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense;
This shall be my confidence.
4 Jesus lives! I know full well
Nothing me from Him shall sever.
Neither death nor pow’rs of hell
Part me now from Christ forever.
God will be my sure defense;
This shall be my confidence.
5 Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal;
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass its gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!
Text: Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, 1715–69; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Third Sunday of Easter – April 23, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
"The LORD your God is in your midst.”
Zephaniah 3:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Gil McMillan
Lay Reader Marian Dunham
Acolyte Sue Hullen
Organist Allison Yee
Communion Preparation Pat Tavare
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
(honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as a Voters’ Meeting and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
Can You Imagine?
Imagine that you are trapped in a large burning building in your community. Both your legs are broken, all your ribs are cracked (we're going to make this really bad), you can hardly breathe, you are pinned to the floor, fire is everywhere, you are ready to give up and die and someone rescues you. Could you imagine later on one of your friends saying to you, "Hey, how did you get rescued?" And you reply, "I'm not going to tell you. It's a secret. Don't embarrass me by having to tell." Would you do that? Then why are you embarrassed to tell about your biggest Rescuer who saved you from the biggest fire, the fire of hell, who is your very, very best Friend and Savior, to whom you owe your life now and forever in heaven, Jesus Christ? My friend, it's time for you to stop being embarrassed about Jesus! You have a great story to tell, and you know some people who are "dying" to hear it! Someone told you. Now you tell it. As 2 Corinthians 5:20 states, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”
Hang on! God will remain faithful. Don't despair. Cling to the truth the psalmist proclaims: "Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous" (Psalm 27:14). The Lord won't extinguish a smoking wick but instead will make it glow brightly. He won't break the damaged cattail but instead will strengthen it (Isaiah 42:3)—Martin Luther.
The Third Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 469 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today”
1 “Christ the Lord is ris’n today!”
Saints on earth and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing, ye heav’ns, and earth, reply.
2 Love’s redeeming work is done,
Fought the fight, the battle won;
Lo! Our Sun’s eclipse is o’er;
Lo! He sets in blood no more.
3 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal;
Christ hath burst the gates of hell.
Death in vain forbids His rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
4 Lives again our glorious King!
Where, O death, is now thy sting?
Once He died our souls to save;
Where thy victory, O grave?
5 Soar we now where Christ has led;
Foll’wing our exalted Head.
Made like Him, like Him we rise;
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
6 Hail the Lord of earth and heav’n!
Praise to Thee by both be giv’n!
Thee we greet triumphant now:
Hail, the resurrection, Thou!
Text: Charles Wesley, 1707–88, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism.]
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P Beloved in the Lord! Let us draw near with a true heart and confess our sins unto God our Father, beseeching Him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.
P Our help is in the name of the Lord,
C who made heaven and earth.
P I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord,
C and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.
P O almighty God, merciful Father,
C I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.
P Upon this your confession, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God unto all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit Psalm 133
P Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for- evermore.
C [sung]Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P O God, through the humiliation of Your Son You raised up the fallen world. Grant to Your faithful people, rescued from the peril of everlasting death, perpetual gladness and eternal joys; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 2:14a, 36–41
14Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, . . .
36Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 116:1–7, 12-14
1I love the Lord, because | he has heard*
my voice and my pleas for | mercy.
2Because he inclined his | ear to me,*
therefore I will call on him as long | as I live.
3The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid | hold on me;*
I suffered distress and | anguish.
4Then I called on the name | of the Lord:*
“O Lord, I pray, deliv- | er my soul!”
5Gracious is the Lord, and | righteous;*
our God is | merciful.
6The Lord preserves the | simple;*
when I was brought low, he | saved me.
7Return, O my soul, | to your rest;*
for the Lord has dealt bountifully | with you.
12What shall I render | to the Lord*
for all his bene- | fits to me?
13I will lift up the cup of sal- | vation*
and call on the name | of the Lord,
14I will pay my vows | to the Lord*
in the presence of all his | people.
Epistle 1 Peter 1:17–25
17If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, 21who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24for
“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
25but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia
Holy Gospel Luke 24:13–35
P The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the twenty-fourth chapter.
13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 879 “Stay with Us”
1 Stay with us, till night has come:
Our praise to You this day be sung.
Bless our bread,
Open our eyes:
Jesus, be our great surprise.
2 Walk with us, our spirits sigh:
Hear when our weary spirits cry,
Feel again
Our loss, our pain:
Jesus, take us to Your side.
3 Walk with us, the road will bend:
Make all our weeping, wailing end.
Wipe our tears,
Forgive our fears:
Jesus, lift the heavy cross.
4 Talk with us, till we behold
A joyful life You will unfold:
Heal our eyes
To see the prize:
Jesus, take us to the light.
5 Stay with us, till day is done:
No tears nor dark shall dim the sun.
Cheer the heart,
Your grace impart:
Jesus, bring eternal life.
Text: Herbert F. Brokering, 1926–2009
Text: © 1990 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn License no. 110000283
Sermon “I Told You So” Luke 24:13-35
I Told You So – Luke 24:13-35
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia!
There is a subtle, but very persistent theme in the events of the Resurrection as told in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It shows up in the announcement that the angels make to the women at the tomb. Listen to the angel’s words and you will hear a common thread. In Matthew’s account, the angel said, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” (Matthew 28:6) In Mark, the angel said, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:7) Luke’s account is the longest. In his account, the angel said, “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” (Luke 24:6–7) Did you notice the small, but very important idea that each angel had in their message? Each of these accounts made it clear that an important part of the angel’s message of the Resurrection was a reminder that Jesus had regularly told His disciples that He would rise from the dead. They all included an emphasis on the Word of Jesus. And, since Jesus is God, this is an emphasis on the Word of God.
Jesus Himself made this very clear in the reading we just heard. Jesus joined two of His disciples who were traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. (Luke 24:13–16) Notice that Jesus did not immediately reveal Himself to them. Instead, He first taught them from the Word of God. The opening words of their conversation show how much they need this instruction.
Jesus greeted them by asking a perfectly natural question. “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” (Luke 24:17) This gave the two travelers the opportunity to express their grief at Jesus’ death. In their grief, the two travelers stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:17–18) From these words, we learn that the news of Jesus’ crucifixion had spread throughout Jerusalem. Cleopas assumed that anyone who had been in Jerusalem would know all about it.
Then Jesus asked one of those open-ended questions that gave Cleopas and his friend an opportunity to talk. He said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” (Luke 24:19–24)
This is a very good summary of Jesus’ ministry. It even speaks of the resurrection. The words, “We had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,” even proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah. The only problem is that they didn’t believe that it was true. Their words showed that they knew everything they needed to believe in Jesus. Nevertheless, from their point of view, it was more like a dream than reality.
Right then and there, Jesus could have said, “Here I am! The accounts of my resurrection are true!” He could have shown them His hands, feet, and side. He could have shown them that He was alive, but He didn’t. Instead, He began an intense Bible Study. He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:25–27)
Before Jesus revealed Himself to these two disciples, He showed them Christ in Moses and the prophets … what we would call the Old Testament. He taught them that the entire Old Testament points to Christ. He used the Old Testament to show these two disciples that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer as they had witnessed with their own eyes and ears. He showed them, from the Old Testament, that the very heart of what it meant to be the Christ was for the chief priests and rulers to deliver Him up to be condemned to death, and crucified. According to the Scriptures, this is exactly what the Christ came to do and experience. The very testimony that they gave when they explained the happenings in Jerusalem … who Jesus was … what He experienced … His suffering and death … this very testimony points to Jesus as the Messiah promised by God in the Holy Scriptures.
Last week we heard John’s account of Jesus appearing to the disciples in the locked room. When Thomas saw the Lord, he confessed, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28) Jesus responded to Thomas and said, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) In today’s Gospel, we heard how Jesus did that with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. In this account, Jesus pointed to the Holy Scriptures as the proof of His resurrection before He revealed Himself to these two disciples. They did not know it was Jesus talking to them. Nevertheless they believed because of the testimony of the Holy Scriptures. They believed without seeing.
When Jesus first joined the disciples, they had the facts exactly right, but the facts depressed them. The facts depressed them because they did not interpret the facts in light of the Holy Scriptures. They did not understand how the crucifixion fit into the plan of God. They had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel, but they did not understand that the crucifixion was the way that the Christ did the redeeming. It was as Jesus opened the Holy Scriptures to them that they began to understand that, in the crucifixion, Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but He redeemed the entire world. Jesus opened the Gospel of the Old Testament to them, and the Holy Spirit called them by that Gospel. The Holy Spirit created faith in them even though they did not recognize that it was Jesus Himself who taught them. Not only did the Holy Spirit bring them to faith, but they became an example of “those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
There are many devout Christians who really wish they could have heard the Bible class that Jesus gave on that road to Emmaus. How wonderful it would be to hear God’s Word taught by the perfect teacher. While we cannot know every last detail of His teaching, today’s reading gives us insight into the general theme of His teaching. It really all boils down to this: “What is the key to the correct understanding of the Bible?” The official answer is: “Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is the heart and center of the Scripture and therefore the key to its true meaning.” This is a primary principle of Biblical interpretation taught by the Scriptures themselves and demonstrated in today’s Gospel: “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” (Luke 24:27) These words teach us that you have not fully explored a passage in Scripture until you have learned something about Jesus from that passage. Jesus Himself tells us that the Bible teaches us that “it is necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:26) It is by this suffering that Jesus not only redeemed Israel, but also redeemed the entire world.
Now that Jesus had taught them from the Holy Scriptures, it was time for them to share a meal. “As they talked, the two disciples drew near to the village to which they were going. [Jesus] acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them.” (Luke 24:28–29) This is common Middle Eastern hospitality at work. There were no Motels or other public lodgings. As travelers came to the end of the day, those who had farther to go, acted as though they would continue their journey. Those who had arrived at their destination, insisted that other travelers stay with them and enjoy their hospitality.
Hospitality included a meal. When you stayed at someone’s house, they would serve a meal to you. They would bless the food and serve it to you, the guest. But something changed as this guest came to eat with these two disciples. Notice how Jesus turned the tables on His hosts. He became the host and served them. “When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.” (Luke 24:30–31) Jesus was the invited guest, but He became the host. He took the bread. He blessed it. He broke it. He gave it. Jesus served the two disciples. It was as Jesus served them with this meal that He finally revealed Himself to them.
This pattern of teaching and then eating is very common in the Bible. The Gospels record many meals that Jesus had with a wide variety of people. Every time there was teaching before eating. First there is teaching from the Word of God. Then there is a meal with the Christ. This meal in Emmaus was different in that it is a meal after Jesus rose from the dead. In this meal, Jesus began teaching the disciples that although they could not always see Him, He was always with them. He was with them in disguise on the road as He taught from God’s Word. He was with them as He broke the bread and they recognized Him. He was still with them even after He disappeared from their sight.
This pattern of hearing God’s Word and then eating God’s meal has made its way into the liturgy of the church. We follow the pattern that Jesus used as we first have the Service of the Word where we hear the teaching that Jesus has passed on to us through the writings of His apostles. We continue that pattern as we eat a meal with Jesus and all the company of heaven even as Jesus gives His body and blood for us to eat and to drink.
Even though we cannot see Jesus, He has promised to be with us. He is with us as we hear the Word of God and the Holy Spirit uses it to strengthen our faith. Then, after we hear teaching that is based on the Word of God, we have a meal with Jesus where He feeds us His true body and His true blood given and shed for us for the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus comes to us in His Word. He comes to us as His Word falls on our ears and He comes to us as the Word combines with the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. In each case Jesus reveals Himself to us. He is with us just as He was with the Emmaus disciples. We have His promise and by His promise He gives us forgiveness, life, and salvation. Amen
Offertory
Offering Prayer
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church-Third Sunday of Easter (A)--23 April 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O Father of the risen Christ, in Your Son’s appearance to the Emmaus disciples, He expounded the Scriptures and revealed Himself in the breaking of the bread. Grant us grace that we, too, may perceive Him as our Savior through His Word and rejoice to receive Him as the bread of life for the salvation of our souls. By the Word and Sacraments, renew our piety this Eastertide, that we may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord of all, Your Spirit opens the Holy Scriptures to the hearts of Your people. Enlighten this congregation by the resurrection light that never fades, that our hearts may burn in faith toward You. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, You have poured out Your Spirit upon us, that we might believe Your truth and raise our sons and daughters in it. Bless all parents, that they may faithfully catechize their children in Your Word. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, stifle the powers of darkness and end the reign of war, violence and terror. Give leaders who will seek peace and work for the common good. Instill in them a love of righteousness, and guide them in the pursuit of justice for all. Bless our president; the Congress of the United States; our governor; all state and local officials; all medical and emergency workers; and all members of the armed forces who protect us. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of compassion, those who suffer cry to You. Hear them and answer them with grace sufficient for all their needs. Heal the sick according to Your will, comfort the wounded and give Your peace to the dying. [We especially pray for _____________.] You are our health and strength for this life and eternal life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Merciful Lord, Your compassion is made known to us through Your Son’s breaking of the bread. Open our hearts and mouths to receive forgiveness in the body and blood of Christ, who suffered for us and has entered into His glory. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, have mercy on us when we are foolish and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken about Your Son. Pour out Your Spirit on us through the preaching of the Gospel, that the Scriptures might be opened to us; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Service of the Sacrament
Stand
Preface
P It is truly meet, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus LSB 195
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei
Sit
Distribution and Hymns:
461 “I Know That My Redeemer Lives”
1 I know that my Redeemer lives;
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever-living head.
2 He lives triumphant from the grave;
He lives eternally to save;
He lives all-glorious in the sky;
He lives exalted there on high.
3 He lives to bless me with His love;
He lives to plead for me above;
He lives my hungry soul to feed;
He lives to help in time of need.
4 He lives to grant me rich supply;
He lives to guide me with His eye;
He lives to comfort me when faint;
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
5 He lives to silence all my fears;
He lives to wipe away my tears;
He lives to calm my troubled heart;
He lives all blessings to impart.
6 He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend;
He lives and loves me to the end;
He lives, and while He lives, I’ll sing;
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
7 He lives and grants me daily breath;
He lives, and I shall conquer death;
He lives my mansion to prepare;
He lives to bring me safely there.
8 He lives, all glory to His name!
He lives, my Jesus, still the same;
Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives:
I know that my Redeemer lives!
Text: Samuel Medley, 1738–99, abr.
Text: Public domain
488 “He Is Arisen! Glorious Word”
1 He is arisen! Glorious Word!
Now reconciled is God, my Lord;
The gates of heav’n are open.
My Jesus did triumphant die,
And Satan’s arrows broken lie,
Destroyed hell’s fiercest weapon.
O hear what cheer!
Christ victorious,
Rising glorious,
Life is giving.
He was dead but now is living!
Text: Birgitte Katerine Boye, 1742–1824; tr. George A. T. Rygh, 1860–1942, alt.
Text: Public domain
Stand
Nunc Dimittis
Thanksgiving
A Let us pray.
We give thanks to You, almighty God, that You have refreshed us through this salutary gift, and we implore You that of Your mercy You would strengthen us through the same in faith toward You and in fervent love toward one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Benedicamus
Benediction
Closing Hymn: 490 “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won”
1 Jesus lives! The vict’ry’s won!
Death no longer can appall me;
Jesus lives! Death’s reign is done!
From the grave will Christ recall me.
Brighter scenes will then commence;
This shall be my confidence.
2 Jesus lives! To Him the throne
High above all things is given.
I shall go where He is gone,
Live and reign with Him in heaven.
God is faithful; doubtings, hence!
This shall be my confidence.
3 Jesus lives! For me He died,
Hence will I, to Jesus living,
Pure in heart and act abide,
Praise to Him and glory giving.
All I need God will dispense;
This shall be my confidence.
4 Jesus lives! I know full well
Nothing me from Him shall sever.
Neither death nor pow’rs of hell
Part me now from Christ forever.
God will be my sure defense;
This shall be my confidence.
5 Jesus lives! And now is death
But the gate of life immortal;
This shall calm my trembling breath
When I pass its gloomy portal.
Faith shall cry, as fails each sense:
Jesus is my confidence!
Text: Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, 1715–69; tr. Frances E. Cox, 1812–97, alt.
Text: Public domain
+vivat Jesus – Jesus Lives+
Announcements
Postlude, Refreshments, Adult Bible Class & Children’s Study
Acknowledgments
Divine Service, Setting Three from Lutheran Service Book
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2023 Concordia Publishing House.
ST. PAUL LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday of Easter – April 16, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
In Your presence there is fullness of joy.
Psalm 16:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
(honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
A MEMORIAL SERVICE has been scheduled for Dick Seiler this Saturday, April 22nd at 11 a.m. [Note: Delta Dash will be rescheduled to Saturday, May 20th. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you have any questions about the trip.]
ON PRAYER--
“When you pray, do not be afraid that God won’t hear you because you don’t get the form of the prayer just right. Don’t avoid prayer because your sins trouble you. Remember that God hears our prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you. Jesus opens the door to the throne room of our Heavenly Father, by His perfect life and His sacrifice on Calvary. Baptized into His name, you receive credit for His good works and freedom from your sins. Pray boldly with your Lord. Pray for others before asking for yourself. Finally, and always, as the hymnwriter suggests, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’” [from Lifelight Bible Study on John’s Gospel, p. 21]
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
RAINFOREST EXPLORERS VBS 2023- SAVE THE DATE JUNE 19-23 TALK TO BARB WHITLEY if you are being called to be a part of this exciting week or would like to serve on the planning team. Thank you for your prayers for yet another community outreach event.
The Second Sunday of Easter
April 16, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 463 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia”
1 Christ the Lord is ris’n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
Offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
At the paschal victim’s feet. Alleluia!
2 For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
Sinless in the sinner’s stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3 Hail, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
When contending death and life, Alleluia!
Met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!
4 Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
All your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
Text: attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; tr. Jane E. Leeson, 1809–81, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism].
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 1 Peter 2:2–3; Psalm 105:1–5, 8
P Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 5:29–42
29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 148
1Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the | heavens;*
praise him | in the heights!
2Praise him, all his | angels;*
praise him, | all his hosts!
3Praise him, | sun and moon,*
praise him, all you | shining stars!
4Praise him, you highest | heavens,*
and you waters above the | heavens!
5Let them praise the name | of the Lord!*
For he commanded and they were cre- | ated.
6And he established them forever and | ever;*
he gave a decree, and it shall not | pass away.
7Praise the Lord | from the earth,*
you great sea creatures and | all deeps,
8fire and hail, | snow and mist,*
stormy wind fulfill- | ing his word!
9Mountains and | all hills,*
fruit trees and all | cedars!
10Beasts and all | livestock,*
creeping things and | flying birds!
11Kings of the earth and all | peoples,*
princes and all rulers | of the earth!
12Young men and maidens to- | gether,*
old men and | children!
13Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is ex- | alted;*
his majesty is above earth and | heaven.
14He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for | all his saints,*
for the people of Israel who are near to him. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle 1 Peter 1:3–9
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 20:19–31
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter.
19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 470 “O Sons and Daughters of the King”
1 O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 An angel clad in white they see,
Who sits and speaks unto the three,
“Your Lord will go to Galilee.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 That night the_apostles met in fear;
Among them came their master dear
And said, “My peace be with you here.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 When Thomas first the tidings heard
That they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
6 “My piercèd side, O Thomas, see,
And look upon My hands, My feet;
Not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
7 No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“You are my Lord and God!” he cried.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
8 How blest are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
9 On this most holy day of days
Be laud and jubilee and praise:
To God your hearts and voices raise.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: attr. Jean Tisserand, d. 1494; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Peace Be Especially with You” John 20:19-31
Peace Be Especially with You! – John 20:19-31
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia! Our Savior who once was dead now lives.
The Gospel that we just heard begins with a time marker, “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week.” (John 20:19) We need to look at the context to see what John means when he says, “That day.” The previous verse give the account of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene near the empty tomb. So, today’s reading is an account of something that happened on the evening of the day of the Resurrection. By this time, the disciples knew that the body was gone. Some of the women even claimed to have seen and talked with Jesus. Nevertheless, they weren’t sure what it all meant. They were confused.
The text goes on to say, “The doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews.” (John 20:19) The one thing they did know was that the Jewish leaders went to a lot of trouble to wipe out their leader. Now that He was out of the way, there was the possibility that they would try to destroy the entire movement. So, not only were they confused, but they were terrified.
This is another one of those moments that supports the credibility of the Biblical text. If you are making up a history to support your own man-made religion, you do not portray the leaders of your religion as confused, frightened, and helpless men cowering in a locked room.
The other thing we learn from this account is that, at the beginning of this account, there was not a single Christian in the room. They had heard reports of the Resurrection, but they did not believe them. If you do not believe in the Resurrection, then you are not a Christian. This was a room full of unbelievers.
Now this is annual “Pick on Thomas Day.” You heard in the reading how Thomas was missing, and he made his assertion of unbelief before he saw Jesus, but the fact is that all the disciples were total pagans before Jesus showed Himself to them on that evening.
Now here is where we see how gracious and merciful Jesus truly is. He had every right to show up and rip into these disciples. He had every right to condemn them for their unbelief. After all, He had told them that after He died, He would rise again. If they had been listening, they should have expected Him to rise on the third day. But they didn’t. They deserved condemnation.
Instead, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) What a marvelous greeting this is. Instead of getting what they deserve, Jesus gave them His peace. This peace is greater than any other peace for it comes from the very Son of God Himself. This is the peace that Jesus earned with His perfect life and His suffering and death on the cross. This is the peace that Jesus earned while He hung on the cross and endured the wrath of God for the sin of the world. This is the peace we have with God because Jesus took away the sins of the world.
When [Jesus] had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. (John 20:20) Jesus verified His identity and certified His peace by inviting the disciples to examine the wounds of the cross that still showed on His body. This was a real bodily resurrection … a resurrection that the disciples could touch and see. Jesus is real and so is His peace.
As the disciples began to realize that their friend and teacher was alive, Jesus gave them even more gifts. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) This is nothing other than Jesus installing these men as apostles. The very word apostle comes from a Greek word that means to send. Jesus said that He is God the Father’s apostle, the one sent from the Father. Now He is commissioning these disciples to be His apostles, ones who are sent directly by Him. These apostles will take the very peace that Jesus has given to them and proclaim it to the world.
Do you realize how crazy this is? These are the guys who often quarreled about who is the greatest among them. These are the guys who abandoned Jesus at His greatest need. These are the guys who thought the stories of the resurrection were idle tales. These are the guys who drew a total blank every time Jesus told them He was going to suffer, die, and rise from the dead. People! These are not the brightest bulbs in the box.
Nevertheless, they are the one whom Jesus sent. They are the ones the Apostle Paul wrote about to the church in Ephesus: “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:19–20) The Apostle Paul states that these men are the foundation of the household of God. Paul is talking about men who were cowardly unbelievers until Jesus showed Himself to them. Now Jesus is sending them. Now they are Jesus’ Apostles.
But wait, there’s more. When [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23) Here is Jesus giving the authority to forgive sins to His church. This authority carries with it the authority to administer His peace as well.
We sometimes use a special form of confession and absolution where the pastor asks this question, “Do you believe that the forgiveness I speak is not my forgiveness but God’s?” This question is based on the words we just heard from Jesus in today’s Gospel. He has given the church the actual authority to forgive sins with the forgiveness that He earned with His perfect life and suffering and death. That means that when I, after your confession say, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” that is Jesus forgiving your sins.
The wonderful thing is that it doesn’t depend on how wonderful your pastor is. He could be a total jerk. Nevertheless, the forgiveness is sure. It is sure because it does not depend on the character of your pastor, but on the promise of Jesus Christ … the same Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the dead. The one who kept His promise to rise from the dead, will most certainly keep His promise to forgive all your sins.
This forgiveness not only comes with the actual word forgive, but it also comes with other words … words like peace. In a few minutes, at the end of the sermon, I will place God’s peace on you. That is not just me giving my good wishes, but I am placing the very same peace that Jesus gave to His disciples on you. This also happens in the benediction. When I place God’s name on you, I also place God’s peace on you. After you receive communion, I say, “Depart in peace.” That is also the same peace that Jesus gave to His disciples in today’s Gospel. It is another way of placing His forgiveness on you with all its gifts.
We need the gifts of Christ’s forgiveness. We live in a sin-filled world that tempts us continually. Satan continually attacks us with the poisonous darts of His temptations. When we examine our lives in light of the Ten Commandments, we become aware of our many failings … our many sins. Our only hope is the forgiveness that Jesus gives to us. With that forgiveness, we receive His mercy, His grace, and His peace. In His love, He has given His church the authority to administer all these gifts and give them out freely. That is what we do when the Holy Spirit calls us together by the Gospel. In this place and in all the other places His believers gather around the world, He gives us His gifts through His servants in His congregation.
God continues to work in grace and mercy today. At birth, every one of us is a selfish, enemy of God. Nevertheless, the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus gives His peace to us. The Holy Spirit still works in us by the power of the very Word that Jesus sent His apostles to proclaim. Pastors still administer the very forgiveness of Jesus Christ as they say, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In all of these ways and more, Jesus still comes to us and says, “Peace be with you.” Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Second Sunday of Easter (A)--16 April 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O God, our Father, You have raised Your Son, and He has bestowed the Holy Spirit on His apostles. Believing Christ’s resurrection, help us also to trust the forgiving words of His servants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, turn the enemies of Your Church, and bring their hearts to repentance. Strengthen all Christians in their faith and in their vocation of service as Your children, that we may be obedient to Your Word and receive the salvation of our souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, You appoint rulers and officials for the sake of order and peace. Bless those You have placed in authority in federal, state and local governments. Give to them the desire to serve with integrity and honor and to work for the benefit of all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, we praise Your Son’s resurrection from the dead and draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. [Show Your kindness to _____________.] Graciously receive our prayers of intercession for Christ’s sake. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, Your Son greets His disciples with peace despite their sins against Him. Make us confident in His mercy toward us, and gladden our hearts as He comes to us in His body and blood with forgiveness and renewal. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that out of Your indescribable grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the Holy Gospel and instituted the blessed Sacraments, that through them we may have comfort and the forgiveness of sin. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Your Word, and through the Holy Sacraments establish our faith day by day, until at last we obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei &
A Congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
275 Nation Drive, Auburn, CA 95603
The Second Sunday of Easter – April 16, 2023
Worship at 9 a.m. Adult Bible Class at 10:30 a.m.
Watch us on Facebook live or archived on our website!
Church Office Phone: (530) 885-5378 Website: stpaulauburn.org
Pastor’s cell phone: (916) 591-3816 Email: [email protected]
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
In grateful response to God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we dedicate ourselves to share the Good News of how Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all people.
Welcome to our service this morning! We especially welcome you, our visitors, in the name of Jesus Christ. If you would like the pastor to contact you regarding membership or any questions you may have, please speak to him today, or get in touch with him using the phone numbers or email above. Thanks!
Our service today will be a Communion Service. We practice what is called “Close Communion,” meaning that our communion is ordinarily only for those who are members of a congregation of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod or one of the churches we are in altar and pulpit fellowship with around the world. We believe that in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion, the very Body and Blood of Jesus are present in a supernatural way. If you are a visitor and wish to commune, please speak with the pastor prior to the start of the service. Thanks!
*****For our distribution today*****the elder will distribute the host in your hand, the pastor will follow with the individual cups (this due to the fact that we will not be using the common cup quite yet), and the cups can be placed in the receptacle upon leaving the communion rail.
In Your presence there is fullness of joy.
Psalm 16:1
Those Serving Us in Worship Today
Pastor The Rev. Dr. David F. Poganski
Elder Mark Klein
Lay Reader Sue Hullen
Acolyte Becca Potts
Organist Coleen Tallman
Communion Preparation Becca Potts
Ushers Kermitt Dickey, Orville Harshbarger
(honorary), Doak Whitley (captain)
REFRESHMENTS will be offered following today’s worship service, as well as Adult Bible Class and a Children’s Study.
THERE WILL BE A MEN’S BIBLE STUDY this Thursday at 9 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome!
A MEMORIAL SERVICE has been scheduled for Dick Seiler this Saturday, April 22nd at 11 a.m. [Note: Delta Dash will be rescheduled to Saturday, May 20th. Please speak with Randy Peeters if you have any questions about the trip.]
ON PRAYER--
“When you pray, do not be afraid that God won’t hear you because you don’t get the form of the prayer just right. Don’t avoid prayer because your sins trouble you. Remember that God hears our prayer for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died and rose for you. Jesus opens the door to the throne room of our Heavenly Father, by His perfect life and His sacrifice on Calvary. Baptized into His name, you receive credit for His good works and freedom from your sins. Pray boldly with your Lord. Pray for others before asking for yourself. Finally, and always, as the hymnwriter suggests, ‘Take it to the Lord in prayer.’” [from Lifelight Bible Study on John’s Gospel, p. 21]
CHECK IT OUT!—On pages 321-328 in the hymnal is Luther’s Small Catechism. You will find there all six chief parts, the daily prayers, and the scripture passages for the table of duties. Bon vivant (“enjoy this pleasure”)!
RAINFOREST EXPLORERS VBS 2023- SAVE THE DATE JUNE 19-23 TALK TO BARB WHITLEY if you are being called to be a part of this exciting week or would like to serve on the planning team. Thank you for your prayers for yet another community outreach event.
The Second Sunday of Easter
April 16, 2023
Pre-Service Music and the Ringing of the Outside Church Bell
Opening Hymn: 463 “Christ the Lord Is Risen Today; Alleluia”
1 Christ the Lord is ris’n today; Alleluia!
Christians, hasten on your way; Alleluia!
Offer praise with love replete, Alleluia!
At the paschal victim’s feet. Alleluia!
2 For the sheep the Lamb has bled, Alleluia!
Sinless in the sinner’s stead. Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
3 Hail, the victim undefiled, Alleluia!
God and sinners reconciled, Alleluia!
When contending death and life, Alleluia!
Met in strange and awesome strife. Alleluia!
4 Christians, on this holy day, Alleluia!
All your grateful homage pay; Alleluia!
Christ the Lord is ris’n on high; Alleluia!
Now He lives, no more to die. Alleluia!
Text: attr. Wipo of Burgundy, d. c. 1050; tr. Jane E. Leeson, 1809–81, alt.
Text: Public domain
Confession and Absolution
Please stand if able
[The sign of the cross may be made by all in remembrance of their Baptism].
P In the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
P If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
P Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C Amen.
Service of the Word
Introit 1 Peter 2:2–3; Psalm 105:1–5, 8
P Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength;
seek his presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations.
Kyrie
Gloria in Excelsis
Salutation and Collect of the Day
P Let us pray.
Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Sit
First Reading Acts 5:29–42
29But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. 35And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. 36For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. 37After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, 40and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Psalm [sung by all] Psalm 148
1Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the | heavens;*
praise him | in the heights!
2Praise him, all his | angels;*
praise him, | all his hosts!
3Praise him, | sun and moon,*
praise him, all you | shining stars!
4Praise him, you highest | heavens,*
and you waters above the | heavens!
5Let them praise the name | of the Lord!*
For he commanded and they were cre- | ated.
6And he established them forever and | ever;*
he gave a decree, and it shall not | pass away.
7Praise the Lord | from the earth,*
you great sea creatures and | all deeps,
8fire and hail, | snow and mist,*
stormy wind fulfill- | ing his word!
9Mountains and | all hills,*
fruit trees and all | cedars!
10Beasts and all | livestock,*
creeping things and | flying birds!
11Kings of the earth and all | peoples,*
princes and all rulers | of the earth!
12Young men and maidens to- | gether,*
old men and | children!
13Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is ex- | alted;*
his majesty is above earth and | heaven.
14He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for | all his saints,*
for the people of Israel who are near to him. | Praise the Lord!
Epistle 1 Peter 1:3–9
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
A This is the Word of the Lord.
C Thanks be to God.
Stand
Alleluia and Verse
Holy Gospel John 20:19–31
P The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter.
19On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”
24Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Sit
Hymn of the Day: 470 “O Sons and Daughters of the King”
1 O sons and daughters of the King,
Whom heav’nly hosts in glory sing,
Today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
2 That Easter morn, at break of day,
The faithful women went their way
To seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
3 An angel clad in white they see,
Who sits and speaks unto the three,
“Your Lord will go to Galilee.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
4 That night the_apostles met in fear;
Among them came their master dear
And said, “My peace be with you here.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
5 When Thomas first the tidings heard
That they had seen the risen Lord,
He doubted the disciples’ word.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
6 “My piercèd side, O Thomas, see,
And look upon My hands, My feet;
Not faithless but believing be.”
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
7 No longer Thomas then denied;
He saw the feet, the hands, the side;
“You are my Lord and God!” he cried.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
8 How blest are they who have not seen
And yet whose faith has constant been,
For they eternal life shall win.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
9 On this most holy day of days
Be laud and jubilee and praise:
To God your hearts and voices raise.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Text: attr. Jean Tisserand, d. 1494; tr. John Mason Neale, 1818–66, alt.
Text: Public domain
Sermon “Peace Be Especially with You” John 20:19-31
Peace Be Especially with You! – John 20:19-31
Christ has risen! He has risen, indeed! Alleluia! Our Savior who once was dead now lives.
The Gospel that we just heard begins with a time marker, “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week.” (John 20:19) We need to look at the context to see what John means when he says, “That day.” The previous verse give the account of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene near the empty tomb. So, today’s reading is an account of something that happened on the evening of the day of the Resurrection. By this time, the disciples knew that the body was gone. Some of the women even claimed to have seen and talked with Jesus. Nevertheless, they weren’t sure what it all meant. They were confused.
The text goes on to say, “The doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews.” (John 20:19) The one thing they did know was that the Jewish leaders went to a lot of trouble to wipe out their leader. Now that He was out of the way, there was the possibility that they would try to destroy the entire movement. So, not only were they confused, but they were terrified.
This is another one of those moments that supports the credibility of the Biblical text. If you are making up a history to support your own man-made religion, you do not portray the leaders of your religion as confused, frightened, and helpless men cowering in a locked room.
The other thing we learn from this account is that, at the beginning of this account, there was not a single Christian in the room. They had heard reports of the Resurrection, but they did not believe them. If you do not believe in the Resurrection, then you are not a Christian. This was a room full of unbelievers.
Now this is annual “Pick on Thomas Day.” You heard in the reading how Thomas was missing, and he made his assertion of unbelief before he saw Jesus, but the fact is that all the disciples were total pagans before Jesus showed Himself to them on that evening.
Now here is where we see how gracious and merciful Jesus truly is. He had every right to show up and rip into these disciples. He had every right to condemn them for their unbelief. After all, He had told them that after He died, He would rise again. If they had been listening, they should have expected Him to rise on the third day. But they didn’t. They deserved condemnation.
Instead, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) What a marvelous greeting this is. Instead of getting what they deserve, Jesus gave them His peace. This peace is greater than any other peace for it comes from the very Son of God Himself. This is the peace that Jesus earned with His perfect life and His suffering and death on the cross. This is the peace that Jesus earned while He hung on the cross and endured the wrath of God for the sin of the world. This is the peace we have with God because Jesus took away the sins of the world.
When [Jesus] had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. (John 20:20) Jesus verified His identity and certified His peace by inviting the disciples to examine the wounds of the cross that still showed on His body. This was a real bodily resurrection … a resurrection that the disciples could touch and see. Jesus is real and so is His peace.
As the disciples began to realize that their friend and teacher was alive, Jesus gave them even more gifts. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) This is nothing other than Jesus installing these men as apostles. The very word apostle comes from a Greek word that means to send. Jesus said that He is God the Father’s apostle, the one sent from the Father. Now He is commissioning these disciples to be His apostles, ones who are sent directly by Him. These apostles will take the very peace that Jesus has given to them and proclaim it to the world.
Do you realize how crazy this is? These are the guys who often quarreled about who is the greatest among them. These are the guys who abandoned Jesus at His greatest need. These are the guys who thought the stories of the resurrection were idle tales. These are the guys who drew a total blank every time Jesus told them He was going to suffer, die, and rise from the dead. People! These are not the brightest bulbs in the box.
Nevertheless, they are the one whom Jesus sent. They are the ones the Apostle Paul wrote about to the church in Ephesus: “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:19–20) The Apostle Paul states that these men are the foundation of the household of God. Paul is talking about men who were cowardly unbelievers until Jesus showed Himself to them. Now Jesus is sending them. Now they are Jesus’ Apostles.
But wait, there’s more. When [Jesus] had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.” (John 20:22–23) Here is Jesus giving the authority to forgive sins to His church. This authority carries with it the authority to administer His peace as well.
We sometimes use a special form of confession and absolution where the pastor asks this question, “Do you believe that the forgiveness I speak is not my forgiveness but God’s?” This question is based on the words we just heard from Jesus in today’s Gospel. He has given the church the actual authority to forgive sins with the forgiveness that He earned with His perfect life and suffering and death. That means that when I, after your confession say, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” that is Jesus forgiving your sins.
The wonderful thing is that it doesn’t depend on how wonderful your pastor is. He could be a total jerk. Nevertheless, the forgiveness is sure. It is sure because it does not depend on the character of your pastor, but on the promise of Jesus Christ … the same Jesus Christ who died on the cross and rose from the dead. The one who kept His promise to rise from the dead, will most certainly keep His promise to forgive all your sins.
This forgiveness not only comes with the actual word forgive, but it also comes with other words … words like peace. In a few minutes, at the end of the sermon, I will place God’s peace on you. That is not just me giving my good wishes, but I am placing the very same peace that Jesus gave to His disciples on you. This also happens in the benediction. When I place God’s name on you, I also place God’s peace on you. After you receive communion, I say, “Depart in peace.” That is also the same peace that Jesus gave to His disciples in today’s Gospel. It is another way of placing His forgiveness on you with all its gifts.
We need the gifts of Christ’s forgiveness. We live in a sin-filled world that tempts us continually. Satan continually attacks us with the poisonous darts of His temptations. When we examine our lives in light of the Ten Commandments, we become aware of our many failings … our many sins. Our only hope is the forgiveness that Jesus gives to us. With that forgiveness, we receive His mercy, His grace, and His peace. In His love, He has given His church the authority to administer all these gifts and give them out freely. That is what we do when the Holy Spirit calls us together by the Gospel. In this place and in all the other places His believers gather around the world, He gives us His gifts through His servants in His congregation.
God continues to work in grace and mercy today. At birth, every one of us is a selfish, enemy of God. Nevertheless, the Father of all mercy and grace has sent His Son Jesus Christ, who atoned for the sin of the whole world that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Jesus gives His peace to us. The Holy Spirit still works in us by the power of the very Word that Jesus sent His apostles to proclaim. Pastors still administer the very forgiveness of Jesus Christ as they say, “As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” In all of these ways and more, Jesus still comes to us and says, “Peace be with you.” Amen
Apostles’ Creed
C I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life T everlasting. Amen.
Prayer of the Church
Prayer of the Church--Second Sunday of Easter (A)--16 April 2023
Let us pray for the whole Church of God in Christ Jesus and for all people according to their needs.
O God, our Father, You have raised Your Son, and He has bestowed the Holy Spirit on His apostles. Believing Christ’s resurrection, help us also to trust the forgiving words of His servants. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, turn the enemies of Your Church, and bring their hearts to repentance. Strengthen all Christians in their faith and in their vocation of service as Your children, that we may be obedient to Your Word and receive the salvation of our souls. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, build up the households of Your people, that Your holy children, begotten in Baptism, may grow in Your grace and share together in Your forgiveness and life. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, You appoint rulers and officials for the sake of order and peace. Bless those You have placed in authority in federal, state and local governments. Give to them the desire to serve with integrity and honor and to work for the benefit of all. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, we praise Your Son’s resurrection from the dead and draw strength from His ascension before You, where He ever stands for us as our own High Priest. [Show Your kindness to _____________.] Graciously receive our prayers of intercession for Christ’s sake. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, our Father, Your Son greets His disciples with peace despite their sins against Him. Make us confident in His mercy toward us, and gladden our hearts as He comes to us in His body and blood with forgiveness and renewal. Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer.
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that out of Your indescribable grace, for the sake of Your Son, You have given us the Holy Gospel and instituted the blessed Sacraments, that through them we may have comfort and the forgiveness of sin. Grant us Your Holy Spirit, that we may heartily believe Your Word, and through the Holy Sacraments establish our faith day by day, until at last we obtain eternal salvation; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And God’s people said: Amen.
Offering Prayer
Stand
Offertory
Service of the Sacrament
Preface
P It is truly good, right, and salutary that we should at all times and in all places give thanks to You, holy Lord, almighty Father, everlasting God. And most especially are we bound to praise You on this day for the glorious resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the very Paschal Lamb, who was sacrificed for us and bore the sins of the world. By His dying He has destroyed death, and by His rising again He has restored to us everlasting life. Therefore with Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, and with all the witnesses of the resurrection, with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify Your glorious name, evermore praising You and saying:
Sanctus
Prayer of Thanksgiving
P Blessed are You, Lord of heaven and earth, for You have had mercy on those whom You created and sent Your only-begotten Son into our flesh to bear our sin and be our Savior. With repentant joy we receive the salvation accomplished for us by the all-availing sacrifice of His body and His blood on the cross.
Gathered in the name and the remembrance of Jesus, we beg You, O Lord, to forgive, renew, and strengthen us with Your Word and Spirit. Grant us faithfully to eat His body and drink His blood as He bids us do in His own testament. Gather us together, we pray, from the ends of the earth to celebrate with all the faithful the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, which has no end. Graciously receive our prayers; deliver and preserve us. To You alone, O Father, be all glory, honor, and worship, with the Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
C Amen.
The Words of Our Lord
P As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
C Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
P O Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, in giving us Your body and blood to eat and to drink, You lead us to remember and confess Your holy cross and passion, Your blessed death, Your rest in the tomb, Your resurrection from the dead, Your ascension into heaven, and Your coming for the final judgment. So remember us in Your kingdom and teach us to pray:
Lord’s Prayer
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
Pax Domini
Agnus Dei &